John Francis McCormack was born in Athlone, Ireland, the fourth of eleven children of Andrew and Hannah Watson on 14 June 1884, and was baptised in St. Mary's Church, Athlone on 23 June 1884. His father was employed in Athlone Woollen Mills.
John received his early education from the Marist Brothers in Athlone, and later attended Summerhill College, Sligo. In 1903 he won the coveted gold medal in the Dublin Feis Ceoil and it was this event which set him on his climb to success. John married Lily Foley in 1906 and the couple had two children Cyril and Gwen.
Fundraising enabled his voice to be trained under Sabbatini in Italy. In 1907 John McCormack made his first important operatic appearance at Covent Garden in Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana. By 1912 he began to turn his attention to the concert stage, where his voice quality and charisma ensured that he became the greatest lyric tenor of his day.
He made numerous recordings, the first on phonograph cylinder in 1904. His most commercially successful series of records were those for the Victor Talking Machine Company in the 1910s and 1920s. He was the first artist to record It's a Long Way to Tipperary, in 1914. He also regularly broadcast on the radio and appeared in a number of sound films.
In 1917 he became a naturalized citizen of the United States.
To many people the highlight of McCormack's Irish career was his singing of César Franck's Panis Angelicus to the thousands who thronged Dublin's Phoenix Park for the 1932 Eucharistic Congress.
He was much honoured and decorated for his services to the world of music. His greatest honour came in 1928, when he received the title Count from Pope Pius XI in recognition of his work for Catholic charities. Although he often came to be referred to as "Count John McCormack" in his professional life, this title was officially recognised within only the Catholic Church ever.
McCormack retired in 1944, and died the following year at his home in Glena, Booterstown, Dublin.
Oh Mary Dear
John Mccormack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'll hide my grief, e'en though my heart should break.
Farewell my love, may God be always with you.
I love you so, I'd die for your dear sake.
But you'll come back to me my sad heart whispers.
You'll come with summer's flowers or winter's snow,
But I'll be there to wait if God should spare me.
And with the years, my love shall deeper, greater, grow.
Oh Mary dear, the years are lone and dreary,
And yet you come not back my soul to cheer.
My eyes grow dim, my path of life's near ended.
When death shall come, in spirit, Love, be near.
Remember then, my soul's deep adoration.
Shed one sad tear for all the world to see.
Breath one short prayer, and I shall know you love me.
And still be waiting, Mary, when you come to me.
The song "Oh Mary Dear" by John McCormack is a love ballad about a man who has been separated from his love, Mary, due to a cruel fate. The lyrics are emotional and express the man's deep love for Mary despite their separation. He promises to hide his grief and wait for her, even if it means waiting until his dying breath.
The first verse talks about the man's sorrowful state and how he will try to hide it from the world. He says farewell to Mary, expressing his undying love for her and how he would die for her sake. Despite their separation, he believes that she will come back to him someday, whether it's during summer or winter. He is willing to wait for her and promises that his love for her will only grow with time.
The second verse describes how the man has aged and is nearing the end of his life. His eyes grow dim and he fears death, but he hopes that Mary will be near him in spirit when he passes. He asks her to remember his love for her and shed a tear for him when he's gone. He also asks her to say a prayer for him and promises to continue waiting for her until they are reunited.
Overall, the song is a beautiful and poignant tribute to enduring love and the power of hope. McCormack's soulful voice adds to the emotion of the lyrics, making it a classic love song that still resonates with audiences today.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Mary dear, a cruel fate has parted us.
My dearest Mary, we have been separated by a cruel fate beyond our control.
I'll hide my grief, e'en though my heart should break.
Even though my heart is breaking, I will not show my grief to you.
Farewell my love, may God be always with you.
Goodbye my love, I pray that God will always be with you.
I love you so, I'd die for your dear sake.
My love for you is so strong that I would willingly die for you.
But you'll come back to me my sad heart whispers.
My heart whispers that you will return to me, even though I know it may not be true.
You'll come with summer's flowers or winter's snow,
Perhaps you will come back to me in the beauty of summer, or the stillness of winter.
But I'll be there to wait if God should spare me.
If God grants me the time, I will be waiting for you.
And with the years, my love shall deeper, greater, grow.
As the years go by, my love for you will only grow deeper and greater.
Oh Mary dear, the years are lone and dreary,
My dearest Mary, the passing years have been lonely and difficult without you.
And yet you come not back my soul to cheer.
But you have not returned to me, and my soul is still longing for your presence.
My eyes grow dim, my path of life's near ended.
My eyes are growing weak, and I feel that my time on this earth is coming to an end.
When death shall come, in spirit, Love, be near.
When death comes for me, I pray that your spirit and love will be near.
Remember then, my soul's deep adoration.
Remember that my soul adores you deeply, even in death.
Shed one sad tear for all the world to see.
Shed one sad tear so that the world may know of our love.
Breath one short prayer, and I shall know you love me.
Say one short prayer, and I will know that you still love me.
And still be waiting, Mary, when you come to me.
And I will still be waiting for you, my dearest Mary, even in death.
Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.