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.
Quit Your Low Down Ways
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can fall down on your knees pretty momma
And pray to the Lord but it ain't gonna do you no good.
[Chorus]
Cause you gonna need
You gonna need my help someday
Well if you can't stop your sinnin' please,
Well you can run down to the White House
You can gaze at the capitol dome pretty momma,
You can pound on the president's gates,
You ought to know by now it's gonna be too late
[Chorus]
Well you can run down to the desert
Throw yourself on the burnin' sand
You can raise up your right hand pretty momma
But you better understand you lost your one good man
[Chorus]
You can hitch hike on the highway
You can stand all alone by the side of the road
You can try to flag a ride back home pretty momma
But you can't ride in my car no more
[Chorus]
You can preach out your Bible,
You can fall down on your knees pretty momma
And pray to the Lord but it ain't gonna do you no good
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Peter Paul & Mary's song "Quit Your Low Down Ways" speak to someone who is engaging in sinful behavior and warning them that they will need help one day, but it might not be available to them because of their actions. The verse "You can read out your Bible, You can fall down on your knees pretty momma And pray to the Lord but it ain't gonna do you no good" suggests that the person may be seeking redemption or forgiveness through religious means, but that alone won't be enough to change their behavior. The chorus emphasizes the importance of changing those "low down ways" if they want to receive help from others in the future.
The subsequent verses suggest that no matter where this person goes or what they do, they will not be able to escape the consequences of their actions. Running to the White House or desert will not help them at all. Even when they try to hitchhike, they will not be acceptable in the car of someone who has been hurt by their actions. Overall, the song sends a powerful message of accountability and the consequences of one's actions. It implores the listener to change before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
You can read out your Bible,
You can recite verses from the Bible,
You can fall down on your knees pretty momma
You can kneel and pray,
And pray to the Lord but it ain't gonna do you no good.
However, your prayers won't help you.
Cause you gonna need
You will require,
You gonna need my help someday
You will eventually need my assistance,
Well if you can't stop your sinnin' please,
If you are unable to refrain from sin,
Quit your low down ways.
You must stop your immoral behavior.
Well you can run down to the White House
You may rush over to the White House,
You can gaze at the capitol dome pretty momma,
You can admire the Capitol dome,
You can pound on the president's gates,
You may hit the gates of the President's residence,
You ought to know by now it's gonna be too late
Yet, you should realize it will be too late.
Well you can run down to the desert
You can flee to the desert,
Throw yourself on the burnin' sand
You may toss yourself on the fiery sand,
You can raise up your right hand pretty momma
You can raise your right hand,
But you better understand you lost your one good man
But you must comprehend that you've lost your only good man.
You can hitch hike on the highway
You may hitchhike on the highway,
You can stand all alone by the side of the road
You can stand on the side of the road alone,
You can try to flag a ride back home pretty momma
You can attempt to flag a ride home,
But you can't ride in my car no more
However, you cannot ride in my car anymore.
You can preach out your Bible,
You can sermonize from your Bible,
And pray to the Lord but it ain't gonna do you no good
But praying to God will not benefit you.
Cause you gonna need
Because you'll require,
You gonna need my help someday
You'll need my assistance someday.
Well if you can't stop your sinnin' please,
So if you can't stop sinning,
Quit your low down ways.
You must stop your immoral behavior.
Lyrics © BOB DYLAN MUSIC CO
Written by: BOB DYLAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind