It was during one of these national tours that she caught the attention of Peter Yarrow of Peter, Paul and Mary. Impressed with her double-octave range, Yarrow invited her to join him on a national tour as a backup vocalist. His next step was putting her voice on vinyl: Mary was heard singing backup on Yarrow's Love Songs album. Her blossoming vocal talent led to her first solo endeavor, produced by Yarrow, the fateful "Torn Between Two Lovers."
"I never liked the song too much, and I still don't," said Mary. "There are just some songs I like, and some I don't, and this is one of them. Peter and I had a very long relationship. We're both very emotional people, and whenever we got together it was a very volatile experience. Sometimes it was positive, sometimes negative, and on this particular song we had a lot of fights. Was it really good? Was it going to make it? We had a lot of discussions about this song.
"For me to sing anything, I have to get emotionally involved. That's what really makes it for me. I didn't like 'Torn' mostly because it was boring to sing. It's a real 'sleeper' kind of ballad. Peter thought it was a real statement, and he wanted it to happen. He wanted a woman to sing it, and he wanted that woman to be me.
"I recorded the song in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, while standing in a bathroom. It was a room that was actually part of the studio, just sort of built-in there. They had a boom stand with a microphone on the end of it. The boom was in the studio, and the mike kind of stuck in through the door, hanging over the mirror. It was a tiny little room, but I finally worked things around so I didn't have to stare at myself singing. It's a great place. You get a lot of natural echo in bathrooms."
Mary was trembling when she recorded her big song, and not from the studio air conditioning. At the time, she'd been happily married for five years, and just the thought of being unfaithful to her husband, Don, was traumatic. But then came stardom, and the hopes, pressures, fears, and disappointments that come with it. On May 25, 1978, Mary filed for divorce, citing "irreconcilable differences." Her next release -- a flop -- was called "Memories."
"A lot of people are torn between two lovers," said Mary, "or have been, or will be. The single itself must have touched a lot of them, because it sold more than two million copies worldwide."
"Torn Between Two Lovers" began its rise in November 1976, finally peaking at number one in February 1977. It put Mary in the spotlight -- for the moment -- but ruined her career singing advertising jingles.
Living on her central California ranch where she raises horses and writes songs, Mary looked back at her moment in the spotlight. She says the song ultimately proved to be a strain -- "not because I was sleeping with someone else, but because I was living with my career instead of with him. But those things happen."
"Now I'm in a dilemma because I'm too well known to return to being an anonymous singer for a bank, but I'm not well known enough to get bookings. I never thought about being a success until 'Torn.' I was trying to make a career out of doing commercials. Now I can't.
"Success is so fickle," she warned. "You're only as good as you're next hit."
Mary would never repeat the commercial success of "Torn," however she did crack the Top 40 one more time before the end of the decade with "Good Friend," which was featured on the soundtrack of the Bill Murray comedy Meatballs.
The Wedding Song
Mary MacGregor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To witness this most blessed rite, your happiness we share.
The union of your spirits here is wondrous to behold
This is the greatest magic that the Universe does hold.
It is love, it is love.
Well a man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
They shall travel on to where the two shall be as one
Woman is the chalice, and the athame the man.
And there's love, there is love.
Well is there a better reason for becoming man and wife?
It is love that brings you here, and it's love that brings you life.
For as constant and as steady as the stars that shine above
And as solid a foundation as the stones shall be your love.
There is love, there is love.
(Repeat 1st verse)
Mary MacGregor's song, The Wedding Song, is a celebration of love and marriage, set in a sacred space of tenderness and care. The lyrics describe the union of two spirits as a wondrous and magical event, the greatest love that the Universe holds. The song then references the traditional customs of marriage, with a man leaving his mother and a woman leaving her home, and the two traveling to be united as one. The woman is described as the chalice, and the athame (a ceremonial knife used in some traditions) representing the man. The chorus repeats the idea that it is love that brings two people together, and that it is love that sustains them on their journey together, as constant and steady as the stars above and as solid as the foundation of stones.
Line by Line Meaning
We are gathered in this sacred space of tenderness and care
We have come together in this holy place filled with warmth and affection
To witness this most blessed rite, your happiness we share.
We are here to witness this sacred ritual and are joyous for your happiness
The union of your spirits here is wondrous to behold
Your spiritual unity is inspiring and amazing
This is the greatest magic that the Universe does hold.
Your love is the most powerful magic in the universe
It is love, it is love.
The source of this magic is love
Well a man shall leave his mother and a woman leave her home
A man and a woman will leave their respective families
They shall travel on to where the two shall be as one
They will journey together to become united as one
As it was in the beginning, is now until the end
This union has existed since the beginning and will continue forever
Woman is the chalice, and the athame the man.
The woman is the container of life and the man is the bringer of life
And there's love, there is love.
Love is at the core of this union
Well is there a better reason for becoming man and wife?
Is there a greater reason for two people coming together in marriage?
It is love that brings you here, and it's love that brings you life.
Love is the reason both for this gathering and for your existence
For as constant and as steady as the stars that shine above
Your love will be as strong and unchanging as the stars in the sky
And as solid a foundation as the stones shall be your love.
Your love will be as steadfast as the foundation on which this building is built.
There is love, there is love.
Love is the overarching theme of this momentous occasion.
(Repeat 1st verse)
The opening verse is repeated to reinforce the unchanging nature of love
Contributed by London L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@kimberley-xu8ff
Love this song. I have added it to my favorites. I love Mary McGregors voice,it is so soothing. Thank you🙏🌹
@jarodcarnarvon5198
She does a good job singing this, beautiful voice!
@janetclark2186
This was our wedding song in 1979. We had 31 beautiful years together.
@dalewatkins9889
Love this song, written originally by Gordon Lightfoot! Well done Mary!
@barwen312
Actually, it was written by Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary.
@blackthorngate3392
This was played at our wedding nearly 40 years ago
@mangojulie123
Best version ever!
@deborahtruthseeker112
So beautiful. I want Stephen so badly. I have never been so in LOVE with anyone before.
@johnnasouthwell5441
There is Love
@wethefolk2452
Written by Noel Paul Stookey