While studying anthropology at Franklin and Marshall College, McNally began singing and playing guitar in clubs. After graduating and honing her skills on the streets of Paris as a busker, she secured a deal with Capitol Records in 1997. McNally was intent on making an acoustic record and entered the studio with studio professionals including Jim Keltner, Benmont Tench, and Greg Leisz. The resulting album Jukebox Sparrows was not released at the time.
In the interim, McNally opened for Stevie Nicks and Ryan Adams, and was part of the 1999 Girl's Room tour with Tara MacLean, Kendall Payne, and Amy Correia. She also modeled for Urban Decay cosmetics. In 2000, McNally issued the holdover EP Bolder Than Paradise. When Capitol finally issued Jukebox Sparrows in January 2002, it did so into a market that had already embraced such roots-flavored material as Ryan Adams and the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. McNally embarked on a press tour, and spent the summer of that year supporting John Mellencamp. In late 2002, she released the Ran on Pure Lightning EP, a collaboration with songwriter Neal Casal.
In 2005, McNally returned with the country, blues, and soul influences on the album Geronimo. The album's June release was accompanied by a summer's worth of live dates. Early 2006 saw the release of McNally's third album, North American Ghost Music. Tour dates with Son Volt also coincided its release.
McNally took off most of 2008 and 2009 after the birth of her first child. She has resumed performing and recording and toured with Dave Alvin & The Guilty Women. In 2009 she released the album Coldwater with her band Hot Sauce. McNally currently resides near Oxford, Mississippi.
In 2013, McNally released Small Town Talk, a tribute album to the songs of Bobby Charles. In an interview, McNally said that she was a longtime friend of Bobby Charles and Small Town Talk was inspired by Charles' first, self-titled album from 1973
Black Haired Boy
Shannon McNally Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And he makes no excuse for the things that he's usin'
He's gentle and wild and a child of the mountain
His words are for singing and his days are for countin'
And he's looking for a home he's scared to find
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
He's a devil in the morning and a savior at night
Tomorrow's a case of whatever's right
Lonesome and high are the things that he feels
And the cards that he plays are the ones that he deals
He's one of the chances you're entitled to take
He's one of the hearts that it's too late to break
I've seen him be sad and never know why
Seen him fall down to laugh, seen him stand up to cry
The song Black Haired Boy by Shannon McNally describes a mysterious, enigmatic man with black hair. The first verse portrays him as someone who is unapologetically using things and living wild and free like a child of the mountain. His words are only for singing, and he spends his days in leisure. He is looking for a place to belong but is hesitant to find it as he fears being accompanied by a lady and becoming drunk on white wine. The second verse continues to paint him as both a devil and a savior, hinting at his complexity as a person. Tomorrow is always an excuse for him, and he prefers being alone and high. The final verse ties everything together, revealing that this man is one of the opportunities that life presents us with, even though he may not be worth breaking hearts over. He experiences a wide range of emotions, often falling down to laugh or standing up to cry, making him all the more intriguing and unpredictable.
Line by Line Meaning
He's a black haired boy of some confusion
He's a mysterious young man with an enigmatic personality.
And he makes no excuse for the things that he's usin'
He's unapologetic for the way he lives his life.
He's gentle and wild and a child of the mountain
He's both sensitive and untamed, deeply connected to nature.
His words are for singing and his days are for countin'
He's a poetic soul who cherishes his time and measures it carefully.
And he's looking for a home he's scared to find
He's searching for a place to belong, but he's afraid of the vulnerability that comes with it.
Some lady beside him and he's drunk on white wine
He seeks comfort in the company of a woman, enjoying the escape of drinking.
He's a devil in the morning and a savior at night
He experiences extreme emotions, being both mischievous and benevolent at different times of day.
Tomorrow's a case of whatever's right
He lives life in the moment and doesn't worry about the future.
Lonesome and high are the things that he feels
He feels isolated and euphoric, experiencing intense ups and downs.
And the cards that he plays are the ones that he deals
He takes responsibility for his own actions and accepts the consequences.
He's one of the chances you're entitled to take
He's a risk worth taking, someone with whom one might have a rewarding experience.
He's one of the hearts that it's too late to break
He's been hurt before and it would be pointless to try and damage him further.
I've seen him be sad and never know why
He experiences unexplained feelings of sorrow sometimes.
Seen him fall down to laugh, seen him stand up to cry
He has emotionally complex reactions and can be unpredictable in how he expresses himself.
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.