[Verse 1]
Mary's eyes are startling blue
And her hair's Newcastle gold
And she walks the fine white line
Between the body and the soul
She's as faithful to her history
As a novice to his fast
For she stands upon the bones of Ireland's past
[Chorus]
She is singing of the Troubles
And a fire in the land
'Til I can almost feel the famine
Slipping through my trembling hand
And I wonder as I hear her
That the spirit still shines through
And she can reach across the ocean deep
And break my heart in two
[Verse 2]
Mary's wise as she is foolish
She's as constant as the tide
It's a woman's heart that beats beneath
That stubborn Irish pride
We are saints and we are sinners
We are heroes, we are thieves
But we are all of us beginners
On the road to Galilee
[Chorus]
We are singing of the Troubles
And a fire in the land
'Til I can almost feel the famine
Slipping through my trembling hand
And I wonder as I hear her
That the spirit still shines through
And she can reach across the ocean deep
And break my heart in two
[Verse 3]
So let us hoist a pint of silence
To the east where Ireland lies
And we'll gaze across the waters
For a glimpse of Mary's eyes
We are ships without a harbor
We are sailors on dry land
And the song goes on forever
Even though the record can't
[Chorus]
We are singing of our Troubles
And a fire in the land
'Til I can almost feel the famine
Slipping through my trembling hands
And I wonder as I hear her
How the spirit still shines through
And she can reach across the ocean deep
And break my heart in two
Other Janis Ian songs:
all Janis Ian songs all songs from 2004