Mary's Song

Track 2 of Heart Songs

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ABOUT THIS SONG

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release date: November 3, 2020
length: 3 min 36 sec
music and lyrics: Chris Tong
vocals: Chris Tong
musical arrangement: Chris Tong
ISRC: QZNWQ2083410
UPC: 195756549184
instruments: piano, violin, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, music box

Mary's Song was one of the first songs I wrote. I was 18. The "Mary" in the song didn't yet exist in my life, so I put the song "in my closet", without playing it for anyone. I would have to wait many years for Mary to finally appear! And since then... "We've been together every day, and each day I've loved you more."



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LYRICS

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MARY'S SONG

When I was small, I used to dream
that I would become a king.
Then I grew up and it came to seem
that dreams didn't mean a thing.
But. . .

Last year, the neighbors moved away
and fairy tales do come true —
'cause the day you came,
I heard your name,
and I named my song for you.
And the day you came,
someone spoke your name,
and I named this song for you.

Mary, my Mary,
our spring has returned once again.
Green grass is growing —
let's hope it will never end.
Softly. . . sing softly. . .
of castles beyond the sea.
There's no time to cry —
time keeps flowing by. . .
sail across it with me.

We've been together every day,
and each day I've loved you more.
Searching the world for the perfect girl,
I fell in love with the girl next door.
Funny it may seem. . . please don't laugh.
I sing it from me to you:
but I love you so
I think you should know
I would spend my life with you.
And I love you so
I think you should know
I will spend my life with you.

Mary, my Mary,
our spring has returned once again.
Green grass is growing —
let's hope it will never end.
Softly. . . sing softly. . .
of castles beyond the sea.
There's no time to cry —
time keeps flowing by. . .
sail across it with me.
There's no time to cry —
time keeps flowing by. . .
sail beyond time with me.



Previous Track: Space Girl 2

Next Track: She

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ADDITIONAL NOTES

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LYRICS: This song touches lightly on deep subjects, pointing to a place beyond the "sea" of time and space: "castles beyond the sea", where everyone is a "king" in feeling and the grass is always green (there are no endings and no suffering). At the end of the song, the singer invites Mary to find that place with him. . . This is not only an invitation for Mary to spend her life with him: "sail across time with me"; but a spiritual invitation to find a way together beyond time, endings, and separation: "sail beyond time with me."

I hope this open-hearted song transports you to an out-of-the-ordinary place, if only for a moment!

MUSIC: Musically, the song is innovative in combining calypso/tresillo rhythm (breaking the 8 beats in a measure into 3-3-2) with piano stylings inspired by Bach, Beethoven, and music boxes.