In 1970 Fry enrolled at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Florence, Italy, where he studied painting. It was in Rome in the summber of 1971 that he recorded his first album "Dreaming with Alice" over a three-day period with a group of session musicians.
Fry's second album, Shooting The Moon, was released in January 2008, 35 years after his debut, the 1972 psych-folk classic Dreaming With Alice, recorded in Rome, Italy. In 2000, Akarma Records bootlegged the album as a CD, with a sleeve closely resembling that of Donovan's Barabajagal. In 2006, Sunbeam Records reissued the album in both CD and gatefold vinyl with the original cover artwork. The rediscovered Dreaming With Alice has been hailed as "a defining masterpiece of psychedelic folk".
In 2011, Fry released a third album, I Lived In Trees as Mark Fry / The A. Lords, a collaboration with Dorset-based musicians The A. Lords. The album was well-received and was followed by another release on Second Language Music, South Wind, Clear Sky, in September 2014. A live album, Mark Fry Live In Japan, was recorded by Mark Fry With The Dreaming Alice Band at a series of concerts in Tokyo in 2013.
Mandolin Man
Mark Fry Lyrics
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Oh Mandolin man
Where are you going?
I can see your secrets are showing
Oh mystery man
Oh mystery man
Where are you going?
In the song "Mandolin Man" by Mark Fry, the singer addresses two individuals, the mandolin man and the mystery man, questioning where they are headed. The repetition of the opening lines underscores the urgency of the question while the verses reveal the singer's knowledge of their secrets. Fry's use of metaphor is most apparent when he refers to the mystery man's eyes "snowing," an allusion to a cold or frigid demeanor. The singer is aware that both men are elusive and have much to hide, but he also acknowledges that he sees through their facades. The use of the mandolin in this song is notable, as it is a traditional instrument associated with Italian folk music. In using the mandolin as a symbol, Fry creates a sense of nostalgia while at the same time calling attention to the cultural heritage of the instrument.
The implications of the song are ambiguous, but one could interpret it as a commentary on the elusive nature of fame, and the mysteries that sustain and surround artists. The mandolin and mystery men could be stand-ins for the creative process, which is often shrouded in secrecy, and the pursuit of inspiration.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Mandolin man
Addressing the person playing the mandolin
Oh Mandolin man
Repetition of the above line
Where are you going?
Questioning the destination of the mandolin man's journey
I can see your secrets are showing
Observing that the mandolin man's true nature is being revealed
Oh mystery man
Addressing the person with a secretive persona
Oh mystery man
Repetition of the above line
Where are you going?
Questioning the destination of the mystery man's journey
I can see your eyes are snowing
Noticing that the mystery man's emotions are cold and distant
Contributed by Scarlett V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.