The group was created by manager Albert Grossman, who sought to create a folk "supergroup" by bringing together "a tall blonde (Travers), a funny guy (Stookey), and a good looking guy (Yarrow)." He launched the group in 1961, booking them into the Bitter End, a coffee house in New York City's Greenwich Village that was a favorite place to hear folk artists.
The group recorded their first album, Peter, Paul and Mary, the following year. It included "500 Miles," "Lemon Tree","Where Have All the Flowers Gone," and the hit Pete Seeger tune "If I Had a Hammer," ("The Hammer Song"). The album was listed on Billboard Magazine Top Ten list for ten months and in the Top One Hundred for over three years.
By 1963 they had recorded three albums; released the now-famous song "Puff the Magic Dragon", which Yarrow and fellow Cornell student Leonard Lipton originally wrote in 1959 and was on the charts in 1963; and performed "If I Had a Hammer" at the 1963 March on Washington, best remembered for Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. Their biggest single hit came with the Bob Dylan song, "Blowin' in the Wind," which was an international #1 hit. It was the fastest selling single ever cut by Warner Brothers Records. For many years after, the group was at the forefront of the civil rights movement and other causes promoting social justice. Their later hit "Leaving on a Jet Plane" was actually written by the then unknown John Denver.
The trio broke up in 1970 to pursue separate solo careers, but found little of the success they did as a group, although Stookey's "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)" (written for Yarrow's marriage to Marybeth McCarthy, the niece of senator Eugene McCarthy) was a hit and has become a wedding standard since its 1971 release.
In 1978, they reunited for a concert to protest nuclear energy, and have recorded albums together and toured since. They currently play around 25 shows a year.[1]
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
In 2005, Travers was diagnosed with leukemia, leading to the cancellation of the remaining tour dates for that year. She received a bone marrow transplant and She and the rest of the trio resumed their concert tour on December 9, 2005 with a holiday performance at Carnegie Hall and were scheduled for several additional concerts in 2006.Sadly she passed away in Sept 2009.
Peter, Paul and Mary received in 2006 the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievment Award from Songwriters Hall of Fame.
75 Septembers
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the shadow of the great world war
The third kid grandmom had
Came into this world
On a rolling farm in maryland
When wilson was the president
And summer blew her good-bye through the trees
Growing up between the wars
The fords rolled off the line
And bars all closed their doors
And I imagine you back then
With snap brim hat and farmer's tan
Where horses drew their wagons through the fields
Chorus:
Now the fields are all four lanes
And the moon's not just a name
Are you more amazed at how things change
Or how they stay the same
And do you sit here on this porch and wonder
How the time flies by
Or does it seem to barely creep along
With 75 septembers come and gone
Were the fields all gold and fawn
Was the spring house dark and cool
Did the rooster crow at dawn
When they got you up for school
And would you tell me once again
The tales of grandad's hired men
And how they drove the old road to town
Chorus:
The lyrics to Peter Paul & Mary's song "75 Septembers" take the listener on a journey through time and the changes that have occurred over the years. The song begins with a nostalgic reflection on the birth of a child on a rolling farm in Maryland during the time of President Wilson and the shadow of World War I. The chorus reflects on the changes that have occurred since then, with fields expanding into four lanes and the moon not just being a name. The listener is asked whether they are more amazed by how things change or how they stay the same. The second verse speaks to the child of changing times growing up between the wars, witnessing the emergence of Ford's production line and bars closing their doors. The imagery of the snap brim hat and the farmer's tan evoke a sense of nostalgia and simplicity.
The chorus repeats, highlighting the changes that have occurred over 75 Septembers, with fields expanding into four lanes and time seeming to fly by. The final verse speaks to the singer's curiosity about the past, wondering about the fields of gold and fawn and the rooster crowing at dawn. The listener is asked to retell the tales of grandad's hired men and how they drove the old road to town. The song is a reflection on the passage of time and the changes that come with it while also capturing the beauty of nostalgia and the stories of our past.
Line by Line Meaning
In the year of the yellow cab
Referring to a time when yellow taxis were prominent in the streets
In the shadow of the great world war
Living during a time when World War was looming over everyone
The third kid grandmom had
Referring to the singer's birth as their grandmom's third child
Came into this world
Born into existence at that time
On a rolling farm in maryland
Living on a farm in a hilly region of Maryland
When wilson was the president
Referring to the time period when Woodrow Wilson was the president of the US
And summer blew her good-bye through the trees
Summer ended and autumn began with the sound of leaves rustling on the trees
A child of changing times
Growing up in a time when the world was changing rapidly
Growing up between the wars
Growing up during the period between World War I and World War II
The fords rolled off the line
Cars produced by Ford Motor Company were being manufactured in large quantities
And bars all closed their doors
Alcohol was being banned and the prohibition era had begun
And I imagine you back then
Remembering the artist's past
With snap brim hat and farmer's tan
Wearing a hat with a short brim and having a tan from working on the farm
Where horses drew their wagons through the fields
Horses were the primary mode of transportation for carrying goods through the fields
Now the fields are all four lanes
Modernization and urbanization have transformed the fields into roads
And the moon's not just a name
The artist is older now and realizes things are not always as simple as they appear, just like the moon
Are you more amazed at how things change
Wondering if the artist is more impressed or surprised with the vast changes the world has undergone
Or how they stay the same
Wondering if the singer feels nostalgic or comforted by the things that have remained unchanged
And do you sit here on this porch and wonder
Asking the listener if they too have ever sat on their porch contemplating life
How the time flies by
Reflecting on how quickly time passes
Or does it seem to barely creep along
Wondering if the listener feels like time drags on slowly
With 75 septembers come and gone
The artist has experienced 75 Septembers, and is pondering the meaning of life and the passage of time
Were the fields all gold and fawn
Asking about the color of fields during the autumn season
Was the spring house dark and cool
Asking if the spring house where they stored their perishables was always dark and cool
Did the rooster crow at dawn
Asking if the rooster was the alarm clock, waking the singer up each morning
When they got you up for school
Asking if they had to wake up early to attend school
And would you tell me once again
Asking to hear stories from the past again
The tales of grandad's hired men
Asking to hear stories about the hired farmhands who worked for their granddad
And how they drove the old road to town
Asking to hear stories about the hired farmhands' journey on the old road to town
Lyrics © GET SONGS DIRECT
Written by: CHERYL WHEELER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind