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.
Leaving On A Jet Plane
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm ready to go
I'm standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin'
It's early morn
The taxi's waitin'
Already I'm so lonesome
I could cry
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
There's so many times I've let you down
So many times I've played around
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
Every place I go, I'll think of you
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring
So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go
Now the time has come to leave you
One more time
Let me kiss you
Then close your eyes
I'll be on my way
Dream about the days to come
When I won't have to leave alone
About the times, I won't have to say
Kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Leavin' on a jet plane
I don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe I hate to go
The lyrics to Peter Paul & Mary’s song Leaving on a Jet Plane depict a bittersweet farewell from a lover to their significant other. The singer is emotionally conflicted as they express their sadness to leave but also the hopefulness of a future reunion. The singer mentions their packed bags and early morning departure as they stand outside their lover’s door. They express regret for having let their lover down and played around in the past but promise to wear their wedding ring upon their return. The chorus repeats the singer's heartfelt plea to be kissed, smiled at, and held tightly before they depart on a jet plane with no set return date.
The song’s melancholic melody supports the wistful lyrics, conveying the same internal conflict the singer feels. The use of consonance in the first verse, where the “t” sound appears in “taxi's” and “waitin,’” emphasizes the immovability and finality of the singer’s departure. The ballad's chorus is simple yet poignant, providing a haunting melody to the already emotional lyrics. It is also interesting that the singer mentions they will return home to marry their lover, which was a rare but growing sentiment in pop culture during the 1960s.
Line by Line Meaning
All my bags are packed,
I have packed all of my belongings and am prepared to leave.
I'm ready to go
I am fully prepared to embark on my journey.
I'm standing here outside your door
I am currently outside of your residence.
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
It brings me great displeasure to have to disturb your sleep in order to bid farewell.
But the dawn is breakin'
The sun is beginning to rise.
It's early morn
It is the early hours of the morning.
The taxi's waitin'
My transportation is here and ready to take me to the airport.
He's blowin' his horn
The taxi driver is honking his horn to alert me of his presence.
Already I'm so lonesome
Despite just beginning my journey, I am already feeling incredibly lonely without you.
I could cry
I am feeling so despondent that I could cry.
So kiss me and smile for me
Please give me a goodbye kiss and wear a smile on your face.
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Promise me that you will wait for my return.
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Embrace me tightly as if you never want to let me leave.
I'm leavin' on a jet plane
I am departing through the use of a commercial airplane.
I Don't know when I'll be back again
Uncertainty surrounds my return date.
Oh, babe, I hate to go
I detest having to say goodbye to you.
There's so many times I've let you down
I have failed you countless times in the past.
So many times I've played around
I have had multiple affairs and engaged in non-committed relationships.
I tell you now, they don't mean a thing
I want to reassure you that my past indiscretions have little significance compared to my love for you.
Every place I go, I'll think of you
You will remain at the forefront of my thoughts regardless of my location.
Every song I sing, I'll sing for you
Any song that I perform or listen to will remind me of you.
When I come back, I'll wear your wedding ring
Upon my return, I will commit to our relationship through the wearing of a wedding ring.
Now the time has come to leave you
Unfortunately, the moment has arrived when I must say goodbye.
One more time
One final occasion to be intimate with you.
Let me kiss you
Allow me to give you one last kiss.
Then close your eyes
Please close your eyes and savor the emotional moment.
I'll be on my way
It is time for me to depart.
Dream about the days to come
During my absence, ponder about our future together.
When I won't have to leave alone
When I return, I hope that I won't have to leave without you by my side.
About the times, I won't have to say
I look forward to when I won't have to say goodbye to you anymore.
Leavin' on a jet plane
I am departing through the use of a commercial airplane.
I don't know when I'll be back again
Uncertainty surrounds my return date.
Oh babe I hate to go
I detest having to say goodbye to you.
Lyrics © Phonographic Digital Limited (PDL), BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John Denver
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@joraeperkins
This is the truth about this song. "...Denver’s inspiration for writing this song is clear, and being put simply, is a song about the difficult choice of whether or not to leave his loved one behind in order to pursue his career.
As a result of being the child of a military family, Denver spent the majority of his childhood moving from place to place. Likewise, attempting to make his way in life as a professional musician, Denver was forced to travel and live cross country, bouncing back and forth between lives and relationships that he had established. In his song, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” Denver sings about the difficulties that come with never being able to establish himself in one specific area and his longing for a permanent home. In addition, the song was inspired by Denver’s wife, Annie. Denver describes Annie as being the one person who finally grounded him in his life, and he felt that wherever she was, that was truly his home.
With this in mind, leaving behind the one place that he felt he truly belonged triggered many destructive behaviors in Denver involving affairs, alcohol abuse, and drug dependency. In spite of all of his flaws, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” was written and recorded as one last-ditch effort to save his relationship with Annie, his only true sense of foundation. In his song, Denver sings,
“There’s so many times I’ve let you down, So many times I’ve played around. I tell you now, they don’t mean a thing. Ev’ry place I go, I’ll think of you, Ev’ry song I sing, I’ll sing for you, When I come back, I’ll wear your wedding ring.”
John Denver 2In this straightforward plea, Denver forwardly admits to not being the best husband that he could be, but wants Annie to know that he will change everything in his life if only he can be with her. Without her, his life, as flawed and feeble as it may be, is entirely lost.
Interestingly enough, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” was actually never intended for the public audience. John Denver himself personally recorded the song and published it with his own money, distributing a select number of albums to only his closest family and friends. It was n'ot until the song was accidently released and performed by multiple cover bands, including the group Peter, Paul & Mary, that Denver actually began to preform and sell his unintentional hit.
Ultimately, “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” can be credited as one of Denver’s first truly successful hits as an artist and was a leading force behind his popularity as a singer. Ironically enough, the revenue generated from this song about travel, love, and inconsistency was finally enough to allow Denver to purchase a permanent house of his own, finally a place that he could label, “Home.” https://sites.psu.edu/agk5123/2014/09/15/leaving-on-a-jet-plane/
@peterrech9563
I remember the day I left for Vietnam as a rifleman replacement. My mother was at the front door trying to hold tears back. Worst experience ever Really never knew that I’d ever see her again. She’s gone now. My friend that drove me is gone as well. And this song reminds me of that day ! 25 th infantry 67-68
@cmung4952
Thank you for your service Sir!🙏 God bless you and your loved ones.
@danielcrawford1125
Thank you for your service.
@lisadefries6718
💐💐💐💐💐💐😊
@telgaudet
ooo
@telgaudet
Ofohll no lo and green beans t
@dshaferb
My dad served multiple tours in Cambodia, Laos and of course Vietnam. I was just a little girl at the time but each time he had to leave us he’d pick up his guitar and play /sing this song for me. Each time I’d cry because I knew I might never see him again. Thankfully he’d return every time, however that much more changed from when he left. As I got older he’d always play this song. My dad passed away 3/8/23 at the age of 77. His birthday was 3/11. He just missed it by 3 days. I think it’s fitting that this song will be played at his memorial service. Seems the perfect way to send him off with love.
@PlacidoYT
my condolences. I bet he's a fun dad based on your shorts video
@mariellengiordano9884
I'm in tears, knowing that Dad had the chance to sing to you and give you memories of him singing to you.
@alandynin6023
Aw, take care