Mark Geary, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1973 to a large family with seven si… Read Full Bio ↴Mark Geary, born in Dublin, Ireland in 1973 to a large family with seven siblings. In 1992, Geary emigrated to New York at the age of 19. He gradually established himself as a respected and popular singer-songwriter in that area, playing frequently in venues such as Sin É. In 1999, Geary released his eponymous debut album on Paradigm Records.

Geary has since released two other albums: 33 1/3 Grand Street in 2003 on sonaBLAST! Records and Ghosts in 2004 on Signature Sounds. Ghosts has turned gold and received critical acclaim in Ireland and the USA.He is best experienced live.

Mark Geary is released a new album, Opium, on 11th April 2008 on Independent Records.

South
Mark Geary Lyrics

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I am surprised to get
A letter from you now
I living miles from you
In the loneliness of south

The people here won't see it
They like to live alone
In the quiet of their evening times

I hear their bed boards moaning

But Franco has a hold on things
And he's not letting go
What the Virgin Mary doesn't see
She doesn't need to know

We find the hole on Centre St.
And I stay home all night
The buzzer hasn't worked in years
Unless you push it right

The sun it doesn't shine here
It tortures hands in time
When there are broken bodies to air
I'm burning all the time

Your family told me that you'd found
A better man than me

I hope you'll be allowed to laugh
In polite company

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mark Geary's "South" tell a story of being separated from someone they care about by both physical distance and cultural barriers. The opening line expresses surprise at receiving a letter from the person, indicating a lack of consistent communication. The song then reveals that the singer is living in the "loneliness of south" – it is unclear where "south" refers to, but it seems to be a place that is both isolated and oppressive, with the people there preferring to "live alone" and submit to the control of someone named Franco. The reference to the Virgin Mary suggests that this could be a Catholic-dominated country, but it is also possible that it is an area within a larger city that is inaccessible to outsiders.

The singer struggles to find a sense of belonging in this environment, living in an apartment complex with a broken buzzer and experiencing physical discomfort from the intense heat. Meanwhile, they have heard that the person they care about has moved on to someone else who is deemed more suitable. Despite all this, the song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer expressing a desire for the other person to find happiness and laughter. The song masterfully creates a vivid picture of a person living in a place that is both physically and emotionally challenging, but who still holds onto a sense of love and compassion.

Line by Line Meaning

I am surprised to get
Receiving a letter from you caught me off guard

A letter from you now
You wrote me a letter at a sudden time

I living miles from you
I reside far away from your location

In the loneliness of south
I feel isolated and alone where I am

The people here won't see it
The locals are indifferent to my situation

They like to live alone
They prefer solitude over company

In the quiet of their evening times
They enjoy peaceful nights

I hear their bed boards moaning
I overhear their intimate moments

But Franco has a hold on things
Franco is in control of the situation

And he's not letting go
He refuses to let things change

What the Virgin Mary doesn't see
Things are kept hidden from the divine