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.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His name is mark, he's always smiling
He's got this mom who comes on wednesdays
In the evening with soup so steaming
He shares his house with his friend martin
They're not brothers, they're not cousins
My little girl wonders all about these men
I take hold of her hand, and I begin
Chorus:
Home is where the heart is
No matter how the heart lives
Inside your heart where love is
That's where you've got to make yourself
At home
Across the yard live deb and tricia
With their tools and ladders
And their room addition
My kid yells over, "are ya having a baby? "
They wink and smile, they say, "someday maybe."
But through their doors go kids and mommies
Funny how you don't see the daddies go in
My little girl wonders
'bout this house with no men,
I take hold of her hand
And I begin
Chorus
'round the corner, here comes martin
He's alone now, he tries smiling
He roams around his well stocked kitchen
He knows that fate will soon be coming
My little girl wonders where he will live
I take hold of her hand and I begin
Chorus
Martin sits and waits with his windows open
His house is empty, his heart is broken
We bring him toys and watercolors
He loves to hear my little baby's stories
She's the gift I share
She's his companion
She's the string on the kite
She guides him into the wind
My little girl wonders who will care for him
We take hold of his hand and we begin
The song "Home Is Where The Heart Is" by Peter, Paul & Mary is a heartwarming tribute to the community spirit and the importance of love and compassion. The song describes the lives of people living in a neighborhood, and how they all come together to support and care for each other. The singer talks about a man named Mark, who is always smiling and is so kind that he shares his house with his friend Martin. Although they are not related, they are like family to each other. The singer's daughter is curious about these two men, and the mother explains to her that home is where the heart is, and that we can make a family with people we love and care for.
The song then goes on to describe the lives of other people in the neighborhood, including Deb and Tricia, who may be having a baby soon, and Martin who is now alone and waiting for fate to take its course. But despite the struggles that people face, the song highlights the importance of children in bringing a sense of joy and hope to life. As the singer's little girl shares her stories with Martin, they become companions, and she helps guide him through the difficulties of life. The chorus repeats the message that home is where the heart is, and that love is what makes a home.
Line by Line Meaning
On the corner there's this nice man
There is a kind gentleman who lives nearby
His name is Mark, he's always smiling
He goes by the name Mark and is always cheerful
He's got this mom who comes on Wednesdays
He has a mother who visits him every Wednesday
In the evening with soup so steaming
She brings hot soup to share with him in the evening
He shares his house with his friend Martin
He lives together with a friend named Martin
They're not brothers, they're not cousins
They are not related by blood
My little girl wonders all about these men
My daughter is curious about these men
I take hold of her hand, and I begin
I hold her hand and start to explain
Home is where the heart is
Home is a place that feels right in your heart
No matter how the heart lives
It doesn't matter the circumstances, as long as it feels like home in your heart
Inside your heart where love is
Where there is love in your heart, that is where your home is
That's where you've got to make yourself at home
You need to feel comfortable and at home where there is love
Across the yard live Deb and Tricia
There are two women named Deb and Tricia who live across the yard
With their tools and ladders and their room addition
They have construction equipment and are building a room
My kid yells over, 'Are ya having a baby?'
My child shouts to them asking if they are expecting a baby
They wink and smile, they say, 'Someday maybe.'
They wink and smile back, replying that it's a possibility
But through their doors go kids and mommies
Children and mothers often visit them
Funny how you don't see the daddies go in
Interestingly, one doesn't see any fathers visiting them
My little girl wonders 'bout this house with no men
My daughter is curious about this household with no male figures
I take hold of her hand and I begin
I hold her hand and try to answer her questions
'Round the corner, here comes Martin
Martin is coming round the corner
He's alone now, he tries smiling
Martin looks lonely, but he still tries to smile
He roams around his well-stocked kitchen
Martin wanders around his kitchen which is well supplied with food
He knows that fate will soon be coming
He senses that fate, in the form of an event, is approaching
My little girl wonders where he will live
My daughter is worried about where Martin will go
I take hold of her hand and I begin
Once again, I hold her hand and try to explain
Martin sits and waits with his windows open
Martin sits and waits, leaving his windows open
His house is empty, his heart is broken
His house is empty and he feels sad
We bring him toys and watercolors
We bring him gifts of toys and watercolor paints
He loves to hear my little baby's stories
He enjoys listening to stories from my young daughter
She's the gift I share; She's his companion
My daughter is a gift that I share with Martin, as she is his companion
She's the string on the kite; She guides him into the wind
She is the string that flies his kite and helps him move forward, even if it's difficult
My little girl wonders who will care for him
My daughter is worried about who will take care of him
We take hold of his hand and we begin
Once again, we hold his hand and offer help and love
Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, BMG Rights Management
Written by: HAL DAVID, SHERMAN EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind