The trio Peter, Paul and Mary (often PP&M) is an American musical group tha… Read Full Bio ↴The trio Peter, Paul and Mary (often PP&M) is an American musical group that was one of the most successful folk-singing groups of the 1960s. The trio comprises Peter Yarrow, Noel Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers.

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.

Day Is Done
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics

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Tell me why you're crying, my son
I know you're frightened, like everyone
Is it the thunder in the distance you fear?
Will it help if I stay very near?
I am here

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done
Day is done, day is done, day is done, day is done

Do you ask why I'm sighing, my son?
You shall inherit what mankind has done
In a world filled with sorrow and woe
If you ask me why this is so, I really don't know

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done
Day is done, day is done, day is done, day is done

Tell me why you're smiling my son
Is there a secret you can tell everyone?
Do you know more than men that are wise?
Can you see what we all must disguise
Through your loving eyes?

And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done
Day is done, day is done, day is done, day is done
The day is done, day is done, day is done, all of you singing
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well my son oh

If you take my hand my son
All will be well

Overall Meaning

In "Day is Done," Peter, Paul and Mary sing an emotionally charged song that balances fear and hope, sadness and joy, and uncertainty and confidence. The opening lines are especially poignant, as someone asks a child why he or she is crying, and then extends the reassurance that everything will be all right. The song continues with the child's questions about life and the world, and the adult's answers, which acknowledge the challenges of the world but also suggest that there is hope for the future.

The song's chorus is simple and catchy, repeating the phrase "All will be well when the day is done." This refrain provides a sense of comfort and closure, suggesting that even when things are difficult, they will eventually come to an end and there will be peace. This is a reassuring message for anyone who is feeling overwhelmed or uncertain, and it shows that even in the face of difficult circumstances, there is always a reason to hope.

Overall, "Day is Done" is a beautiful song that captures the struggles and joys of life, and it offers a message of hope and encouragement to all who listen.

Line by Line Meaning

Tell me why you're crying, my son
I am concerned about your tears, my child. You seem to be scared like everyone else. Are you afraid of the looming thunder in the distance?

Day Is DonePeter Paul & Mary Lyrics

Day Is Done
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics