Girl With the Banjo Tattoo, her most recent cd was selected as a โBest Banjo CD of 2011โ by the editor of Banjo Newsletter. Mary has 7 cds and 7 instructional books in print and she is grateful and humbled that so many folks from all over the world order and download them and write to say how much they enjoy the music and the instruction.
Mary will be teaching a five day claw hammer banjo camp in April 2013 at the John C. Campbell Folk School in North Carolina, where she has been an instructor for over a decade.
She has also taught banjo workshops at the Florida Folk Festival, the Lagniappe Dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Banjo Camp, Sunshine State Music Camp, Will McLean Festival, Florida Old Time Banjo Camp, and in Charlotte, NC, Charleston, SC, Albuquerque, NM, & Pasadena, CA.
Mary is also a Florida mountain dulcimer champion, as well as a four-time champion (2011, 2009, 2007, & 2006) at the Transylvania (NC) Old Time Music Competition, and first place winner at the 2006 Uncle Dave Macon Days in Tennessee.
She has taught mountain dulcimer workshops at the Lagniappe dulcimer Fete, Suwannee Dulcimer Retreat, Fall NGFDA Festival at Unicoi, Florida Folk Festival, the Will McLean Festival and in Charlotte, NC & Charleston SC. Her dulcimer articles, tabs, & mp3s have been published in the Dulcimer Player News. โEasy String Band Method For the Mountain Dulcimerโ (instructional book/cd) sells to dulcimer students worldwide and is available on Maryโs website: maryzcox.com
Bob Cox (Maryโs husband and a mighty fine guitarist) has entertained audiences and friends from coast to coast. Please contact us if you would like to book us for concerts, festivals, or workshops in 2013 or 2014โwe just might be traveling your way.
Mary shares her home with 16 banjos and 12 mountain dulcimers and loves playing them. Her motto is:
โIf you suspect you need a new banjo or dulcimerโyou do. Trust your musical instincts. If an instrument calls to you to buy it, donโt fight destiny. It was meant to be ๏โ
Blue Skies
Mary Z. Cox Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see
Bluebirds
Singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds
I never saw the sun
Shining so bright
Never saw things
Going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love,
My mind, how they fly
Blue days
All of them gone
Nothing but blue skies
From now on
Blue skies
Smiling at me
Nothing but blue skies
Do I see
Bluebirds
Singing a song
Nothing but bluebirds
All day long
I never saw the sun
Shining so bright
Never saw things
Going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love,
My mind, how they fly
Blue days
All of them gone
Nothing but blue skies
From now on
I never saw the sun
Shining so bright
Never saw things
Going so right
Noticing the days hurrying by
When you're in love,
My mind, how they fly
Blue days
All of them gone
Nothing but blue
Skies, blue skies,
Blue skies
From now on
Nothing but blue skies,
From now on
The song 'Blue Skies' by Mary Z. Cox is a joyful celebration of love and happiness. The lyrics describe a feeling of complete contentment and appreciation for life, as the singer basks in the beauty of the blue skies and the sweetness of the bluebirds' song. The simplicity of the language compliments the laid-back and whimsical tone of the song.
The two verses closely mirror each other, with the same lines repeating to emphasize the positivity of the experience. The chorus further reinforces this feeling, as it repeats "Nothing but blue skies, from now on" several times. The beauty of the blue skies and the joy of being in love have erased all traces of the "blue days" that have passed.
The use of the word "blue" in the lyrics is interesting, as it has multiple connotations. It can refer to sadness or melancholy, which is contrasted with the happiness and joy in this song. On the other hand, blue can also represent tranquility, serenity, and peace, which are all present in the song's mood. Overall, the song is an uplifting tribute to the beauty of the world and the power of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue skies
The singer is currently experiencing a state of happiness and calm that is represented by a blue sky.
Smiling at me
This blue sky is personified as if it is an entity in and of itself that is conveying a positive emotion to the singer.
Nothing but blue skies
The singer is only seeing positive things in their current state of being.
Do I see
This positive state of mind is allowing the artist to see the world in a more optimistic way.
Bluebirds
These birds are representing a joyful and carefree nature that the artist is experiencing in their current state of being.
Singing a song
The bluebirds' singing is contributing to the peaceful and idyllic nature of the singer's current state of being.
I never saw the sun
The singer has never before experienced such a heightened sense of positivity as they are feeling now.
Shining so bright
The sun's brightness is a metaphor for the intensity of the artist's current positive mindset.
Never saw things
The artist is acknowledging that they have not previously experienced such a positive and optimistic outlook on life.
Going so right
Things are currently going well for the artist in their life.
Noticing the days hurrying by
The singer is acknowledging the fleeting nature of time, but is not allowing it to cause them anxiety or distress because of their positive mindset.
When you're in love,
Love is being used as a metaphor for the artist's current state of happiness and peace.
My mind, how they fly
The singer is in such an elevated and positive state of being that time seems to move faster, or 'fly'.
All of them gone
There were previously negative experiences in the singer's life, but those have now passed.
From now on
The singer is confident that they will maintain this positive state of being moving forward.
Lyrics ยฉ Songtrust Ave, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Irving Berlin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind