Mary Riley
The Bollox Lyrics
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With fire in her eyes
And as she dances in the moonlight
She drives me wild
She had seven brothers
And boy did they like to fight
And I'm not much to look at
As I crawl along her back porch
I hope I don't make no noise
A light comes on the door swings open
And out come seven boys
They know what I'm here for
This is not their first time
We warned ya Paddy Murphy
Ah yeah and this is the last time
Oh I say
Mary please don't break my heart
Mary please don't break my heart
Mary you are the one
Mary you are the one for me
Mary you are the one
Mary you are the one
The one the one the one
Well I've been hiding in the courtyard
What seems like 30 days and 30 nights
And as I glance across the ridge way
I see about five of those Riley boys
Well they come at me with a vengeance
And I strike them down with spite
Well here comes six and seven
Boy I'm feelin' riley tonight!
Mary please don't break my heart
Mary please don't break my heart
Mary you are the one
Mary you are the one for me
Mary you are the one
Mary you are the one
The one the one the one
There goes Mary Riley
With fire in her eyes
And as she dances in the moonlight
She drives me wild
She had seven brothers
And boy did they like to fight
And I'm not much to look at
But I killed them all last night!
The Bollox's song "Mary Riley" tells the story of a man who is infatuated with a woman named Mary Riley, despite the fact that she has seven brothers who are prone to violence. The lyrics suggest that the singer is not physically imposing, but is willing to fight for Mary's affections.
As the song progresses, the singer sneaks onto Mary's back porch, only to be confronted by her seven brothers, who are aware of his intentions. Despite warnings from Paddy Murphy (presumably a mutual friend or acquaintance), the singer continues to pursue Mary, even as the Riley brothers attack him one by one. The final verse suggests that the singer has killed all seven of Mary's brothers in the name of love.
The lyrics to "Mary Riley" are a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of a romantic obsession turned violent. The song's narrator seems to be aware of the absurdity of his situation, but is unable to resist the allure of Mary's beauty and charm.
Line by Line Meaning
There goes Mary Riley
The introduction to Mary Riley, the subject of the song
With fire in her eyes
Describing Mary's intense and passionate personality
And as she dances in the moonlight
Painting a picture of Mary's free-spirited and carefree nature
She drives me wild
Expressing the singer's strong attraction and desire for Mary
She had seven brothers
Revealing an important detail about Mary's family and background
And boy did they like to fight
Highlighting that Mary's brothers are known to be aggressive and violent
And I'm not much to look at
Admitting the singer's lack of physical attractiveness
But I'll muscle up tonight
The singer is determined to prove himself to Mary despite his appearance
As I crawl along her back porch
Describing the singer's attempt to secretly approach Mary's home
I hope I don't make no noise
The singer is worried about drawing attention to himself and alerting Mary's brothers
A light comes on the door swings open
Climax of the story, the singer gets caught by Mary's family
And out come seven boys
All of Mary's brothers are present and ready to confront the singer
They know what I'm here for
Mary's brothers are aware of the singer's intentions
This is not their first time
Mary's brothers have dealt with situations like this before
We warned ya Paddy Murphy
The singer has been warned before about getting involved with Mary Riley
Ah yeah and this is the last time
Mary's family is not going to tolerate the singer's advances any longer
Oh I say
An expression of fear and disbelief from the singer
Mary please don't break my heart
The singer pleads with Mary to spare him from harm
Mary you are the one
The singer reaffirms his love and devotion to Mary despite the present danger
Well I've been hiding in the courtyard
The singer escapes and hides but is later found by Mary's brothers
What seems like 30 days and 30 nights
An exaggeration to emphasize the singer's prolonged ordeal
And as I glance across the ridge way
The singer is still trying to evade Mary's brothers but realizes that they are still on his track
I see about five of those Riley boys
More of Mary's brothers are pursuing the singer
Well they come at me with a vengeance
The brothers are full of anger and intensity as they approach the singer
And I strike them down with spite
The singer fights back and beats the brothers in a physical altercation
Well here comes six and seven
The final confrontation with Mary's last two brothers
Boy I'm feelin' riley tonight!
The singer is confident and emboldened after successfully defending himself
Mary you are the one
The singer repeats his love for Mary
Mary you are the one for me
The singer sees Mary as his ideal partner
Mary you are the one
The singer repeats his feelings once again
The one the one the one
Emphasizing the importance of Mary in the singer's life
Contributed by Dylan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.