Along Comes Mary
| "Along Comes Mary" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Association | ||||
| from the album And Then... Along Comes the Association | ||||
| B-side | "Your Own Love" | |||
| Released | 8 March 1966[1] | |||
| Format | 7" | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Length | 2:45 | |||
| Label | Valiant | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Tandyn Almer | |||
| Producer(s) | Curt Boettcher[2] | |||
| The Association singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| "Along Comes Mary" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by The Bloodhound Gang | ||||
| from the album Hooray for Boobies | ||||
| Released | 1999 | |||
| Format | ||||
| Recorded | 1997 | |||
| Genre | Punk rock | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
| |||
| Producer(s) | Jimmy Pop | |||
| The Bloodhound Gang singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Along Comes Mary" on YouTube | ||||
"Along Comes Mary" is a song composed by Tandyn Almer, originally recorded in 1966 by the Association,[3] and released on their debut album And Then... Along Comes the Association. It was their first hit and reached number seven on the U.S. charts.
"Along Comes Mary" is sung from the point of view of a once-disillusioned young man talking about the "tribulations no one ever sees" and who "curse[s] those faults in me." The singer believes Mary gives him comfort and improves his life. An acquaintance of Almer claimed in an interview that "Mary" refers to marijuana, though it is unclear if Almer ever confirmed this.[4] In the Young People's Concert titled What Is a Mode? Leonard Bernstein explained that the song was composed in the Dorian mode.[5]
The song has been covered by several artists, most notably the Bloodhound Gang.
Cover versions
- In 1966, South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela included the song on his album Hugh Masekela's Next Album.
- The Baja Marimba Band's jazzy remake hit the top 100 1967.[6]
- Cal Tjader on his 1967 album Along Comes Cal.[7]
- George Benson on his 1968 album Giblet Gravy.[8]
- R. Stevie Moore 1986.[9]
- The Manhattan Transfer covered the song on their 1995 album Tonin'.[10]
- 24-7 Spyz 1996.[11]
- The Bloodhound Gang covered only the lyrics in 1997, and claimed that the song was about marijuana and wrote new music (in punk style) to accompany the theme for the Half Baked soundtrack,[12] although it later appeared on their album Hooray for Boobies. This song was released as a single in Germany, reaching number six there in 1999.
- German Blue Flames 2001.[13]
- The Guess Who 2005.[14]
- Plainsong 2005.[15]
- The Folkswingers 2007.[16]
Uses in popular culture
The Association's version appears in the 2011 movie That's What I Am.
See also
References
- ↑ "Record Details". 45cat. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
- ↑ Curt Boettcher discography
- ↑ "Show 37 - The Rubberization of Soul: The great pop music renaissance. [Part 3] : UNT Digital Library" (audio). Pop Chronicles. Digital.library.unt.edu. 1969. Retrieved 2011-04-14.
- ↑ "'Along Comes Mary' Songwriter Was A Lost Talent Of The 1960s". All Things Considered. NPR. February 19, 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.
- ↑ Young People's Concert: What Is a Mode? (transcripts) – LeonardBernstein.com. Retrieved July 21, 2018
- ↑ Best of the Baja Marimbaband – allmusic
- ↑ Along Comes Cal – allmusic
- ↑ Giblet Gravy – allmusic
- ↑ Glad Music – allmusic
- ↑ Tonin – allmusic
- ↑ 6 – allmusic
- ↑ Half Baked – allmusic
- ↑ Smash...! Boom...! Bang...!: The 60s Anthology – allmusic
- ↑ Let's Go – allmusic
- ↑ Plain Song – allmusic
- ↑ Raga rock – allmusic