Skip to main content

Odetta, the Shy Folk Singer Who Defied McCarthyism's Fear Tactics

Ian Zack Literary Hub
It wasn't only Odetta's selection of material that set her apart from many other white folk singers in the early 1950s. It was also her extraordinary interpretive ability. Among Her Fans Were Rosa Parks, Bob Dylan, and Martin Luther King.

Friday Nite Videos | Jan 12, 2018

Portside
Long Ago, Far Away | Odetta Sings Dylan. Tapper: You Know Who Loved Trump's Comments? Global Responses to Trump's 'Shithole' Remarks. Harry Belafonte | Zombie Jamboree. Camperforce | Documentary.

Friday Nite Videos -- April 1, 2016

Portside
Bernie Sanders, Spike Lee & Rosario Dawson Rally in South Bronx. Bernie Sanders' Message. Odetta: Long Ago, Far Away. Cartoon Donald Trump Tells Stephen Who Started It. Why You Should Care About Nukes.

Long Ago, Far Away

Odetta brings the haunting refrain of one of Bob Dylan's most radical songs about war, inequality and oppression: Things like that don't happen / No more, nowadays.

Friday Nite Videos -- December 25, 2015

Portside
Black Voters Explain Why They Feel the Bern. Dr. John & Odetta: Brother Can You Spare a Dime. If Guys Said What Donald Trump Says. Rashad Robinson Dispels Myth of 'Ferguson Effect.' Why Alcohol Doesn't Come With Nutrition Facts.

Dr.John & Odetta: Brother Can You Spare a Dime

This oldie was originally written during the depression (1931) by Yip Harburg, who was later blacklisted during the McCathy era. This video updates its relevance to the poor and disenfranchised in our nation today.

Friday Nite Videos -- September 11, 2015

Portside
Odetta: Long Ago, Far Away. How Many Trees Are There in the World? Mexican Donald Trump with George Lopez. New Human Species Discovered: Homo naledi. Bernie Sanders: Why 'Socialism' Isn't a Dirty Word.

Odetta: Long Ago, Far Away

The singer, songwriter, guitarist and civil rights activist Odetta gives a haunting performance of Dylan's 'Long Ago, Far Away.' 'One man lived just like a king/The other man begged on the street/Things like that don’t happen/No more, nowadays.'

Subscribe to Odetta