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 Shadow
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The guns have flowed
The nightmare flashed
On a cradle road
As the guilty rain came down
No child to hold
Through anxious fears
No gentle hand
That soak this ancient ground
The smile that breaks so gently
Belies a troubled head
Like a voice that holds the secrets
Of the life you might have led
Eyes with pale indifference
In danger and in grace
But the glance that knows the death-knell
Left it's shadow on your face
In the deep enduring darkness
As your loyal friends go down
Touched by the violent crown
'til their hunter's hunted down
Chorus
The web is slowly woven
The endless dreamers shed,
In the dawn the curfew is broken
On the Sunday morning's dead.
Centuries of thunder
Take the castle in the flood
To the cold night air of london
Where you hands are bound in blood.
Mid winter deepened
As the parting turned inside
A thousand times you cried
But the shadow never died.
And it's over now
The guns have flowed
The night mare flashed
On a cradle road.
As the guilty rain came down.
No child to hold
Through anxious fears
No gentle hand
No graceful years
Just bitter ancient ground.
But it's over now
"The Shadow" is a song that speaks of war and its devastating effects on people, their lives, and their surroundings. The song brings to mind images of a war-torn country where the people are left to deal with the aftermath of war. The first verse talks about the end of war, with the guns having been laid down. However, this is not the end for the people who lived through war. They have to deal with the aftermath of the war, and in this case, the guilty rain, which speaks of some kind of pollution or contamination. The absence of a child or a gentle hand during anxious times adds to the sadness and poignancy of the song.
The song's chorus speaks of the web that is slowly woven, perhaps referring to the aftermath of war where people must rebuild their lives. The line "On the Sunday morning's dead" refers to those who lost their lives during the war. The song takes us through an emotional journey with lines such as "A thousand times you cried, but the shadow never died," which speaks of the lasting effects of war.
Line by Line Meaning
And it's over now
The events that led to this moment have come to an end.
The guns have flowed
There was intense fighting and violence.
The nightmare flashed
A traumatic event occurred suddenly and left a lasting impact.
On a cradle road
This event happened in a place associated with innocence and vulnerability.
As the guilty rain came down
There is a sense of blame or guilt, and it is reflected in the weather.
No child to hold
There is no source of comfort or hope.
Through anxious fears
The situation is causing great concern and worry.
No gentle hand
There is no one to offer guidance or assistance.
To catch the tears
There is no one to provide emotional support or comfort.
That soak this ancient ground
The tragedy has left an imprint on the surrounding environment.
The smile that breaks so gently
The appearance of happiness or contentment is hiding inner turmoil.
Belies a troubled head
There is an internal struggle or conflict.
Like a voice that holds the secrets
There are aspects of the situation that are not being revealed or acknowledged.
Of the life you might have led
There is a sense of regret or longing for a different path taken.
Eyes with pale indifference
There is a lack of emotional attachment or concern.
In danger and in grace
There is a sense of vulnerability, but also a certain elegance or beauty.
But the glance that knows the death-knell
There is a look of recognition and acceptance of impending doom.
Left it's shadow on your face
The traumatic experience has left a lasting, visible impact.
In the deep enduring darkness
The situation is ongoing and seemingly without end.
As your loyal friends go down
People close to you are suffering or dying.
Touched by the violent crown
The situation is marked by brutality and aggression.
'til their hunter's hunted down
Those responsible will face consequences.
Chorus
Repeating part of the song that serves as the main message or theme.
The web is slowly woven
Complicated plans or schemes are taking shape.
The endless dreamers shed
People with high hopes or aspirations are being let down.
In the dawn the curfew is broken
There is a sense of rebellion or defiance against authority.
On the Sunday morning's dead.
People are mourning those who have died.
Centuries of thunder
There is a sense of history and tradition surrounding the situation.
Take the castle in the flood
The stronghold of power is being threatened or destroyed.
To the cold night air of london
The events are taking place in a significant location.
Where you hands are bound in blood.
There is a sense of guilt or responsibility for past actions.
Mid winter deepened
The situation is only getting worse with time.
As the parting turned inside
Separation or loss is causing internal turmoil.
A thousand times you cried
The situation has caused immense emotional pain.
But the shadow never died.
The lasting impact of the traumatic event remains with the person.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DONAGH LONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!