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Al Stewart

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Music > Songs

THE BALLAD OF MARY FOSTER

[Act One] 
David Foster lives in Gloucester with his family 
Works 'til pay-time, through the day-time, then comes home fortea 
Steak and kidney, then with Sydney to his club and feels free 
They close the bar, he finds his car and then goes home to sleep 
And his wife has been with Rosie, in the parlour where it's cosy 
Watching telly, doing dishes, patching pants and making wishes 
And he'll say "Bill should have wired" 
And "Not tonight dear, I'm too tired" 
And life drifts slowly by in the provinces 

Peter Foster goes to Gloucester for his first school day 
Bites his teacher, sees a preacher and is taught to pray 
Sees some birds and learns some words it's very, very rude to say 
Yes, he's rather like his father was in his young day 
And his father has discussions, holding forth about the Russians 
"Will the Red Chinese attack us?" 
"Do we need the Yanks to back us? 
"And in bed she feels his shoulder, but he grunts and just turnsover 
And life drifts slowly by in the provinces 

Wedding rings come with strings but love depends on the littlethings 
"Oh could that still be really you?" 
"Is there anything time can't do? 
David Foster's been promoted, he's a decent sort 
Peter's gone to Dad's old Public School, it's good for sport 
They've even got a private parking place down in Huntingdon Court 
Maybe soon he'll be a magistrate, the neighbours thought 
Yes, and then he'll teach the beatniks 
And the hang-around-the-streetnicks 
And the good-for-nothing loafers 
Who knock girls up on their sofas 
And his wife is quite nice, really 
Though she seems a little dreamy 
Recently... 

[Act Two 
]I was born and brought up on the east side of town 
And my earliest days they passed quickly 
I would play after school with the kids all around 
In the sun and the dust of the back streets 
Oh, all through my girlhood the war had its day 
And my daddy he would always be leaving 
So my brother and I we would sit by her side 
Telling our tales through the evening 
Oh, I grew with the days and the boys came to cal 
lIn the back shed I learned about kissing 
But I don't think my mother has noticed at all 
For we've heard that my daddy is missing 
Then my school days they were over and I went off to work 
And my mother grew quieter and greyer 
So one day I left her and went off to live 
With Billy, a saxophone player 

In our broken down attic we laughed and made love 
And all that we had we were sharing 
Oh, we slept through the day and played into the night 
God, we did as we pleased without caring 
Oh but a year's passed away and he's left me one day 
To play in a far away country 
And the sun told my eyes "You've got no place to hide" 
As I waited to be having his baby 

Oh I lived in the park and the men passed and stared 
Each wondering which one had lost her 
And one came to ask could he buy me a meal 
And he said he was called David Foster 
We were married that month and I swore to myself 
Somehow I'd pay back what I owed him 
Cooking his supper and cleaning his boots 
Yes, and kidding myself I could love him 
Oh, but now my baby is grown and he's gone out to school 
And he looks very much like his daddy 
And David has buried himself in his work 
And the time on my hands, it hangs heavy 

Oh, the neighbours they smile as we pass in the streets 
And they make their remarks on the weather 
But the butcher and baker deliver things now 
And I've stopped going out altogether 

Oh, I live by my mirror and stare in my eyes 
Trying to make out who I see there 
But I'm looking at a woman that I can't recognize 
And I don't think she knows me either 
There are lines on her face and her hair is a mess 
And the light in her eyes it grows colder 
In the morning there's nothing will change, ah but yes 
I will be just a little bit older

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© 2022 Al Stewart.

Front page photo: 📷 Randall Armor.

 

 

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