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.
By Surprise
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Grab you by the hand and step on the electric door
Leave the shopping cart right where it is
I betcha somebody's got the same list
I want to take us away from all this to a distant shore.
I'd leave the car by the curb with the motor on
The tape deck playin' our favorite love song
And smile just like a little girl
And I'd say "I can't tell you now but it won't be long."
[Chorus]
I know it sounds funny, but it's true...
I get so busy I forget I'm in love with you
And every now and then we need to get away to get close again.
Up in the air in a window seat
Your head on my shoulder and a blanket around our feet
We could leave the kids at home
And if you get worried we could telephone
We need a weekend of fun for under two hundred dollars complete.
[Chorus]
There we would be in a sunny land
We'd lie on the beach and you could wiggle your toes in the sand
A tropical drink late at night
And a midnight dip if the temperature's right
The best things turn out better if they never were planned.
[Chorus]
The song By Surprise by Peter, Paul and Mary is all about love, and how it can get lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The lyrics are about wanting to surprise a loved one and take them away from the mundane tasks like grocery shopping and spending time in the car. The singer expresses their desire to reignite the passion they share, acknowledging that sometimes life can get in the way and they forget that they’re in love. They want to take a trip together, just the two of them, where they can disconnect from the daily grind and reconnect with each other.
The imagery in the lyrics is vivid and playful, showing the lighter side of love. The singer wants to take their loved one by surprise, grab their hand and step on the electric door of the grocery store, leave the cart behind and take them far away to a distant shore. They want to leave the car parked by the curb, with the motor on and their favorite love song playing on the tape deck. The chorus is about how they get so consumed with their daily lives, they forget the importance of taking time to connect with each other. The idea is to have a weekend away, where they can enjoy each other's company, while leaving the kids behind and staying within the budget of two hundred dollars.
Overall, the lyrics of By Surprise are a reminder that love needs to be nurtured and celebrated, especially when life gets busy. Surprising someone and taking them away for a short break can help rekindle the passion and keep a relationship strong. It's a fun and playful song that will resonate with anyone who has felt the pang of neglecting their partner in the daily grind.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to take you by surprise at the grocery store
I want to surprise you in an unexpected way while we're just grocery shopping
Grab you by the hand and step on the electric door
I'll hold your hand tightly and take you through the automatic door
Leave the shopping cart right where it is
We don't need to shop, let's do something else instead
I betcha somebody's got the same list
We don't need to follow a shopping list like everyone else does
I want to take us away from all this to a distant shore.
I want to take you to a faraway place away from our everyday routine
I'd leave the car by the curb with the motor on
I'll leave the car running by the roadside
The tape deck playin' our favorite love song
Our favorite romantic song will be playing on the car stereo
And you'd say "What in the world?"
You'll be surprised and ask me what's happening
And smile just like a little girl
You'll smile like a child, filled with excitement and happiness
And I'd say "I can't tell you now but it won't be long."
I'll keep the surprise a secret for now but it will be revealed soon
I know it sounds funny, but it's true...
I know it may seem silly, but I really want to do this for you
I get so busy I forget I'm in love with you
Sometimes I get caught up in work and life and forget how much I love you
And every now and then we need to get away to get close again.
We need to take a break from our busy lives to reconnect and strengthen our relationship
Up in the air in a window seat
We'll sit together on a plane by the window
Your head on my shoulder and a blanket around our feet
You'll rest your head on my shoulder and we'll have a blanket to keep us warm
We could leave the kids at home
We'll have some alone time without the kids
And if you get worried we could telephone
If you get anxious, we can call home and check on the kids
We need a weekend of fun for under two hundred dollars complete.
We don't have to spend a lot of money to have a good time together
There we would be in a sunny land
We'll reach a sunny destination together
We'd lie on the beach and you could wiggle your toes in the sand
We'll relax on the beach and enjoy the sand and sea water
A tropical drink late at night
We'll sip on a tropical drink during the night
And a midnight dip if the temperature's right
We'll go for a swim in the sea if the water is warm enough
The best things turn out better if they never were planned.
Sometimes the most enjoyable experiences happen spontaneously without planning
[Chorus]
Repeating the main point of the song, that we need to take time to reconnect and have fun together
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ELAINE SUTHERLAND, ELAINE C. SUTHERLAND, NOEL PAUL STOOKEY, PETER YARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind