Sonny Lyrics
Mary BlackMusic Video
Sonny
Sonny lives on a farm in a wide open space
Take off your shoes, stay out of the race
Lay down your head by the soft river bed
Sonny always remembers the words mama said
Sonny, don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your daddy's a sailor, never comes home
Nights are so long, silence goes on
I'm feeling so tired, not all that strong
Sonny works on the land though he's barely a man
There's not much to do, but he does what he can
Sits by his window in his room by the stairs
Watching the waves drifting soft on the pier
Sonny, don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your daddy's a sailor, never comes home
Nights are so long, silence goes on
I'm feeling so tired, not all that strong
[Instrumental]
Many years have rolled on, Sonny's old and alone
His daddy's a sailor, never came home
Sometimes he wonders what his life might have been
Still from the grave, mama's voice haunts his dreams
Sonny, don't go away, I'm here all alone
Your daddy's a sailor, never comes home
Nights are so long, silence goes on
I'm feeling so tired, not all that strong
Sonny, don't go away...
Song Details
🎶 Songwriter: Ron Hynes (1950–2015) - a Canadian singer‑songwriter from Newfoundland and one of the most respected voices in modern folk music. His best‑known work, originally written as “Sonny’s Dream,” became internationally recognised through Mary Black’s recording under the shortened title Sonny.
📝 Song Brief: The story about a young man whose life is shaped by responsibility and loss. The lyrics follow Sonny from youth to old age, tied to his rural home and to the emotional needs of his mother, who fears being left alone after her husband — a sailor who never returns — disappears from their lives.
🎻 Genre: Contemporary Folk Ballad
👥 Covers: Mary Black, Emmylou Harris & Dolores Keane; Christy Moore; Dan McCabe; Liam Clancy; Hamish Imlach; Susan McCann; Gearoid McCarthy, Kilkenny Krew and others.
🎤 Featured Artist: Mary Black
💿 Album: A Woman's Heart
Released: Aug 14, 1992
Country: Ireland
Format: CD, Cassette, Digital Download
Label: Dolphin Records
Note: This is a various‑artists compilation album featuring Mary Black, Dolores Keane, Sharon Shannon, Frances Black, and others.
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