Mary you're covered in roses, you're covered in ashes
You're covered in rain
You're covered in babies, you're covered in slashes
You're covered in wilderness, you're covered in stains
You cast aside the sheet, you cast aside the shroud
Of another man, who served the world proud
You greet another son, you lose another one
On some sunny day and always stay, Mary

Jesus says Mother I couldn't stay another day longer
Fly's right by me and leaves a kiss upon her face
While the angels are singin' his praises in a blaze of glory
Mary stays behind and starts cleaning up the place

Mary she moves behind me
She leaves her fingerprints everywhere
Every time the snow drifts, every time the sand shifts
Even when the night lifts, she's always there

Jesus said Mother I couldn't stay another day longer
Fly's right by me and leaves a kiss upon her face
While the angels are singin' his praises in a blaze of glory
Mary stays behind and starts cleaning up the place

Mary you're covered in roses, you're covered in ruin
you're covered in secrets
You're covered in treetops, you're covered in birds
who can sing a million songs without any words
You cast aside the sheets, you cast aside the shroud
of another man, who served the world proud
You greet another son, you lose another one
on some sunny day and always stay
Mary, Mary, Mary


Lyrics submitted by jewel20, edited by wingnut422

Mary Lyrics as written by Patricia J. Griffin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Mary song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    I first heard it by Joan Baez and later found out it was written by Patty Griffin. Mvskoke says it would be a good song for for a funeral and hearing this comes at the time of personal loss. It seems to be a hmyn to all women. Was Mary the name of her Grandmother? Her Gran, The Virgin Mary, the mothers and wives of the great men and humble carpenters are all here. It has a religious feel, 'Mary covered in roses' and 'casting aside the shroud', giving birth, raising kids, covered in ashes, slashes and rain. Where would be be without mothers, grandmothers, wives, girlfriends, lovers. In the song Pasty Griffin is maybe being personal when she says Mary moves behind her, but even then there's this sense of every woman....

    beautiful song....

    NWNMon July 26, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think this song speaks about the strength of women. Mary being the mother of Jesus, it compares her strength to that of women, and how no matter what, our mothers, sisters, wives or best friends are always there...

    Oh Mary she moves behind me She leaves her fingerprints everywhere Everytime the snow drifts, every way the sand shifts Even when the night lifts, she's always there

    mizzmoxxieon August 04, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Jweyek - I still believ that Patty's concept that came across was based on the multiple images of Mary, Jesus Mother

    Poet4lifeon August 23, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I think the most meaningful, most poignant, line in this song is, "While the angels are singin' his praises in a blaze of glory / Mary stays behind and starts cleaning up the place" She lost her son, she had to take down his body, and help prepare it and bury it after seeing him suffer the way he did. She had to deal with the grittiness of it; God and the angels did not.

    koolzieson May 12, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is a beautiful song probably written to sing at a funeral. I believe Patty has said it was written for her grandmother.

    Mvskokeon February 04, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i heard this song for the first time on "Sons of Anarchy." they played it when the mother told her son & husband that she had been raped, beaten, and left out in the cold. it made the men in her life realize how important she is. This song is beautiful. when it says "Mary stays behind and starts cleaning up the place" it sends chills all down my back. it tells what important roles mothers, or any woman, plays in the world. You should really watch that episode of Sons of Anarchy and see the totally different meaning the song takes. Im actually listening to it right now and could sit here and praise this song for another hour, but it really is the most beautiful song ive ever heard.

    ahsilalishaon March 05, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Like you I also heard this song in Sons of Anarchy and it is a very beautiful song. For me it represents the suffering of some woman around the world. The song talks about Mary the mother of Jesus and how uncelebrated she is as a women, but how important she is as a mother. Its a song that celebrates the fact that our mothers will always be there even after they are gone somehow they are there still watching over us.

    In Sons of Anarchy, that scene when the mother tells them her secret was one of the most powerful scenes Iv ever seen in a tv show. She took a sacrifice of her pride as a women and told them she was raped, but she knew they had to know. I love that scene because it shows how an event so terrible as the rape of a mother actually units the Husband and the Son just when their hatred is about to destroy the family. And for me thats has a lot of meaning.

    This song will make a beautiful funeral song. Its a very sad song, but I hope it is used to celebrate the importance of woman around the world instead.

    sopranoon July 25, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Mary is the mother of Jesus. That's who the song is about. However, I believe Patty turns Mary into something like Gaia, the earth goddess. It's the female divine principle. Yin instead of Yang. It's an ode to Yin, the feminine principle.

    How could people say it's about her grandmother? Did Patty mention that? "Jesus said, "mother I couldn't stay another day longer." " He flys right by and leaves a kiss upon her face." How much more explicit does she have to be.

    Patty equates the Virgin Mary with the Earth Goddess, Gaia. She's covered in roses, slashes, wilderness, etc. It's the earth personified as the feminine Earth Goddess, Gaia, Mary.

    jweyekon July 14, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Brandi Carlile did a wonderful live cover of this if anyone's interested: youtube.com/watch

    smokedsalmon13on June 10, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Whoever listed these lyrics should know the lyrics first. There are a few errors, but the one that most bothers me is 'meet another son", which is oh so very different from the actual lyric, "grieve another son" Know your topuc!

    Teddycudaon August 25, 2018   Link

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