In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
it was the year of our father 1900 and 76 in JA
when i first met my mary quite contrary to what my mother did say
she was a mountain girl come to spanish town
i was only there for a while
but when i think back on all the love we shared
i just cant quite help to smile
we spent one whole long year together
and at the end i had to go
by my mary's side i wept and cried i'd never been layed so low
she said, boy when you first met me
you were as green as a mango tree ooohh
but now you are a man go back to your land
but first listen carefully,
and you can smoke two pounds of cali herb by yourself
then try to stand on your head
no matter how high you get
you'll never forget the wonders of mary's bed
now my mary's sweet smell was in my nose
and vision it robbed me blind
and as i crossed the sea it occured to me
that i'd left myself behind
she was my natural mystic sweet sugar plum
i still ask why did i go
they say your first love's your hardest love
and i'd have to say that's so
and it's a day and another day and a way and another way
had a family once but they're gone
and it dont strike me as weird theres gray in my beard
but the words still linger on
and you can smoke two pounds of cali herb by yourself
then try to stand on your head
no matter how high you get
you'll never forget the wonders of mary's bed
now there's nothing for me left here 'cept some broken dreams
disappointments, i've had a few
and there's this place i know where the mangos grow
and there's just one thing left to do
i'll go back to my mary's bed, plant a kiss on her head
and pretend that time just stood still
and i can live out my life like it should have been
and the rest will be what it will
so i went back to the bar where we first met
i said, bartender where could she be
and as he poured me a beer he said, last year
she left this world peacefully
and every man in the bar looked at me
and they said, old man don't you see
that we were all touched by mary just like you
now she lives on in our memories
and we all can smoke two pounds of cali herb by ourselves
then try to stand on our heads
no matter how high we get
we'll never forget the wonders of mary's bed
and we can run 200 miles through a ganja field
until all we see is red and we can shout it out
we're still thinking about the wonders of mary's bed
and so we sing jump around sweet mary
you know we all have to move along
you never know what you've got in this cruel world
until you realize its gone
when i first met my mary quite contrary to what my mother did say
she was a mountain girl come to spanish town
i was only there for a while
but when i think back on all the love we shared
i just cant quite help to smile
we spent one whole long year together
and at the end i had to go
by my mary's side i wept and cried i'd never been layed so low
she said, boy when you first met me
you were as green as a mango tree ooohh
but now you are a man go back to your land
but first listen carefully,
and you can smoke two pounds of cali herb by yourself
then try to stand on your head
no matter how high you get
you'll never forget the wonders of mary's bed
now my mary's sweet smell was in my nose
and vision it robbed me blind
and as i crossed the sea it occured to me
that i'd left myself behind
she was my natural mystic sweet sugar plum
i still ask why did i go
they say your first love's your hardest love
and i'd have to say that's so
and it's a day and another day and a way and another way
had a family once but they're gone
and it dont strike me as weird theres gray in my beard
but the words still linger on
and you can smoke two pounds of cali herb by yourself
then try to stand on your head
no matter how high you get
you'll never forget the wonders of mary's bed
now there's nothing for me left here 'cept some broken dreams
disappointments, i've had a few
and there's this place i know where the mangos grow
and there's just one thing left to do
i'll go back to my mary's bed, plant a kiss on her head
and pretend that time just stood still
and i can live out my life like it should have been
and the rest will be what it will
so i went back to the bar where we first met
i said, bartender where could she be
and as he poured me a beer he said, last year
she left this world peacefully
and every man in the bar looked at me
and they said, old man don't you see
that we were all touched by mary just like you
now she lives on in our memories
and we all can smoke two pounds of cali herb by ourselves
then try to stand on our heads
no matter how high we get
we'll never forget the wonders of mary's bed
and we can run 200 miles through a ganja field
until all we see is red and we can shout it out
we're still thinking about the wonders of mary's bed
and so we sing jump around sweet mary
you know we all have to move along
you never know what you've got in this cruel world
until you realize its gone
Lyrics submitted by mrs-mojo-risin
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beautiful
This is one of my favorite songs ever, it is absolutely beautiful to listen to, great lyrics, sad story. Reminds me of being by the sea.
Am I the only one who thinks this song is about marijuana and not a girl named Mary?
yeah I thought that..I don't know though..any one else got any ideas?
well think about it, it starts off in 1976 in Jamaica when he found that he liked mary (marijuana) contrary to what his mothers been telling him growing up (don't smoke weed, it's bad) she was a mountain girl (grown in the mountains) boy when u first met met you were as green as a mango tree (you had some good weed before but now you've had real jamaican weed - now you're a man) the chorus says that you can smoke all the california weed you want but you still won't get as high as you were in JA now he's older has no more family had a few mistakes in life but he remembers a time where he was truely happy (and high) so he went back to JA and went to the bar and asked the bartender for some weed but since then it was criminalized and everyone in the bar remember the time when they all smoked it ...anyway, that's just how i hear it...
I personally dont think it matters whether or not the song is about a girl named mary or marijuana. That part is all up to interpretation. I like to think it is about this girl named mary because its just such a beautiful story. I personally think the broader meaning is more important. The song is all about not taking the things that make you happy for granted. You don't always realize how happy something makes you until its gone. So grasp hold of the things that make you happy and bring meaning to your life because if you abandon them, you are abandoning yourself along with it. It can change the course of your entire life. I think its a great message.
I can see where the marijunana references are, but I really do think they were talking about a woman. I actually think Mary was a hooker, which is why all of the men in the bar were "touched by Mary just like you". I think that when he was younger he went to Jamaica, and met this woman and spent a year with her. He didn't realize how much she meant to him until he moved back home. Despite physically moving on with his life, he never got over her. No matter how much he smoked to try to forget her, she was always in his head. He finally realized he needed her, and when he went back for her she had died.
I agree with you 100% Sweetcaitlyn! no one ever believes me its about a hooker! wicked! peace!
i used to think it was about a hooker also, but after thinking about it i think what jameskking said is probably right, great song either way
i totally see how this song could be completely about marijuana, all the references make sense...however, the lyrics seem too intense and deep to be soley about weed and not a woman...just my thoughts