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.
Going Away To Leave You
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chorus:
Well, I'm goin' away for to leave you. Might not come back any more (more, more)
If I never more see your face again, then it's honey on that far distant, distant shore. Honey on that far distant shore.
Well, now, I'm goin' down to New Orleans, just to ride on the river boat.
Gotta keep bailin' all night long just to keep the darn boat afloat.
(Chorus)
Here is where I was born and raised, where the cold, cold North wind blows.
But I'm goin' back to old Tennessee where my good gal only knows.
(Chorus)
Keep a light in your window. Keep it burnin' bright.
Someday I'm gonna come a-knockin' at your door. Baby, I'll treat you right.
(Chorus)
The Kingston Trio's song "Goin' Away for to Leave You" is a classic folk tune that centers around a man who is leaving his current town to go to New Orleans and ultimately to his hometown of Tennessee. He may never return to his current home, but if he doesn't, then he imagines himself finding happiness on a far distant shore. The chorus is catchy and repeatable, making it a song that is easy to sing along to.
In the first verse, the man explains that he is going to New Orleans to ride on a riverboat. The second half of the verse explains that he will be bailing water throughout the night just to keep the boat afloat. In the second verse, the man reflects on his current life in a cold northern town and how he is leaving to return to his southern roots in Tennessee. The final verse is a request for the woman he is leaving behind to keep a light in her window and wait for him to return someday.
Musically, the song is full of Appalachian folk-influenced melodies and upbeat rhythms. The lyrics could be seen as a metaphor for the American Dream, as the man leaves his current situation behind to pursue something better in a different place.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I'm goin' away for to leave you. Might not come back any more (more, more)
I am leaving you and uncertain about returning, unsure whether we will ever cross paths again.
If I never more see your face again, then it's honey on that far distant, distant shore. Honey on that far distant shore.
If we do not meet again, I will find happiness elsewhere and start a new life, far from you.
Well, now, I'm goin' down to New Orleans, just to ride on the river boat.
I am heading to New Orleans to enjoy the experience of riding a riverboat.
Gotta keep bailin' all night long just to keep the darn boat afloat.
I need to work hard to keep the boat afloat and ensure that the journey remains safe.
Here is where I was born and raised, where the cold, cold North wind blows.
I come from a place where the North wind is bitterly cold, and where I grew up and learned many things.
But I'm goin' back to old Tennessee where my good gal only knows.
I plan on returning to Tennessee, where my beloved partner is waiting for me.
Keep a light in your window. Keep it burnin' bright.
I ask that you keep a light in your window, a sign of hope that I will return and that our love has not died.
Someday I'm gonna come a-knockin' at your door. Baby, I'll treat you right.
One day I will come knocking on your door, and when I do, I will love and take care of you as you deserve.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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