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.
Jug Of Punch
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As I was sitting with a jug and spoon, one Sunday morning in the month of June.
A birdie sang in an ivy bunch and the song he sang was the jug of punch.
Chorus:
Tura lura lu, tura lura lu, tura lura lu, tura lura lu.
What more diversion can a man desire than to court a girl by a cheerful fire?
A carey pippin to crack and crunch and on the table a jug of punch.
(Chorus)
A carey pippin to crack and crunch and on the table a jug of punch.
Ye mortal lords, drink your nectar wine and ye quality folk, sip your claret fine.
I'd give them all the grapes in the bunch for a jolly pull at my jug of punch.
(Chorus)
I'd give them all the grapes in the bunch for a jolly pull at my jug of punch.
Ye learned doctors, with all your art, cannot cure a depression on the heart.
But even a cripple forgets his hunch when he's snug outside of a jug of punch.
(Chorus)
But even a cripple forgets his hunch when he's snug outside of a jug of punch.
And when I'm dead and I'm in my grave, no costly tombstone do I ever crave.
Just lay me down in my native peat with a jug of punch at my head and feet.
(Chorus)
Just lay me down in my native peat with a jug of punch at my head and feet. (Ooo, Ooo)
The Kingston Trio's song The Jug of Punch is a traditional Irish drinking song. The song describes the simple pleasure of enjoying a jug of punch on a lazy summer afternoon. The singer enjoys the song of a bird singing as he indulges in a jug of punch. The song presents the jug of punch as a symbol of camaraderie and unity as it is shared with friends and loved ones.
The chorus in the song, "Tura lura lu, tura lura lu," is a nonsense refrain that enhances the cheerful and carefree nature of the song. Furthermore, the song exalts the simple things of life, like cracking a carey pippin and enjoying a jug of punch on the table while courting a girl by the fire. The second stanza touts the merits of a jug of punch over wine and claret, even though the latter is preferred by the lords and quality folks. The song reveals that a jug of punch can be a great leveller, making even the most learned doctors and cripples forget their woes and frolic with the best of them.
In the final verse, the singer states that he doesn't desire an elaborate tombstone but instead wants to be laid to rest with a jug of punch at his head and feet. The song ends, reminding the listener about the importance of enjoying life's simple pleasures.
Line by Line Meaning
As I was sitting with a jug and spoon, one Sunday morning in the month of June.
I sat outside in the pleasant weather with a jug and spoon on a Sunday in June.
A birdie sang in an ivy bunch and the song he sang was the jug of punch.
I heard a sweet bird singing and the tune it sang was that of 'The Jug of Punch.'
Chorus: Tura lura lu, tura lura lu, tura lura lu, tura lura lu.
This is the refrain of the song, meant to be sung after every verse.
What more diversion can a man desire than to court a girl by a cheerful fire?
What could be more enjoyable for a man than to woo a lady by a cozy fire?
A carey pippin to crack and crunch and on the table a jug of punch.
An apple to snack on and a jug of punch to drink were both present on the table.
Ye mortal lords, drink your nectar wine and ye quality folk, sip your claret fine.
You rich lords may drink your fancy wines, and you high-class people may sip your claret.
I'd give them all the grapes in the bunch for a jolly pull at my jug of punch.
I would trade all the fruit in the world just to have a cheerful drink of my jug of punch.
Ye learned doctors, with all your art, cannot cure a depression on the heart.
Even with all your medical knowledge, clever doctors cannot cure a heavy heart.
But even a cripple forgets his hunch when he's snug outside of a jug of punch.
However, even a disabled person can forget their troubles when enjoying a drink of punch.
And when I'm dead and I'm in my grave, no costly tombstone do I ever crave.
When I pass away, I do not need an expensive tombstone or memorial.
Just lay me down in my native peat with a jug of punch at my head and feet.
Simply bury me in my homeland with a jug of punch at both my head and feet.
(Chorus)
This is the refrain of the song, meant to be sung after every verse.
Just lay me down in my native peat with a jug of punch at my head and feet. (Ooo, Ooo)
Just bury me with my favored drink at my head and feet, accompanied by this refrain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: FRANCIS MCPEAKE, PETER KENNEDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pat Powers
Thanks for this version! I liked the Kingston Trio vesion the best. I even liked the ending! :)
John Dickey
Always liked this K-3 take-off. So glad you uploaded it. I might have the audacity to upload a parody on "Stay Awhile" (as an Irish drinking song) one of these days along with "Roll Your Leg Over", "In China They Do It For Chili", "The Virgin Sturgeon", et al - as part of, to quote Dave Guard, "a diminishing number of requests". Meanwhile, at your leisure, you might check out Jeff's and my attempt to get through "Shenandoah". Regards, John
Kirk Barkley
Clancy Bros. got this one down pat