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.
Lemon Tree
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Performer๏ผPeter, Paul & Mary
Composer ๏ผWill Holt
Lyricist ๏ผWill Holt
When I was just a lad of ten my father said to me
Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree
My father said to me
I fear you'll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree
Lemon tree very pretty
And the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree very pretty
And the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
One day beneath the lemon tree my love and I did lie
A girl so sweet that when she smiled the stars rose in the sky
We passed that summer lost in love beneath the lemon tree
The music of her laughter hid my fathers words from me
Lemon tree very pretty
And the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree very pretty
And the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
One day she left without a word
She took away the sun
And in the dark she'd left behind I knew what she had done
She'd left me for another it's a common tale but true
A sadder man but wiser now I sing these words to you
Lemon tree very pretty
And the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree very pretty
And the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree, lemon tree, lemon tree, lemon tree
The song "Lemon Tree" by Peter, Paul, and Mary is a poignant story about love and loss, as told by a man who learns a valuable lesson from his father's analogy. The song starts with the singer reminiscing about his father's advice when he was young, warning him not to put too much faith in love. His father tells him that love is like a lemon tree - the flowers are sweet, and the tree is pretty, but the fruit is impossible to eat. This introduces the idea that love may not be everything it seems, and sets the tone for the rest of the song.
The story then progresses to the singer falling in love with a girl beneath the lemon tree. They spend a beautiful summer together, lost in love and happy. He is so enamored with her that he forgets his father's warning, and instead is lost in the music of her laughter. However, the girl leaves him without a word and takes away the sun. The singer is left heartbroken and wiser, realizing that his father was right - love can be a dangerous thing.
The repeated lyrics of "Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet, but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat" serve as a constant reminder of the theme of the song. The analogy of the lemon tree is used as a metaphor for the ups and downs of love, and the importance of being cautious when it comes to matters of the heart.
Overall, "Lemon Tree" is a beautiful and melancholic song that tells a relatable story about the pain of losing love. It showcases Peter, Paul, and Mary's beautiful harmonies and has become a classic folk song.
Line by Line Meaning
When I was just a lad of ten, my father said to me
As a child, I was advised by my father
"Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree"
My father wanted to teach me from nature
"Don't put your faith in love, my boy" my father said to me
My father warned me about trusting love
"I fear you'll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree"
My father was afraid that I would learn love's harsh reality like the fruit of lemon tree
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
The lemon tree has beauty which is enhanced by sweet-scented lemon flowers
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
But the fruit of the lemon tree is bitter and sour
One day beneath the lemon tree, my love and I did lie
One day, I spent time with my lover under the lemon tree
A girl so sweet that when she smiled, the stars rose in the sky
My lover was so lovely that even the stars found her smile charming
We passed that summer lost in love, beneath the lemon tree
We enjoyed and celebrated our love during that entire summer
The music of her laughter hid my father's words from me
My lover's laughter made me forget my father's warning
One day she left without a word, she took away the sun
One day, she left me silently, taking away all my happiness
And in the dark she left behind, I knew what she had done
I was left alone in despair, realizing what she had done to me
She left me for another, it's a common tale but true
She left me for someone else, a common story but a reality
A sadder man, but wiser now, I sing these words to you
Now I am wiser and have learned from my experience, and now I sing these words to you
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
The lemon tree remains beautiful, and the lemon flowers still give off sweet fragrance
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Yet, the fruit of the lemon tree remains inedible
Lyrics ยฉ MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: William Holt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@BeTe-me9oc
If worldly knowledge is deemed to be worshipful, then study the Ancient Greek Philosophers...Know thyself
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"Gnothi seauton" redirects here. For other uses, seeย Gnothi seauton (disambiguation)ย andย Know thyself (disambiguation).
For other uses, seeย Self-knowledge.
"Know thyself" (Greek:ย ฮฮฝแฟถฮธฮน ฯฮฑฯ ฯฯฮฝ,ย gnลthi sauton)[a]ย is a philosophicalย maximย which was inscribed upon theย Temple of Apolloย in theย ancient Greekย precinct ofย Delphi. The most well-known of theย Delphic maxims, it has been quoted and analyzed by numerous authors throughout history, and has been given many different applications. Although traditionally attributed to theย Seven Sages of Greece, or to the godย Apolloย himself, the inscription likely had its origin in a popular proverb.
