Monday Music: 500 Miles (Peter, Paul & Mary)

I have heard "500 Miles" all my life, it seems. It was written in 1961 by folk singer Hedy West and quickly became so ingrained into the fabric of our culture that most Americans probably know the song. Sometimes the simplest of songs can become the most enduring and profound.

I gained a new appreciation for the song in 1981 when I went to Hong Kong to teach English for two years. One of my colleagues, Linda Pegram, worked with the Vietnamese refugees. At that time there were large refugee camps in Hong Kong and in The Philippines to aid in the resettlement of refugees from Vietnam to other parts of the world. American folk songs were quite popular throughout Hong Kong, but I learned from my friend, Linda, that among the Vietnamese refugees, "500 Miles" was one of the best loved songs. It, of course, spoke to their own plight of being far from home, with few possessions to call their own. I cannot hear the song today without seeing the images of those refugee camps.

In the video below, live concert footage accompanied by the original studio recording by Peter Paul & Mary make this a stunning offering. Mary Travers is superb -- riveting and captivating with her clear, strong, and plaintive voice.

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Monday Music: 500 Miles

Away from home, away from home,

Away from home, away from home.

Lord I'm 500 miles away from home.

When I was in Hong Kong from 1981 to 1983, I took my guitar and happily found that American Folk music was quite popular. One of my song books had the cords and lyrics to 500 Miles. I had a colleague who worked with the Vietnamese refugee camps that had been set up in Hong Kong to assist with the resettlement of thousands of Vietnamese who were among the hundreds of thousands of "boat people" who fled Vietnam following the war. My friend told me that "500 Miles" was one of the favorite songs among the refugees. They all related to that wistful refrain of being far from home.

"500 Miles," written by Hedy West in 1961, became quite a hit in the Folk Revival of the 1960s. It was originally recorded by The Journeymen, later covered by The Kingston Trio, Peter,Paul & Mary, The Brothers Four, and many others. Recently an updated version was recorded by Th Hooters giving it a faster pace and adding new lyrics to commemorate the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Justin Timberlake recorded it for the soundtrack to Inside Llewyn Davis.

At the same time the song was gaining popularity in the United States, Richard Anthony recorded a French version, "Et j'entends siffler le train" ("I Hear the Whistle of the Train"). Here you can enjoy that beautiful French version.

(To hear The Journeymen's original version, go here. For The Hooter's updated version, go here.)

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