Emily’s road schedule has included 4 national tours and many highlights. Among the brightest were opening for Martina McBride during the Olympic Torch Across America celebration in Salt Lake City and being selected from 70,000 independent artists to headline the 50-city Club MP3.com Summer 2000 Tour sponsored by House of Blues. Summer ‘03, Hard Rock Café & RADD supported her west regional tour that included drunk driving presentations to high schools and colleges. And for all '04, Emily toured with Rock the Vote and AWAKE Community using her music as voice of freedom and education as well as entertainment.
More important to Emily than all of her successes is her message. During the final leg of her MP3.com tour, Emily’s 19-year-old sister, Annie, lost her life to a drunk driver near her home in Utah. This tragedy reshaped Emily’s music and led her to form nonprofit AWAKE Community (www.awakecommunity.com) with guitarist Jason Brock to focus on educating youth and spreading the “don’t drink and drive” message, among other human issues.
Emily’s songs can be heard on commercial radio stations from her childhood home of Salt Lake City, Utah, to as far away as Dublin, Ireland and Bordeaux, France as well as on College Radio Stations across the US. Her CD’s are available for purchase at Amazon.com and CDBaby.com or download via MP3tunes.com and iTunes.com.
Mary
Emily Richards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I saw Mary
And he led her with a gun standing there
I saw Mary
With her golden fingers in his hair
She's standing under a street light
She doesn't know what she's done
I saw Mary
And she was his dream for a day
I saw Mary
And she never knew she could run this way
Now she's waiting under a street light
The waiting has only begun
What does she think when she's walking home?
The children have got to be fed
What will she do if it follows her home?
Her other soul is dead.
Does she remember when she's walking home
With whirring birds overhead
Does she run? When will she scream?
What will she do if a gun...
And the bullet's in her head
Walk tall
Walk strong
The trip will go on and on
Life's gone
Love's gone
The watchman knows right along
Walk tall
Walk strong
The trip will go on and on
Life's gone
Love's gone
Mary knows what is wrong
I saw Mary
Crumpled under the pier
I saw faces
Black and blue for a year
Now she's standing under a street light
And she doesn't know what she's done
What does she think when she's walking home?
The children have got to be fed
What will she do if it follows her home?
Her other soul is dead. dead. dead. dead.
Does she remember when she's walking home
With whirring birds overhead.
Will she run? Will she bleed?
What will she do with the gun?
And the bullet's in her head.
The song "Mary" by Emily Richards presents a story that is open to interpretation but most likely deals with themes of abuse, survival, and the consequences of one's actions. The song starts with Mary being led with a gun, and the singer witnessing this scene. Mary is described as having "golden fingers in his hair," which suggests that she wanted to leave him but couldn't. It is not clear who the man is or what their relationship was, but it seems that he was abusive and had control over her.
The song then goes on to describe Mary waiting under a streetlight, with the waiting having only begun. This could suggest that Mary is waiting for an opportunity to escape or waiting for something worse to happen. The song also poses some questions about what goes through Mary's mind when she is walking home and what she will do if it follows her home. The lines "Her other soul is dead" and "And the bullet's in her head" indicate a sense of hopelessness and despair, suggesting she feels trapped and can't escape the situation.
Overall, "Mary" is a hauntingly beautiful song that speaks about the difficult topic of abuse and the impact it can have on a person's sense of self-worth and ability to escape. It is unclear if Mary survives her ordeal, but the song leaves a lasting impact on the listener by reminding us of the importance of being aware of signs of abuse and supporting those who may be going through it.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw Mary
The singer has encountered a woman named Mary
And he led her with a gun standing there
Mary is being held captive by a man with a gun
With her golden fingers in his hair
Despite her situation, Mary tries to comfort her captor
She's standing under a street light
Mary is trapped and vulnerable
She doesn't know what she's done
Mary is confused and doesn't understand why she's been taken
And she was his dream for a day
Mary is a victim of circumstance and caught in someone else's fantasy
And she never knew she could run this way
Mary discovers her own strength and courage in the midst of her ordeal
The waiting has only begun
Mary is trapped with no clear way out
What does she think when she's walking home?
The artist wonders about Mary's thoughts and fears as she goes about her daily life
The children have got to be fed
Mary has obligations and responsibilities to take care of
Her other soul is dead.
Mary's spirit has been broken and she has lost a part of herself
Does she remember when she's walking home with whirring birds overhead
The artist imagines moments of peace amidst Mary's trauma
When will she scream?
The singer fears for Mary's safety and well-being
What will she do with the gun?
The singer questions whether Mary will fight back or be another victim
The trip will go on and on
The journey of life continues, with or without Mary
Mary knows what is wrong
Mary understands the injustices and struggles she faces
Crumpled under the pier
Mary has been physically beaten and abused
Black and blue for a year
Mary has suffered for a prolonged period of time
Her other soul is dead. dead. dead. dead.
Mary has lost something vital and can never be the same
Will she run? Will she bleed?
The artist hopes Mary can escape her captor, but fears for her safety
And the bullet's in her head.
The worst possible outcome occurs, and Mary is killed by her captor
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
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