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
ellis island
Mary Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At the time I couldn't tell whose tear it was
If it was mine I should be glad
That I still function in this cage
But if it's yours it only makes me more lost
To see a tear rolling down
To see a tear rolling down
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe.
I hear sweethearts whisper their undying love
Above the noise on the quay their voices rise
They must have something so strong in the face of such change
That they can promise and promise all night
Oh, their undying love, hear their undying love
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe.
Oh, what you wouldn't give to be down on the pier once again
Far away from the cries of this war-weary horde
Time up there in the clouds must be hard to endure
When your heart's unsure
It's like a knife in my gut knowing you're taking leave
I feel I'm sentenced to a death without appeal
I can pretend it's all a dream
And what I'm seeing will disappear
But the end I can see is all too real
Knowing you're taking leave
Knowing you're taking leave
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe
The lyrics of Mary Black's Ellis Island have multiple interpretations, but at the core, the song speaks of longing, separation, and the uncertain future of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island. The song's first stanza describes the emotional turmoil experienced by the singer, who sees a tear rolling down but is unsure whose tear it is. The tear can either belong to the singer or the person leaving, but in either case, it only adds to the sense of loss and confusion.
The song's chorus, "This is the last call for Ellis Island, These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say, So goodbye babe, Goodbye babe," is a poignant farewell to a loved one who is leaving for distant shores. It underscores the sadness and uncertainty of the new beginnings that are defined by departures, goodbyes, and promises of undying love that may or may not be fulfilled.
The last stanza of the song talks of the pain of separation, the feeling of being stuck in an uncertain, dream-like state, and the harsh reality of knowing that the goodbye is inevitable. The song's overall theme shows the hope and despair of immigrants leaving their countries seeking a new life in America. The song's imagery of Ellis Island, the tears of parting, and the idea of undying love create a powerful, emotional experience that captures the human spirit's resilience in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
From the corner of my eye I see a tear rolling down
I notice a tear falling from someone's eye and I wonder whose tear it is
At the time I couldn't tell whose tear it was
At that exact moment, I didn't know who was crying the tear that I saw
If it was mine I should be glad
If the tear was mine, I would be happy that I can still feel emotions in spite of being trapped here
That I still function in this cage
I can still carry on with my life even if I feel trapped or stuck somewhere
But if it's yours it only makes me more lost
If the tear was yours, I feel more lost and unsure about my surroundings
To see a tear rolling down
Witnessing someone cry makes me feel emotional and empathetic
This is the last call for Ellis Island
This is the final announcement for Ellis Island, implying that people are leaving for good
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
These will be the final words spoken to me by someone I care about
So goodbye, babe
Farewell, my beloved
I hear sweethearts whisper their undying love
I can hear lovers saying their heartfelt and sincere declarations of everlasting love
Above the noise on the quay their voices rise
Their voices can be heard even amidst the busy and noisy surroundings of the wharf
They must have something so strong in the face of such change
These lovers must possess something unshakeable despite experiencing a significant transition
That they can promise and promise all night
They can make promises of love to each other all night long
Oh, their undying love, hear their undying love
Their love is so profound that it can be heard and felt by others around them
Oh, what you wouldn't give to be down on the pier once again
I long to be back on the pier again, away from all the noise and chaos of the world
Far away from the cries of this war-weary horde
I want to escape the sounds of people who are tired and damaged from the effects of war
Time up there in the clouds must be hard to endure
Being in the clouds, separate from the reality of the world, can be difficult to handle
When your heart's unsure
It is hard to enjoy the beauty of life when you are dealing with matters of the heart that are uncertain
It's like a knife in my gut knowing you're taking leave
The thought of you leaving me feels like a stab in the stomach and is incredibly painful
I feel I'm sentenced to a death without appeal
I feel like I am being forced to endure something harsh and unforgiving without any hope of reprieve
I can pretend it's all a dream
I can imagine that this is all a figment of my imagination to avoid facing the harsh reality
And what I'm seeing will disappear
I hope that what I am observing will fade away as if it never happened
But the end I can see is all too real
Despite my hopeful imaginings, I know that the end is approaching and it will be painful
Knowing you're taking leave
The knowledge that you're leaving me behind is heart-wrenching
This is the last call for Ellis Island
This is the final announcement for Ellis Island, implying that people are leaving for good
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
These will be the final words spoken to me by someone I care about
So goodbye, babe
Farewell, my beloved
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
liddyanna
From the corner of my eye I see a tear rolling down
At the time I couldn't tell whose tear it was
If it was mine I should be glad
That I still function in this cage
But if it's yours it only makes me more lost
To see a tear rolling down
To see a tear rolling down
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe.
I hear sweethearts whisper their undying love
Above the noise on the quay their voices rise
They must have something so strong in the face of such change
That they can promise and promise all night
Oh, their undying love, hear their undying love
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe.
Oh, what you wouldn't give to be down on the pier once again
Far away from the cries of this war-weary horde
Time up there in the clouds must be hard to endure
When your heart's unsure
It's like a knife in my gut knowing you're taking leave
I feel I'm sentenced to a death without appeal
I can pretend it's all a dream
And what I'm seeing will disappear
But the end I can see is all too real
Knowing you're taking leave
Knowing you're taking leave
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe
Frank Roger Buaroy
Mary Black is my Irish favorite singer.Such a beautiful voice and beautiful woman.And so many great songs.
aquabluetexan
It is quite lovely. I used to care for my Mum and when she was dying I would listen to Mary Black's music so lovely. It got me through many a day.
Bob Atkins
This song was the first time I ever heard Mary sing, it was one evening about thirty five years ago on BBC TV, it is so beautiful and beautifully sung.
liddyanna
From the corner of my eye I see a tear rolling down
At the time I couldn't tell whose tear it was
If it was mine I should be glad
That I still function in this cage
But if it's yours it only makes me more lost
To see a tear rolling down
To see a tear rolling down
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe.
I hear sweethearts whisper their undying love
Above the noise on the quay their voices rise
They must have something so strong in the face of such change
That they can promise and promise all night
Oh, their undying love, hear their undying love
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe.
Oh, what you wouldn't give to be down on the pier once again
Far away from the cries of this war-weary horde
Time up there in the clouds must be hard to endure
When your heart's unsure
It's like a knife in my gut knowing you're taking leave
I feel I'm sentenced to a death without appeal
I can pretend it's all a dream
And what I'm seeing will disappear
But the end I can see is all too real
Knowing you're taking leave
Knowing you're taking leave
This is the last call for ellis island
These are the last words I'm ever gonna hear you say
So goodbye, babe
Goodbye, babe
jdvagabond
Noel Brazil was a prolific song writter. He truly captured the human spirit.
margaret nesbeth
Mary is an Angel, sent from above to sooth our weary soul's, God bless her always.🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
juliet
I couldn'ta said it better meself
Bernice Walsh
What an amazing voice she had back then. I love the songs. God Bless her. Thank you for putting the song on You Tube, also thanks for collecting so many lovely pictures.
Elmer Mudguaard
We saw Mary in Eindhoven some years ago and had a private audience with her after the show. She had just sung at the funeral of a friends son the day before and she had a lot of emotion in her voice that night. She was so gracious standing for pictures. One of which can be seen on the wall of an Irish Pub called the Banner in Rockland Massachusetts where I was head of the local govenment at the time. She is even more beautiful in person.
Bob Atkins
My favourite Mary Black song,first heard it about 1992 on TV.Never really appreciated in England,and never got the recognition she deserved,very underrated.