Known for the infectious joy she exhibits playing live, Anne Heaton has tou… Read Full Bio ↴Known for the infectious joy she exhibits playing live, Anne Heaton has toured with major label recording artist Jewel as well as independent acts such as Melissa Ferrick, HEM, Joe Pernice, and Dan Bern. She has been labeled "more of a storyteller than Norah Jones and definitely in the same category as far as talent and vocal range" (Newpapertaxi.com/Live review). Her latest album "Give In" has "a pop sensibility with an affinity for strong harmonies and hook-laden arrangements" (The Boston Globe). It also includes live tracks such as "Hey New York" showing Heaton's exuberant sense of humor and on stage charisma. Heaton's debut studio album "Black Notebook," received similar praises: "Anne Heaton is a keen observer of human nature with an uncanny ability to succinctly and unpretentiously say what she has to say" (Cincinnati CityBeat). "Black Notebook" charted on CMJ for several weeks and was also chosen as a Top DIY by Performing Songwriter Magazine. More recently, Heaton's song "Maybe It's Peace" was a finalist in the John Lennon songwriting competition and "Give In" was one of three finalists in the Indie Acoustic Project's Contest for Best Female Singer-Songwriter of 2005. Heaton is currently at home in New York City writing songs for her next album and touring around the Northeast.

Mary
Anne Heaton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Are the outside walls of your house made out of bookshelves facing out?/ Do you house a gorilla in the back?/ Does he live in silence with a bag on his head?/ Do you go to the grocery to seek your light?
Does he begin to tremble when he hears you in sight?/ Do you have more in common with your childhood enemy than you do with your old best friend, Mary?

I had a best friend and her name was Mary/ She was my golden apple
I had a best friend and her name was Mary/ She was my golden apple

I wouldn't believe you if you crossed your heart/ Said we'd grow up in the same town, but be so far apart
And if you swore to God and hoped to die that there'd be no reason why

I had a best friend and her name was Mary/ She was my golden apple
I had a best friend and her name was Mary/ She was my golden apple

All the girls fill the dreams/ I never knew Christina was crying to create
Parking lot, playground, small town/ I never knew Christina was crying

We tried on makeup and we tried to get thin/ The boys on our 5th grade soccer team said we could be skins/ Are you a helper deep down inside?/ Did things get too twisted for you to stand upright?

Overall Meaning

The song "Mary" by Anne Heaton reflects on the complexities of adult relationships and the nostalgia for childhood friendships that have grown apart. The opening lyrics pose a series of strange and surreal questions, suggesting the singer is imagining an acquaintance with a very eccentric lifestyle. As the song progresses, it becomes clear that this is a metaphor for the distance that has grown between the singer and her old friend Mary. The imagery of the house and the gorilla suggest that Mary's life has taken a radically different path than the singer's, and the question about their childhood enemy implies that the singer and Mary have grown apart to the point where they have less in common than they do with someone they used to despise.

The second half of the song is a nostalgic reflection on the singer's childhood friendship with Mary, and the ways in which they have grown apart. The repetition of the chorus "I had a best friend and her name was Mary, she was my golden apple" emphasizes the sentimental longing for this lost relationship. The reference to Christina crying suggests that the singer is reflecting on other damaged or broken relationships from her past. The final lines about trying on makeup and seeking approval from boys on a soccer team again evoke a sense of nostalgia for a simpler time before adult responsibilities and conflicts had complicated these relationships.

Line by Line Meaning

Are the outside walls of your house made out of bookshelves facing out?
Are you a person who seeks knowledge and is always ready to give back to society?

Do you house a gorilla in the back?
Do you have hidden things inside you that you are hiding from others?

Does he live in silence with a bag on his head?
Do you feel trapped and alone, with no identity or voice of your own?

Do you go to the grocery to seek your light?
Do you look for happiness in material possessions or through external means?

Does he begin to tremble when he hears you in sight?
Do you have power over someone or something which scares them?

Do you have more in common with your childhood enemy than you do with your old best friend, Mary?
Have you changed so much in life that you have lost touch with your old self and the people who knew you then?

I had a best friend and her name was Mary, she was my golden apple
I had someone who was special and pure in my life.

I wouldn't believe you if you crossed your heart, said we'd grow up in the same town, but be so far apart
I find it unlikely that you promised that we'd remain close and yet still drifted apart so much.

And if you swore to God and hoped to die that there'd be no reason why
Even if you felt deeply confident in your reasoning, it may still not be enough to justify the distance between us.

All the girls fill the dreams I never knew Christina was crying to create, parking lot, playground, small town, I never knew Christina was crying
I failed to realize the pain and struggles of people around me, even those who seemed strong.

We tried on makeup and we tried to get thin, the boys on our 5th-grade soccer team said we could be skins. Are you a helper deep down inside? Did things get too twisted for you to stand upright?
We tried to conform to beauty standards that were damaging to us, and were influenced by people who didn't have our best interests at heart. Now, do you try to help others while struggling with your own problems?

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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