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.
Rollin' Stone
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A rollin' stone gathers no moss. (Repeat) So, as far as I can see, I guess I was meant to be just a rollin' stone.
A rollin' stone gathers no moss. A rollin' stone hasn't a boss.
Just like a Spring or a Summer's breeze, I can roll just where I please. I'm just a rollin' stone.
Can't lose my way, all directions are the same when I'm a-travelin'. I've got no home, sweet home.
A rollin' stone gathers no moss. A rollin' stone's like that coin that you toss.
But I don't need level ground. I can roll up hill or down. I'm just a rollin' stone.
When I'm travelin', all directions are the same. A string unravelin', I don't think that I'm to blame.
Some might think my life's a loss. A rollin' stone never gets lost.
So, I'll just keep playin' it straight 'til I roll right through that gate. I'm just a rollin' stone.
A rollin' stone. (Repeat and fade)
The Kingston Trio's song Rollin' Stone is a reminder that life is full of choices, and there are different paths that one might take. A rolling stone gathers no moss - this means that a person who is always on the move won't accumulate any moss, and they won't have any permanent attachments in one place. The lyrics imply that the singer is a free spirit who doesn't want to be tied down to one place. They want to be able to travel and explore the world freely without any obligations or attachments. The line "I don't need level ground. I can roll up hill or down" further reinforces this, as it suggests that the singer can overcome any obstacle and navigate any terrain.
The song also acknowledges that being a rolling stone can be perceived as a negative thing by some people. The line "Some might think my life's a loss" acknowledges that there are those who may see the singer's wanderlust as a sign of restlessness or a lack of direction. However, the singer sees the freedom that comes with being a rolling stone as an opportunity to keep exploring and discovering new things. Ultimately, the message of the song is that there's no one right way to live. Some people find happiness in staying put, while others find joy in constant movement and exploration.
Line by Line Meaning
A rollin' stone gathers no moss. (Repeat) So, as far as I can see, I guess I was meant to be just a rollin' stone.
A person who is always on the move won't accumulate problems. Therefore, I believe it's my destiny to wander aimlessly.
A rollin' stone gathers no moss. A rollin' stone hasn't a boss. Just like a Spring or a Summer's breeze, I can roll just where I please. I'm just a rollin' stone.
Since a person who is always on the move won't accumulate problems, they also aren't beholden to anyone else. Like the wind, I'm free to go wherever I want, unattached and carefree.
Can't lose my way, all directions are the same when I'm a-travelin'. I've got no home, sweet home. Just keep boppin', never stoppin', couldn't even if I wanted to, I've got to roam and roll.
Since I'm always traveling, it's impossible for me to get lost. I don't have a permanent residence, so I'm always on the move. I can't stop because I don't know how to be still, just like a rolling stone can't be stopped.
A rollin' stone gathers no moss. A rollin' stone's like that coin that you toss. But I don't need level ground. I can roll up hill or down. I'm just a rollin' stone.
Just like how a coin that's tossed in the air won't accumulate any dust, a person who's always on the move won't be bogged down by the mundane. I don't need level ground because I can go in any direction, up or down, without any issues.
When I'm travelin', all directions are the same. A string unravelin', I don't think that I'm to blame.
When I'm on the road, all directions feel the same to me. If my life is unraveling like string, it's not my fault. I'm just a rolling stone and can't help but keep on moving.
Some might think my life's a loss. A rollin' stone never gets lost. So, I'll just keep playin' it straight 'til I roll right through that gate. I'm just a rollin' stone.
Some people might think that my life is a failure because I don't have a home or a grounded lifestyle, but as a rolling stone, I can't get lost in the traditional sense. So, I'll keep living my life as I have been until I pass through that final gate. I'm just a rolling stone - always on the move.
A rollin' stone. (Repeat and fade)
A rolling stone. (Repeated until the end of the song)
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, DELLA BLUE MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: STAN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind