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
By the Time It Gets Dark
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Baby every dog really has his day
And it matters to me to see you smiling
Why don't you blow all your cares away
Yesterday is gone and will be forgotten
And today is where every new day starts
Got to be free as the leaves in the autumn
You may be sad but it will never last.
Chorus
Mabye by the evening we'll be laughing
Just wait and see all the changes there'll be
By the time it gets dark
The lyrics to Mary Black's song By the Time It Gets Dark is a hopeful message to a person who is feeling down. It starts with the lines "Baby every cloud has a silver lining, Baby every dog really has his day." This is an encouragement to remind the person that no matter how bad things may seem, there is always something good that can come out of it. The next few lines show that the singer cares about the person's happiness and wants them to forget their worries: "And it matters to me to see you smiling, Why don't you blow all your cares away."
The second verse talks about leaving the past behind and starting anew. It says "Yesterday is gone and will be forgotten, And today is where every new day starts, Got to be free as the leaves in the autumn, You may be sad but it will never last." This is a reminder that the past is in the past and to focus on the present, while also acknowledging that it is okay to be sad, but it will not last forever.
The chorus of the song is the most uplifting part of the lyrics. It says "Maybe by the evening we'll be laughing, Just wait and see all the changes there'll be, By the time it gets dark." This is a hopeful statement that things will get better, and by the end of the day, the person will be laughing and happier than they were before. The singer is essentially telling the person to hold on, and it will get better.
Overall, the lyrics to By the Time It Gets Dark are a beautiful message of hope and encouragement to someone who is feeling down. The singer reminds the person that there is always a silver lining, and things will get better with time.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby every cloud has a silver lining
Every negative situation has a positive aspect to it
Baby every dog really has his day
Everyone will have their moment of success
And it matters to me to see you smiling
I care about your happiness and well-being
Why don't you blow all your cares away
Forget your worries and enjoy the moment
Yesterday is gone and will be forgotten
The past is behind us, let's focus on the present and future
And today is where every new day starts
Today is a fresh start and opportunity to make things better
Got to be free as the leaves in the autumn
We need to let go of our fears and embrace change
You may be sad but it will never last.
Sadness is temporary and will eventually pass
Chorus
Refrain from the song
Maybe by the evening we'll be laughing
Perhaps later we will be in a better and more positive mood
Just wait and see all the changes there'll be
Be patient and observe the positive changes that will occur
By the time it gets dark
Things will get better over time
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SANDY DENNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Half Door Club
Today Mary gets a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2022 RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards. So richly deserved. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Bob Atkins
Absolutely beautiful, surely the definitive version of the song, I always thought Mary never received the aclaim she deserved in England.
Bill Baggins
I like it. But you know, Sandy Denny, hard to beat.
Patrick Ambrose
An exquisite voice, and backed by master musicians!
Paul Hennessy
Goosebumps every time I hear her voice. And singing this... so sublime
Jane Friel
Mary Black sings every note.Beautiful woman. A fabulous talent.☘
Terry Birch
Wow, what an intense performance. I saw Mary at Mansfield, Notts many years ago and what a performance. Also more recently at Leicester with Sharon Shannon as support. What a fantastic combination. Brilliant singer.
james muldowney
I first heard Mary Black singing in the Synge Street clubhouse in 76 or 77.I had just bought the Mcgarrigle Sisters first LP and I thought their rendition of Heart like a wheel exquisite.
That Summer’s evening Mary sang two songs unaccompanied and surpassed the Mcgarrigles.
Her singing is seraphic……a national treasure!!!
Cantona31
pure genious ! amazing ! mary black's voice and the way she uses it's warm soul is just magical ! i feel blessed to be able to listen to this !
Lawrence Braun
This is great. I love Sandy's demo version of it on the double album and also, there's an amazing version by Yo La Tengo that is beautiful