Pop Rock Music

Well, can’t let 4/20 go by without a song or two for the occasion. The song “Along Comes Mary” was the first big hit for The Association. Recorded and released in 1966, it went to #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and #9 on the U.S. Cashbox Chart. The Mary named in the song refers to marijuana rather than a girl, and, of course, that made the song controversial. “Along Comes Mary” was written by Tandyn Almer, who wrote and produced songs for a number of groups during the 1960s and 1970s, including The Association, The Beach Boys, The Purple Giant, The Garden Club, and Dennis Olivieri. (A tidbit of Tandyn Almer trivia is that he invented a waterpipe called the Slave-Master, which has been described as the perfect bong.) “Along Comes Mary” was on The Association’s debut album titled And Then…Along Comes the Association.

The Association formed in California and had songs in the folk rock and soft rock genres. Some of their hits include “Windy,” “Cherish,” and “Never My Love.” In 1967, they were the lead-off band at the Monterey Pop Festival. The group has had changes in its membership of the years, but in 1966, The Association consisted of Gary “Jules” Alexander (guitar, vocals), Russ Giguere (guitar, vocals), Terry Kikman (keyboards, vocals), Brian Cole (bass, vocals), Ted Bluechel (drums, vocals), and Larry Ramos (guitar, vocals). The group still tours and performs.

Here are the lyrics to “Along Comes Mary”:

“Every time I think that I’m the only one who’s lonely
Someone calls on me
And every now and then I spend my time at rhyme and verse
And curse those faults in me

And then along comes Mary
And does she want to give me kicks, and be my steady chick
And give me pick of memories
Or maybe rather gather tales from the fails and tribulations
No one ever sees

When we met I was sure out to lunch
Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

When vague desire is the fire in the eyes of chicks
Whose sickness is the games they play
And when the masquerade is played and neighbor folks make jokes
At who is most to blame today

And then along comes Mary
And does she want to set them free, and let them see reality
From where she got her name
And will they struggle much, when told that such a tender touch of hers
Will make them not the same

When we met I was sure out to lunch
Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch

And when the morning of the warning’s passed, the gassed and flaccid kids
Are flung across the stars
The psychodramas and the traumas gone
The songs are left unsung and hung upon the scars

And then along comes Mary
And does she want to see the stains, the dead remains of all the pains
She left the night before
Or will their waking eyes, reflect the lies, and make them realize
Their urgent cry for sight no more

When we met I was sure out to lunch
Now my empty cup tastes as sweet as the punch
Sweet as the punch, sweet as the punch
Sweet as the punch, sweet as the punch”

If you are interested in reading about and listening to other song by The Association: “Cherish” and “Windy.”

Check Out The Groove Pad for More 1960s Music

The Pass the Paisley Groove Pad is a resting stop, a place to chill out and listen to the featured song on the stereo. If the mood strikes you, click on the juke box to access and listen to the 40+ songs there. The TV has several channels, with selections updated twice a week. Every now and then, Pass the Paisley hosts an all-request of 1960s and 1970s songs for a Be-In at the juke box in the Groove Pad. Keep on truckin’. Hope you enjoyed “Along Comes Mary” by The Association.