Morphine was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States in 1990 by M… Read Full Bio ↴Morphine was formed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States in 1990 by Mark Sandman (vocals, bass) and Dana Colley (saxophone). Jerome Dupree became the group's drummer in 1991 prior to the release of their debut album, Good. "Low Rock" is Morphine's unique combination of jazz, blues and pop/rock, sung with darkly comic and ironic lyrics. Their guitarless sound relied on an unusual combination of baritone/tenor sax, percussion and a two string slide bass.

While "Good" earned the band critical notoriety and substantial underground cred, they did not -- with this release or any subsequent -- break into the mainstream. After the release of Good, the band replaced Dupree with Billy Conway, a former bandmate of Sandman. Morphine's 1992 release of Cure for Pain, promoted by heavy touring, received some mainstream positive attention, selling over 300,000 copies worldwide and spawning a chart hit in many countries with the single Buena

Subsequent releases include Yes and Like Swimming.

On July 3, 1999, Mark Sandman collapsed on stage in Palestrina, Italy, a suburb of Rome. He was pronounced dead of a heart attack at the scene. He was 46. Morphine released The Night -- arguably their best effort -- posthumously in 2000.

After Sandman's death, the remaining band members reformed and continued to record as Twinemen and later as The Ever Expanding Elastic Waste Band

In 2004, the Mark Sandman box set Sandbox was released by Hi-n-Dry, Mark Sandman's own label. It contains two CDs and a DVD of previously unreleased material spanning Sandman’s musical career. The DVD features clips from early Sandman shows, interviews from the Morphine tours, and various videos from other Sandman solo and group projects, such as Treat Her Right.

"Some day there'll be a cure for pain,
And that's the day I throw my drugs away" - Mark Sandman

Links:
The Other Side - A Morphine Fanzine
Morphine at Myspace

Mary
Morphine Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cross my fingers and I hope to God
I knock on wood and pray with all I've got
Cross my bow with a cannonball
I see the writing on the wall hey
There's no map and there's no clue
Of where to go and what to do
Yea who to dog who to ride and who to hold
Forever by your side (x2)

Mary won't you call my name (x2)
Mary won't you call my (x2)
Mary won't you call my name
I fell into the hands of a rich man's daughter
She led me like a lamb no bother
To go and live inside a barn on her Daddy's 90 acre farm
Hide your daughters in the snow and watch out for the undertow
Hold both hands against the door and dig your feet into the floor
Tell ya there's no map and there's no clue
Of where to go and what to do
Who to dog and who to ride and who to hold
Forever by your side (x2)
Mary won't you call my name (x2)

Mary won't you call my (x2)
Mary won't you call my name

Overall Meaning

"Morphine" was an American alternative rock band from the 1990s. In their song "Mary," the singer refers to Mary, asking her to call his name with desperation. He's uncertain of his place in the world and doesn't know who to trust or who to follow. He says that he crosses his fingers and hopes to God but also knocks on wood and prays with all he's got, indicating that he's not entirely sure what to believe in. He is lost and needs Mary to guide him to another place. The singer then talks about how he fell in love with a rich man's daughter who led him to live on her family farm. He warns others to hide their daughters in the snow and watch out for the undertow, as if predicting that something terrible might happen. In the end, he reiterates that he's unsure of where to go and what to do, but he knows one thing – he needs Mary to call his name.

At first glance, "Mary" is a simple love song with beautiful ballad-like melodies, but it holds a far deeper meaning than that. The lyricist Mark Sandman wrote “Mary” during a particularly difficult time in his life since his brother had died only a few years prior. The song's lyrics serve as a metaphorical conversation between Sandman and his brother, asking him for guidance in his struggle. Sandman's friends have said that it was Sandman's love for his brother that motivated him to sing the song for years, and the song still brings up his brother's memory among his fans.

Line by Line Meaning

Cross my fingers and I hope to God
I am relying on luck and divine intervention.

I knock on wood and pray with all I've got
I am doing everything I can to ensure good luck.

Cross my bow with a cannonball
I am facing a formidable challenge.

I see the writing on the wall hey
I am aware of the inevitable outcome.

There's no map and there's no clue
I am lost and directionless.

Of where to go and what to do
I am uncertain about my path forward.

Yea who to dog who to ride and who to hold
I am unsure about who to trust and rely on.

Forever by your side (x2)
I want to be close to someone I can rely on.

Mary won't you call my name (x2)
I am calling out for help and support.

I fell into the hands of a rich man's daughter
I am in a situation where wealth and power are dominant.

She led me like a lamb no bother
I am being taken advantage of.