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 Other Side Of This Life
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't know where I'm goin' next, don't know where I'm gonna be.
Refrain:
But that's another side to this life, I've been leadin',
But that's another side to this life.
I think I'll go to Nashville, down to Tennessee,
The ten cent life I've been leading here,
Is gonna be the death of me.
I don't know what I'm doing half the time,
I don't know where I'll go,
I think I'll get me a sailin' boat
and sail the Gulf of Mexico.
(Refrain)
My whole world's in an uproar, my whole world's upside down,
Don't know what I'm doin' here, but I'm always hangin' round.
And that's another side to this life, I've been leadin',
And that's another side to this life.
Would you like to know a secret, just between you and me.
Don't know where I'm goin' next, don't know where I'm gonna be.
And that's the other side to this life, I've been leadin',
And that's the other side of this life.
The lyrics to Peter Paul & Mary's song The Other Side Of This Life seem to suggest a certain uncertainty and ambiguity about the future and the direction of the singer's life. The opening lines suggest the singer is about to reveal a secret that only he and the listener know - that he does not really know where he is going or what his future holds. He then goes on to list some possibilities and options he is considering, such as going to Nashville or sailing the Gulf of Mexico, but seems uncertain about which path he will ultimately choose. The refrain emphasizes that this uncertainty and ambiguity is just "another side" to the life he has been leading, and seems to suggest that this is a common experience for many people.
The lyrics also suggest a certain restlessness and dissatisfaction with the singer's current life, as he describes the "ten cent life" he has been leading as potentially leading to his death. He expresses a desire to break free from this life and explore new possibilities, despite the uncertainty and risks involved. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who is constantly on the move and in search of something more, but who is also grappling with the challenges and uncertainties that come with this kind of lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Would you like to know a secret, just between you and me.
I have a secret to share with you, it's just between us.
I don't know where I'm goin' next, don't know where I'm gonna be.
I'm uncertain about my future, and have no idea where I'll end up next.
But that's another side to this life, I've been leadin',
However, this uncertainty is just one aspect of the complex life that I lead.
But that's another side to this life.
This line is repeated to emphasize the duality and complexity of life.
I think I'll go to Nashville, down to Tennessee,
I'm considering traveling to Nashville, Tennessee as I'm tired of the mundane life I'm leading.
The ten cent life I've been leading here, Is gonna be the death of me.
The monotonous and unfulfilling life I'm leading in my current location is unbearable and I need to escape it.
I don't know what I'm doing half the time, I don't know where I'll go,
I'm often unsure of what I'm doing with my life, and where my path will take me.
I think I'll get me a sailin' boat and sail the Gulf of Mexico.
I'm considering taking drastic measures, such as sailing the Gulf of Mexico, to escape the mundanity and uncertainty of my current life.
My whole world's in an uproar, my whole world's upside down,
My life is in disarray and I feel as though everything is chaotic and unsettled.
Don't know what I'm doin' here, but I'm always hangin' round.
I'm not entirely sure of why I'm in my current situation, but I'm still here despite the chaos and uncertainty.
And that's another side to this life, I've been leadin',
Again, this line is meant to emphasize the various aspects and complexities of life.
And that's another side to this life.
The repetition of this line serves to drive home the central message of the song, that life is multifaceted and complex.
And that's the other side to this life, I've been leadin',
The song ends with a repetition of an earlier line, reminding listeners of the message of the song and the complex nature of their own lives.
And that's the other side of this life.
The final line once again reiterates the song's message of the complexity of life, and the various paths people can take to navigate it.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT
Written by: Fred Neil
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind