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.
And When I Die
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
there'll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.
I'm not scared of dying and I don't really care.
If it's peace you find in dying, well, then let the time be near.
If it's peace you find in dying, when dying time is here,
just bundle up my coffin cause it's cold way down there,
I hear that's it's cold way down there, yeah, crazy cold way down there.
there'll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.
My troubles are many, they're as deep as a well.
I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell.
Swear there ain't no heaven and pray there ain't no hell,
but I'll never know by living, only my dying will tell,
only my dying will tell, yeah, only my dying will tell.
And when I die and when I'm gone,
there'll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.
Give me my freedom for as long as I be.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me,
and all I ask of dying is to go naturally, only want to go naturally.
Don't want to go by the devil, don't want to go by the demon,
don't want to go by Satan, don't want to die uneasy,
just let me go naturally.
And when I die and when I'm gone,
there'll be one child born, there'll be one child born.
When I die, there'll be one child born.
When I die, there'll be one child born.
When I die, there'll be one child born.
When I die, there'll be one child born.
The lyrics to Peter Paul & Mary's "And When I Die" reflect the singer's acceptance of death, as well as their desire for the world to continue on after they have passed away. The singer is not afraid of dying and believes that if peace is only found in death, then they are ready for their time to come. They express their hope for a natural death that is free from the control of any supernatural forces, as they do not believe in heaven or hell. Despite their troubles, which are described as being "as deep as a well," the singer accepts their fate and hopes for a future world to carry on.
The repetition of the phrase "there'll be one child born and a world to carry on" emphasizes the idea of the continuation of life, even after death. The singer wants to be free in life and in death and wants to be released from any kind of bondage or control. The lyrics highlight the singer's desire for a peaceful and natural journey towards death, without any fear or reservations.
Overall, "And When I Die" is a powerful song about coming to terms with death and the acceptance of it as a part of life. It speaks of hope for a better future and the importance of carrying on the legacy of those who have passed on.
Line by Line Meaning
And when I die and when I'm dead, dead and gone, there'll be one child born and a world to carry on, to carry on.
Even though I will die eventually, there will always be the birth of a new life that will carry on and propagate the world that we live in.
I'm not scared of dying and I don't really care.
I don't fear the prospect of dying and I don't really care about when it will eventually happen.
If it's peace you find in dying, well, then let the time be near.
If one finds peace in the idea of death, then let it come sooner rather than later.
If it's peace you find in dying, when dying time is here, just bundle up my coffin cause it's cold way down there, I hear that's it's cold way down there, yeah, crazy cold way down there.
If death brings one peace, then when the time comes, put warm clothing in my coffin because it is cold in the ground where I will be buried.
My troubles are many, they're as deep as a well.
I have many troubles and worries that run deep and feel bottomless.
I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell.
I personally don't believe in heaven or hell, but I hope that there isn't a hell waiting for me after I die.
Swear there ain't no heaven and pray there ain't no hell, but I'll never know by living, only my dying will tell, only my dying will tell, yeah, only my dying will tell.
I may have my beliefs about what happens after I die, but I won't truly know until I experience it for myself when I die.
Give me my freedom for as long as I be.
I want to be free for as long as I am alive.
All I ask of living is to have no chains on me.
All I want in life is to have no constraints or limitations placed on me.
And all I ask of dying is to go naturally, only want to go naturally.
When it's my time to go, I only want it to be a natural, peaceful process.
Don't want to go by the devil, don't want to go by the demon, don't want to go by Satan, don't want to die uneasy,just let me go naturally.
I don't want to have a painful or unpleasant death caused by an evil entity; I just want to go naturally and peacefully.
And when I die and when I'm gone, there'll be one child born, there'll be one child born. When I die, there'll be one child born. When I die, there'll be one child born. When I die, there'll be one child born.
Despite my eventual death, life will continue on with the birth of new children who will carry on the legacy of humanity.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Laura Nyro
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind