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
Saw You Running
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Most of the time my minds on happiness, yes
Some of the time but not for long
I get a feeling of something that's yet to come
I get a picture telling me what's undone
[Chorus]
When I find out that you don't love me honey
There'll be no surprise
Because I saw you running
Saw you running from where I lay
There'll be no surprise
Because I saw you running
Saw you running from where I lay
Well I've got an eye upon the road
And I've got a hand to hold my heavy load oh yes
I've got a man and I've got a gun
One is for fighting oh the other one is just for fun
One is for fighting oh the other one is just for fun
[Chorus]
When I lay down to take my rest
Most of the time my minds on happiness, yes
Some of the time but not for long
I get a feeling of something that's yet to come
I get a picture telling me what's undone
[Chorus:Repeat x2]
The lyrics to Mary Black's "Saw You Running" depict the inner turmoil of a person who suspects that their lover may be leaving them. The song conveys a sense of impending heartbreak and the feeling of being powerless to stop it. The first verse reveals the singer's usual state of mind when reflecting on their relationship; they are focused on the happy times they've shared with their partner. However, there are moments when they become aware of an underlying tension, something that's yet to come. The second verse emphasizes the singer's sense of anticipation, where they are waiting for a revelation about their partner's decision to leave. The chorus repeats twice, suggesting that the singer has accepted the inevitability of their partner's departure and has already seen them running away.
Line by Line Meaning
When I lay down to take my rest
When I'm getting ready to sleep
Most of the time my minds on happiness, yes
Most of the time I'm thinking about happy things
Some of the time but not for long
Sometimes I think about negative things, but not for very long
I get a feeling of something that's yet to come
I have a feeling that something is going to happen soon
I get a picture telling me what's undone
I have a mental image of something that still needs to be done
When I find out that you don't love me honey
If I discover that you don't have feelings for me
When I find out that your going away
If I find out that you're planning to leave
There'll be no surprise
It won't be unexpected
Because I saw you running
Because I witnessed you running away
Saw you running from where I lay
I saw you running as I was lying down
Well I've got an eye upon the road
I'm paying attention to what's happening around me
And I've got a hand to hold my heavy load oh yes
I have the strength to handle difficult situations
I've got a man and I've got a gun
I have a partner and a weapon
One is for fighting oh the other one is just for fun
One is a tool for self-defense, while the other is used for entertainment
When I lay down to take my rest
When I'm getting ready to sleep
Most of the time my minds on happiness, yes
Most of the time I'm thinking about happy things
Some of the time but not for long
Sometimes I think about negative things, but not for very long
I get a feeling of something that's yet to come
I have a feeling that something is going to happen soon
I get a picture telling me what's undone
I have a mental image of something that still needs to be done
There'll be no surprise
It won't be unexpected
Because I saw you running
Because I witnessed you running away
Saw you running from where I lay
I saw you running as I was lying down
There'll be no surprise
It won't be unexpected
Because I saw you running
Because I witnessed you running away
Saw you running from where I lay
I saw you running as I was lying down
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!