The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Who's got the funk
When you're feeling low down
Who's going to love you
When there's no one else around
Who's going to help you
Especially when you're sick
Loving Mary
I need you quick
She knows and she gives her everything
She knows and she can do her thing
She knows and she tries her best
She knows, oh, you know she knows
Who's got the junk
When you're feeling low down
Who's going to give
When there's none to go around
Who's going to help you
When you feel you've had enough
Mother Mary
This child, this rose
But loving Mary
Do you feel the pain?
I'm falling down
And I can't get up again
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Just a striped guitar reaction
Who's going to help you
Especially when you're ill
Loving Mary
I hope you will
But loving Mary
Do you feel the pain?
I'm falling down
And I can't get up again
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Mother Mary, is there nothing you can do?
When you're feeling low down
Who's going to love you
When there's no one else around
Who's going to help you
Especially when you're sick
Loving Mary
I need you quick
She knows and she gives her everything
She knows and she can do her thing
She knows and she tries her best
She knows, oh, you know she knows
Who's got the junk
When you're feeling low down
Who's going to give
When there's none to go around
Who's going to help you
When you feel you've had enough
Mother Mary
This child, this rose
But loving Mary
Do you feel the pain?
I'm falling down
And I can't get up again
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Just a striped guitar reaction
Who's going to help you
Especially when you're ill
Loving Mary
I hope you will
But loving Mary
Do you feel the pain?
I'm falling down
And I can't get up again
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Do ya, do ya, do ya
Mother Mary, is there nothing you can do?
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
She Knows Lyrics as written by William Scott Gorham Philip Parris Lynott
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Magical
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
How would you describe the feeling of being in love? For Ed Sheeran, the word is “Magical.” in HIS three-minute album opener, he makes an attempt to capture the beauty and delicacy of true love with words. He describes the magic of it all over a bright Pop song produced by Aaron Dessner.
Blue
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
This song is rumored to be a song for Mary the older sister of a woman I once knew. Mary was a few years older than Phil and her husband was a biker in Dublin in the 60s and 70s. Mary was a nurse and had access to narcotics. She was a source when things dried up on the streets for her friends. My friend and I went to a Thin Lizzy concert in San Francisco post Phil, we were brought backstage. She knew Scott and John Sykes quite well.
@Luperwolf That's a great story. I wish I would have had the cool pleasure of meeting those 2 great guitar players Too! I love all their sons, from their humble 3 man beginning to as of late. Rock On!