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.
Seasons in the Sun
The Kingston Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
Adieu Émile, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Think of me and I'll be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills we would climb
Were just seasons out of time
Adieu Papa, please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along
Adieu Papa, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children everywhere
When you see them, I'll be there
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone
Adieu Françoise, my trusted wife
Without you I'd have had a lonely life
You cheated lots of times, but then
I forgave you in the end
Though your lover was my friend
Adieu Françoise, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With your lovers everywhere
Just be careful, I'll be there
All our lives, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach
Adieu, Émile
Adieu, Papa
Adieu, Françoise
We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons, have all gone
All our lives, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach
The Kingston Trio’s song “Seasons in the Sun” is a beautiful but mournful goodbye letter addressed to three individuals in the singer’s life: his childhood friend Émile, his father, and his wife Françoise. The three had a massive impact on his life, shaping him and challenging him to be a better person. The song’s melody itself is both soothing and somber, a poem to the passing of time and the remembrance of cherished memories.
The lyrics describe how the singer and Émile met, the experiences they shared as children, and how difficult it is to die knowing they will never see each other again. The chorus mentions the joys and fun they both had in their childhood and the different seasons of life, culminating in the realization that the hills they climbed were just seasons out of time. The singer then addresses his father, acknowledging the fact that he was the black sheep of the family and how his father tried to teach him right from wrong. The chorus repeats again, describing how they had fun, joy, but the wine and the song, like the seasons, have all gone. Lastly, the singer talks to his wife Françoise, whom he loved despite her infidelities. He warns her to be careful, for he will always be there, watching over her.
Line by Line Meaning
Adieu Émile, my trusted friend
Farewell, my dear and faithful friend Emile
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
We have been close friends since we were children
Together we climbed hills and trees
We had many adventures together, climbing hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
We grew up together and learned about love and the alphabet
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees
We suffered emotional and physical pain throughout our lives
Adieu Émile, it's hard to die
It's difficult to say goodbye to you, Emile, as I am about to pass away
When all the birds are singing in the sky
I find it hard to leave this world when nature all around me is alive and singing
Now that the spring is in the air
As springtime arrives, the world is changing and new life is emerging
Pretty girls are everywhere
I am surrounded by the beauty of young women
Think of me and I'll be there
Remember me and my spirit will always be with you
We had joy, we had fun
We enjoyed life and had many good times together
We had seasons in the sun
Our lives had different seasons with various experiences, both good and bad
But the hills we would climb
The obstacles we faced in life were just temporary and insignificant
Were just seasons out of time
Our struggles in life were just a phase and did not define our existence
Adieu Papa, please pray for me
Goodbye father, please remember me in your prayers
I was the black sheep of the family
I was the outcast of my family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
You attempted to guide me on the right path, but I sometimes did not listen
Too much wine and too much song
I often indulged in alcohol and revelry
Wonder how I got along
I often wonder how I survived with my reckless behavior
Little children everywhere
As I die, I see the innocence and potential of young children everywhere
When you see them, I'll be there
My spirit will live on through the children I see
But the wine and the song
The pleasures of life, such as drinking and singing, will not last forever
Like the seasons, have all gone
Life is like a season, changing and fleeting
Adieu Françoise, my trusted wife
Goodbye to my faithful and beloved wife, Francoise
Without you I'd have had a lonely life
If it were not for you, I would have lived a lonely existence
You cheated lots of times, but then
You were unfaithful to me on many occasions, but I forgave you regardless
I forgave you in the end
Despite your infidelity, I found it in my heart to forgive you in the end
Though your lover was my friend
Even though your lover was someone I considered a friend, I still chose to forgive you
With your lovers everywhere
As I die, I realize that you may have continued to betray me with others
Just be careful, I'll be there
Even in death, I will always be watching over and protecting you
But the stars we could reach
The dreams and aspirations we had in life
Were just starfish on the beach
Despite our best efforts, the things we strived for were often unattainable and insignificant
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jacques Brel, Rod Mckuen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Rivercastle
Adieu, Emile, my trusted friend,
We've known each other since we were nine or ten.
Together we climbed hills and trees,
Learned of love and A B Cs,
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees.
Adieu, Emile, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky.
Now that the Spring is in the air
Pretty girls are ev'rywhere.
Think of me and I'll be there.
We had joy. We had fun.
We had seasons in the sun,
But the hills we would climb
Were just seasons out of time.
Adieu, Papa, please pray for me.
I was the black sheep of the family.
You tried to teach me right from wrong.
Too much wine and too much song,
Wonder how I got along.
Adieu, Papa, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky.
Now that the Spring is in the air
Little children ev'rywhere.
When you see them, I'll be there.
We had joy. We had fun.
We had seasons in the sun,
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone.
Adieu, Francoise, my trusted wife,
Without you I'd have had a lonely life.
You cheated lots of times but then,
I forgave you in the end
Though your lover was my friend.
Adieu, Francoise, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky.
Now that the spring is in the air
With your lovers ev'rywhere;
Just be careful, I'll be there.
All our lives we had fun.
We had seasons in the sun,
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach.
Adieu, Emile.
Adieu, Papa.
Adieu, Francoise.
We had joy. We had fun.
We had seasons in the sun,
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone.
All our lives, we had fun.
We had seasons in the sun,
But the stars we could reach
were just starfish on the beach
@chuckclark4160
Six decades and more have passed and I still sing along. This was not one of the Trio's great hits but by far it was one of their best songs
@richardfroiland5703
Kingston trio set the standard for folk music.
@donaldloehr4300
Amen to that.
@donaldloehr4300
I want to add that there were so many others then, but the Kingston Trio definitely led the group. There was another little-known group, The Chad Mitchell Trio, which sang some great satire, which I thoroughly enjoy. Thank you, Bruce Mundy, wherever you are.
@alanbradbury7778
Rod McKuen, who wrote this, died yesterday [29 January 2015]. RIP! And thanks for the poetry.
@plumduffster
+Alan Bradbury he only translated it from the French
@tonymabbott3502
Yes it's commonly stated that McKuen wrote it - Brel is ignored in the American literature!
@phillipclark7549
McKuen didn't attempt to translate the song. He wrote sugary-sweet lyrics to Brel's original: he did the same to Brel's Ne Me Quitte Pas which he bastardised as If You Go Away.
@joripage1
This is the definitive version of this song. Period.
@RealityAttacker
I'm sorry to hear that you had your period. I hope you conceive successfully next month.