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.
Take the Chance
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She thinks that she's alone and no one sees
But the beauty of it all
As the daisy petals fall
Is the wish she's made that's whispered in the breeze
There's the wish in the breeze
[Chorus:]
Won't you take the chance
And ignore the fearful warning of your mind
Let your heart for once do all the talking
And believe that you deserve for the sun to shine
Believe that you deserve for the sun to shine
There's an old woman sitting in the doorway
And she greets the people each one as they pass
Sometimes they hover 'round her for her wisdom
Sometimes so she'll remind them how to laugh
They know that she'll remind them how to laugh
[Chorus]
Now on a hill there stands a cross above a graveyard
And the simple word carved in it says "forgive"
No war or killing anger can match the force it carries
It can heal the generations so that other ones can live
It can heal us, so we can live
[Chorus]
Now there's a moment between forward and retreating
When you're just not sure which path you ought to choose
Then the sun shines brightly on the golden meadow
And suddenly, you're not at all confused
Suddenly, you're not confused
That's when you take the chance
And let your tears start falling
And ignore the fearful warnings of your mind
And you let your heart for once do all the talking
And believe that you deserve for the sun to shine
You always did deserve for the sun to shine
I love you, and I want the sun to shine.
The lyrics to Peter Paul & Mary's song "Take the Chance" are about taking risks and having faith in oneself. The song is split into three different verses, each one focused on a different person. The first verse is about a little girl making a wish, hoping for something better. The second verse is about an old woman who is wise and who reminds people to laugh. The third verse is about a cross on a hill that carries the powerful message of forgiveness, which can heal generations. These three stories all come together in the chorus, urging the listener to take the chance and let their tears fall, to ignore their fears and doubts and believe that they deserve for the sun to shine.
The chorus is a powerful message about hope, urging people to take risks and believe in themselves. It's not always easy to take a chance, especially when fear and doubt creep in. But the song encourages us to let go of our fears and trust in ourselves, reminding us that we deserve the best that life has to offer.
Overall, "Take the Chance" is a song about hope, courage, and the power of the human spirit to overcome obstacles and achieve our dreams. It's a message that resonates with people of all ages and backgrounds, and it continues to inspire listeners decades after it was first released.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a little girl playing in the garden
A young girl is playing alone in a garden
She thinks that she's alone and no one sees
She believes that she is playing alone and unobserved
But the beauty of it all
Despite her solitude, there is beauty to be found
As the daisy petals fall
The falling daisy petals add to the beauty of the scene
Is the wish she's made that's whispered in the breeze
The girl has made a wish that is carried away on the breeze
There's the wish in the breeze
The wish is carried away on the breeze
[Chorus:]
Refrain or chorus of the song
Won't you take the chance
Why not take a chance?
And let your tears start falling
Allow yourself to cry
And ignore the fearful warning of your mind
Overcome your fears and trust yourself
Let your heart for once do all the talking
Listen to your heart and let it guide you
And believe that you deserve for the sun to shine
Have faith in yourself and believe that you deserve happiness
There's an old woman sitting in the doorway
An elderly woman sits in a doorway
And she greets the people each one as they pass
She greets each person who passes her by
Sometimes they hover 'round her for her wisdom
Some people seek her out for her wisdom
Sometimes so she'll remind them how to laugh
Other times, they seek her out to find joy and laughter
They know that she'll remind them how to laugh
People know that she can bring them joy and laughter
[Chorus]
Refrain or chorus of the song
Now on a hill there stands a cross above a graveyard
A hill with a cross looks down on a cemetery
And the simple word carved in it says "forgive"
The word "forgive" is carved into the cross
No war or killing anger can match the force it carries
The power of forgiveness is greater than any violence or anger
It can heal the generations so that other ones can live
Forgiveness can bring healing to future generations
It can heal us, so we can live
Forgiveness can bring healing and new life
[Chorus]
Refrain or chorus of the song
Now there's a moment between forward and retreating
There is a moment of indecision, when you can either move forward or retreat
When you're just not sure which path you ought to choose
When you are unsure which direction to take
Then the sun shines brightly on the golden meadow
The sun shines on a beautiful meadow
And suddenly, you're not at all confused
In an instant, you know exactly what to do
Suddenly, you're not confused
All confusion disappears
That's when you take the chance
Seize the opportunity
And let your tears start falling
Allow yourself to cry
And ignore the fearful warnings of your mind
Overcome your fears and trust yourself
And you let your heart for once do all the talking
Listen to your heart and let it guide you
And believe that you deserve for the sun to shine
Have faith in yourself and believe that you deserve happiness
You always did deserve for the sun to shine
You have always been deserving of happiness
I love you, and I want the sun to shine.
Closing statement of affection and desire for happiness
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PETER YARROW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind