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
Turning Away
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In daylight we're oblivion
Our hearts so raw and clear
Are turning away, turning away from here
On water we have walked like the fearless child
What was fastened we've unlocked revealing wondrous wild
And in search for confirmation
And scrambled with our burning feet through uncontrolled desire
Chorus
There's a well upon the hill from our ancient past
Where an age is standing still holding strong and fast
And there's those that try to tame it
And the carve it into stone
Ah but words cannot extinguish it
However hard they're thrown
Chorus
On Racherie they have worked with their island dreams
By Lough Cleggan they have nourished in the mountain streams
And in searching for acceptance
They have given it away
Only the children of our children
Know the price they had to pay
Chorus
The lyrics of "Turning Away" by Mary Black reflect the struggle of human emotions as we navigate through life. The opening verse "In darkness we do what we can, in daylight we're oblivion" suggests that we often act differently when the world is watching, but our true selves emerge when we're alone. The following line "Our hearts so raw and clear, are turning away, turning away from here" implies that our emotions can be overwhelming and we may choose to retreat or turn away from tough situations.
The next verse recalls a time when we were carefree and adventurous, "On water we have walked like the fearless child, what was fastened we've unlocked revealing wondrous wild". However, as we grow older, we may seek validation and confirmation from others which can lead to reckless behavior "And in search for confirmation, we have jumped into the fire, and scrambled with our burning feet through uncontrolled desire".
The chorus "We are turning, turning away and all we've left is the silent burning" describes the internal struggle of turning away from things or people that we once cared about but were hurt by. Additionally, it suggests that our emotions may be silent but they continue to burn within us. The last verse pays homage to our ancestors, "On Racherie they have worked with their island dreams, By Lough Cleggan they have nourished in the mountain streams. And in searching for acceptance, they have given it away, Only the children of our children, know the price they had to pay" suggesting the respect and understanding for the sacrifices our ancestors made for us to thrive today.
Line by Line Meaning
In darkness we do what we can
We try our best when it's hard to see clearly
In daylight we're oblivion
When things are easy and laid bare, we lose ourselves
Our hearts so raw and clear
Our emotions are exposed and unguarded
Are turning away, turning away from here
Our vulnerability is causing us to retreat and avoid
On water we have walked like the fearless child
We have taken risks and felt invincible
What was fastened we've unlocked revealing wondrous wild
We have uncovered the unknown and found excitement
And in search for confirmation
In seeking validation from others
We have jumped into the fire
We have taken risks that could burn us
And scrambled with our burning feet through uncontrolled desire
We have acted on passion without thinking it through
There's a well upon the hill from our ancient past
There is a source of wisdom and tradition from long ago
Where an age is standing still holding strong and fast
Where old ways are preserved and continue to endure
And there's those that try to tame it
Some try to control and manipulate it
And carve it into stone
And make it rigid and unchanging
Ah but words cannot extinguish it
Words cannot erase the power and influence of the past
However hard they're thrown
No matter how forceful the attempts to do so may be
On Racherie they have worked with their island dreams
On Racherie they have pursued their aspirations for their home
By Lough Cleggan they have nourished in the mountain streams
By Lough Cleggan they have found sustenance and renewal
And in searching for acceptance
In seeking validation and belonging
They have given it away
They have sacrificed their sense of self and authenticity
Only the children of our children
Only future generations
Know the price they had to pay
Will truly understand the sacrifices made by those before them
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
S K Ditta
Beautiful arrangement of instruments. A song rich in meaning. The power of voice given by Mary Black, and words spoken clearly. Every thumping beat of this song is timed to perfection.
This is a song of visions. It asks important questions.
79oliv
Just re-watched Angel Eyes. I always loved this movie and re-found this song. I had tears in my eyes.
อัครัตน์ จารุมณี
👍👍 Good movie.. Heart trembling & warming.. Good cast. Jeremy Sisto is one of my favourites, including today's good series FBI. And the songs, including the one from Nature Boy.
capitalist88
Yay! I'm so glad you posted this version. Thanks!!
Cheryl Richardson
Simply beautiful. She has a lilting voice!
jacobsgranddaughter
Lovely!❤️❤️
Scratch Pad
About a year or so ago, this song single-handedly helped me, along with my love of brave-looking genuine and hypothetical Pokemon (Lucario, Champeon, etc.) to get me over my fear of grated metal stair treads, because that fear falls right along into my fear of heights. This song really brings back some sweet memories!
B.Mahnke
Great! I like this song! Thank you!!!!
Harry hoffmann
I love her songs
Astrid van Ekelenburg
beautiful !!!