She was born July 17, 1959 in Bayshore, New York and worked as a music teacher prior to moving to Nashville in 1985 to take a songwriter job with Sparrow Records. By 1986, the label signed her as a performer and she scored her first CCM chart hit "Fight for God" from debut album NEVER FOR NOTHING.
Her sound for the most part is pop but at times has shown influences from Motown (as on SIMPLE HOUSE's "Talk About Love") and Celtic music (via the NEW IRISH HYMNS series beginning with a 2001 collaboration with Máire Brennan and Joanne Hogg).
Outside her own singing, she formed a publishing company (Modernm) and has produced for other artists. She has also authored several books and involved herself with charitable organizations battling AIDS and poverty.
Irish Sea
Margaret Becker Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Been waiting for a sign
My dreams decaying
Rusted here between the lines
Oh crazy, truly I must be
You never asked these things of me
You gave me freedom, but I did not see
That if I ride these dreams
To the Irish sea
Even there
Your heart
Rides with me
What was I thinking?
What kept my hands so tied?
Was I waiting for angels
To write it in the sky?
The truth so plain for me to see
I was too frightedned to believe
That every whispered word was meant for me
CHORUS
Sweet revelation, well I
I drink it in
It heals my heart
Like medicine
So I take this life
And I shake it from this sleep
'Cause I'm fire
With the heat
Of the newly freed
CHORUS
In "Irish Sea" by Margaret Becker, the singer portrays herself as feeling stuck and waiting for guidance in life. She says she's been waiting for a sign for too long, but now her dreams are decaying and rusting between the lines. She thinks she must be crazy for feeling this way because she was given freedom, but she didn't see it and therefore couldn't make the most of it. The chorus focuses on the key message of the song– that even though she feels lost and waiting, her heart is still connected to her faith and will always be with her no matter where she goes. She discovers that the journey to the Irish sea is a metaphor for a spiritual journey, where she becomes newly free and full of fire.
In the following verse, she questions herself and her actions, wondering why she kept herself tied up and waiting for angels to give her a sign. She realizes that the truth was always in front of her, but she was too scared to believe it. The chorus repeats, and it's as if she's reassuring herself that even if she is lost, her faith will remain with her no matter what happens. In the final verse, she describes a sweet revelation that she drinks in and heals her heart like medicine. She shakes off the sleep that held her captive and becomes anew, full of newfound energy and free of the worries that held her back.
Line by Line Meaning
Too long I'm waiting
I have been waiting for a very long time
Been waiting for a sign
I have been waiting for a clear signal or indication
My dreams decaying
My aspirations are fading away
Rusted here between the lines
I am stuck in the same place, unable to progress
Oh crazy, truly I must be
I feel like I am going insane from not moving forward
You never asked these things of me
Nobody is asking me to stay in the same place
You gave me freedom, but I did not see
I was given an opportunity to move on, but I did not recognize it
Chorus: That if I ride these dreams To the Irish sea Even there Your heart Rides with me
Even if I pursue my dreams to a far off land, love will still be with me
What was I thinking?
Why was I even considering staying in the same position?
What kept my hands so tied?
What was holding me back from going after what I wanted?
Was I waiting for angels To write it in the sky?
Did I expect a grand sign or miracle to occur before I could move on?
The truth so plain for me to see
It was clear what I needed to do, but I was not accepting it
I was too frightened to believe
Fear was a factor in my inability to progress
That every whispered word was meant for me
Those words of encouragement were directed towards me
CHORUS
Refrain
Sweet revelation, well I
Something has become clear to me
I drink it in
I am taking in the knowledge or realization
It heals my heart
It makes me feel better emotionally
Like medicine
Just like a remedy would
So I take this life
I am taking charge of my life
And I shake it from this sleep
I am breaking out of my stagnant state
'Cause I'm fire
My spirit is ignited
With the heat
With the passion
Of the newly freed
Of someone who has just broken free
CHORUS
Refrain
Contributed by Bella M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.