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The Ballad of Mary Magdalene Lyrics
My name is Mary Magdalene
I come from Palestine
Please excuse these rags I’m in
But I’ve fallen on hard times
But long ago I had my work
When I was in my prime
But I gave it up
And all for love
It was his career or mine
Jesus loved me
This I know
But why on earth
Did I ever let him go
He was always faithful
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
A love like this
Comes but once
This I do believe
And I’ll not see his like again
As I live and breathe
And I’m sorry if I might have failed
But I’ll never see
How the tenderness I shared with him
Became heresy
Jesus loved me
This I know
But why on earth
Did I ever let him go
He was always faithful
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
And I remember
Nights we spent
Whispering our creeds
The rituals, the sacrament
The stars our canopy
And there beneath an olive tree
We’d offer up our plea
God’s creation, innocent
His arms surrounding me
Jesus loves me
This I know
But why on earth
Did he ever have to go
He was always faithful
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
He was always faithful
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
I come from Palestine
Please excuse these rags I’m in
But I’ve fallen on hard times
But long ago I had my work
When I was in my prime
But I gave it up
And all for love
It was his career or mine
This I know
But why on earth
Did I ever let him go
He was always faithful
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
Comes but once
This I do believe
And I’ll not see his like again
As I live and breathe
And I’m sorry if I might have failed
But I’ll never see
How the tenderness I shared with him
Became heresy
This I know
But why on earth
Did I ever let him go
He was always faithful
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
Nights we spent
Whispering our creeds
The rituals, the sacrament
The stars our canopy
And there beneath an olive tree
We’d offer up our plea
God’s creation, innocent
His arms surrounding me
This I know
But why on earth
Did he ever have to go
He was always faithful
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
He was always kind
But he walked off with this
Heart of mine
Song Info
Submitted by
vampedvixen On Nov 07, 2004
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I once read a description of this song that described it as walking the fine line between spirituality and blasphemy.
I think that, whatever your take on the relationship (or non relationship) between Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, this song tells a beautiful story of love and suggests that were there a romantic relationship, it would not have been a dirty or shameful thing.
Dar sings it beautifully.