Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: folk
Song Meaning of “Mary Mac” by Great Big Sea
Mary Mac, by Great Big Sea, is an upbeat and catchy traditional Irish folk song. It tells the tale of a young woman named Mary Mac, a loner who guards her heart fiercely. She has experienced a lost love and is mourning its loss. Mary Mac’s virtue and loyalty are the staples of her character and prevent her from giving away her heart easily.
The song starts with a bright and cheerful introduction that reflects Mary Mac’s outward cheerful character, despite her inner hurt. The chorus reveals the irony of Mary Mac’s situation, “she’ll never be a bride, still she’s loved by someone”. She has an admirer who loves her but can’t bring himself to fully commit. Despite knowing how much he loves her, he ultimately lets Mary Mac go. The song speaks to the sorrow of watching a love you can’t be a part of come and go; of stirring up raw emotion while knowing it has a predetermined ending.
The third verse of the song adds a bit of comedic relief as Mary Mac recites the colorful names of the admirers who dared to strike up a relationship with her. Each name is a reflection of the previous failed relationship. This begins an interesting dance of simultaneous tenderness and bouncy joyfulness that moves the song along, despite its underlying sadness.
The final lines of the song, “let me be like Mary Mac, the same as ever she will be, so true in love and loyal to friends”, express a deep sense of reverence for Mary Mac. Here, the singer celebrates Mary Mac’s strength and her powerful commitment to the people and ideals she holds close.
Mary Mac is an emotionally rich and lyrically sound song. The bittersweet melody speaks to the complexity of love and the inner strength it takes to protect your heart. In the end, the song can remind us all to be true to ourselves and to those we love.