The Wind Cries Mary
4.Jimi Hendrix Lyrics


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After all jacks are in their boxes
And the clowns have all gone to bed
You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Footprints dressed in red

And the wind whispers Mary

A broom is drearily sweeping
Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life
Somewhere a queen is weeping
Somewhere a king has no wife

And the wind, it cries Mary

The traffic lights they turn a blue tomorrow
And shine their emptiness down on my bed
The tiny island sags downstream
'Cause the life that they lived is dead

And the wind screams Mary

Will the wind ever remember?
The names it has blown in the past
And with its crutch, its old age and its wisdom
It whispers "no, this will be the last"





And the wind cries Mary

Overall Meaning

The Wind Cries Mary is a ballad by Jimi Hendrix that showcases his poetic abilities with a beautiful vocabulary and fine guitar work. The lyrics of the song offer glimpses of philosophical musings amidst a melancholic tone. The song starts with the aftermath of a party wherein every person has gone home with the promise of tomorrow being another new day. The singer portrays the sounds of happiness staggering in the streets and the imprints of that happy activity left behind. Then the singer brings us to the second verse where a broom is sweeping pieces of a broken yesterday. The story encompasses a ruler mourning and nations that are struggling with events that have already happened. The song's chorus reiterates the song's title in a gentle whisper, "And the wind, it cries Mary."


The lyrics describe the fragility of life, the fear of the unknown, the ever-changing world, and the pain of a broken heart. The song is melancholic, as Jimi Hendrix makes beautiful use of soft but strong notes on the guitar, followed by the lyrics that add a calm urgency to it. The song is a ballad that has become a classic among the emotional tunes of Jimi Hendrix's short discography. It remains one of the many gems that showcase Jimi Hendrix's poetic side.


Line by Line Meaning

After all jacks are in their boxes
Once everything is settled and put away


And the clowns have all gone to bed
When the entertainers have finished for the night


You can hear happiness staggering on down the street
Joyful sounds are audible, but perhaps not entirely stable


Footprints dressed in red
Bloody tracks on the ground


And the wind whispers Mary
The breeze carries a soft murmur


A broom is drearily sweeping
Someone is sadly cleaning up


Up the broken pieces of yesterday's life
Putting away the remnants of the previous day


Somewhere a queen is weeping
A female ruler is crying


Somewhere a king has no wife
A male monarch is without a spouse


And the wind, it cries Mary
The wind is wailing audibly


The traffic lights they turn a blue tomorrow
The signal lamps show an empty, uncertain future


And shine their emptiness down on my bed
Radiating their vacant nature in my sleeping quarters


The tiny island sags downstream
The small piece of land is sinking in the water


'Cause the life that they lived is dead
Their past existence has ended


And the wind screams Mary
The force of the wind is shouting the name loudly


Will the wind ever remember?
Is it possible for the wind to recall?


The names it has blown in the past
The identities that it has carried before


And with its crutch, its old age and its wisdom
And relying on its experience and insight


It whispers "no, this will be the last"
It murmurs that there will not be any further events


And the wind cries Mary
The wind continues to weep for Mary




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JIMI HENDRIX

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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