Denny Doherty, Cass Elliot, John Phillips, and Michelle Phillips formed the group in New York after previous folk groups (The Mugwumps, The New Journeymen) failed. The foursome hit it big immediately after forming The Mamas & the Papas with "California Dreamin'", still their most recognizable and enduring song (The group's early history is amusingly chronicled in the song "Creeque Alley").
The name of the band was inspired by a daytime television talk show. Before the group recorded their debut album If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, the band was known for a short time as The Magic Circle. Wanting an easier name to remember, they were sitting around their house (which all four band members initially shared) brainstorming on a new name. Someone switched on the TV and a talk show was on with a Hells Angel. The first thing they heard was: "Now hold on there, Hoss. Some people call our women cheap, but we just call them our Mamas." Cass jumped up and exclaimed, "Yeah! I want to be a Mama!" Michelle chimed in that she wanted to be a "Mama" too. John and Denny looked at each other and John said, "Papas? Okay, problem solved." And the band had a new name.
In interviews, former band members confide that their recording sessions (and lifestyles) were usually heavily drug-laden, with large reserves of marijuana and other popular 1960s drugs on hand. They even admit that their young children, also usually present at recording sessions, openly witnessed their drug activities. Said drug usage clearly contributed to inter-group tensions.
John Phillips had married Michelle Gilliam back on December 31, 1962, long before the formation of the band. Early on in the band's history, when they were still "The Magic Circle", Michelle and Doherty began an affair in 1965. They were able to keep it secret from the other two band members for quite some time. During a trip to Mexico, Doherty revealed his affair to Elliot, who was furious (since she was secretly in love with Doherty). Soon afterwards, John Phillips caught Michelle and Doherty in the act and moved out of the house.
John could not stand to live with Michelle afterwards and so moved back in with Doherty. At this point Michelle fled into the arms of Gene Clark of The Byrds (friends and rivals of The Mamas & the Papas). After one concert where Michelle blew kisses to front-row-seated Clark, John said he could not stand to perform with Michelle any longer. Consulting both their attorney Abe Somer as well as their label Dunhill Records, the band then drafted a formal statement kicking Michelle out of the group in June 1966.
At this point they hired a new band member to replace Michelle, Jill Gibson, girlfriend of their producer Lou Adler. Gibson was already a singer/songwriter who had performed on several Jan and Dean albums. In fact, she had once been involved with Jan Berry for seven years before becoming romantically linked to Adler. Gibson was however not known as a strong singer, but learned to sing Michelle's parts within three weeks while the band was in London, England. Jill Gibson's vocals are featured on the band's second album The Mamas & the Papas, except for two tracks that include Michelle. Gibson's most important asset, however, was that she was a good replacement for Michelle: long blond hair, slim figure, pretty face, good voice, etc. Shortly after recording and touring with Gibson, it became apparent that some fans were not happy with the substitution while others did not mind. Afterwards, largely due to John, the band reintroduced Michelle to the lineup in late August 1966. Gibson received an undisclosed lump sum for her part and later would admit to feeling betrayed by John Phillips.
Michelle and John reconciled and bought a home together in Bel Air, while the band tried to forge ahead. Things seemed fine for a while (at least they pretended they were). The group recorded their third album Deliver, which became a huge hit, and during this same time Denny was drinking heavily trying to forget Michelle. He still had a hard time seeing her back with John. Eventually the band closed the first ever Monterey International Pop Festival in June 1967, but performed dismally. John Phillips, Michelle Phillips and Lou Adler organized the festival, and according to interviews with the members of the group, they were all so caught up in the festival they never got around to rehearsing. That, combined with Denny Doherty's last minute arrival from Canada, created an unmemorable performance.
The band tried to work on another album (to which they were contractually bound). After making no progress, they decided to take a trip in October of 1967, to Europe to spark their creativity. While in England at a party thrown by Dunhill Records, their record label, Elliot was talking to Mick Jagger. John approached them and made an insulting remark about her in front of the guests. Disgusted and humiliated, she stormed out of the party and quit the band. Their record company released a Greatest Hits compilation as a stopgap measure. Cass was contractually bound for the band's next LP, and therefore appeared on The Papas & the Mamas, the group's fourth album.
The band broke up in July 1968. In a rare interview, after the group's break up, with Rolling Stone magazine, Cass admitted she wanted to go solo and that this is what had caused the official break up of the band.
Cass Elliot started a very successful solo career and toured the U.S. and Europe, becoming popular with hits such as "Make Your Own Kind of Music." In reviewing their contracts, the record company decided the band owed them one more album. After about a year apart, the band regrouped and released their final album People Like Us in 1971. They disbanded in 1972.
While on tour, Elliot died of a heart attack on July 29, 1974 (not from choking on a ham sandwich, as is sometimes reported). John Phillips died of heart failure on March 18, 2001. Michelle Phillips went on to a successful acting career, appearing in the 1973 movie Dillinger as well in the television drama Knots Landing, among others. Denny Doherty went on to host a popular variety show in Canada. Denny Doherty died on January 19, 2007. His sister Frances Arnold said the singer-songwriter died at his home in Mississauga, a city just west of Toronto, after a short illness. Michelle Phillips is now the only surviving member of the band.
John's eldest daughter from his first marriage, Mackenzie Phillips, had a moderately successful career as an actress in the mid-70s, having first appeared in George Lucas's hit film American Graffiti (1973) and then in the successful TV series One Day at a Time, but found her success so overshadowed by her problems with drug addiction—habits that she had shared personally with her father—that by 1979 her career had effectively ended due to her inability to work. She had been in the spotlight in recent days for her tell-all book in which she reveals that she has consensual sex with her father, John Phillips, for a period of over ten years, ending when she was around eighteen. John and Michelle's daughter, Chynna, would go on to form the band Wilson Phillips along with Carnie Wilson and Wendy Wilson (the daughters of Beach Boys' Brian Wilson), with whom she's been friends since infancy. John's youngest daughter, Bijou Phillips, is a successful actress and model.
The Mamas & the Papas were inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998 and into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2000.
In recent years, entirely new, succeeding incarnations of The Mamas & the Papas have toured small cities nationwide—most notably featuring Spanky McFarlane and Scott McKenzie as part of the lineup—but none of them have the spirit and impact of the original group that John Phillips helped to build.
Safe In My Garden
The Mamas & the Papas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
An ancient flower blooms
And the scent from its nature
Slowly squares my room
And its perfume being such
That it's causing me to swoon
Could it be we were hot wired
They stole our minds
And thought we'd never know it
With a bottle in each hand
Too late to try to understand
We don't care where it lands, we just throw it
Somebody take us away
Somebody take us away
Safe in my garden
An ancient flower blooms
And the scent from its nature
Slowly squares my room
And it's perfume being such
That it's causing me to swoon
When you go out in the street
So many hassles with the heat
No one there can fill your desire
Cops out with the megaphones
Telling people stay inside their home
Man, can't they see the world's on fire
Somebody take us away, take us away
Safe in our garden
An ancient flower blooms
And the scent from its nature
Slowly squares my room
Take us away, take us away
The Mamas & the Papas's song Safe In My Garden is a reflective piece about being safe and secure at home while chaos ensues outside. The singer describes an ancient flower blooming in their garden, and how its scent fills their room, causing them to feel intoxicated. The flower is representative of something unchanging and constant in a world that is always changing, providing a sense of stability for the singer. The lyrics suggest that the singer is aware of the dangers outside of their safe space, as referenced by the line "When you go out in the street, so many hassles with the heat" and "Man, can't they see the world's on fire." However, the singer is content to stay inside their garden and be "safe."
In the second half of the song, the idea of being safe is juxtaposed with the darkness that lurks outside. The singer refers to being "hot wired" and having their minds stolen, possibly referencing the widespread use of drugs during the time period. This verse also suggests that the singer is aware of the dangers that come with being carefree and reckless, as represented by the "bottle in each hand." However, despite this awareness, the singer still feels powerless to the chaos around them and begs for someone to "take us away."
Overall, Safe In My Garden is a reflection of the countercultural movement of the 1960s and the desire for a sense of safety and stability in a world that is constantly changing and often violent.
Line by Line Meaning
Safe in my garden
I feel secure and peaceful in my private environment.
An ancient flower blooms
A very old plant is growing in my garden.
And the scent from its nature
I can smell the fragrance that the plant produces.
Slowly squares my room
The smell spreads through my whole house.
And its perfume being such
The smell is so overwhelming
That it's causing me to swoon
It's making me feel light-headed and dizzy.
Could it be we were hot wired
Did someone manipulate us?
Late one night, we're very tired
It was a long time ago, and we were exhausted.
They stole our minds
Someone took control of our brains.
And thought we'd never know it
They assumed we wouldn't realize what was happening.
With a bottle in each hand
We were holding drinks.
Too late to try to understand
It's pointless to try and comprehend it now.
We don't care where it lands, we just throw it
We are reckless and irresponsible.
Somebody take us away
We wish someone would rescue us from our current situation.
When you go out in the street
When you venture outside.
So many hassles with the heat
It's frustrating and uncomfortable in the hot weather.
No one there can fill your desire
Nobody can meet your needs or satisfy your wants.
Cops out with the megaphones
Police officers are using loudspeakers.
Telling people stay inside their home
They're instructing everyone to stay indoors.
Man, can't they see the world's on fire
Don't they recognize the danger and chaos happening around us?
Safe in our garden
We are content and untroubled inside our own private space.
Take us away, take us away
We desperately want to escape our current circumstances.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN EDMUND ANDREW PHILLIPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jjonestowne
Safe in my garden,
An ancient flower blooms.
And the scent from its nature
Slowly squares my room;
And its perfume being such
that it's causing me to swoon.
Could it be we were hot-wired?
(Safe in my garden, an ancient flower blooms...)
Late one night; we're very tired.
They stole our minds and thought we'd never know it.
(And the scent from its nature slowly squares my room...)
With a bottle in each hand; too late to try to understand.
We don't care where it lands---we just throw it.
Somebody take us away...
Somebody take us away...
Safe in my garden,
(Could it be we were hot-wired; late one night we're very
tired...)
An ancient flower blooms.
(They stole our minds and thought we'd never know it...)
And the scent from its nature
(With a bottle in each hand; too late to try to understand...)
Slowly squares my room.
(We don't care where it lands---we just throw it...)
And it's perfume being such
That it's causing me to swoon.
When you go out in the street,
So many hassles with the heat;
No one there can fill your desire.
Cops out with the megaphones,
Telling people stay inside their home.
Man, can't they see the world's on fire?
Somebody take us away...take us away...
Safe in our garden,
An ancient flower blooms.
And the scent from its nature...
(Cops out with the megaphones;
Tellin?people stay inside their homes.)
Man, the world's on fire.)
Slowly squares my room.
Take us away...take us away..
@jjulian49
Michelle's strong and striking soprano is the underrated anchor to this beautiful song. Her crisp, perfect-pitch entrance at the beginning with the line "And its perfume being such that it's causing me to swoon" sets the stage for the whole magic that ensues. Her harmonic contributions throughout are essential to the whole. And her solo return at the end - in a voice that at this stage is almost spent -- encapsulates the powerful fragility of the song. Brilliant.
@MonicaRoseKinney
Wonderfully said!
@chipperkeithmgb
You are so right I
@northsmoket
i remember gettin high with a dorm mate listening to this playing /when michelle came in with phrase u mentioned he swooned
@v-town1980
Love Michelle's voice the most. Soft and sweet. Plus, she was gorgeous.
@mezellenjohnson2753
This is my all-time favourite record ever. The harmonies are spectacular and this comes to my mind when I am well enough to sit in my wheelchair in my garden. Oh to be back in those wonderful days again. Thank you for sharing this wonderful song.
@guillaumefrenkel6993
this song the most beautiful song of mamas and papas
why not number one billboard
je ne comprends pas
@maxicarlus
it's a pity 'Safe in my garden' was utterly overlooked when it was released... such a powerful song... such beautiful vocals by Cass and Michelle... what a haunting melody...
@daniloarantes1482
poucos conseguem apreciar essa maravilha, o que essa música passa pra mim é inacreditável
@brunofernandess_
Danilo Arantes pra mim tb cara, é indescritível!