Unexpected Visitor Lyrics
Unexpected Visitor
[CAIT]Oh, happy, happy is the maid
Who's born of beauty free
For it is ma rosy dimpled cheeks
That's been the devil to me
[BETTY, spoken]
Cait sang this ballad to console herself, as she held on tight to a secret
[CAIT]
Here in ma body
I feel in ma body
An unwelcome change
An unwelcome visitor
Fear in ma body
I dinna want it here in ma body
This unwelcome change
This unwelcome visitor
How do ye cast away
What is a gift fae God?
With every new moon ye pray
Tae the heavens "No"
Oh, but the walls hae eyes
Oh, an th? walls hae ears
So wher? are yer darkest fears
Tae go?
Oh, no place I can turn
Tak this from me
Oh, fires in me burn
An I canna sleep at night
And as Mary rode into Edinburgh Town
The city for to see
The bailiff's wife an the provost's wife
Said, "Ach, an alas for thee."
"Ye need not weep for me," she cried
"Ye need not weep for me;
For had I not slain ma ain wee babe
This death I would not dee."
[BETTY, spoken]
Where Cait learned this song 'The Four Marys' I couldn't tell ya. But what I do know is that three generations later, that same song had travelled to the Irish province of Ulster. And it was there that Cait's great granddaughter Jean sang it to a passin sailor boy
[JEAN]
Last nicht there were four Marys
This nicht there'll be but three
There was Mary Seaton and Mary Beaton
Mary Carmichael and me
[SHONA, spoken]
Canna believe ye sung him The Four Marys. It's no exactly love sang o the year Jean
[JEAN, spoken]
He liked the sang
[SHONA, spoken]
Goin wi a man who's in and oot like the tide. If yer no careful ye'll wind up wi a bairn in yer belly and naeb'dy on land to pay for it. And whit then, eh?
Jean?
[JEAN]
Here in ma body
I feel in ma body
An unexpected change
An unexpected visitor
[SHONA, spoken]
Jean, don't kid me on
[JEAN]
Here in ma body
Lik the watter, clear in ma body
This unexpected change
This unexpected visitor
[SHONA, spoken]
So when's he back?
[JEAN, spoken]
He's no comin back. It was a guid night aye, but he's no fit tae be a faither
[SHONA, spoken]
We have tae tell Ma
[JEAN, spoken]
No
[SHONA, spoken]
She'll talk to Murray's maw, he's aye fancied ye
[JEAN, spoken]
I'm no marryin Murray McQueelan
[SHONA, spoken]
Then she'll haund it oer tae somebody who can keep it
[JEAN]
How could I cast away
A gift o the greatest kind?
Sent wi a sang on the tide
It's meant tae be
Under divided skies
Where hunger and hatred thrives
Somethin pure is growin
In me
Oh, in this world o rage
I need one thing to cling to
Oh, one thing I can change
One thing to give me hope at night
[SHONA, spoken]
Ma an Da willna keep it in the hoose
[JEAN, spoken]
Then I'll leave
[SHONA, spoken]
An stay in a haystack? Nae work, nae sheep, nae silver. And naebody'll take ye in wi'oot a man, Jean. The hale toon'll shun ye. Shame on the hale femly
[JEAN, spoken]
See if I care!
[SHONA, spoken]
Ye're on yer ain then
[JEAN]
Hullo
Hullo there
Hullo
Hullo ye wee rascal
[CAIT]
Here in ma body
[JEAN]
Here in ma body
[CAIT]
Under ma skin
[JEAN]
I feel you
[CAIT]
I feel in ma body
[JEAN]
Hello
[CAIT]
An unwelcome change
[JEAN]
Who are you?
[CAIT]
An unwelcome visitor
[JEAN]
I'll be here to welcome you wi open arms
[CAIT]
Fear in ma body
[JEAN]
Here in ma body
[CAIT, JEAN]
It is here so
Clear in ma body
[CAIT]
This unwelcome change
[JEAN]
Soft an sweet an strange
[CAIT]
This unwelcome
[CAIT, JEAN]
Visitor
Oh
[CAIT]
No place I can turn
[JEAN]
The ocean, she sent you to me
[CAIT, JEAN]
Oh
[CAIT]
Fires in me burn
[JEAN]
Ocean can you
[CAIT, JEAN]
Hear me
[JEAN]
Oh, let us both be free
No one will
[CAIT, JEAN]
Tak this God-send
Oh
[CAIT]
Kill this flame in me
[CAIT, JEAN]
Or I will never sleep at night
[BETTY, spoken]
Two young women. Over a hundred years apart, in different countries but linked by bloodline. And linked by the words of this old ballad 'The Four Marys'
[CAIT, JEAN]
Oh happy happy is the lass
Who's born of beauty free
Oh, it is ma rosy dimpled cheeks
That's been the ruin of me