The Kingston Trio is an American folk group that helped launch the folk rev… Read Full Bio ↴The Kingston Trio is an American folk group that helped launch the folk revival of the 1960s and continued to thrive despite the emergence of rock and roll.

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.

Whistling Gypsy
The Kingston Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The gypsy rover came over the hill
Down through the valley so shady
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady

Ah dee do, ah dee do da day
Ah dee do, ah dee day dee
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang

And he won the heart of a lady

She left her father's castle gate
Left her own fond lover, left her servants
And her estate
To follow the gypsy rover

Ah dee do, ah dee do da day
Ah dee do, ah dee day dee
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady

Her father saddled his fastest steed
Searched these valleys all over
Seeking his daughter at great speed
And the whistlin' gypsy rover

Ah dee do, ah dee do da day
Ah dee do, ah dee day dee
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady

At last he came to a castle gate
Along the river Claydee
And there was music and there was wine
For the gypsy and his lady

Ah dee do, ah dee do da day
Ah dee do, ah dee day dee
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady

"He is no gypsy, my father", she said
But Lord of these lands all over
And I will stay till my dying day
With the whistlin' gypsy rover

Ah dee do, ah dee do da day
Ah dee do, ah dee day dee
He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang

Till the green woods rang, till the green woods rang
And he won the heart of a lady

Overall Meaning

The Kingston Trio's song "Whistling Gypsy" tells the story of a woman who falls in love with a mysterious gypsy rover. The lyrics focus on the power of love and the lengths it can drive people to. The song describes how the gypsy rover's whistling and singing win the heart of the lady so much that she leaves her father's castle and her lover to follow him. Her father frantically searches for her throughout the valleys until he finally finds the castle gate in which she is with the gypsy. Despite her father's wishes, the lady decides to stay with the whistling gypsy until her dying day, revealing that he is the lord of the lands.

The song is a traditional folk tune that has been performed by many different artists over the years. It paints a vivid picture in the listener's mind of love, adventure, and rebellion. The song's lyrics have enduring popularity and speak to the romanticized notion of running away with someone who declares their love so passionately that nothing can stop them.

Line by Line Meaning

The gypsy rover came over the hill
A wandering man of uncertain origin arrived over the top of a hill

Down through the valley so shady
He descended into a cool, shaded valley

He whistled and he sang till the green woods rang
He created such a joyful noise with his whistling and singing that it reverberated throughout the green woods

And he won the heart of a lady
He captured the affection of a woman through his charming music and personality

Ah dee do, ah dee do da day
A nonsensical phrase possibly indicating enthusiasm or celebration

Ah dee do, ah dee day dee
Another nonsensical phrase matching the rhythm and style of the previous line

She left her father's castle gate
The lady departed from her affluent family's castle entrance

Left her own fond lover, left her servants
She abandoned her dear partner and household staff

And her estate
She also left behind her land and property

To follow the gypsy rover
She chose to pursue a life with the charming, nomadic man

Her father saddled his fastest steed
Her father prepared his quickest horse

Searched these valleys all over
He searched fervently throughout the surrounding valleys

Seeking his daughter at great speed
His main purpose was to locate his missing daughter as soon as possible

At last he came to a castle gate
Finally, he arrived at another castle entrance

Along the river Claydee
This castle was positioned next to the Claydee river

And there was music and there was wine
Celebration was taking place with lively music and drink

For the gypsy and his lady
The gypsy and the lady were the guests of honor

"He is no gypsy, my father", she said
She revealed to her father that the man was not actually a gypsy

But Lord of these lands all over
Rather, he was a wealthy and influential person who controlled large areas of land

And I will stay till my dying day
The lady was committed to staying with him for the rest of her life

Till the green woods rang, till the green woods rang
The joyful music and singing continued throughout the green woods

And he won the heart of a lady
The gypsy's love was ultimately successful in winning the affection of the lady

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, THE ROYALTY NETWORK INC., Royalty Network, Songtrust Ave
Written by: L. MAGUIRE, PATRICK MAGUIRE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS