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
What Does It Matter
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's midnight forever in my Jimmy's eyes
What should it matter if it comes on to spring
When I'm finding winter in everything
Lived in this cold wind city all of my life
Walking around still looks the same
Same people coming and going
All of the wisdom that I held so high
Shining and useless as this April sky
The hedgerows are singing and it comes on spring
But I'm finding winter in everything
Lived in this cold wind city all of my life
Walking around still looks the same
Same people coming and going
It doesn't feel right - See it all now - From so far away
So what should it matter if the earth may slide
Sky break in pieces or the stars collide
The little of sense left in this world or ours
My Jimmy took with him in the wee small hours
Lived in this cold wind city all of my life
Walking around still looks the same
Same people coming and going
It doesn't feel right - See it all now - It's so far away
I'm finding winter in everything
I'm finding winter in everything
The song "What Does It Matter" by Mary Black presents a melancholic view of life, where the singer sees everything as bleak and hopeless. The lyrics suggest that the singer is deeply affected by personal loss and grief, symbolized by the absence of the sun and the onset of winter even in the midst of spring. The lines, "It's midnight forever in my Jimmy's eyes" and "My Jimmy took with him in the wee small hours" imply that the singer has lost someone dear, which has left a permanent mark on her world. The sense of loss is further underscored by the repetition of the line "I'm finding winter in everything", which suggests that the singer's sadness is all-encompassing and inescapable.
The lyrics also suggest a sense of alienation and disconnect from the world around her. The singer mentions living in the same place all her life, but feeling like an outsider, as though seeing everything from a distance. The repetition of the line "same people coming and going, it doesn't feel right" suggests a feeling of being stuck in a rut, where everything seems pointless and routine. The reference to the hedgerows singing and spring coming suggests the potential for renewal and rejuvenation, but the singer seems unable to access it, instead feeling trapped in her own sadness and despair.
Overall, "What Does It Matter" presents a poignant and melancholic view of life, where personal loss, grief, and a sense of detachment from the world combine to create a deep sense of sadness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
What does it matter if the sun don't rise
The singer's world is so dark and desolate that it doesn't matter if the sun rises or not.
It's midnight forever in my Jimmy's eyes
The singer's loved one, Jimmy, is emotionally distant and cold, representing the darkness and despair that permeates their life.
What should it matter if it comes on to spring
Even the hopefulness of spring does not bring any joy or light to the singer's life.
When I'm finding winter in everything
The artist's life feels like a never-ending, bleak winter, even when others may see a glimmer of hope.
Lived in this cold wind city all of my life
The artist has spent their entire life in a place that feels cold and harsh, adding to the sense of despair.
Walking around still looks the same
Despite the passage of time, nothing seems to change in the singer's life or surroundings.
Same people coming and going
The people in the singer's life are transient and do not bring any lasting connection or joy.
It doesn't feel right - See it all now - From so far away
The artist has gained perspective and can now see how wrong everything feels in their life, even though they are physically close to it.
All of the wisdom that I held so high
The artist used to place great importance on wisdom, but it now seems useless in their bleak existence.
Shining and useless as this April sky
The artist compares the uselessness of their past admiration for wisdom to the deceptive brightness of the April sky.
The hedgerows are singing and it comes on spring
Nature is celebrating spring and new life, but the singer cannot find any joy or hope in it.
But I'm finding winter in everything
The artist's despair and sense of loss taint even the hopefulness of spring.
So what should it matter if the earth may slide
The singer has become so disassociated from the world that they cannot find any concern or fear in the possibility of natural disasters.
Sky break in pieces or the stars collide
Even cosmic events that would typically cause fear or wonder mean nothing to the singer anymore.
The little of sense left in this world or ours
The singer sees very little meaning or sense in the world around them.
My Jimmy took with him in the wee small hours
The artist's loved one, Jimmy, left in the midst of the night, taking any remaining sense of meaning or purpose with him.
I'm finding winter in everything
The refrain reinforces the artist's entrenched sense of despair and emotional coldness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DAVID GRAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maureen Smith
on Bruach na Carraige Baine
So beautiful!