They left for San Francisco in 1959, where they met Mort Lewis, Dave Brubeck's manager. Lewis became their manager and later that year secured them a contract with Columbia Records. Their second single, "Greenfields," released in January 1960, hit #2 on the pop charts, and their first album, Brothers Four, released toward the end of the year, made the top 20. Other highlights of their early career included singing their fourth single, "The Green Leaves of Summer," from the John Wayne movie The Alamo, at the 1961 Academy Awards, and having their second album, BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus, go top 10. They also recorded the theme song for the ABC television series Hootenanny, "Hootenanny Saturday Night," in 1963.
The British Invasion and the ascendance of such folk musicians as Bob Dylan put an end to the Brothers Four's early period of success, but they kept performing and making records, doing particularly well in Japan and on the American hotel circuit.
The band attempted a comeback by recording a highly commercial version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." But the band was unable to release it because of licensing issues, and The Byrds eventually stole their thunder by releasing their heralded version.
Mike Kirkland left the group in 1969, and was replaced by Mark Pearson, another University of Washington alumnus. In 1971, Pearson left and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who stayed until 1989 and was replaced by a returning Pearson. Dick Foley left the group in 1990 and was replaced by Terry Lauber. Despite all the changes and having spent 47 years in the business, the group is still active today (2004).
Green Leaves of Summer
The Brothers Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A time to be reaping, a time to be sowing
The green leaves of summer are calling me home
It was good to be young then in the season of plenty
When the catfish were jumping as high as the sky.
A time just for planting, and a time just for plowing
T'was so good to be young then, to be close to the earth
And to stand by your wife, at the moment of birth.
Oooh Ooh, Oooh Ooh
--- Instrumental ---
T'was so good to be young then, to be close to the earth
Now the green leaves of summer are calling me home
T'was so good to be young then, to be close to the earth,
Now the green leaves of summer are calling me home.
Oooh, ooh, Oooh Ooh. Ooh...
The Green Leaves Of Summer is a song performed by The Brothers Four that celebrates the simple pleasures of life in the past, particularly during childhood. The lyrics suggest a nostalgia for the singer's youth when the world was full of possibilities and opportunities. In the first verse, the singer talks about the different seasons and how they dictate different activities, emphasizing the joy of summer when "the catfish were jumping as high as the sky". The second verse is about courting, planting and plowing, and the beauty of childbirth. The final verse repeats the idea that it was great to be young then and to be close to the earth, and that the green leaves of summer are calling the singer back to that happy place.
Overall, The Green Leaves Of Summer is a poetic tribute to the enduring themes of love, nature, and the rhythms of the seasons. By evoking the memory of a simpler time and place, the song captures the essence of what it means to be human and reminds us that we too can find joy in the small moments of life.
Line by Line Meaning
A time to be reaping, a time to be sowing
There is a time for harvesting and a time for planting.
The green leaves of summer are calling me home
The lush leaves of summertime remind me of home.
It was good to be young then in the season of plenty
Being young during plentiful times was enjoyable.
When the catfish were jumping as high as the sky.
During that time, catfish were jumping really high.
A time just for planting, and a time just for plowing
There is a specific time for planting and another for plowing.
A time to be courtin', courtin' a girl of your own
There is a time for pursuing one's own special someone.
T'was so good to be young then, to be close to the earth
Being young and close to nature was enjoyable.
And to stand by your wife, at the moment of birth.
It was important to support your wife during childbirth.
The green leaves of summer are calling me home
The summer greenery reminds me of my home.
T'was so good to be young then, to be close to the earth
Being young and in touch with the earth was enjoyable.
Now the green leaves of summer are calling me home
The green leaves of summer still call me back home, even now.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@PJohn-gc8xv
I was eight in 1960. First time when I heard this song, tears came up to my eyes. I was a little thin Japanese boy. I couldn't understand the words but I surely felt very sad. I still listen to this song.
@augustom.cantos8967
😙😊
@GeorgeSemel
I was 5
@michaelchen4879
I was 8 too.
@AlexmurMuratov-cm7fg
I wanted to write the same thing
@user-ks7oe3ub7h
I also had 8! And I love this song performed by the brother s four
@Forevertrue
Thanks guys this take millions of us back decades. It sure does me.
@rosariocalosur7802
thank God i belong to the baby boomer generation born 1958 listening to beautiful music such as this... twas so good be young then...
@kc8tby
As someone who just turned the age of 70, well, I can relate in such a meaningful way to this song. The Brothers Four were a fantastic group of very talented musicians and performers. God bless them and God bless us all.
@aertoelias9271
Maravilhosa, não canso de escutar, que harmonia....17 setembro 2023