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.
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the empty skies, my love
To the dark and the empty skies
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
That was there at my command, my love
That was there at my command
The first time ever I held you near
And felt your heart beat close to mine
I thought our joy would fill the world
And would last 'til the end of time, my love
And would last 'til the end of time
In Peter, Paul and Mary's song "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," the singer describes the overwhelming feeling of falling in love for the first time. The lyrics are poetic and metaphorical, expressing the intense emotional experience. In the first verse, the singer describes the feeling of awe and wonder at first encountering their beloved. They see the sun, moon, and stars in the other's eyes, as if all the beauty of the world is contained within them. This person brings light and meaning to the darker spaces of the singer's life.
In the second verse, the singer describes their first kiss. The kiss is so powerful that it causes physical sensation, as though the earth itself is moved by the connection between the two people. The metaphor of the "trembling heart of a captive bird" suggests the vulnerability and surrender involved in the act of kissing -- both parties are giving themselves over completely to the experience.
Finally, in the third verse, the singer describes holding their beloved close and feeling their heart beat. In this moment, the singer experiences a sense of joy and completeness that transcends the limits of the individual self. The love they share feels as though it could last forever, filling the world with happiness.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time ever I saw your face
When I first laid my eyes on you
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
I felt that you were the light of my life
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
You gave me everything, even the impossible
To the dark and the empty skies, my love
You filled the emptiness in my heart with your love
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
When I had my first kiss with you
I felt the earth move in my hand
It felt like the world stopped spinning and I was the center of the universe
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
I felt like my heart was captured and held by you
That was there at my command, my love
I was in control of the situation because of your love for me
The first time ever I held you near
When I first held you close to me
And felt your heart beat close to mine
I could feel the love and connection between us
I thought our joy would fill the world
My happiness with you was immense and all-encompassing
And would last 'til the end of time, my love
I hoped that our love would last forever, until the end of time
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Ewan Maccoll
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Aoki23
The first time ever I saw your face
I thought the sun rose in your eyes
And the moon and stars were the gifts you gave
To the dark and the empty skies my love
To the dark and the empty skies
The first time ever I kissed your mouth
I felt the earth move in my hand
Like the trembling heart of a captive bird
That was there at my command my love
That was there at my command
The first time ever I held you near
And felt your heartbeat close to mine
I thought our joy would fill the world
And would last till the end of time my love
And would last till the end of time
Michael Mitchell
Mary's voice was the voice of an angel. She melted my soul. So sweet, with such feeling. What a beautiful song, what a beautiful arrangement, what a outstanding performance! I love everything they ever did--never a off song. How wonderful is that?! How can ANYONE not love this?!! Some of the most perfect harmony ever created by human voice! My soul soars with the beauty of everything they ever sung.
Virgo Rising
I saw Mary Travers at the Danbury Mall in Connecticut.
Michael Mitchell
@Virgo Rising OMG. Small world. I lived in Brewster NY from '71-72 just 8 miles from Danbury. I saw all three of them here in Madison, WI at the Performing Arts Center. Great experience, eh?
andrew steinberg
Saw many rock concerts > from NYC , Saw Peter Paul and Mary in 1991 at queens college. One of the best concerts i saw
Trinidad Apodaca
and she's not cute like most chicks she a beauty
Dan Steding - Mr Cow Music
Such a beautiful articulation of the impact Mary and the group had on my life l Thank you, Michael.
jaygensn1
I love this rendition. It just flows like two people totally in love. Hand in hand looking into each others' eyes. I'll be married 42 years this month and I still feel this way about my wife. I get chills when she comes in.
Mona Clifton
Long lasting passion and love, my love and I will be married 45 years in April.i know exactly how you feel, I still have butterflies and blush, I love you Gregory.congrats to you and your lucky wife 💕
Rosy Rose
🥰
JC A.
Truly mate, you are blessed. Thanks for sharing.