Another relatively obscure one for the list, this is Mary’s Prayer by a Scottish band called Danny Wilson. In the early days of VH1, which at the time was showcasing more adult-contemporary types of hits, this song blasted onto the charts and stuck in my head. It’s a combination of the lead vocalist’s sweet voice and the pop-synth that was so prevalent in 1988.Naturally, years later the song took on a different meaning after my sister-in-law Mary suddenly passed away. In my brain I turned a song about a guy who lost his love and wanted her back at any cost into the sound of my own aching heart to have her back. Strangely, when I hear it today, I don’t have the same pangs I’d gotten in the late nineties. It’s just a pretty, repetitive song to me now. But I still like it enough to be counted on my countdown.
From the historical writing archive. Original date: November 29, 2016. Recovered from local source material; editorial review is still in progress.