My Mary
Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Strolling down memory lane
I'm walkin' again those familiar paths
Dreaming those dreams again
And I can always see my sweetheart
Just as she used to be
Waiting for someone at the garden gate
And I know that someone is me
And you'd tell that's Mary
Rosy cheeks and ruby lips
Can't you tell that's Mary?
Oft times in the evenings
We'd go strolling
Hand in hand together
Beneath the pepper tree
And I can feel her hand in mine
As I sit alone tonight
Dreaming of the times I spent with Mary
Oft times in the evenings
We'd go strolling
Hand in hand together
Beneath the pepper tree
And I can feel her hand in mine
As I sit alone tonight
Dreaming of the times I spent with Mary
Oh, gee, wouldn't it be wonderful
To open up the doors of the past
And live again as yesterday?
But you know no matter where I wander
No matter where I roam
There'll always be a place in my heart, boys
For a girl away back, for a girl that
I used to call Mary
The lyrics to Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard's song "My Mary" are a wistful reflection on the past and the enduring memory of a lost love. The singer takes a nightly stroll down memory lane, dreaming of his former sweetheart, Mary. He remembers her big brown eyes, pearly hair, rosy cheeks, and ruby lips. He speaks of the times they spent together, strolling hand in hand beneath the pepper tree. As he sits alone tonight, he can feel her hand in his, and he longs for the chance to live again as yesterday. He knows that no matter where he goes in life, there will always be a place in his heart for Mary.
The song evokes a sense of nostalgia and longing for a bygone era. The lyrics are simple but heartfelt, and Nelson and Haggard's vocals convey the yearning and melancholy of the singer's memories. The use of the pepper tree as a recurring image is effective in creating a sense of place and time, and adding to the overall nostalgic theme of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I take a trip every evening
Every night, I revisit old memories of my past
Strolling down memory lane
I walk familiar paths of my past
I'm walkin' again those familiar paths
I am retracing my steps and revisiting those cherished moments
Dreaming those dreams again
In my mind, I relive those dreams and aspirations
And I can always see my sweetheart
In my memories, I visualise my lover
Just as she used to be
In my mind, I see her just the way she was
Waiting for someone at the garden gate
I can see her waiting for me at the garden gate
And I know that someone is me
I am aware that she is waiting for me
Big brown eyes and pearly hair
She had beautiful big brown eyes and pearly hair
And you'd tell that's Mary
You could easily recognise it was Mary
Rosy cheeks and ruby lips
Her cheeks were rosy, and her lips were ruby red
Can't you tell that's Mary?
Can't you see it is Mary?
Oft times in the evenings
Often in the evenings
We'd go strolling
We used to take walks
Hand in hand together
We held hands together
Beneath the pepper tree
We used to sit under the pepper tree
And I can feel her hand in mine
I still feel the touch of her hand in mine
As I sit alone tonight
As I sit here by myself tonight
Dreaming of the times I spent with Mary
I am lost in thoughts of the moments I spent with Mary
Oh, gee, wouldn't it be wonderful
It would be amazing
To open up the doors of the past
If we could revisit the past
And live again as yesterday?
And relive those moments again?
But you know no matter where I wander
Regardless of where I am
No matter where I roam
No matter where I go
There'll always be a place in my heart, boys
There will always be a spot in my heart, my friends
For a girl away back, for a girl that I used to call Mary
For a girl from long ago, for the girl I used to call Mary
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JIMMIE DAVIS, STUART HAMBLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind