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.
Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a long and a dusty road. It's a hard and a heavy load and the folks we meet ain't always kind.
Some are bad and some are good. Some have done the best they could. Some have tried to ease our troubling mind.
Chorus:
And I can't help but wonder where I'm bound, where I'm bound. Can't help but wonder where I'm bound.
And the faces that I see are as worried as can be. Looks like they've been wonderin', too.
(Chorus)
I had a buddy, way back home, but he started out to roam and I hear he's out by Monterey,
And sometimes, when I've had a few, his voice comes singin' through and I a-goin' out to see him some old day.
(Chorus)
If you see us passin' by and you sit and you wonder why and you wish that you were a rambler, too.
Nail your shoes to the kitchen floor, lace 'em up, bar the door and thank the stars for the roof that's over you.
(Chorus)
And I can't help but wonder where I'm bound, where I'm bound, can't help but wonder where I'm bound.
The Kingston Trio's "Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound" is a reflective folk song that speaks to the human struggle to find one's place in life. The singer acknowledges the difficult road and heavy burdens that have been faced, as well as the fact that not all people they've met have been kind. Some have provided comfort to their troubled mind, while others have tried to do their best.
The chorus of the song, "And I can't help but wonder where I'm bound, where I'm bound. Can't help but wonder where I'm bound", is a representation of the singer's desire to find a purpose and direction in life. They've travelled across the land doing the best they can, but the worried faces they see suggest that others are searching for answers, too.
The singer reminisces about a friend they had back home, who started to travel and is now rumored to be in Monterey. Although they've lost touch, the singer hears their voice when they've had a few drinks and vows to visit them someday. The song ends with a message to those who may feel envious of the singer's transient lifestyle, a call to gratitude for one's own situation.
Overall, "Can't Help but Wonder Where I'm Bound" is a poignant song about introspection, wanderlust, and the search for one's purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a long and a dusty road. It's a hard and a heavy load and the folks we meet ain't always kind.
Life is tough and often full of hardships. People we come across can be mean and unsympathetic.
Some are bad and some are good. Some have done the best they could. Some have tried to ease our troubling mind.
People can be a mix of good and bad. Some have tried to be helpful and make things easier for us.
And I can't help but wonder where I'm bound, where I'm bound. Can't help but wonder where I'm bound.
I wonder about the direction my life is taking and where it might lead me.
I have traveled across this land just a-doing the best I can. Tryin' to find what I was meant to do.
I've been exploring and experimenting in life. Trying to discover my true purpose and what aligns with my passions and talents.
And the faces that I see are as worried as can be. Looks like they've been wonderin', too.
I see people who also seem to be searching for answers and trying to make sense of their lives.
I had a buddy, way back home, but he started out to roam and I hear he's out by Monterey,
I once had a friend who left to explore the world and I've heard he's now living in a different place.
And sometimes, when I've had a few, his voice comes singin' through and I a-goin' out to see him some old day.
Sometimes, when I'm feeling nostalgic or intoxicated, I hear the voice of my old friend and think about reuniting with him.
If you see us passin' by and you sit and you wonder why and you wish that you were a rambler, too.
If you observe me and others like me, and you wonder why we choose to keep moving and exploring instead of settling down,
Nail your shoes to the kitchen floor, lace 'em up, bar the door and thank the stars for the roof that's over you.
Then just stay put and enjoy the comfort and stability of what you have. Be grateful for the roof over your head and the safety it provides.
And I can't help but wonder where I'm bound, where I'm bound, can't help but wonder where I'm bound.
Despite the uncertainties and challenges of life, I still can't help but wonder where my path will take me.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Tom Paxton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind