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
Shine
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What I know in my heart is true
That our love it has faded like the summer run through
So we walk doen the shore line one last time together
Feel the wind blow our wandering hearts like a feather
But who knows who's waiting in the wings of time
Dry your eyes
We're gonna go where we can shine
Don't be hiding in sorrow or clinging to the past
With your beauty so precious and the seasons so fast
No matter how cold the horizon appears or how far the first night when I held you near
You've gotta rise from these ashes like a bird of flame
Take my hand
We're gonna go where we can shine
For all that we struggle for all we pretend
It don't come down to nothing except love in the end
And ours is a road that is strewn with goodbyes
But as it unfolds as it all unwinds
Remember your soul is the one thing you just can't compromise
Step out of the shadows
You gotta go where we can shine
Oh we're gonna go where we can shine
Shine
The song "Shine" by Mary Black tells a story of a couple whose love has faded and they are now walking on the shoreline for the last time together. The singer, who seems to be the more optimistic of the two, encourages her partner not to dwell in sorrow or cling to the past, but instead rise from the ashes like a bird of flame and take her hand as they go where they can shine. The lyrics also touch on the struggles in life and the inevitability of goodbyes, but ultimately emphasizes that love is the only thing that truly matters in the end.
Line by Line Meaning
I can see it in your eyes
I can tell that you feel the same as I do.
What I know in my heart is true
I'm sure that our love has faded away.
That our love it has faded like the summer run through
Our love has vanished quickly like summer.
So we walk down the shore line one last time together
Let's enjoy our last walk together at the beach.
Feel the wind blow our wandering hearts like a feather
We're unable to control our emotions, just like feathers being carried away by the wind.
But who knows who's waiting in the wings of time
We don't know what the future holds.
Dry your eyes
Don't cry anymore.
We're gonna go where we can shine
Let's go somewhere where we can be happy.
Don't be hiding in sorrow or clinging to the past
Don't be sad and stuck in the past.
With your beauty so precious and the seasons so fast
Your beauty is valuable but time flies quickly.
No matter how cold the horizon appears or how far the first night when I held you near
We have to keep going regardless of how far we've come and the memories we've made.
You've gotta rise from these ashes like a bird of flame
You need to rise from the sadness and start living passionately.
Take my hand
Let me help you.
For all that we struggle for all we pretend
Despite all our efforts and pretending.
It don't come down to nothing except love in the end
All that truly matters is love.
And ours is a road that is strewn with goodbyes
Our journey has been filled with many goodbyes.
But as it unfolds as it all unwinds
As our life journey continues and unfolds.
Remember your soul is the one thing you just can't compromise
Don't forget to prioritize your own happiness.
Step out of the shadows
Leave behind the darkness in your heart.
You gotta go where we can shine
Let's aim to be happy and fulfilled so we can shine.
Oh we're gonna go where we can shine
We will be happy and shine.
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CHRISTOPHER DORSEY, DWAYNE CARTER, TERIUS GRAY, VIRGIL TAB, BYRON THOMAS, BRIAN WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!