Sorrow
Peter Paul Mary Lyrics

The opening lines of "Sorrow" by Peter, Paul, and Mary set a somber tone for the rest of the song. The unnamed narrator describes himself as a man who has seen trouble all his day and who is constantly on the move, never settling in one place for too long. He's going back to California, the place where he was partly raised, but it's unclear why. He mentions riding the northern railroad and taking the very next train, indicating that he's restless and always searching for something.

The second stanza amplifies the sense of alienation and dislocation that permeates the song. The singer's friends say he's a stranger, and he acknowledges that they'll never see his face again. The only promise that he offers is that they'll meet on "God's golden shore." The reference to a heavenly afterlife is a common motif in traditional folk and gospel music, and it serves as a kind of relief from the singer's melancholy present.

Overall, "Sorrow" conveys a deep sense of loneliness and longing for something that the singer can't quite grasp. It speaks to the human condition of wandering and searching for meaning and connection, and it does so with a plaintive, haunting melody that lingers in the listener's mind long after the song has ended.