The group made its television debut in either 1961 or 1962 on a talk show hosted by Mike Wallace and Joyce Davidson, though neither audio nor video footage has yet been found. By 1963, Peter, Paul, and Mary had recorded three albums. All three were in the Top ten the week of President Kennedy's assassination.
That year, the group also released "Puff the Magic Dragon", which Yarrow and fellow Cornell student Leonard Lipton had written in 1959, 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. One of their biggest hit singles was the Bob Dylan song "Blowin' in the Wind. They also sang other Bob Dylan songs, such as: "The Times They Are a-Changin'"; "Don't Think Twice, it's Alright"; and "When the Ship Comes In".
"Leaving On A Jet Plane" became their only #1 hit (as well as their final Top 40 hit) in December 1969, and was written by John Denver (who already had some success with The Chad Mitchell Trio), and first appeared on their Album 1700 in 1967. "Day Is Done", a #21 hit in June 1969, was the last Hot 100 hit that the trio recorded.
The trio broke up in 1970 to pursue solo careers, but found little of the success which they had experienced 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 45 shows a year.[1]
The group was inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1999.
The trio became political activists for their commitment to peace in Central America and for supporting musically and personally the peace and social justice movement in America. Their inveterate support for Israel distinguishes them from other major folk singing groups and implies a uniqueness of consideration and courage in their political choices. They were awarded the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience on September 1, 1990.[2]
In 2004, Travers was diagnosed with leukemia, leading to the cancellation of the remaining tour dates for that year. She received a bone marrow transplant and is recovering. She and the rest of the trio resumed their concert tour on December 9, 2005 with a holiday performance at Carnegie Hall.
Peter, Paul, and Mary received the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award from Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2006.
The trio sang in Mitchell, South Dakota, for the George and Eleanor McGovern Library and Center for Leadership dedication concert on October 5, 2006.
The trio canceled several dates of their summer 2007 tour, as Mary took longer than expected to recover from back surgery and later had to undergo a second surgery, further postponing the tour.[1] They will make up at least one of the dates, at the Northfork Theatre (formerly Westbury Music Fair) in June 2008.
The Kid
Peter Paul & Mary Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'm watering elephants
But sometimes I lie awake in the sawdust
Dreaming I'm in a suit of light
Late at night in the empty big top I'm
All alone on the high wire
Look, he's working without a net this time
He's a real death-daffier
I'm the kid who always looked out the window
Failing tests in geography
But I've seen things far beyond just the schoolyard
Distant shores of exotic lands
They're the spires of the Turkish empire
It's six months since we made landfall
Riding love with the spice of India
Through Gibraltar, we're rich men all
I'm the kid who thought we'd someday be lovers
Always held out that time would tell
Time was talking, I guess I just wasn't listening
No surprise if you know me well
And as we're walking toward the train station
There's a whispering rainfall
'Cross the boulevard you slip your hand in mine
In the distance the train calls
I'm the kid who has this habit of dreaming
Sometimes gets me in trouble too
But the truth is I could no more stop dreaming
Than I could make them all come true
In Peter, Paul & Mary's song "The Kid," the singer tells their story of being a dreamer and an outsider, always yearning for something more. The song begins with the image of a circus, where the singer ran away to, and where they now water elephants. Despite the mundane nature of their current life, the singer dreams of being on the high wire, wearing a suit of light, and performing without a net, thrilling the crowd with their danger. This fantasy speaks to the singer's desire for excitement and risk-taking, and suggests that they may feel trapped in their current situation.
The second verse focuses on the singer's academic struggles, failing tests in geography while gazing out the window and dreaming of far-off lands. The "spires of the Turkish empire" and the "spice of India" represent the singer's wanderlust and desire for adventure, and we can feel their hunger for the unknown. The reference to "six months since we made landfall" suggests that the singer may have been a sailor, adding to their sense of being an outsider.
The third verse deals with the singer's romantic life, and how their dreams of being with someone were dashed by their own inattention. They describe themselves as someone who has "this habit of dreaming," and suggest that their dreams may have been a distraction from the reality of their relationships. The rain falling and the distant train suggest that this is a moment of change or transition for the singer, and the song ends with the acknowledgement that, despite everything, they will never stop dreaming.
Overall, "The Kid" is a bittersweet song that speaks to the human desire for something more, for adventure and love and excitement. The singer is both an outsider and a dreamer, constantly searching for meaning and purpose in their life. While they may feel trapped or frustrated by their circumstances, their dreams provide an escape and a sense of hope for the future.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the kid who ran away with the circus
I am someone who ran away with a circus
Now I'm watering elephants
I am responsible for watering elephants
But sometimes I lie awake in the sawdust
Sometimes I remain awake lying in sawdust
Dreaming I'm in a suit of light
I have vivid dreams of being dressed up in a suit of light
Late at night in the empty big top I'm
I am present in the empty big top late at night
All alone on the high wire
I am by myself on the high wire
Look, he's working without a net this time
Observe, this time he is performing without a safety net
He's a real death-daffier
He is classified as someone who courts with death
I'm the kid who always looked out the window
I am someone who always stares out of the window
Failing tests in geography
I am failing tests in geography
But I've seen things far beyond just the schoolyard
I have observed things much beyond just the schoolyard
Distant shores of exotic lands
I have seen exotic lands from far away shores
They're the spires of the Turkish empire
I am talking about the spires of the Turkish empire
It's six months since we made landfall
It's been 6 months since we reached our destination
Riding love with the spice of India
We are experiencing the love of Indian spices
Through Gibraltar, we're rich men all
After crossing Gibraltar, every one of us feels prosperous
I'm the kid who thought we'd someday be lovers
I am the person who assumed that we would be lovers someday
Always held out that time would tell
I was certain that eventually, time would reveal the truth
Time was talking, I guess I just wasn't listening
It seems like time was saying something, but I wasn't paying attention
No surprise if you know me well
It would not come as a surprise if you know me well
And as we're walking toward the train station
As we walk towards the train station
There's a whispering rainfall
The rain starts whispering
'Cross the boulevard you slip your hand in mine
You take my hand as we cross the boulevard
In the distance the train calls
We hear the sound of the train in the distance
I'm the kid who has this habit of dreaming
I am someone who has the habit of dreaming
Sometimes gets me in trouble too
Sometimes it causes problems
But the truth is I could no more stop dreaming
The truth is I cannot avoid dreaming
Than I could make them all come true
Just like I cannot make all of them come true
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BUDDY MONDLOCK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind