Mary Travers

I haven't really had time to process the death of Mary Travers, of Peter Paul and Mary. This is one of the bands I grew up on, because my dad owned a few of their albums. I used to stare at this cover, because I thought Mary was just so beautiful.

I loved their harmonies, and I loved learning the lyrics and singing along. And they were a band that grew with me, in the sense that as I got older new songs stood out to me, and every couple years I get new favourites.

This is one: "Hangman."


It's about a man who's going to hang, and he sees various members of his family arriving to the hanging site. You have to listen to the emotion and nuance they give it. As each member of the family arrives, they sing with more desperation. Except for the line "hangin' from the gallows tree" which is always sung very quietly and solemnly. And in a harmony so beautiful they sound like one voice, though they're singing different notes.

He gets a smackdown from each family member, until his True Love finally arrives and saves him. This whole section is sung differently--the three singers sing the "Slack your rope hangman" section in harmony instead of solo. They don't sound desperate, just intense. And then the song ends with a solo of Mary replying:

"Yes I have brought you hope. Yes I have paid your fee. And I've not come to see you hanging from the gallows tree."

I think it's so beautiful. Check out Mary's emoting, and that low note she hits!


Here's one of the songs I *discovered* in my teens. It's the first version I ever heard of "The First Time" and therefore my fave. I can't even imagine this song without Mary-many of their songs are carried by her voice rising above the male harmonies.