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).
With You Fair Maid
The Brothers Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mark well what I do say,
In Amsterdam there lived a maid
And she was mistress of her trade.
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
A'rovin', a'rovin', since rovin's been my ru-I-in,
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
Mark well what I do say,
Her eyes are like two stars, so bright,
Her face is fair, her step is light.
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
A'rovin', a'rovin', since rovin's been my ru-I-in,
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
Her cheeks are like the rosebuds, red,
Mark well what I do say,
Her cheeks are like the rosebuds, red,
There's a wealth of hair upon her head.
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
A'rovin', a'rovin', since rovin's been my ru-I-in,
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
I took this maiden for a walk,
Mark well what I do say,
I took this maiden for a walk,
And sweet and loving was our talk.
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
A'rovin', a'rovin', since rovin's been my ru-I-in,
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
A'rovin', a'rovin', since rovin's been my ru-I-in,
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid!
The Brothers Four's song "With You Fair Maid" tells the story of a man who fell in love with a young woman in Amsterdam, but realized that he could not continue to wander aimlessly with her. The song is set to the tune of a traditional English folk song, and the lyrics describe the beauty of the maiden that the singer has been courting. The song opens by introducing the listener to the subject of the song, a beautiful and skilled woman who has captured the singer's attention. However, as the chorus repeatedly declares, he will "go no more a'ro-ovin' with" her.
The verses go on to describe her physical attributes - her bright eyes, fair face, and rosy cheeks - while still continually repeating the chorus, indicating that the singer has made up his mind to end their wandering. The final verse describes a sweet and loving conversation between the singer and his fair maid while out for a walk. Despite their affection for each other, however, the singer cannot continue to wander aimlessly, and the song ends with the sad refrain, "I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid."
Overall, the song depicts the fleeting nature of romantic encounters and the difficult decisions that must be made to move forward in life. The singer must choose between love and wandering, ultimately deciding to let go of the latter and pursue a more stable path.
Line by Line Meaning
In Amsterdam there lived a maid, Mark well what I do say, In Amsterdam there lived a maid And she was mistress of her trade.
There once lived a skilled woman in Amsterdam, listen carefully to what I say, who was an expert in her profession.
Her eyes are like two stars, so bright, Mark well what I do say, Her eyes are like two stars, so bright, Her face is fair, her step is light.
Her eyes shine like bright stars, pay attention to what I am saying, and her face is beautiful and her gait is graceful.
Her cheeks are like the rosebuds, red, Mark well what I do say, Her cheeks are like the rosebuds, red, There's a wealth of hair upon her head.
Her rosy cheeks resemble blooming rosebuds, pay attention to what I am telling you, and she has a voluminous hair on her head.
I took this maiden for a walk, Mark well what I do say, I took this maiden for a walk, And sweet and loving was our talk.
I accompanied this woman for a walk, so listen carefully to my words, and we had heartwarming and intimate conversation.
I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid. A'rovin', a'rovin', since rovin's been my ru-I-in, I'll go no more a'ro-ovin' with you, fair maid.
I won't engage in aimless wandering with you anymore, lovely lady. Aimless wandering has been my ruin, so I will avoid it with you from now on.
Contributed by Jake H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.