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.
Hard Travelin'
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I thought you know
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Way down the road
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I been workin' in a hard rock tunnel
I thought you know
I been leanin' on a pressure drill
Way down the road
Hammer flyin', air hose suckin'
Six feet of mud, I sure been muckin'
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Lord
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I thought you know
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Way down the road
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Lord
I been workin' the Pittsburg steel
I thought you know
I been workin' that red-hot slag
Way down the road
I been a-blastin', I been a-firin'
I been a-duckin' that red-hot fire
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Lord
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I thought you know
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Way down the road
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Lord
Well, I've been hittin' that Lincoln highway
I thought you know
I been hittin' that sixty-six
Way down the road
Well, a heavy load and a worried mind
I a-lookin' for a woman that is hard to find
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Lord
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I thought you know
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Way down the road
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I been doin' some hard travelin'
Lord
The Kingston Trio's "Hard Travelin'" is a lively, bluesy tune that speaks of a narrator who has spent a significant amount of time traveling and working hard in various industries. The song is filled with vivid imagery that emphasizes the tough conditions that the singer has battled along the way. The song begins with the chorus, which mentions the singer's "hard travelin'" that has taken him down the road.
The first verse provides specific examples of the singer's hard work. They worked in a hard rock tunnel, using a pressure drill and dealing with six feet of mud. The second verse mentions the Pittsburg steel, where the singer blasted and fired while trying to avoid the red-hot fire. The third verse talks about the singer's travels along the Lincoln highway and Route 66, searching for a woman that is hard to find. Throughout the song, the singer emphasizes their hard work and determination.
One interpretation of the song is that it showcases the experiences of migrant workers who traveled the country to find work during the Great Depression. The song's lyrics describe the harsh working conditions of jobs that were available at the time, such as mining and steel work. The "hard travelin'" mentioned throughout the song suggests the constant moving and searching for employment that characterized the lives of migrant workers during that time.
Line by Line Meaning
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
I thought you know
I thought you were aware of my situation
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Way down the road
I have traveled very far
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I have been moving constantly and taking risks
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Lord
A common interjection used to express exasperation or emphasis
I been workin' in a hard rock tunnel
I have been working in a tunnel where rock is difficult to remove
I thought you know
I thought you were aware of my situation
I been leanin' on a pressure drill
I have been operating a drill that requires a lot of physical effort
Way down the road
I have been doing this for a long time
Hammer flyin', air hose suckin'
I am using a hammer and an air hose to get the job done
Six feet of mud, I sure been muckin'
I have been digging through a lot of mud
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Lord
A common interjection used to express exasperation or emphasis
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
I thought you know
I thought you were aware of my situation
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Way down the road
I have traveled very far
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I have been moving constantly and taking risks
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Lord
A common interjection used to express exasperation or emphasis
I been workin' the Pittsburg steel
I have been working with steel in Pittsburgh
I thought you know
I thought you were aware of my situation
I been workin' that red-hot slag
I have been working with a very hot by-product of steel production
Way down the road
I have been doing this for a long time
I been a-blastin', I been a-firin'
I have been detonating explosives and operating machinery
I been a-duckin' that red-hot fire
I have been avoiding being burnt by the hot slag
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Lord
A common interjection used to express exasperation or emphasis
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
I thought you know
I thought you were aware of my situation
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Way down the road
I have traveled very far
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Hard ramblin', hard gamblin'
I have been moving constantly and taking risks
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Lord
A common interjection used to express exasperation or emphasis
Well, I've been hittin' that Lincoln highway
I have been traveling on the Lincoln Highway
I thought you know
I thought you were aware of my situation
I been hittin' that sixty-six
I have been traveling on Route 66
Way down the road
I have been doing this for a long time
Well, a heavy load and a worried mind
I am carrying a lot of weight and am stressed
I a-lookin' for a woman that is hard to find
I am searching for a very specific woman
I been doin' some hard travelin'
I have been traveling extensively and have had a tough time doing so
Lord
A common Interjection used to express exasperation or emphasis
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: WOODY GUTHRIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind