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.
Where Have All the Flowers Gone
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them, every one
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone, long time passing?
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago?
Gone for husbands, every one
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Where have all the husbands gone, long time passing?
Where have all the husbands gone, long time ago?
Where have all the husbands gone?
Gone for soldiers, every one
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards, every one
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time passing?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time ago?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers, every one
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls have picked them, every one
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
The song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" by Peter Paul & Mary is a poignant anti-war ballad that explores the cyclical nature of war and its devastating impact on the world. The lyrics follow a repetitive pattern of questioning where different groups of people have gone, and the answer is always the same: they are gone because of war. The song begins with the disappearance of flowers, which young girls have picked. This signifies the loss of beauty and innocence due to war.
The second verse discusses the absence of young girls, who have gone to find husbands. This represents the loss of hope and opportunity for young women, who are forced into marriage and a life of domesticity due to the absence of men caused by war. The third verse follows the husbands, who have become soldiers and gone off to war. This highlights the way that war tears families apart, leaving wives and children behind with no support.
The fourth verse addresses the soldiers themselves, who have died in battle and been buried in graveyards. This highlights the ultimate sacrifice that soldiers make for their countries, a sacrifice that is often forgotten in the destruction and chaos of war. The final verse brings the song full circle, revealing that the graveyards have now been overtaken by flowers – a reminder of the beauty that once existed, now lost to war.
Overall, "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" is a powerful and emotional song that uses a repetitive structure to drive home its message about the lasting impact of war on the world and its people.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
All the flowers that we used to admire have disappeared for a long time.
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Long ago, the flowers vanished and no one knew where they went.
Where have all the flowers gone?
The flowers are nowhere to be found, they all went away.
Young girls have picked them, every one
All the flowers were picked by young girls, not one was left.
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Will they ever learn that by picking flowers, they are contributing to their disappearance?
Where have all the young girls gone, long time passing?
The young girls are no longer around, it's been a long time since we saw them.
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago?
Long ago, the young girls disappeared and no one knew where they went.
Where have all the young girls gone?
Where did all the young girls go, they are nowhere to be found.
Gone for husbands, every one
All the young girls left to marry their husbands.
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Do they realize that getting married might lead to their disappearance?
Where have all the husbands gone, long time passing?
The husbands have been gone for a long time now, no one has seen them.
Where have all the husbands gone, long time ago?
Long ago, the husbands disappeared and no one knew where they went.
Where have all the husbands gone?
Nobody knows where the husbands have gone, they just disappeared.
Gone for soldiers, every one
All the husbands have gone to become soldiers and fight in wars.
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Do they realize that going to war might lead to their death?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
It's been a long time since we saw any soldiers around.
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
Soldiers disappeared a long time ago and nobody knew where they went.
Where have all the soldiers gone?
The soldiers vanished, and nobody knows where they went.
Gone to graveyards, every one
All the soldiers died and went to graveyards.
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Do they realize that war leads to death and the destruction of lives?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time passing?
It's been a long time since we've seen graveyards around here.
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time ago?
Graveyards disappeared long ago, and nobody knew where they went.
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Where did all the graveyards go, they are nowhere to be found.
Gone to flowers, every one
The graveyards turned into flowers and nature took over.
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Do they realize that there is always hope for renewal and regrowth?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
The flowers disappeared a long time ago, and we haven't seen them since.
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
Long ago, the flowers vanished, and no one knew where they went.
Where have all the flowers gone?
The flowers just vanished, and nobody knows where they went.
Young girls have picked them, every one
All the flowers were picked by young girls, and none were left behind.
Oh when will they ever learn, oh when will they ever learn?
Will they ever learn that their actions can lead to irreversible consequences?
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Peter Seeger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@davidroga6508
I have been a soldier forover 40 years and seen death, destruction, pain, suffering and sorrow. This song breaks my heart to relive those moments. Even today we witness the senseless suffering, death and sorrow. This song is so beautifully delivered that one wonders at the senseless brutality of humans. When will they ever learn. When
@jpturner171
So true 37 years in the Marines from 73 through 2011… like you mentioned I have seen, lotta bad things and a lot of beautiful things.
@davidroga6508
@@jpturner171 only soldiers feel the senselessness of war. No one wins and everyone suffers, mostly innocent civilians. Stay safe and thanks for your service.
@jpturner171
@@davidroga6508so true brother.👍🏽❤️🇺🇸
@cosmic_american
@@davidroga6508 I imagine those civilians also feel the senselessness of war, too.
@AAAAAA-oj6wh
It is 2021 and the song is still actual.
Wonderful Peter, Paul and Mary.
@marktindale2290
We will never learn while men for monetary greed, political greed or religious greed continue in wars and interference in other peoples countries
@salvadorceriaco6857
Yes.true .men never learn to Love & Forgive one another .no more political religious or cultures but only love understanding other people.Jesus Christ loves us.
@healingrays3229
@mark tindale Truth.
@rhondaboncutter5812
@baribul It's 2022 and happening again in Ucraine!