Black was born into a musical family. Her father had been a fiddler, her mother a singer, and her brothers have their own group. She sang in her family's group in her youth.
In 1975 Black joined a small folk band called General Humbert, with whom she toured Europe and released two albums, in 1975 and 1978. In 1982 she developed a professional relationship with musician/producer Declan Sinnott and recorded her first solo album, Mary Black.
She went on to play in other groups including the traditional Irish band De Dannan from 1984-1986. After 1986 she had a successful solo career where she went on to try contemporary styles ranging from jazz to country. She was named "Best Female Artist" in the IRMA poll in 1987, 1988, 1992, 1994 and 1996.
She is married to Joe O'Reilly of Dara Records and they have three children. Her son Danny is a member of the Irish rock band The Coronas, while her daughter Róisín is performing under the name Róisín O.
For a number of years, "What Hi-Fi?" magazine considered Black's voice to be so pure that it was used as an audiophile benchmark for comparing the sound quality of different high fidelity systems.
Discography
* 1983 Mary Black
* 1984 Collected
* 1985 Without the Fanfare
* 1987 By the Time it Gets Dark
* 1989 No Frontiers
* 1991 Babes in the Wood
* 1992 The Collection
* 1993 The Holy Ground
* 1995 Circus
* 1997 Shine
* 1999 Speaking with the Angel
* 2001 The Best of Mary Black 1991-2001 & Hidden Harvest
* 2003 Mary Black Live
* 2005 Full Tide
* 2008 Twenty-Five Years Twenty-Five Songs
* 2011 Stories from the Steeples
Big Trip to Portland
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The heavens above must be sick
I'm stood at the windows since five
All decked out for the trip
Hey Hey I'm dying to meet with you
Hey Hey I'm living to speak with you
Hey Hey I'm waiting to meet you baby
Chorus
Big trip to Portland
No more cooling my heels
Big trip to Portland
My soul shall be healed
The master's out of my reach
He wanders around in the rain
Today is all that I seek
Today when I hold you again
Hey Hey
Chorus
I take the prize I win the day
You say you love me all the way
I kill the pain that drags you down
You take us on from town to town
The sun's burning all through' the day
It's doing the best it can do
I came with my bucket and spade
I came with the same things as you
Chorus
Big trip to Portland
No more cooling my heels
Big trip to Portland
My soul shall be healed
Mary Black's "Big Trip to Portland" is a love song with the singer eagerly waiting to meet his/her love interest in Portland. The song opens with a dreary morning where the sky is so dull that it seems sick. The singer has been waiting since 5 in the morning, fully prepared for the trip. The song conveys a sense of optimistic desperation as the singer is filled with an eagerness to meet with their love interest. The chorus suggests that the trip to Portland will heal the singer's soul and end their waiting period.
In the second verse, the singer indicates that the person they are seeking is elusive and always on the move. For the singer, today is the only thing that matters, as they yearn to be reunited with their lover. The singer is optimistic and hopeful, believing that their love will take them on travels starting from Portland, which they refer to as the "big trip."
Overall, the song illustrates the feeling of hopeful anticipation and being in love. It paints a picture of a journey that will give the singer a second chance for a fresh and fulfilling life. With the lyrics and melodies, Mary Black captures the complexities of love, hope, and longing, encapsulating the human vulnerability to heartbreak and the enduring power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
The day won't open it's eyes
It seems like the day is unwilling to start.
The heavens above must be sick
There might be something wrong and unusual with the sky.
I'm stood at the windows since five
I'm waiting by the window since five o'clock.
All decked out for the trip
I'm fully dressed and ready for the planned trip.
Hey Hey I'm dying to meet with you
I'm desperately eager to finally meet you.
Hey Hey I'm living to speak with you
I'm living for the opportunity to converse with you.
Hey Hey I'm waiting to meet you baby
I'm still waiting to finally meet you, my love.
Hey Hey Hey
An expression of excitement and anticipation.
Big trip to Portland
I'm embarking on a significant journey to Portland.
No more cooling my heels
I'm tired of waiting and doing nothing, it's time to act.
My soul shall be healed
This trip will help me feel better emotionally and spiritually.
The master's out of my reach
I can't seem to get a hold of the person I'm yearning for.
He wanders around in the rain
He's aimlessly wandering in the rain, maybe feeling lost.
Today is all that I seek
I'm just looking forward to the present day and what it holds.
Today when I hold you again
I'm longing for an embrace from the person I care about.
I take the prize I win the day
I'll achieve what I was hoping for, and it'll be a successful day.
You say you love me all the way
You assure me that you love me deeply.
I kill the pain that drags you down
I'll help you overcome your pain and the problems it brings.
You take us on from town to town
You lead us on an exciting journey to different places.
The sun's burning all through' the day
The sun is shining intensely and relentlessly throughout the day.
It's doing the best it can do
The sun is doing its utmost to provide warmth and light.
I came with my bucket and spade
I brought my tools to make the most of the beach and the trip.
I came with the same things as you
We came with similar items for the trip, maybe in similar mindsets.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Norman Keena
this tune kills little auld moi: my sister left town with two small kids and on a wing and a prayer, got a squat and kintergarten, one day she noticed, Well she told me as i came home from work. Another young mother was standing across the street for hours. She offered a cup of irish tea to the scots in london afternoon. it was the best thing i ever hear
conradmillermd
Sound and video are not synced 🙃sound is good tho
Jason English
Portland Maine or Portland Oregon :)
Joe & Rex Benson & Rodriguez
Portland Oregon. She said that Noel Brazil wrote this about a woman he was seeing in Portland Oregon. I was surprised to hear a song about Portland from an Irish writer but that explanation made sense.