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
Circus
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hailed you through the raindrops, you weren't even there.
I juggle with the breakfast, you fret behind the sheets
I want you to be steadfast, you want to be released.
Chorus:
Oh my pretty darling, where did we go astray
We're all dollied up for the circus, oh isn't it grand
We're laughing, jumping and kissing, we're beating the band.
I've got no more smiles to win you, no tricks to turn your head
When love cannot continue, there's not much to be said.
Chorus
It's all cut and thrust at the circus, and maybe makes three
You're twisting my words into serpents, I'm down on my knees.
Oh my pretty darling, I thought you'd come to stay
I thought you'd come to stay, I thought you'd come to stay.
Mary Black's song "The Circus" is a poignant tale of a failing relationship. The lyrics convey the sense of a relationship that has gradually crumbled and the unfairness of it all. The opening lines of the song illustrate the collapse of the relationship and the singer's frustration at her partner's indifference. She is trying to communicate with him, but he is not interested and seems absent mentally and emotionally. The singer is struggling to keep the relationship going, to no avail.
The chorus of the song is a reflection of the pain of a relationship ending. The singer is questioning where things went wrong, asking herself how they could have possibly gone astray. It's a sad realization that someone who you thought was your partner and a rock in your life is no longer that person. The singer is struggling to come to terms with the fact that the relationship is over.
The song's title, "The Circus," acts as a metaphor for the chaos and confusion of the relationship. The circus is a place where people are dressed up, performing for others, and hiding behind masks. In the same way that the performers in the circus hide behind their personas, the singer and her partner are hiding behind a facade in their relationship, trying to maintain their outward appearances even though their love has died.
Line by Line Meaning
The sky collapsed around us, you didn't seem to care
A difficult situation arose and you didn't seem to be bothered by it.
I hailed you through the raindrops, you weren't even there.
I called out to you for help during a tough time, but you didn't respond.
I juggle with the breakfast, you fret behind the sheets
I am trying to make things work in our relationship, but you are anxious and uninterested.
I want you to be steadfast, you want to be released.
I want our relationship to be strong and committed, but you want to end it.
Oh my pretty darling, where did we go astray
I am wondering what went wrong in our relationship.
We're all dollied up for the circus, oh isn't it grand
We are pretending everything is fine and putting on a show for others, even though things are falling apart.
We're laughing, jumping and kissing, we're beating the band.
We are trying to put on a happy facade and ignore our problems by distracting ourselves with excitement.
I've got no more smiles to win you, no tricks to turn your head
I cannot pretend anymore or try to impress you, our relationship is at a standstill.
When love cannot continue, there's not much to be said.
Our love is dead and there's nothing more to be done or said.
It's all cut and thrust at the circus, and maybe makes three
Our relationship has become harsh and competitive, and maybe there was never really a love between us.
You're twisting my words into serpents, I'm down on my knees.
You are manipulating my words and actions to fit your own wants and desires, while I am left feeling powerless and submissive in our relationship.
Oh my pretty darling, I thought you'd come to stay.
I had hoped our love was strong enough to survive, but it wasn't.
I thought you'd come to stay, I thought you'd come to stay.
I believed you would stay with me and our love would last a lifetime, but it was not meant to be.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOWARD HELM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!