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 Song Is Love
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I would like to say a word or two,
I know you won't be thinking this applies to you,
But it's true, and it do.
All your life you have had to sing your song alone,
Not believing anybody could have known
But it's wrong and you know
[Chorus]
I've found a song let me sing it with you
Let me say it now while the meaning is new
But wouldn't it be good if we could say it together!
Don't be afraid to sing me your mind
Sing about the joy that i know we can find.
Wind them around and see what they sound like together.
The song is love, the song is love,
The song is love, the song is love.
Last of all,
I would like to thank you for the word or two,
Spoken in the moments when i needed you
To see me through and they do.
[Chorus]
The Song Is Love by Peter, Paul & Mary talks about finding a common ground through music and sharing it with one another. The first verse talks about the audience being hesitant to connect with the song, but the singer convinces them that the song does apply to them. The second half of the verse discusses how the audience has had to sing their song alone because they believed nobody could understand them, but they come to the realization that it's wrong, and they do know.
The chorus then breaks out with the idea of sharing the song and making music together. The singer offers to sing a new song with them while the meaning of the song is still fresh. The second half of the chorus mentions not being afraid to share their mind and sing about the joys that they can find together. The third verse brings a tender moment of the singer thanking the audience for the support they've shown, especially when the singer needed it the most.
Line by Line Meaning
First of all,
In the beginning of this song, I want to take a moment to speak to you.
I would like to say a word or two,
I want to express a few ideas and share some wisdom with you.
I know you won't be thinking this applies to you,
I understand that you may not believe what I'm saying pertains to you personally.
But it's true, and it do.
Nevertheless, what I am about to say holds a universal truth.
All your life you have had to sing your song alone,
Throughout your lifetime, you've felt as though you needed to face life's challenges solo.
Not believing anybody could have known
You believed no one could have possibly understood your struggles.
But it's wrong and you know
However, it's important to understand that this belief is incorrect.
I've found a song let me sing it with you
I've discovered a melody that I would like to share with you.
Let me say it now while the meaning is new
I want to express these notions while they are still fresh in my mind.
But wouldn't it be good if we could say it together!
Wouldn't it be great if we could sing this message in unison?
Don't be afraid to sing me your mind
Please do not be hesitant to share your beliefs and feelings with me.
Sing about the joy that I know we can find.
Express your happiness, and I am confident that we can discover it together.
Wind them around and see what they sound like together.
Take all of our separate melodies and unite them to create something even more beautiful.
The song is love, the song is love,
This song we have created is all about love.
The song is love, the song is love.
The message of this song is that love is the most important thing we can ever share.
Last of all,
Before concluding this song, I want to express my final thoughts.
I would like to thank you for the word or two,
I am grateful for the opportunity to have this brief conversation with you.
Spoken in the moments when I needed you
I am especially thankful for the support and kindness you have shown me when I needed it most.
To see me through and they do.
Your compassionate words and actions have brought me through rough times, and for that, I am thankful.
Lyrics © Spirit Music Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE DIXON, DICK KNISS, MARY ALLIN TRAVERS, NOEL PAUL STOOKEY, PETER YARROW, RICHARD L. KNISS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind