Peter, Paul and........Mary

Post by **Padme** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:14 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa3h3pnhg8s

RIP Mary.

Leaving on a Jet Plane is one of my favorite songs.

http://marquee.blogs.cnn.com/2009/09/16 ... tachments/

Post by **Teremia** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:25 am

My childhood was very much shaped by Peter, Paul, and Mary (plus the Seegers). We sang those songs every day!

A sad day.

Post by **Padme** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 1:34 am

Mine too. I had no idea what Puff the Magic Dragon was about until I was much older. I kind of wish I still didn't know, after I found out I had to work at keeping the magic in the song.

Where have all the flowers gone is also one of my old favorites.

Post by **Elentári** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 6:57 am

Such a shame

there's one more angel in Heaven...

Post by **Alatar** » Fri Sep 18, 2009 4:06 pm

Padme wrote:Mine too. I had no idea what Puff the Magic Dragon was about until I was much older. I kind of wish I still didn't know, after I found out I had to work at keeping the magic in the song.

Its ok Padme, it was never about that:

Speculation about drug references

After the song's initial success, speculation arose that the song contained veiled references to smoking marijuana.[6] For example, the word "paper" in the name of Puff's human friend (Jackie Paper) was said to be a reference to rolling papers, and the word "dragon" was interpreted as "draggin'," i.e. inhaling smoke; similarly, the name "Puff" was alleged to be a reference to taking a "puff" on a joint. The supposition was claimed to be common knowledge in a letter by a member of the public (who offered no qualifications for his expertise on the topic) to The New York Times in 1984.[7]

The authors of the song have repeatedly rejected this urban legend and have strongly and consistently denied that they intended any references to drug use.[8] Peter Yarrow has frequently explained that "Puff" is about the hardships of growing older and has no relationship to drug-taking.[9] He has also said of the song that it "never had any meaning other than the obvious one".[10]

On one occasion, during a live performance, Yarrow mocked the drug-related interpretations by reciting his own tongue-in-cheek drug-related reinterpretation of "The Star-Spangled Banner", and ended by saying, "...You can wreck anything with that kind of idiotic analysis."

Post by **Elmtree** » Sat Oct 03, 2009 2:43 am

I remember hearing Peter Yarrow sing an introduction about the maligned dragon. the song was never about drugs.

Peter Paul and Mary, The Weavers, Pete Seeger (solo)... I grew up with the music. I'm quite saddened by the news.

Post by **Old_Tom_Bombadil** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:59 am

I've loved Peter, Paul, & Mary from when I was very young. The first song I ever owned on vinyl was 'Puff the Magic Dragon'. (As Alatar pointed out, despite the urban legend it's not about smoking weed. Besides, I could have sworn that Peter Yarrow said something about "cordially disliking" allegory.

)

I recently discovered that Mary sang Ewan McColl's 'The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face', which became a huge hit for Roberta Flack in the early '70s. The original version, recorded by Peggy Seeger, McColl's mistress and later wife, while recognizable, is quite different from the version I'm familiar with.

Peggy Seeger: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1957)

Peter, Paul, & Mary: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1966)

Robert Flack: The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (1972)