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
One Way Donkey Ride
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swaying me in both directions
One is the right one, the other for fools
How do I make my selection?
The city lies silent in the warm morning light
The sand is as golden as saffron
Oasis of love, sweet water of life
God bless the poor ones who have none though they have tried
Someone is drowning down there in the flood
But this river will dry by tomorrow
Is it ocean or stream, this love in my blood?
Bringer of joy or of sorrow?
The end of the journey must soon be in sight
Birth is the start of the swansong
Oasis of love, sweet water of life
God bless the poor ones who want some, but are denied
No one is given the map to their dreams
All we can do is to trace it
See where we go to, know where we've been
Build up the courage to face it
While we fumble in the darkness where once there was light
Roaming the land of the ancients
Oasis of love, sweet water of life
God bless the poor ones whose patience never died
While we stumble in blindness where once there was sight
Searching for trees in the forest
Oasis of love, sweet water of life
God bless the poor ones who have none though they have tried
God bless the poor ones who want some, but are denied
God bless the poor ones whose patience never died
God bless the poor ones on that one-way donkey ride
The lyrics of Mary Black's "One Way Donkey Ride" are filled with layers of meaning and allusions to philosophical and spiritual themes. The beginning stanza uses the metaphor of standing in splendor and jewels, swaying in both directions, to ask the question of how to choose the right direction when facing two choices. The city is silent in the morning light with the sand as golden as saffron, and the oasis of love is the sweet water of life, but the poor ones have none, though they have tried.
The second stanza describes someone drowning in the flood, but the river will dry by tomorrow. The question is whether love is an ocean or a stream, a bringer of joy or sorrow. The end of the journey is in sight, and the birth is the start of the swansong. The oasis of love is the sweet water of life, but the poor ones want some, and they are denied.
The final stanza speaks of the fact that no one is given a map to their dreams, but they must trace it as they go through life. They need to see where they go and know where they have been to build up the courage to face what's ahead. They must fumble in the darkness where once there was light, but the oasis of love is the sweet water of life. God bless the poor ones who have none, though they have tried, God bless the poor ones who want some, but are denied, and God bless the poor ones whose patience never died.
Line by Line Meaning
There you may stand in your splendor and jewels
You might be standing, looking elegant and glittering in your expensive jewels
Swaying me in both directions
You're confusing me by presenting two different options and making it hard for me to decide between them.
One is the right one, the other for fools
One of the choices is the correct option, while the other is just a foolish one that a sensible person wouldn't choose.
How do I make my selection?
I am not sure which choice to make and wondering how to decide.
The city lies silent in the warm morning light
In the morning sunlight, the city is quiet and peaceful.
The sand is as golden as saffron
The sand on the ground has a deep golden color, similar to that of saffron spice.
Oasis of love, sweet water of life
This place offers comfort and sustenance, like an oasis with its nurturing water.
God bless the poor ones who have none though they have tried
May God give blessings to those who didn't succeed in getting what they needed, despite their hard efforts.
Someone is drowning down there in the flood
Someone is in trouble and struggling, as if drowning in a flood.
But this river will dry by tomorrow
The current problem or difficulty will pass by tomorrow and come to an end.
Is it ocean or stream, this love in my blood?
I am not sure if this feeling that I have within me is a boundless ocean or just a small stream of love.
Bringer of joy or of sorrow?
Is this feeling that I have going to bring me happiness or sadness?
The end of the journey must soon be in sight
The final destination of this journey is just around the corner.
Birth is the start of the swansong
When someone is born, their journey towards the inevitable end begins.
No one is given the map to their dreams
No one has an exact plan to fulfill the life of their dreams.
All we can do is to trace it
All we can do is to follow the path that we feel is the right one.
See where we go to, know where we've been
We should be aware of where we've come from and where we're headed.
Build up the courage to face it
We should gather the courage to confront our problems or fears.
While we fumble in the darkness where once there was light
While we struggle in darkness in a situation that was once under our control and light.
Roaming the land of the ancients
Just like wandering around the ancient lands, we are trying to find our way through trouble or confusion.
God bless the poor ones whose patience never died
May God bless and reward those who didn't give up or lose hope, even in the difficult times.
While we stumble in blindness where once there was sight
While we're confused and lost in a situation where we were once clear and confident.
Searching for trees in the forest
Trying to find something that is already easily found or should be obvious.
God bless the poor ones on that one-way donkey ride
May God bless and guide those who are on an unchangeable path, a path with no option of returning.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: SANDY DENNY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!