The Kingston Trio was formed in 1957 in the Palo Alto, California area by original lineup of Dave Guard (1934–1991), Bob Shane (1934–2020), and Nick Reynolds (1933–2008), who were just out of college. Greatly influenced by The Weavers, the calypso sounds of Harry Belafonte, and other semi-popular folk artists such as the Gateway Singers and the Tarriers, they were discovered playing at a college club called the Cracked Pot by Frank Werber, a local publicist then working at the Hungry i. He became their manager, and secured them a one-shot deal with Capitol Records.
Their first hit was a catchy rendition of an old-time folk song, "Tom Dooley", which went gold in 1958. It was so popular that it entered popular culture as a catchphrase: Ella Fitzgerald, for example, parodies it during her recorded version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer". It won them the first Grammy award for Best Country & Western Performance in 1959. The next year, they won the first Grammy Award for Best Ethnic or Traditional Folk Recording category for the album The Kingston Trio at Large.
At one point in the early 1960s The Kingston Trio had four albums at the same time among the Top 10 selling albums, a record unmatched for nearly 40 years. In spite of this, they had a relatively small number of hit singles.
The group's music was simple and accessible, with much use of tight vocal harmony, signature riffs (often played on the banjo), and repetitive choruses. Capitol producer Voyle Gilmore[1] enhanced their vocal sound to great effect with reverb and the relatively new process of doubletracking, in which the performers sang along with their own pre-recorded part to produce a stronger sound than with a single voice, in part due to a natural time gap of a fraction of a second between the original recording and the overdubbed part. At first pairs of tape recorders were used, then later multitrack recording machines, to produce the effect.
Guard left the band in 1961 as part of a disagreement over its musical direction. He formed the group Whiskey Hill Singers, and was replaced by John Stewart, who led the group through several more years of popularity until the arrival of The Beatles and British invasion rock bands pushed them from the charts.
In 1967 the Trio disbanded after a final performance at the Hungry i, June 17, 1967.
Shane, the lone member to resist the break-up of the Trio, started a new group, aptly named, "The New Kingston Trio," in 1969. Eventually, Shane was successful in reaching a contractual agreement with his former partners, Guard, Reynolds, and Werber, to secure and license once again, the original name, "The Kingston Trio" (unencumbered by the adjective new), in 1976.(Blake et al. 1986.) Shane still owns the property today, 2006.
For a number of years in the 1980s Reynolds, one of the original three members, rejoined Shane.
In 2004 Shane retired from the group due to health problems. He was replaced by Bill Zorn, who had been with Shane in an iteration of the group called The New Kingston Trio; Zorn also has been a member of The Limeliters.
In 2005 Bobby Haworth (a one-time member of The Brothers Four) left the group to be replaced by Rick Dougherty, who also had been a member of The Limeliters.
As of 2006, The Kingston Trio consisted of George Grove, Bill Zorn and Rick Dougherty.
in October 2017, Grove, Zorn, and Dougherty were replaced as the Trio by new licensees Reynolds and Marvin and their friend, Tim Gorelangton. In 2018, Josh Reynolds left the group and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who became a member of the band for the third time. At the end of 2018, Haworth left the group and was replaced by Don Marovich.
Ballad of the Quiet Fighter
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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Oh, I stood watchin', oh, I stood waitin'
And as the rivers of freedom run through this land
I'll be there for to lend you my hand
Well, I listened to the shouting of those with their lies
Who tore at the heart of this country of mine
Can make a stand and be heard in this land
So,
[Chorus: ]
So I stood by the watch road
Till the October of their days
With the winds to my left and then far from the right
Blowing my way
But now is the hour
The time I can see when we'll win with the truth
That has made us free
So,
[Chorus: ]
The Kingston Trio's "Ballad of the Quiet Fighter" is a powerful song about fighting for freedom and standing up for what is right, even in the face of adversity. The song's narrator describes himself as a "quiet man" who waits and watches for his moment to make a stand. He is disgusted by the lies and corruption that he sees around him, but believes that the truth will ultimately prevail.
The chorus of the song is both uplifting and poignant, as the singer promises to be there to support and lend a hand to fellow fighters for freedom. He sees himself as part of a larger movement, connected by the "rivers of freedom" that run through the land.
In the second verse, the singer describes the long struggle he has endured, waiting patiently for his moment to come. He has withstood the winds of adversity and the shouting of those who seek to tear down the country he loves. But he is confident that the truth will ultimately prevail, and that victory will come for those who stand up for what is right.
Overall, "Ballad of the Quiet Fighter" is a powerful anthem of hope and determination, urging listeners to stand strong in the face of injustice and to fight for what is right and true.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, I stood watchin', oh, I stood waitin'
I patiently waited while observing the situation.
And as the rivers of freedom run through this land
Just like the rivers that flow through this country, freedom runs deep within us.
I'll be there for to lend you my hand
I'll be there when you need me to help you out.
Well, I listened to the shouting of those with their lies
I heard the lies that were being spread by those who were trying to mislead us.
Who tore at the heart of this country of mine
They were trying to disrupt the core of what makes this country great.
But here's where a quiet man with truth in his hand
This is where a person who has the truth on their side can make an impact even if they don't speak loudly.
Can make a stand and be heard in this land
Through their actions, they can make a difference and be noticed.
So,
Therefore,
So I stood by the watch road
I stationed myself on the road to observe the situation.
Till the October of their days
I was there for a long time, until the end of their time of power.
With the winds to my left and then far from the right
The winds blew from both sides, but I remained steadfast in the middle.
Blowing my way
The winds were blowing in my direction.
But now is the hour
But now is the time,
The time I can see when we'll win with the truth
I can see that the truth will win in the end.
That has made us free
The truth is what has given us our freedom.
So,
Therefore,
Oh, I stood watchin', oh, I stood waitin'
I patiently waited while observing the situation.
And as the rivers of freedom run through this land
Just like the rivers that flow through this country, freedom runs deep within us.
I'll be there for to lend you my hand
I'll be there when you need me to help you out.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN STEWART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind