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
Don't Let Me Come Home a Stranger
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To breathe the air and sooth my mind
I thought of friends and the home I had
And all those things I left behind oh...
A silent star shone on me
My eyes saw the far horizon
As if to pierce this veil of time
Chorus
Will there come a time when the memories fade
And pass on with the long, long years?
When the ties no longer bind
Lord save me from this darkest fear
Don't let me come home a stranger
I couldn't stand to be a stranger
In this place so far from home
They know my name but they don't know me
They hear my voice; they see my face
But they can't lay no claim on me oh...
Chorus
As I walk this universe
I free my mind of time and space
I wander through the galaxy
But never do I find my place oh...
Chorus
The lyrics to Mary Black's song Don't Let Me Come Home a Stranger depict an individual who steps out of their comfort zone to clear their mind and reflect on their life. As the singer walks, they think about their friends and the home they left behind, causing them to question whether they will forget those memories over time. The silence and starry sky serve as a symbol of the vastness of the universe, as if to distill their mundane problems and escape their earthly prison. Despite being recognized by others where they now reside, they feel like a stranger, not fully belonging. They hope to not lose their past or forget where they came from as they wander through life.
The song highlights the challenges of leaving home and attempting to create a new life where one may not fit in or feel accepted fully. As the singer contemplates being a stranger to their past, they fear becoming an outsider to themselves. They wish to keep their memories of where they came from and the people they left behind, seeking to never feel like they have lost their connection to home. The song's emotional message resonates with anyone who has ever moved away from home and struggled to create a new identity or reconcile with the memories and personal history that define them.
Line by Line Meaning
As I walked out one evening
I went for a walk outside to relax my mind.
To breathe the air and sooth my mind
I was outside inhaling fresh air to calm myself.
I thought of friends and the home I had
I reminisced about my friends and my previous home.
And all those things I left behind oh...
I remembered everything I had to leave behind.
A silent star shone on me
A star in the sky was shining and there was no noise around me.
My eyes saw the far horizon
I looked out towards the horizon.
As if to pierce this veil of time
It felt like I was trying to break through a barrier of time.
And escape this earthly prison oh...
And break free from the limitations of being on Earth.
Chorus
The following is the chorus.
Will there come a time when the memories fade
Is there a possibility that memories will slowly disappear over time?
And pass on with the long, long years?
And fade away as years go by.
When the ties no longer bind
When the things that once held us together are no longer present.
Lord save me from this darkest fear
I pray to God to help me avoid my worst fear.
Don't let me come home a stranger
I hope I won't become a stranger when I return home.
I couldn't stand to be a stranger
I can't bear the idea of being a stranger when I go back home.
In this place so far from home
I'm currently living somewhere far away from home.
They know my name but they don't know me
People here are familiar with my name but don't really know who I am.
They hear my voice; they see my face
They can hear me speak and see my physical appearance.
But they can't lay no claim on me oh...
But they don't have any ownership over me or my life.
As I walk this universe
As I go through life on this planet and beyond.
I free my mind of time and space
I try to not be limited by time and space in my thoughts and actions.
I wander through the galaxy
I explore and roam through different parts of the universe.
But never do I find my place oh...
But I haven't found a place I feel completely at home in yet.
Chorus
The following is the chorus.
Contributed by Charlie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!