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.
Early Mornin' Rain
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a dollar in my hand
And an aching in my heart
And my pockets full of sand
I'm a long way from home
And I missed my loved one so
In the early morning rain
Out on runway number nine
Big 707 set to go
But I'm out here on the grass
Where the pavement never grows
Well, the liquor tasted good
And the women all were fast
There she goes my friend
She's rolling down at last
Hear the mighty engine roar
See the silver wing on high
She's away and westward bound
Far above the clouds she?ll fly
Where the morning rain don't fall
And the sun always shines
She?ll be flying over my home
In about three hours time
This old airport's got me down
It?s no earthly good to me
'Cause I'm stuck here on the ground
Cold and drunk as I might be
You can't jump a jet plane
Like you can a freight train
So I?d best be on my way
In the early morning rain
So I?d best be on my way
In the early morning rain
Peter, Paul & Mary's "Early Mornin' Rain" is a sorrowful ballad about a traveler stranded on an old airport, dreaming of being reunited with his loved one. The singer begins the song with the lines "In the early morning rain / With a dollar in my hand," setting a mood of despair and an inability to move forward. The traveler is homesick and tired, with nowhere to go. He sees a 707 flight on the runway, ready to take off, and wishes to leave everything behind. However, he is stuck on the grass, with no pavement to walk on.
The lyrics go on to describe the traveler's hopeless situation, with sad undertones of loneliness, melancholy, and heartache. He finds solace in drinking liquor and engaging with fast women, all for a temporary escape. But as he sees the plane depart, he realizes how far away he is from what he desires. The final lines summarize the traveler's state of mind, stating that he's stuck on the ground while cold and drunk, without any way to escape via plane. The song's melancholic mood represents the frustration and agony of being stranded in a place that's not home.
Line by Line Meaning
In the early morning rain
The singer is in a state of despair, probably caused by a failed relationship, and is stuck at an airport with no money and nowhere to go.
With a dollar in my hand
The singer has very little money left to their name, highlighting their desperation and the lack of options they have.
And an aching in my heart
The singer is deeply saddened by their situation and longs to be reunited with their loved ones.
And my pockets full of sand
The artist is likely experiencing financial hardship, unable to afford basic necessities such as food and shelter.
I'm a long way from home
The artist is far away from their hometown and feels lost and isolated.
And I missed my loved one so
The singer is deeply longing for their loved ones and wishes to be reunited with them.
With no place to go
The singer is completely stranded, with no idea where to go or what to do next.
Out on runway number nine
The artist is observing an airplane on the runway, likely feeling envious of the passengers who are able to leave and embark on new adventures.
Big 707 set to go
The artist is watching a large airplane about to take off, emphasizing the stark contrast between their own situation and the excitement of those on board.
But I'm out here on the grass
The artist is far removed from the airport terminal, symbolizing their distance from the world of travel and adventure.
Where the pavement never grows
The singer is surrounded by barren land with no prospects or opportunities for growth or development.
Well, the liquor tasted good
The artist has turned to alcohol in an attempt to numb their pain and forget their troubles, highlighting the depths of their despair.
And the women all were fast
The singer has taken comfort in the company of women, although their actions were likely motivated by lust and a desire for a temporary distraction from their problems.
There she goes my friend
The singer watches the airplane take off, feeling envious of those on board and resigned to their own unchanging circumstances.
She's rolling down at last
The airplane has taken off and is now rolling down the runway, leaving the singer behind and continuing on its journey without them.
Hear the mighty engine roar
The artist hears the loud roar of the airplane's engines, emphasizing the power and speed of the aircraft.
See the silver wing on high
The artist watches the airplane soaring into the sky, symbolizing its freedom and escape from the artist's own problems.
She's away and westward bound
The airplane is headed westward, towards new adventures and opportunities.
Far above the clouds she'll fly
The airplane will rise above the clouds, reaching new heights and experiencing an entirely new perspective on the world.
Where the morning rain don't fall
The airplane will fly into an area where rain rarely falls, highlighting the vast differences between the artist's current situation and the freedoms of those on board.
And the sun always shines
The airplane is heading towards a sunny destination, emphasizing the opportunities and possibilities it represents.
She'll be flying over my home
The airplane will fly over the artist's home town, reminding them of the life they once had and fueling their desire to escape their current situation.
In about three hours time
The airplane will arrive at its destination in approximately three hours, marking the beginning of a new journey and a new chapter in the lives of its passengers.
This old airport's got me down
The artist is depressed and feeling trapped by the mundane surroundings of the airport, highlighting their desperate situation.
It's no earthly good to me
The airport has no value or significance to the singer, who is stuck there with no way out.
'Cause I'm stuck here on the ground
The singer is unable to move or progress, stuck on the ground and in their current situation.
Cold and drunk as I might be
The singer is cold and possibly inebriated, highlighting their desperate state and lack of hope.
You can't jump a jet plane
The artist is frustrated by their lack of options and the inability to simply jump on a plane and leave their problems behind.
Like you can a freight train
The artist acknowledges that they have limited options available to them, wishing they could simply jump on a freight train and leave their problems behind.
So I'd best be on my way
The singer realizes that they must leave the airport and try to find a way out of their current situation.
In the early morning rain
The singer is still in a state of despair, but has resolved to leave the airport and try to find a new path forward.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Gordon Lightfoot
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Tonetwisters
Good music requires at least two components: contrast and feeling. This one nails them both and adds in the glitter of those gorgeous voices and immaculate and perfect harmony. So glad I was there during the era in which they began.
David Anthony Stone
Right on. I saw them in the early years.
Pure Magic. Pure natural artist
123ABCCBA321drome
What precision ! Close, tight harmony. The music is the thing, not anything else ! Such emotion in a close tight space ! Pure good music, that's all. Many thanks for posting and many thanks PP&M. I met them once and they are the real thing. RIP, Mary.
Paola Lilla
RIP 🌹 Mary Allin Travers 🌹
gus kringen
This is the rendition of the song, by far, thanks to Peter Yarrow's arrangement, which Gordon himself acknowledges. Just as Bob Dylan would acknowledge with "Blowin In The Wind", or "Don't Think Twice". All are great songs, but PP&M sure gave them a good sending off! Thanks Gordon, Bob and PP&M!
David Hatton
Voices from heaven absolute amazing
Leslie Thomas
their earliest, purest (non-celebrity) clear guitar-picking items leave me with actual chillbumps. Our family lived in Japan (dad was USNavy) and one of my brothers got to attend a PP/M concert/ Tokyo, before 1970; Bruce still plays & does some of these type PPM tunes. / picking/acoustic RIP M. Travers. Peace to you 6lenoloc
Paola Lilla
Un Ricordo Speciale a :
🌹 Mary Allin Travers 🌹
Steven Merrill
Q
dermot51
Probably the best pop song ever written (and covered)...ever!