Mary Mack is a Scottish folk song, and is also a

patter song The patter song is characterised by a moderately fast to very fast tempo with a rapid succession of rhythmic patterns in which each syllable of text corresponds to one note. It is a staple of comic opera, especially Gilbert and Sullivan, but it ...

, often sung not only with a rapid to very rapid

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

but increasing toward the end.

Recordings

The definitive version of Mary Mack is, perhaps, the live version on the 1977 double album "Makem & Clancy Concert," performed live at National Stadium Dublin by the late great Irish troubadours, Tommy Makem and Liam Clancy. "Mary Mac" has long been a fixture of Richmond, Virginia band

Carbon Leaf Carbon Leaf is a quintet from Richmond, Virginia, known for their alt-country, Celtic, and folk-infused indie rock. Though some of the band members have changed through the years, Carbon Leaf has been consistently creating and performing music ...

's live sets. A studio recording appears on their 2001 album '' Echo Echo'' and a live recording on their 2003 album ''

5 Alive! ''5 Alive!'' is the first live album released by the band Carbon Leaf. It was recorded over five concerts in the autumn and winter of 2002 and released in 2003 on the band's own label, Constant Ivy Music. It is their last release on their own la ...

''. Another recording was done by

Great Big Sea Great Big Sea was a Canadian folk rock band from Newfoundland and Labrador, best known for performing energetic rock interpretations of traditional Newfoundland folk songs including sea shanties, which draw from the island's 500-year Irish, Scot ...

on their 1995 album '' Up'', which is well-known throughout Canada. Another recording was done by

Fiddler's Green (band) Fiddler's Green is a German band that plays Irish folk music. Formed in 1990, their first concert under the name of Fiddler's Green was at the Newcomer-Festival in Erlangen in November 1990. Their debut album entitled "Fiddler's Green" was relea ...

on their 1998 album Spin Around, which was recorded in Los Angeles.

Lyrics

:There's a nice wee lass an her name is Mary Mack :Mak nae mistake, she's the miss I'm gaun tae tak :There's a lot o ither chaps wha would get up on her track :But I'm thinkin they'll hae tae get up early. :Chorus: :Mary Mack's faither's makin Mary Mack mairy me :My faither's makin me mairy Mary Mack :An I'm gaun tae mairy Mary tae get mairrit an tak care o me :We'll aw be makin merry when I mairy Mary Mack :Chorus :This wee lass she haes a lot of brass :She haes a lot of gas, her faither thinks I'm class :An I'd be a silly ass tae let the matter pass :For her faither thinks she suits me fairly. :Chorus :Noo Mary an her mither gang an awful lot thegither :In fact you niver see the wan, or the wan withoot the ither :An the fellows often wonder if its Mary or her mither :Or the baith o them thegether that I'm courtin. :Chorus :Noo the weddin day's on Wednesday an everythin's arranged :Her name will soon be changed tae mine, unless her mind be changed :An we're makin the arrangements, faith, I'm just aboot deranged :For mairriage is an awfu undertakin. :Chorus :It's sure tae be a grand affair an grander than a fair :A coach an pair for rich an poor an every pair that's there :We'll dine upon the finest fare, I'm sure tae get ma share :If I don't we'll aw be very much mistaken. :Chorus There are many renditions of this song: Here are the lyrics to another version, with mother instead of father in the chorus: Chorus :Mary Mack's mother's making Mary Mack marry me, :My mother's making me marry Mary Mack. :I'm gonna marry Mary so my Mary will take care O' me, :We'll all be feeling merry when I marry Mary Mack. :Now there's a nice wee lass and her name is Mary Mack, :Make no mistake she's the girl I gonna take, :And a lot of other fella's would get upon her track, :but I'm thinkin' they'll have to get up early. :Chorus :Now this wee lass she has a lot of cash, :She has a lot of brass...her father thinks I'm gas, :I'd be a silly ass to let the matter pass, :Her father thinks she suits me very fairly. :Chorus :Now Mary and her mother gang an awful lot together, :In fact you hardly ever see the one without the other, :And all the fella's wonder is it Mary or her mother, :Or both of them together that I'm courtin'. :Chorus :Now the weddin' day 's on Wednesday and everything's arranged, :Her name will soon be changed to mine unless her mind be changed, :I'm making the arrangements I'm just about derranged :For marriage is an awful undertaking :Chorus

External links

Lyrics
Scottish folk songs Songs about marriage Great Big Sea songs {{folk-song-stub