About The Song
“Lemon Tree” was written by Will Holt in the late 1950s, inspired by a traditional Brazilian folk song, “Meu limão, meu limoeiro,” which he encountered during his travels. Holt adapted the melody and crafted new lyrics, creating a folk ballad about unfulfilled love. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded their version in 1962 at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, produced by Albert Grossman and Milt Okun. The track was released as a single in April 1962 by Warner Bros. Records, with “Early in the Morning” as the B-side, and included on their debut album, Peter, Paul and Mary, released in May 1962. The song, running 2:57, is a folk-pop piece known for its gentle acoustic arrangement and harmonious vocals.
The single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 78 on May 5, 1962, peaking at number 35 on June 16, 1962, and remained on the chart for nine weeks. It also reached number 12 on the Billboard Middle-Road Singles (Adult Contemporary) chart. Internationally, it peaked at number 20 in Canada on the CHUM Chart and number 18 in Australia. Cash Box described it as a “tender, folk-flavored ballad” with “appealing harmonies,” noting its commercial potential. The song’s success contributed to the trio’s rise as a leading act in the 1960s folk revival.
Background details include Holt’s inspiration from his time in the Greenwich Village folk scene, where he performed the song before Peter, Paul and Mary adopted it. The trio’s manager, Grossman, selected it for their debut album to showcase their ability to blend traditional and contemporary folk elements. The song’s metaphor of a lemon tree—beautiful yet bearing inedible fruit—drew from Holt’s observations of life’s deceptive promises. Other artists, including The Kingston Trio (1961), Trini Lopez (1965), and Sandie Shaw (1965), also covered the song, with varying arrangements. The trio performed it at the 1962 Newport Folk Festival, solidifying its place in their repertoire.
Expert commentary includes AllMusic’s William Ruhlmann, who praised the trio’s “crisp, emotive delivery” that elevated Holt’s composition. Songfacts noted that the song’s Brazilian roots were often overlooked, crediting Peter, Paul and Mary for popularizing it in the U.S. American Songwriter highlighted its role in the trio’s early success, calling it a “perfectly crafted folk gem.” No major controversies surrounded the song, though some debated whether its lyrics hinted at deeper social commentary, a claim Yarrow dismissed, emphasizing its romantic narrative. The song appeared in media like the 1963 film A Ticklish Affair and was referenced in a 1990s episode of The Wonder Years, underscoring its cultural staying power.
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Lyric
When I was just a lad of ten, my father said to me
“Come here and take a lesson from the lovely lemon tree
Don’t put your faith in love, my boy,” my father said to me
“I fear you’ll find that love is like the lovely lemon tree”Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eatOne day beneath the lemon tree, my love and I did lie
A girl so sweet that when she smiled, the stars rose in the sky
We passed that summer lost in love beneath the lemon tree
The music of her laughter hid my father’s words from meLemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eatOne day she left without a word, she took away the sun
And in the dark she left behind, I knew what she had done
She’d left me for another, it’s a common tale but true
A sadder man but wiser now, I sing these words to youLemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat
Lemon tree, very pretty, and the lemon flower is sweet
But the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat