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
Leaboys Lassie
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They called me young and bonny
Now they've changed my name
Called me the Leaboy's honey.
I'll dye my petticoats red
And I'll face them with a yellow
I'll tell the dyester lads
It's over hills and dales
And over dykes and ditches
Say will I like the lad
Who wears the moleskin breeches
The black horse draws the cart
And he's as proud as any
Say will I like the lad
That drives them on so canny
Feather beds are fine
And painted rooms are bonny
But I would leave them all
To jog away with Johnny
Oh, for Saturday night
It's I that'll see my dearie
He'll come whistlin' in
When I am tired and weary.
First when I came to the town
They called me proud and saucy
Now they've changed my name
Called me the Leaboy's lassie.
The song ‘Leaboys Lassie’ by Mary Black narrates the story of a young woman who has moved to town and is seeking to find love. The opening of the song sees her being referred to as young and bonny, but as she tries to navigate the town and find a suitor, she becomes associated with the local Leaboy and is given the name ‘Leaboy’s honey’. This suggests that she has garnered a promiscuous reputation by being with this man, but regardless of what others think, she has made her choice and is happy with her decision.
The rest of the song sees her expressing her willingness to step away from painted rooms and feather beds in order to be with Johnny. She talks about dyeing her petticoats red and facing them with yellow, which symbolizes her passion and desire to be with him. Additionally, she details the trials and tribulations Johnny faces as he moves his cart over hills and dales, but she is still determined to be with him. The song emphasizes her joy when she is back in Johnny’s arms and how she longs for Saturday nights to be with him. Overall, Leaboys Lassie is a song about following your heart and the sacrifices that come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
First when I came to the town
At first, when I arrived in this place
They called me young and bonny
People praised my youth and beauty
Now they've changed my name
But now, they refer to me differently
Called me the Leaboy's honey.
As a term of endearment, they call me the sweetheart of Leaboy
I'll dye my petticoats red
I will add some vibrant colors to my clothing
And I'll face them with a yellow
I will pair it with a yellow contrast, to make it stand out
I'll tell the dyester lads
I will inform the young fabric dyers
That the Leaboys I've to follow.
That I am smitten with a man from Leaboy, whom I have to pursue
It's over hills and dales
My journey to reach him spans over countryside and valleys
And over dykes and ditches
And I have to cross over fences and water barriers
Say will I like the lad
I wonder to myself, will I enjoy being with this man
Who wears the moleskin breeches
Who is known to wear moleskin fabric trousers
The black horse draws the cart
I observe a black horse pulling a cart
And he's as proud as any
The horse holds its head high, filled with dignity
Say will I like the lad
Again, I question myself if I would be fond of the man
That drives them on so canny
Who skillfully steers and directs the cart and the horse
Feather beds are fine
Although sleeping on luxurious, soft beds is appealing
And painted rooms are bonny
And decorated, attractive rooms are charming
But I would leave them all
I would willingly give them all up
To jog away with Johnny
To jog away with my beloved, Johnny
Oh, for Saturday night
I impatiently wait for Saturday night
It's I that'll see my dearie
As I will finally get a glimpse of my boyfriend
He'll come whistlin' in
He will arrive, merrily whistling a tune
When I am tired and weary.
Just when I will have been exhausted and fatigued
First when I came to the town
To reiterate, upon my arrival
They called me proud and saucy
Initially, they referred to me as arrogant and presumptuous
Now they've changed my name
Now, they address me differently
Called me the Leaboy's lassie.
Now, I am called the young lady of Leaboy
Contributed by Isaiah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sara M
What a lovely strand of sweetness this Irish lady has brought into our lives over so many years. We are changed forever by her amazing, heart filling songs.
Joseph Stalin
I have loved Mary Black for more than 30 years and this is one of her early songs that I loved the most and it's great to see a live version . . . thank you for posting :)
Tony Monterz
Mary Black is a great singer her voice is full of soul and celtic stars . big hug from Brasil
Culpepper McCuller
She touches my Scots-Irish heart every time she sings this.
Alfred Lee
Beautiful
matt dansville
:)