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.
Greenwood
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
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And I've seen them face the rifles with their songs
I always thought that we could end the killing
But now I live in fear that I was wrong
The killer and the cynic waltz together
Their eyes are turned into their skulls
They do not feel the bullets in the bodies
If we do these things in the greenwood,
What will happen in the dry?
If we don't stop there'll come a time when women
With barren wombs will bitterly rejoice
With breasts that dry and never fill with promise
Gladly they'll not suckle one more life
Is this then the whimper and the ending?
The impotence of people raised on fear,
A fear that blinds the sense of common oneness
Common love and life or death are here
If we do these things in the greenwood,
What will happen in the dry?
Will no one light the candle in the darkness
Will no one be my guide, not let me fall
I've lost the sense that tells me where the path is
I feel the chill of winter in my soul
There's no way I can say the words more plainly
There's no one left to point at anymore
It's you and me and we must make the choice now
And not destroy the life we're living for
If we do these things in the greenwood,
What will happen in the dry?
If we do these things in the greenwood,
What will happen in the dry?
The song "Greenwood" by Peter, Paul, and Mary is a powerful message about the effects of violence and war on society. The song starts by describing the scene of a protest where thousands of people kneel in silence to face rifles with their songs. The lyrics express the hope that such protests could end the killing, but the fear that this hope may have been misplaced. The imagery of the "killer and the cynic" dancing together with no sensitivity to the consequences of their actions is a stark warning of the dangers of apathy and complacency. The second half of the song discusses the potential consequences of inaction and how it could lead to a barren and unforgiving future, where women with empty wombs will be regretful and no longer bear life.
The lyrics make several references to the "greenwood" and the "dry". The "greenwood" is likely a metaphor for a time of peace and safety, while the "dry" represents a time of hardship and danger. The song's final lines illustrate the central message of the song, as it warns that the actions taken in times of comfort and security can have long-lasting consequences that will come to the fore in times of difficulty. The lyrics encourage listeners to take action and make choices that are respectful of the value of life, love, and common humanity.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen a thousand people kneel in silence
I've witnessed countless individuals bow their heads reverently.
And I've seen them face the rifles with their songs
I've witnessed those same people stare down danger while singing.
I always thought that we could end the killing
I held the belief that we could extinguish acts of murder.
But now I live in fear that I was wrong
Now I'm afraid that I was mistaken.
The killer and the cynic waltz together
Murderer and skeptic work together in harmony.
Their eyes are turned into their skulls
Their eyes are hollow and lifeless.
They do not feel the bullets in the bodies
They are desensitized to the harm they cause.
They do not hear the dolphins or the gulls
They are oblivious to the beauty in the world.
If we do these things in the greenwood,
If we continue these actions in times of plenty,
What will happen in the dry?
What will we face in times of scarcity?
If we don't stop there'll come a time when women
If we don't change our ways, women will eventually
With barren wombs will bitterly rejoice
Celebrate their inability to create life.
With breasts that dry and never fill with promise
Find sorrow in their inability to nourish a child.
Gladly they'll not suckle one more life
They will not raise another life to face this world.
Is this then the whimper and the ending?
Is this the slow fading into nothingness?
The impotence of people raised on fear,
The powerlessness of individuals brought up in fear.
A fear that blinds the sense of common oneness
A fear that obstructs our perception of shared humanity.
Common love and life or death are here
Love, life, and death are universal experiences.
Will no one light the candle in the darkness
Will nobody be a beacon of hope in the bleakness?
Will no one be my guide, not let me fall
Can nobody support me and prevent me from failing?
I've lost the sense that tells me where the path is
I'm adrift without direction.
I feel the chill of winter in my soul
I'm emotionally cold and empty.
There's no way I can say the words more plainly
I cannot express myself more clearly.
There's no one left to point at anymore
There's nobody left to blame.
It's you and me and we must make the choice now
The responsibility lies with us, and we must act.
And not destroy the life we're living for
We must work towards a better future, not ruin our present.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER YARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind