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
Dockland
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With my ship of dreams moving easily across the sound
Reminiscence is weighing me down with a vengeance
Tide water so deep I think I'm going to drown
But in the wink of an eye I am rising above the affliction
In the wink of an eye I am come back in from the cold
I don't even have to try and I'm gone out of here without notice
It didn't hit me when I met you coming out of the shambles
It didn't hit me when you took me to the summer field
I didn't flinch when you told me that you'd get what you wanted
I never had what it takes to have a heart of steel
But in the wink of an eye I am rising above the affliction
In the wink of an eye I am come back in from the cold
I didn't even have to try and I'm gone out of here without notice
I'm gone out Dockland without a care in the world
Gone out of Dockland
Yes, I loved you the time that is was
And yes, you may rip me whenever you want
So it goes on a crystal-clear morning in Dockland
And heaven knows if I'll ever live to love again
Struck down by the kiss of an angel in limbo
Laid low by the act of the going
But in the wink of an eye I am rising above the affliction
In the wink of an eye I am come back in from the cold
I don't even have to try and I'm gone out of here without notice
Gone out of Dockland without a care in the world
I'm gone out of Dockland without a care in world
"Dockland" by Mary Black is a song that tells of memories and the power they have over us. The song begins with the singer watching the sunset over the docklands on an early winter day. She thinks of her dreams and realizes that these memories hold her back as though she's drowning in an ocean of them. But in the blink of an eye, she manages to rise above these memories and leave them behind. The chorus suggests that she finds an escape in leaving without notice, free from the weight of the world on her shoulders.
As the song progresses, we learn that there was someone in her past who had an emotional impact on her, though it never fully manifested. The singer shares that she didn't even realize the depth of it until the person left her. Once again, she finds a way to move beyond the hurt and memories by rising above it, represented by the line "in the wink of an eye." She leaves Dockland without a care in the world, free from the memories and pain that once weighed her down.
Line by Line Meaning
Late glow on an early winter evening in Dockland
The singer is describing the time of day and season in which the events of the song occur.
With my ship of dreams moving easily across the sound
The singer is using metaphor to describe their aspirations and how they feel like they are easily achieving them.
Reminiscence is weighing me down with a vengeance
The singer is feeling overwhelmed with nostalgia and how it is affecting them emotionally.
Tide water so deep I think I'm going to drown
The artist is using metaphor to describe how they feel like they are being overwhelmed and are in danger of losing themselves.
But in the wink of an eye I am rising above the affliction
The artist is describing how quickly they are able to overcome their emotional distress.
In the wink of an eye I am come back in from the cold
The singer is using metaphor to describe how they have returned to a happier emotional state.
I don't even have to try and I'm gone out of here without notice
The singer is describing how easily they are able to move on from negative situations.
Gone out of Dockland without a care in the world
The artist is describing how they have left behind their emotional distress and are moving forward in life.
It didn't hit me when I met you coming out of the shambles
The artist is reflecting on their past relationship and how they did not initially realize the negative impact it would have on them.
It didn't hit me when you took me to the summer field
The artist is describing how they did not recognize the signs of their deteriorating relationship, even when the other person made romantic gestures.
I didn't flinch when you told me that you'd get what you wanted
The singer is reflecting on how they allowed their partner to manipulate and control them without putting up a fight.
I never had what it takes to have a heart of steel
The artist is describing themselves as someone who is not strong enough to handle intense emotional situations.
Yes, I loved you the time that is was
The singer is reflecting on their past feelings for their partner.
And yes, you may rip me whenever you want
The singer is acknowledging that their past partner still has the power to hurt them emotionally.
So it goes on a crystal-clear morning in Dockland
The singer is describing another moment in time that is important to the story.
And heaven knows if I'll ever live to love again
The artist is uncertain if they will be able to find love again in the future.
Struck down by the kiss of an angel in limbo
The artist is using metaphor to describe how they were hurt by their partner's actions and feel stuck in a state of emotional purgatory.
Laid low by the act of the going
The singer is describing how they were hurt by their partner leaving them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joseph Reilly
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