Ion of Chiosย makes the earliest explicit allusion to the maxim in a fragment dating to the 5th century BC, though the philosopherย Heraclitus, active towards the end of the previous century, may also have made reference to the maxim in his works. The principal meaning of the phrase in its original application was "know your limits" โ either in the sense of knowing the extent of one's abilities, knowing one's place in the social scale, or knowing oneself to be mortal. In the 4th century BC, however, the maxim was drastically re-interpreted byย Plato, who understood it to mean, broadly speaking, "know your soul".
In later writings on the subject, one common theme was that one could acquire knowledge of the self by studying the universe, or knowledge of the universe by studying the self. This was often explained in terms of theย microcosmโmacrocosm analogy, the idea that a human being is structurally similar to the cosmos. Another theme, which can be traced back to the Platonicย Alcibiades I, is that one can only know oneself by observing other people.
Christian, Jewish and Islamic authors found various scriptural equivalents for the maxim, allowing them to discuss the topic of self-knowledge without reference to the pagan inscription. By the time of theย Protestant Reformation, Christian theologians generally understood the maxim to enjoin, firstly, knowledge of the soul's origin in God, and secondly, knowledge of the sinfulness of human nature. In secular writings of the period, several new meanings emerged; among them, that "know thyself" was a command to study the physical properties of the human body.
During the 19th and 20th centuries, the maxim acquired several new associations. It was frequently quoted in German philosophy and literature, by authors such asย Kant,ย Hegelย andย Goethe; it was cited as an analogue of "tat tvam asi" ("that thou art"), one of the "Great Sayings" of Hinduism; and it took on an important role in the developing discipline ofย psychoanalysis, where it was interpreted as an injunction to understand the unconscious mind. ..
@phuongn.1651
Lyrics
When I was just a lad of ten, my father said to me
"Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree"
"Don't put your faith in love, my boy" my father said to me
"I fear you'll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree"
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
One day beneath the lemon tree, my love and I did lie
A girl so sweet that when she smiled, the stars rose in the sky
We passed that summer lost in love, beneath the lemon tree
The music of her laughter hid my father's words from me
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
One day she left without a word, she took away the sun
And in the dark she left behind, I knew what she had done
She left me for another, it's a common tale but true
A sadder man, but wiser now, I sing these words to you
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
@purificacionenriquez4630
I used to sing this when i was small boy in front of my grandma in the Philippines and now im intears I miss my Grand ma , Nanay Yonang I love you so much I was just child then now Im 63 year old Man
@jimwatson5322
As a youngster I had such a crush on Mary when this song came out. R.IP.
@transmask
I am classified as gen Z but my grandmother and grandfather had a jukebox at their house, I'd always play lemon tree when I had a chance. Those who say that younger generations can't appreciate older music are very wrong.
@ruchitajagtap2989
Very true ๐ป
@kitkatqueen214
My dad used to sing this to me when I was around 4, I'm 16 now and it's one of my favorite songs <3 Thanks dad
@lindahadland5942
My Mom used to sing this song when it came on the old wireless, I was about 5yrs, sweet memories, I am 65yrs now, ๐โจ๐๐๐๐๐
@lostcinema5189
GRRM brought me here. This is such a beautiful song! No such music today. Mary is also gorgeous.
I am a 90ties Kid and love the 60ties and 70ties music
@MsCherokee70
When our one of our 8 granddaughters, got married this Summer, I gave them a Lemon tree and told them the story of how a lemon tree, is very much like a Relationship.
Hereโs what I told them:
โMake some lemonade to drink, sit down and talk out your problems. The Lemon tree has beautiful sweet flowers, long sharpe thorns and healthy fruits. Just like EVERY relationship.. just remember to take care of it.โ
That lemon tree I grew for them, was big hit that day, with the added in STORY... I now I find this old song... PERFECT!
@danielyoung5137
This trio has always been the soundtrack of my life. They taught me that passion and beauty united with artistry produce a mirror for truth. A class act, all the way.
@Cauliflower4life
this was me and my grandmas favorite song, so many memories