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.
Roses for Columbus
Mark Fry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's found another land
Oysters from the children
Fall between their hands
Roses for Columbus
Who sleeps on virgin sands
Flowers from the children
He lies upon their hands
And tells them what he saw
To his health they drink his eastern rum
And dance upon the shore
And when there's silence
And only the ocean sound
He gently turns his bearded head
"You know the worlds is round"
Fingers full of eastern rings
Pockets full of gold
Open up his yellow map
You'll find another fold
Roses for Columbus
Who sails with silk and lace
Behind unknown horizons
He'll find another face
The lyrics to Mark Fry's "Roses for Columbus" evoke imagery and emotions of adventure, discovery and the wonders of the unknown. The opening lines of the song speak of Columbus, the great explorer who discovered America, finding another land. The second line, "Oysters from the children, fall between their hands" may symbolize the innocence and natural curiosity of children exploring and discovering something they have never seen before. The oysters, a delicacy that Columbus and his crew may have enjoyed, represent the bountiful offerings of nature that were found in the New World.
The chorus, "Roses for Columbus" repeats twice in the song, and may be interpreted in a few different ways. It could be a reference to the gift of roses that the Taino Indigenous people gave to Columbus upon his arrival in the New World, a gesture of kindness and goodwill. It could also represent the idea of reverence and respect for an explorer who dared to venture out into the unknown and discover what lay beyond the horizon. The second stanza describes how Columbus lies on the sand, surrounded by the children he has encountered, regaling them with stories of his travels. The final lines of the stanza reveal the moment that Columbus shares with the children, teaching them the true shape of the world and changing their perceptions forever.
The final verse creates a picture of Columbus's journey, showing him with his fingers adorned with eastern rings (a sign of his travels and wealth) and pockets overflowing with gold (symbolizing the treasures he has accumulated along the way). Columbus is depicted as someone who is constantly seeking out new horizons and discovering new faces, never content to rest on his laurels, but always eager to explore what lies beyond. The song ends with a sense of wonder and possibility, suggesting that there is always more to discover, and that the world is full of untold stories waiting to be uncovered.
Line by Line Meaning
Roses for Columbus
Praising Christopher Columbus
He's found another land
Columbus has discovered a new land
Oysters from the children
Children of the discovered land are providing oysters to Columbus
Fall between their hands
Oysters are falling from children's hands to the ground
Who sleeps on virgin sands
Columbus is sleeping on untouched, pure sand
Flowers from the children
Children are offering flowers to Columbus
He lies upon their hands
Columbus is resting on the hands of the children
And tells them what he saw
Columbus is sharing his experiences with the children
To his health they drink his eastern rum
The children drink the rum brought by Columbus for his health
And dance upon the shore
Children are dancing on the shore
And when there's silence
In moments of silence
And only the ocean sound
When the only sound is the ocean's
He gently turns his bearded head
Columbus slowly turns his face with his beard
"You know the world is round"
Columbus is telling the children that the world is round
Fingers full of eastern rings
Columbus wearing Eastern-style rings on his fingers
Pockets full of gold
Columbus carrying gold in his pockets
Open up his yellow map
Looking at Columbus's yellow map
You'll find another fold
Another undiscovered place is on the map
Who sails with silk and lace
Columbus sails with luxury items like silk and lace
Behind unknown horizons
Behind new, undiscovered areas
He'll find another face
Columbus will meet more people with a different appearance
Writer(s): Martin Fry
Contributed by Cameron W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.