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.
Don't You Weep Mary
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
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[Chorus:]
Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.
Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.
Didn't Pharaoh's army get (hut!) drownded? Oh, Mary, don't you weep.
Well, Satan got mad and he knows I'm glad. Missed that soul that he thought he had.
[Chorus]
Well, one of these nights around twelve o'clock, this old town's gonna really rock.
Didn't Pharaoh's army get drowned? Oh, Mary, don't you weep.
[Chorus]
Cheer up, sisters and don't you cry. There'll be good times bye and bye.
Didn't Pharaoh's army get drowned? Oh, Mary, don't you weep.
[Chorus: x2]
The Kingston Trio's song Don't You Weep Mary is a traditional African American spiritual that has been covered by many artists. The lyrics offer comfort and hope to listeners who are dealing with difficult situations. In the song, the singer addresses Mary, who is likely a representative of all the suffering people who need encouragement.
The opening line "Thank you, Sister" suggests a tone of gratitude and camaraderie, indicating that the singer is addressing someone they know personally or someone they feel a connection with. The chorus provides repeated assurances to Mary, telling her not to weep or mourn because Pharaoh's army, a symbol of oppression and evil, had been defeated and drowned. The song thus draws on the story of Exodus in the Bible, in which the Israelites escape slavery in Egypt through a miraculous parting of the Red Sea.
The second verse introduces Satan, who is angry that he has lost a soul that he thought he had. This can be interpreted as a reference to the struggle between good and evil in the world, and the singer's faith that good will ultimately prevail. The third verse speaks of a time when the town will "really rock," possibly a reference to a coming revolution or just a general sense of positive change. The final verse encourages the sisters to cheer up and not to cry, assuring them that good times are coming their way.
Overall, the song offers a message of resilience and faith in the face of adversity, drawing on the biblical story of Exodus and portraying a vision of hope for a better future.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.
Mary, don't be sad, don't cry.
Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.
Mary, don't be sad, don't cry.
Didn't Pharaoh's army get (hut!) drownded? Oh, Mary, don't you weep.
Remember when Pharaoh's army drowned? Don't worry, Mary.
Well, Satan got mad and he knows I'm glad. Missed that soul that he thought he had.
Satan is angry because he lost a soul he thought he had.
Now, didn't Pharaoh's army get drownded? Oh, Mary, don't you weep.
Remember when Pharaoh's army drowned? Don't worry, Mary.
Well, one of these nights around twelve o'clock, this old town's gonna really rock.
One of these nights, this town is going to party hard.
Didn't Pharaoh's army get drowned? Oh, Mary, don't you weep.
Remember when Pharaoh's army drowned? Don't worry, Mary.
Cheer up, sisters and don't you cry. There'll be good times bye and bye.
Cheer up, sisters, good times are coming.
Didn't Pharaoh's army get drowned? Oh, Mary, don't you weep.
Remember when Pharaoh's army drowned? Don't worry, Mary.
Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.
Mary, don't be sad, don't cry.
Oh, Mary, don't you weep, don't you mourn.
Mary, don't be sad, don't cry.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB SHANE, JOHN STEWART, NICK REYNOLDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind