Rowles was born to a Maori father and Pakeha (Caucasian) mother in Whakatane, New Zealand, and grew up in Kawerau, New Zealand. His older brother Wally Rowles was a solo singer with his own career (for a while he went under the name of Frankie Price then later Frankie Rowles). His sister, Tania Rowles, was a recording artist and had the single "Don't Turn Around" which was released on the RCA label in 1986. Rowles still occasionally performs in New Zealand and Australia.
website - www.johnrowles.com.
Hush Not A Word To Mary
John Rowles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She means the world to me
Don't wanna lose her
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
Don't let her know
I stayed here with you
All the folks at home
Kind of you to ask me around
Knowing I'm alone
A cigarette, a glass of wine
A little homeless fun
A cosy chat about this and that
Never could hurt anyone
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
She may not understand
And she may worry
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
Don't want her crying
Over nothing at all
Mary does everything
Keeping me in mind
Loving me so faithfully
That constantly I find
I think of her and long for her
When she's not around
I love her so, I'm sure you know
I never could let her down
So, hush, not a word to Mary
Don't wanna break her heart
All over nothing
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
Show me the door
It's time I went home
The lyrics of John Rowles's song "Hush Not a Word to Mary" tell a story of a man who is in a precarious position in his relationship with Mary. He is at risk of losing her, and he is seeking comfort in the company of someone else, but he knows that Mary would not understand. The song begins with the man pleading with the person he is with to keep their relationship a secret from Mary. He emphasizes how much she means to him and confesses that he does not want to lose her.
Then, the man goes on to explain that Mary is away visiting family and friends, and he has been invited over by the person he is with. For a moment, he is able to set aside his worries about his relationship and enjoy the company of someone else. They share a cigarette, a glass of wine, and friendly conversation, but the man knows that he cannot let Mary find out about this.
The chorus of the song repeats the plea to keep this secret from Mary, stating that he does not want to hurt her or make her worry. He knows how much she loves and trusts him, and he cannot bear the thought of losing that trust. The song ends with him acknowledging that it is time to go home and face Mary, but he still hopes that nobody will reveal his secret.
Overall, "Hush Not a Word to Mary" is a poignant tale of a man who is torn between his loyalty to his partner and his own desires. He knows that he could potentially lose everything he holds dear, and he is pleading with the person he is with to understand and help him keep this secret.
Line by Line Meaning
Hush, not a word to Mary
Please keep this secret from Mary
She means the world to me
Mary is my everything
Don't wanna lose her
I'm afraid of losing her
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
Please, keep quiet about me being here
Don't let her know
Please don't tell her
I stayed here with you
I spent time with you instead of going home
Mary's gone visiting
Mary is out visiting people
All the folks at home
She's visiting her family and friends
Kind of you to ask me around
Thank you for inviting me over
Knowing I'm alone
Since I'm alone, it's nice to spend time with someone
A cigarette, a glass of wine
Having a cigarette and a glass of wine
A little homeless fun
Having some fun together while Mary is gone
A cosy chat about this and that
Having a friendly conversation about various topics
Never could hurt anyone
Talking and enjoying each other's company is harmless
She may not understand
Mary might misinterpret the situation
And she may worry
Mary could become anxious or concerned
Don't want her crying
I don't want her to cry because of this
Over nothing at all
This is not worth her tears
Mary does everything
Mary does so much for me
Keeping me in mind
She always thinks of me
Loving me so faithfully
She loves me with all her heart
That constantly I find
I always realize how lucky I am to have her
I think of her and long for her
I miss her when she's not around
When she's not around
When she's away from me
I love her so, I'm sure you know
I love her more than anything
I never could let her down
I would never do something to hurt her
Don't wanna break her heart
I don't want to hurt her emotionally
Show me the door
Please indicate the way out, I need to leave
It's time I went home
I have to go home now
Writer(s): Peter Callander, Mitch Murray
Contributed by Lily R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@johnlye
Hush, not a word to Mary
She means the world to me
Don't wanna lose her
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
Don't let her know
I stayed here with you
Mary's gone visiting
All the folks at home
Kind of you to ask me around
Knowing I'm alone
A cigarette, a glass of wine
A little harmless fun
A cosy chat about this and that
Never could hurt anyone
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
She may not understand
And she may worry
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
Don't want her crying
Over nothing at all
Mary does everything
Keeping me in mind
Loving me so faithfully
That constantly I find
I think of her and long for her
When she's not around
I love her so, I'm sure you know
I never could let her down
So, hush, not a word to Mary
Don't wanna break her heart
All over nothing
Oh, hush, not a word to Mary
Show me the door
It's time I went home
@annmarsden5759
Am 76 but brings back happy memories of my love for a special man, now gone. What a voice. Sir John Rowles . Magic
@The4thDensity
My father used to play this song on his record player constantly when I was a child. I miss my Dad so much. Superb singer, New Zealand's Tom Jones.
@pelejab
Great find....takes me back to those care-free days of my youth. Thanks for posting
@katiewarriner1458
Back in my husbands arms again smooching to this if only I could love this song
@heleneandersson6513
Wow WOW WOW vilken vacker man,,,med fantastic röst 🥰💗🥰
@waltercece8752
Truly a beautiful song with a memory of someone whom you may have Loved 😢
@edrose3710
Another of the great performances by this underpublicized crooner. He's one of the very best.
@deborahenders254
His voice is a gift from GOD
@sherilyn1977
Ah, such wonderful memories of our 30th Wedding Anniversary night. We had John singing for us in person and we were 110% satisfied with everything he did for us. We Love you John.
@annetteelliott1494
just had to listen again.
love the song, the words, the voice, the man....lovely.