Sip for Peace Meditation – Bill Goodman
During the 1960’s and 1970’s, much of the folk music in the United States was inspired by and dedicated to a peace movement – to put an end to war. Musicians like Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger inspired a peaceful activism with power songs. Bill Goodman, the nephew of Pete Seeger and lifetime family friends with the Guthrie Family is helping us remember the beauty of this music by recording two of his favorites.

When I asked about acquiring the rights to use the songs for “Sip for Peace”, he reminded me of Woody Guthrie’s original intent for his music and provided me with this quote and regaled me with wonderful family stories.

Two Peace Songs
My Peace
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The video below is a live performance by Woody Guthrie’s son, Arlo as he explains that this was one of his father’s last songs. You’ll hear him talk about …. “And I’m pretty sure that, if more people took care of the little peace, the big peace would just take care of itself.”
Peace CallWords and music by Woody GuthrieOpen your hearts to the paradise, Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace. Thick war clouds will throw its shadows, Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace. If these war storms fill your heart Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace. I’ll clear my house of the weeds of fear Peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace, peace. |

Toast Peace With Tea
We are as teabags in hot water
Our flavor is refreshing as we get stronger
May I call for peace to keep on flowing
And toasting Peace With tea
And we keep flowing in our call for peace
And toasting peace with tea.
Toasting Peace With Tea

Bill Goodman is a musician and songwriter. He plays piano, banjo, guitar, autoharp and harmonica. He is also a songwriter who learned from his uncle, Pete Seeger and in the company of a folk music community of family and friends. He knows the peace songs of the ’60’s and ’70’s intimately, like dear, old friends and knows their relevance and importance for today.
Our photo of him is from the book, Gettysburg Replies, a book of essays published by the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation, edited by Carla Knorowski, Ph.D. Bill shares his thoughts on Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address along with past presidents, with his uncle, Pete Seeger, and artists like Ken Burns as they reply to Lincoln’s most fundamental truth, “… that all men are created equal.”