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
Gabriel
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Open you heart and mine as well
Oh Gabriel Gabriel
Save this heart from hell
Heaven knows I love you
And heaven knows how true
I'd be for you
People have their failings
And I know that I've got mine
I know I've been ungrateful
I know I've been unkind
Gabriel Gabriel
Open you heart and mine as well
Oh come on Gabriel Gabriel
Save this heart from hell
Down into the valleys
And out across the sea
Our dreams go
Caught up in a loving
So much stronger than we knew
That could tear our world apart
Or with some fate just pull us through
Gabriel oh Gabriel
Open you heart and mine as well
Gabriel Gabriel
Save this heart from hell
Time will wait for no one
And time will take it's toll
And we'll grow old
Weary from the fighting
Worn out from a war
Where no one can surrender
Or wants to fight anymore
Gabriel Gabriel
Open you heart and mine as well
Gabriel Gabriel
Save this heart from hell
Gabriel Gabriel
Open you heart and mine as well
Oh Gabriel Gabriel
This heart's in hell
Gabriel Gabriel
Open you heart and mine as well
Oh Gabriel Gabriel
This heart's in hell
The lyrics of "Gabriel" by Mary Black are an expression of love and a plea for salvation. The singer starts by invoking the archangel Gabriel, asking him to open his heart and hers as well. She acknowledges her flaws and imperfections, admitting that she has been ungrateful and unkind at times. However, she proclaims her love for the person she's singing to, affirming that she would be true to him.
The song then takes a more introspective turn, with the singer reflecting on the power of love and how it can both unite and separate people. She describes their dreams traversing valleys and crossing seas, propelled by a love that's stronger than they know. However, she also acknowledges that love can tear their world apart and cause suffering. The line "Or with some fate just pull us through" suggests that they may depend on an external force to overcome their trials.
The final verses of "Gabriel" deal with the passage of time and the toll it takes on people. The singer talks about growing old, weary from fighting and worn out from a war where no one wants to fight anymore. It's unclear whether this refers to a personal conflict between the two lovers or a more general sense of disillusionment with the world. In any case, the plea to Gabriel to save her heart from hell implies that the singer is looking for a way out of her suffering.
Overall, "Gabriel" is a powerful expression of vulnerability and longing. The imagery of a celestial being being invoked to save a human heart adds a mystical and emotional depth to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Gabriel Gabriel
The singer is calling out to someone named Gabriel.
Open you heart and mine as well
The singer is asking Gabriel to open up their heart and the singer's heart as well.
Oh Gabriel Gabriel
The singer is pleading with Gabriel to help them out.
Save this heart from hell
The singer is asking Gabriel to save their heart from a bad situation.
Heaven knows I love you
The singer acknowledges their love for Gabriel.
And heaven knows how true
The singer believes that their love for Gabriel is genuine.
I'd be for you
The singer is expressing their commitment to Gabriel.
People have their failings
The singer acknowledges that everyone has faults.
And I know that I've got mine
The singer admits that they have their own flaws.
I know I've been ungrateful
The singer recognizes that they have not shown enough gratitude.
I know I've been unkind
The singer acknowledges that they have not always been kind.
Oh come on Gabriel Gabriel
The singer is urging Gabriel to help them out even more.
Down into the valleys
The singer describes a physical location that is probably metaphorical.
And out across the sea
The singer is describing a journey.
Our dreams go
The singer is talking about dreams.
Caught up in a loving
The singer is talking about a powerful love.
So much stronger than we knew
The singer is emphasizing the strength of the love.
That could tear our world apart
The singer is acknowledging that this love could be destructive.
Or with some fate just pull us through
The singer is acknowledging that fate could help them navigate this love.
Time will wait for no one
The singer is saying that time is relentless.
And time will take it's toll
The singer is describing how time can be damaging.
And we'll grow old
The singer is acknowledging that they will age.
Weary from the fighting
The singer is talking about being emotionally exhausted.
Worn out from a war
The singer is using war as a metaphor for their struggles.
Where no one can surrender
The singer is acknowledging that no one can give up in this situation.
Or wants to fight anymore
The singer is acknowledging that no one wants to keep struggling.
Oh Gabriel Gabriel
The singer is once again reaching out to Gabriel for help.
This heart's in hell
The singer is describing their situation as hellish.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SOUTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeffrey R.
Carl Geraghty deserves some serious acknowledgement for his masterful soprano saxophone work on this track. Tremendous stuff, truly!
Alexander Stefanov
I think this is her best song, and circus is one of her best albums
moomi mod
gabriel is my beloved angel
Snozzy Bosch
I am desperately searching for a cover of this done by a male singer in the early 1990’s. Does anyone have any ideas/suggestions.
T.Cookie
google ? ;o)
Or play and sing yourself ?