Song Lyric Sunday —Along Comes Mary

Fandango

For this week’s Song Lyric Sunday, Jim Adams has given us the names Maria, Marie, and Mary as the theme. I chose the song “Along Cones Mary by the Association.

“Along Comes Mary” was composed by Tandyn Almer, an American songwriter, musician, and record producer, for the American pop/rock group, the Association. It was recorded in 1966 and released on the Association’s debut album And Then… Along Comes the Association. It was their first hit and reached number seven on the U.S. charts.

There was a lot of speculation regarding what this song was about. Some believed it was a “slice of life” song about a man troubled by all the corruption of his “world.” Then along comes Mary. At first she seems pure as the driven snow. But then he starts to see her as a heartbreaker who uses men and tosses them aside. The song serves as a warning to other men to stay away from Mary, if they can.

Others interpreted the song to be about marijuana, which is also known as “Mary Jane.” And some believed the lyrics were about Mary as the virgin mother.

I used to love this song when it came out, but I never really paid that much attention to the lyrics. Now reading them, they don’t make a whole lot of sense to me.

So listen to the song, read the lyrics, and let me know what you think. Is it about a girl named Mary, marijuana, the Virgin Mary, or just a word salad set to music?

Every time I think that I’m the only one who’s lonely
Someone calls on me
And every now and then I spend my time in rhyme and verse
And curse those faults in me

And then along comes Mary
And does she want to give me kicks , and be my steady chick
And give me pick of memories
Or maybe rather gather tales of all the fails and tribulations
No one ever sees

When we met I was sure out to lunch
Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

When vague desire is the fire in the eyes of chicks
Whose sickness is the games they play
And when the masquerade is played and neighbor folks make jokes
As who is most to blame today

And then along comes Mary
And does she want to set them free, and let them see reality
From where she got her name
And will they struggle much when told that such a tender touch as hers
Will make them not the same

When we met I was sure out to lunch
Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

And when the morning of the warning’s passed, the gassed
And flaccid kids are flung across the stars
The psychodramas and the traumas gone
The songs are left unsung and hung upon the scars

And then along comes Mary
And does she want to see the stains, the dead remains of all the pains
She left the night before
Or will their waking eyes reflect the lies, and make them
Realize their urgent cry for sight no more

When we met I was sure out to lunch
Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

18 thoughts on “Song Lyric Sunday —Along Comes Mary”

  4. aisasami June 21, 2020 / 8:29 am

    I actually heard a cover of this song before by The Manhattan Transfer. I had this on my playlist for a long time but it came up again on random play. The original is superb but I loooooooooooove The Manhattan Transfer!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Maggie June 21, 2020 / 8:31 am

    I had this album with all the words to the songs printed inside the cover. When I was trying to sing along, I remember thinking it was too fast to sing along with. I never gave it much thought, but then I was a naive kid, so I probably thought it was just about some girl. Interesting.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. newepicauthor June 21, 2020 / 9:42 am

    Mary gives him comfort and improves his life, but his love for Mary erased some of his memory and all that remains is haunted remnants of the sweet punch that was in his cup.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  7. 🇪🇺 Bee Halton June 21, 2020 / 12:43 pm

    I just heard another version of this song. I prefer your version 🙋‍♀️🐝

    Like

    Reply
    • Fandango June 21, 2020 / 6:39 pm

      There are at least 2-3 covers of the songs, but I agree, the original is the best.

      Like

      Reply
  9. Renard Moreau June 21, 2020 / 9:29 pm

    🙂 Damn! That is one great song, Fandango!

    I never knew that the Associates existed and I thought that I knew a whole lot about rock music from the sixties.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    • Fandango June 21, 2020 / 10:58 pm

      They had some big hits back then, including “Windy,” “Cherish,” and “Never My Love” in addition to “Along Comes Mary.”

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  10. msjadeli June 21, 2020 / 9:58 pm

    You’re right, Fandango, it doesn’t really matter if the words have meaning or not, it’s the way it is put together that makes what I see as word salad so tasty.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  11. leigha66 June 23, 2020 / 2:55 am

    I had never paid attention to the lyrics before… I vote for a word salad, well tossed with just the right amount of harmony.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

Leave a comment