What I Think Folk Singers Would Do Today to Rally Our Spirits
By Wayne Weiner, D.Ed.
There was a time when folk singers were the voice of conscience, the rallying cry of justice, and the balm for our weary souls. They carried guitars, yes—but also burdens, hopes, and fierce love for humanity. Woody Guthrie’s guitar bore the sticker, “This Machine Kills Fascists,” and Bob Dylan’s lyrics lit fires under the complacent. Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, and Odetta didn’t just sing about freedom—they sang for it. They weren’t background music—they were the movement.
So I ask myself today: if those icons were still alive, or if their spirits could walk among us in this tangled, noisy world, what would they be doing now?
They wouldn’t be scrolling social media in outrage silence. They’d be standing at the microphone in town squares, farmer’s markets, rehab centers, and refugee shelters. They’d be weaving together melody and meaning. They’d remind us that truth has a tune, that hope has a harmony.
I wrote some songs with them in mind—songs not for record sales, but for soul repair. One called “Be the Best You” came out of a workshop I was teaching to leaders in a government agency. I thought about the lyrics not as a performance, but as a prompt. A reminder. A whisper in the ear of anyone who forgot that they matter.
Be the best you, not a copy or clone
You weren’t meant to journey this life alone
Raise your voice, raise your hands, raise your view—
The world gets better when we hear from you.
That’s the kind of song I think folk singers would be singing right now. Not cynical. Not saccharine. Just deeply human and achingly brave.
They’d be singing for the nurses still carrying the pain of the pandemic. For the veterans haunted by invisible wounds. For the kid who got told they’re not enough and still dared to dream. They’d go to the borders, to the bus stops, to the basement bars where loneliness sits like a second coat. And they’d say: “Sing with me.”
And we would. Because the folk singer’s gift isn’t just to perform. It’s to invite. To open space for courage and laughter and reckoning.
So I say this: we need a new folk movement. One not limited to singer-songwriters, but one made up of all of us who are willing to speak truth, create connection, and dare to feel again.
If you have something to say, say it. If you can write, write. If you can sing, sing. If you can’t, hum anyway.
The world doesn’t need perfection. It needs participation.
Let’s rally. Let’s sing. Let’s be the best versions of ourselves—and then pass that spirit on, like a well-loved chord.
Wayne Weiner, D.Ed. is an author, philosopher, and worldwide consultant known for his innovative coaching methods and uplifting leadership strategies. A former Director of Education at Harvard Teaching Hospital and Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, he has advised federal agencies, universities, tribal nations, and top executives. He currently consults to the National Institutes of Health and has written 20 books.
Visit https://drweinerinsights.com
Disclaimer: The views and lyrics in this article reflect the opinion and creative work of Dr. Wayne Weiner and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any public institution or musical estate.
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