Along Comes Mary
1966 single by the Association
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"Along Comes Mary" is a song composed by Tandyn Almer, originally recorded by American sunshine pop band the Association.[7] It was the group's first hit, released in March 1966 as the lead single prior to their debut album, And Then... Along Comes the Association, which appeared in July.[8]
| "Along Comes Mary" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by the Association | ||||
| from the album And Then... Along Comes the Association | ||||
| B-side | "Your Own Love" | |||
| Released | March 1966[1] | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:45 | |||
| Label | Valiant | |||
| Songwriter | Tandyn Almer | |||
| Producer | Curt Boettcher[6] | |||
| The Association singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
"Along Comes Mary" is sung from the point of view of a once-disillusioned young man talking about the "tribulations no one ever sees" and who "curse[s] those faults in me." The singer believes Mary gives him comfort and improves his life. Both Leonard Bernstein[9] and Tandyn Almer stated that Mary was a reference to marijuana; this association was also prevalent among many of the song's listeners.[10] In the Young People's Concert titled What Is a Mode? Leonard Bernstein explained that the song was composed in the Dorian mode.[11]
Charts
| Chart (1966) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| CAN RPM[12] | 8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[13] | 7 |
| US Cashbox Top 100[14] | 9 |
| US Record World Singles Chart[15] | 10 |
Bloodhound Gang version
| "Along Comes Mary" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bloodhound Gang | ||||
| from the album Hooray for Boobies | ||||
| B-side | ||||
| Released | May 24, 1999[16] | |||
| Genre | Hard rock[17] | |||
| Length | 3:20 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Composer | Jimmy Pop | |||
| Lyricist | Tandyn Almer | |||
| Producer | Jimmy Pop | |||
| Bloodhound Gang singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Along Comes Mary" on YouTube | ||||
American rock band Bloodhound Gang recorded a version of "Along Comes Mary" with new punk music to accompany the lyrics. It first appeared on the 1998 soundtrack to the film Half Baked[18] before appearing on Bloodhound Gang's third studio album, Hooray for Boobies, the following year. "Along Comes Mary" was released as the album's first single in May 1999 and reached No. 5 in Austria, No. 6 in Germany, and No. 13 in Switzerland. The song was certified gold in both Austria and Germany.
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1999) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[19] | 5 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[20] | 22 |
| Germany (GfK)[16] | 6 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[21] | 13 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[24] | Gold | 25,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[25] | Gold | 250,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
Other covers
In 1966, Hugh Masekela included the song on his album Hugh Masekela's Next Album, and in 1967, Cal Tjader covered it for his album Along Comes Cal.[26] That same year, Baja Marimba Band's had a minor hit with their cover of the song.[27] In 1968, George Benson included a version on his album Giblet Gravy,[28] and in 1986 a cover appeared on R. Stevie Moore's album Glad Music.[29]
In 1995, the Manhattan Transfer covered the song for their album Tonin',[30] and the following year, 24-7 Spyz covered it for their album 6.[31] In 2005, a cover of the song appeared on the Guess Who's compilation album Let's Go,[32] and Plainsong also released a cover on their self-titled album.[33]