So I was playing this weird game with my friend Shameeka, which involves texting song lyrics back and forth. The lyrics have some semblance of a relationship with each other, so it’s like a very funny chat which is suddenly overtly romantic and suddenly extremely angsty.

So something she sent reminded me of this song I had heard a few times on the radio, which I didn’t know by name. So I did what anybody does–I Googled it. What I searched for, of course, was ‘leave a light on in heaven for me lyrics’, and the results showed up ‘Mary’s Prayer’. And I was like, ‘What? what Mary? what prayer? this is a love song for goodness’ sakes!!’

So if I say, save me, save me

Be the light in my eyes

And if I say ten Hail Marys

Leave a light on in Heaven for me

So I tried again, adding the words ‘if i say save me’. And then I realised the song was indeed called ‘Mary’s Prayer’. So I clicked on the video link. Hey, why not. And I was confronted with this old music video by three guys proclaiming to be Danny Wilson. And was introduced to some very interesting, deep-sounding lyrics. The guy playing the double bass (Ged Grimes) looked freakishly thin. And the way he was twirling that instrument around… sigh. (Now, of course, he’s all grown up and playing the bass guitar for a rock group.)

I used to be so careless

As if I couldn’t care less

Did I have to make this mess

When I was Mary’s prayer?

Scottish band Danny Wilson, interestingly enough, had no member named Danny Wilson. It was named after a Frank Sinatra movie, and the band’s first album, ‘Meet Danny Wilson’, shared the movie’s name.

The song itself is very nice and poppy, with a memorable melody and chorus. The bass line (stick-thin Grimes!!) is simple and followable, like a good pop song’s bass line–the best kind, according to me. Can nicely follow the chords (or at least I can pretend I do.)

It’s about a girl (I’m taking a wild guess that her name was Mary) who was loved and lost, most likely due to the narrator’s own inadequacies.

Blessed is the millionaire

Who shares your wedding-day

If you want the fruit to fall

You have to give the tree a shake

If you shake the tree too hard

The bough is going to break

Help?!

But really. Pop lyrics back then were so much better than the wake-up/have-sex/party/breakup/party/get-together-again/repeat fiasco they are now. I mean, just listen to the beautiful phrasing in ABBA lyrics.

This song was one of the most popular hits of this band. It’s still played now (but then it’s my local radio station. Who knows?)

What I wouldn’t give to be

When I was Mary’s prayer

Sighhhh.

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You can watch a 30-minute live performance of Danny Wilson, interspersed with some interviews in their rich Scottish accent, here on YouTube. They’re really rather cool!