Oh “John” - Why Don’t You Have Some Sense?
And then this came up. Now.
A “John & Mary Saga: Post - Read and listen to the first post here.
"Mary" by
“The 4 of Us”, - The Four of Us.
Mary’s got a new job
She’s working in the bank
Making lots of money and giving it to Frank
Frank’s her married boyfriend
Been that way for a year
Slapped her in the face once
But says he loves her dear
Oh Mary, why don’t you have some sense
Please do something to restore my confidence
He’s met another woman
And traveling on his own
He wrote a loving message and left it by the phone
Mary still knows nothing
As innocent as snow
Everyone has heard the truth but no one lets it show
Oh Mary, why don’t you have some sense
Please do something to restore my confidence
Let it go
Mary’s got a new job
She’s working for herself
Making lots of money
And thinking of her health
She’s colder than November
As hard as she would will
There are times I lie there thinking
I miss the warm days still
Oh Mary, why don’t you have some sense
Please do something to restore my confidence
Oh Mary, why don’t you have some sense
Please do something to restore my confidence
Let it go
Released in 1989, is a narrative song about a naive woman involved in a toxic relationship with a married man named Frank, contrasted with her later, more hardened independence.
It explores themes of unrequited love, jealousy, and social observation, inspired by songwriter Brendan Murphy's youthful, unrequited obsession with a classmate.
Key Lyrics and Meaning:
"Mary's got a new job... giving it to Frank / Frank's her married boyfriend": Mary is naive, wasting her resources on a man who is emotionally and physically abusive ("slapped her in the face") and unfaithful ("He's met another woman").
"Everyone has heard the truth but no one lets it show": The community is aware of the unfair situation but remains silent, leaving Mary isolated in her ignorance.
"Mary's got a new job... She's colder than November": Following the breakup, Mary transforms into a self-sufficient, hardened individual, having learned a painful lesson.
"Oh Mary, why don't you have some sense": The narrator expresses frustration and a desire for Mary to recognize her own worth and break free from her toxic situation.
And yes - The video really is 3 minutes and 33 seconds long!
Could you make this Sh*t up?