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
The Dimming of the Day
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm drowning in a river of my tears
When all my will is gone you hold me sway
I need you at the dimming of the day
You pull me like the moon pulls on the tide
You know just where I keep my better side
A broken promise or a broken heart
Now all the bonnie birds have wheeled away
I need you at the dimming of the day
Come the night you're only what I want
Come the night you could be my confidant
I see you on the street in company
Why don't you come and ease your mind with me
I'm living for the night we steal away
I need you at the dimming of the day
I need you at the dimming of the day
The Dimming of the Day by Mary Black is a song about needing the support and love of someone when everything around you is falling apart. The lyrics talk about feeling overwhelmed and drowning in tears, but then finding solace in the arms of a loved one. The metaphor of being pulled like the moon pulls on the tide shows the depth of the connection between the two individuals. The lyrics also speak about broken promises and broken hearts, but despite all of the pain, the singer needs the person they love at the "dimming of the day" - a time when they feel most vulnerable and alone.
The refrain "I need you at the dimming of the day" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of having someone to rely on during difficult times. The line "Come the night you're only what I want" shows that, even though the singer may see the person they love in the company of others during the day, it is the darkness of the night that truly brings them together. The song ends with the hopeful line "I'm living for the night we steal away", which implies that even though everything may seem dark and hopeless, there is still hope for love and happiness in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
This old house is falling down around my ears
The singer feels as though their life is crumbling and falling apart.
I'm drowning in a river of my tears
The singer is overwhelmed with emotion and feels as though they are suffocating in their own tears.
When all my will is gone you hold me sway
When the singer feels as though they can no longer continue, the person addressed in the song helps them keep going.
I need you at the dimming of the day
The artist needs the person addressed in the song at the end of the day when everything else fades into darkness.
You pull me like the moon pulls on the tide
The person addressed in the song has a strong hold on the artist, similar to the pull of the moon on ocean tides.
You know just where I keep my better side
The person addressed in the song knows the singer's true, best self and brings that out of them.
What days have come to keep us far apart
Something has come between the singer and the person addressed in the song, causing distance between them.
A broken promise or a broken heart
The distance between the artist and person addressed in the song may have been caused by a broken promise or heartache.
Now all the bonnie birds have wheeled away
The good times have passed and things have changed.
I need you at the dimming of the day
Even more so now, the artist needs the person addressed in the song at the end of the day.
Come the night you're only what I want
When night falls, the person addressed in the song is the singer's only desire.
Come the night you could be my confidant
When night falls, the artist could confide in the person addressed in the song.
I see you on the street in company
The singer sees the person addressed in the song with others.
Why don't you come and ease your mind with me
The singer invites the person addressed in the song to come find solace with them.
I'm living for the night we steal away
The singer is looking forward to the night when they can escape with the person addressed in the song.
I need you at the dimming of the day
This refrain is repeated to emphasize the artist's need for the person addressed in the song at this specific time of day.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICHARD JOHN THOMPSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@caseye.leydon7584
This old house is falling down around my ears
I'm drowning in a river of my tears
When all my will is gone, you hold me sway
I need you at the dimming of the day
You pull me like the moon pulls on the tide
You know just where I keep my better side
What days have come to keep us far apart?
A broken promise or a broken heart
Now all the bonnie birds have wheeled away
I need you at the dimming of the day
Come the night, you're only what I want
Come the night, you could be my confident
I see you on the street in company
Why don't you come and ease your mind with me?
I'm living for the night we steal away
I need you at the dimming of the day
Oh I need you at the dimming of the day
@kenb735
We were privileged to attend Mary Black's concert at the Great American Music Hall on O'Farrell St. in San Francisco a while back. She informed us that this was her last concert; that she was retiring from the concert circuit. We will miss you sorely, Mary Black! I went to your every concert whenever you came here. (And your daughter Róisín O did a set with you one time. That was a grand concert indeed! Perhaps she'll come through the area again.) The day after the concert, there was an all day rather eclectic musical festival on the 1890's ferryboat, the Eureka, out on the Hyde Street Pier (the San Francisco Maritime Nat'l Historic Park at Fisherman's Wharf, with turn-of-the-century historic ships floating in the Bay). You were with you brothers, Michael and Shay. Such an extraordinary family!
@maureenmartin4730
Mary Black one of Eires best ambassadors . Bless her
@tishmcgillicuddy9583
I didn't find Mary Black's music until 2016 when my brothers, sisters, and spouses went to Ireland. Her voice is beautiful!!
@kenb735
I only became aware of Mary Black in 1989 when she came out with the incredibly mysterious song "Columbus" by Noel Brazil. The second verse begins "See how the cormorant swoops and dives..." I played the song for a friend because I had not idea what a cormorant is. I didn't know it was that bird we'd see diving into the Atlantic off the coast of South Carolina every summer.
@birminghamcloseup
She is most definitely a gift from God. She has such a pure voice, incredible richness, many layers to her voice. Her passion, compassion, and sincerity in her voice is so profound and truly remarkable.
@MrMusicguyma
Glorious song. Great version by Mary with Declan and others back in 1992. Richard and Linda, Bonnie and Paul Brady do very creditable versions and are all worthy. No doubt other fine versions exist, too. I see no point in arguing which is "best". As Shakespeare said "comparisons are odorous" ;). Let 100 flowers bloom.
@BoingBB
Well said! Everybody will have their favourite versions of course but there's no way of finding the 'best'. I have heard several versions of this song and I like them all. Its just a beautiful song.
@daveharrison8286
@@BoingBB I certainly wouldn't quibble with your estimate though I would like to add that Allison Krauss does a more than creditable version
@ahem....bullsheet3720
Allison Krauss does a nice version as well.
@TheAtheist22
I agree about the Irish, they do know how to sing a song. She's AMAZING!!! This is the best rendition of this song.Long live Mary Black&Ireland!