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
Raven in the Storm
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cutting slices in the night
I come through without permission
Moving in and out of human sight
I'm the tapping on your shoulder
I am the raving in the storm
I'll take shelter in you rafters
I'm the gold in california
I am the well in mexico
Like the vultures in the valley
I will wait for you to go
I'm the gypsy in you pocket
I am the horseman in your dreams
I'm the reason dogs are barking
I am the hand that stops the scream
I am the baby's cry that isn't
I am the distant relative
I'm the scratching in the ceiling
I am advice you shouldn't give
I'm the ghost of a travelling salesman
My foot will be there in your door
Though I can walk through walls and windows
I will knock just like before
I am the darkness in your daughter
I am the spot beneath the skin
I am the scarlet on the pavement
I am the broken heart within
I won't take a train to nowhere
I will not touch just anyone
Ask a stranger why I'm waiting
In the chamber of a gun
The song Raven in the Storm by Mary Black is a mysterious and eerie depiction of a supernatural presence. In the first verse, the singer identifies themselves as an "apparition," someone who appears suddenly and ghostlike. They are cutting "slices in the night," moving stealthily and without permission. The singer seems to be a being that can move in and out of human sight, perhaps indicating that they are not of this world.
The second verse continues in this vein, with the singer identifying as the tapping on one's shoulder, the "raving" in a storm, and the shiver one feels in the warmth. They seem to be a creature of both light and darkness, as seen in the lines "I'm the gold in California" and "I am the well in Mexico" juxtaposed with "Like the vultures in the valley/ I will wait for you to go." The third verse amplifies their otherworldliness, identifying as the "gypsy in your pocket" and the "horseman in your dreams."
The final verse takes a more sinister turn, revealing that the singer is waiting in the "chamber of a gun." They are the "darkness in your daughter," and the "broken heart within." The overall effect of the lyrics is one of discomfort and unease, with the singer revealing themselves to be a being of great power and mystery.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm the latest apparition
I'm a new manifestation
Cutting slices in the night
Moving silently through the dark
I come through without permission
I enter without an invitation
Moving in and out of human sight
Appearing and disappearing to humans
I'm the tapping on your shoulder
I'm the sensation you feel on your shoulder
I am the raving in the storm
I'm the chaos in the midst of turmoil
I'll take shelter in you rafters
I'll hide in your attic
I'm the shiver when you're warm
I'm the chill when you feel safe
I'm the gold in california
I'm the treasure of the west
I am the well in mexico
I am the source of abundance
Like the vultures in the valley
I'm scavenging in the lowlands
I will wait for you to go
I'll be patient until you're gone
I'm the gypsy in you pocket
I'm the wanderer in your possessions
I am the horseman in your dreams
I'm the rider in your imagination
I'm the reason dogs are barking
I'm the cause of the commotion
I am the hand that stops the scream
I'm the one who silences the cries
I am the baby's cry that isn't
I'm the absence of the infant's wail
I am the distant relative
I am the unfamiliar kin
I'm the scratching in the ceiling
I'm the noise above your head
I am advice you shouldn't give
I'm the guidance that's not helpful
I'm the ghost of a travelling salesman
I'm the lingering presence of a merchant
My foot will be there in your door
I'll find a way into your life
Though I can walk through walls and windows
Despite my ability to pass through barriers
I will knock just like before
I'll announce my arrival with a knock
I am the darkness in your daughter
I'm the hidden troubles in your child
I am the spot beneath the skin
I'm the abnormality that's felt
I am the scarlet on the pavement
I'm the evidence of tragedy
I am the broken heart within
I'm the source of emotional pain
I won't take a train to nowhere
I won't go aimlessly
I will not touch just anyone
I'm selective with my contacts
Ask a stranger why I'm waiting
Question someone unknown about my motives
In the chamber of a gun
In a dangerous situation
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!