THE SHAPE OF A GIRL
(Ashley Hutchings)

When I was single, I lived alone,
And I worked at the fishing trade;
And to love a young girl who was scarce half my age,
Was the only mistake I made.
I loved her from the distance,
Through summer and winter, too;
And I often wished her into my arms, (?)
Though no one ever knew.

With her a bored and a restless girl,
Who took a reckless stance;
She soon became inquisitive,
And so I took my chance.
And I became her first love,
And she became my best;
And one dark night when the wind was up,
We snuggled in one nest.

For all the first part of the night,
How we enjoyed our play;
And all the latter part of the night,
She in my arms did lay.
And when the daylight did appear,
She cried for what was lost;
Our fun and games had pleased us both,
But oh, what a heavy cost.

Suppose that we should have a child,
I couldn't bear the looks;
To push a pram to school and back,
With baby and with books.
I tried all words to reassure,
But nothing could be found;
She retreated into a deep, dark place,
But I could not bring her 'round.

I sit and watch my fine young son,
As on the beach he plays;
And I see in his eyes, the eyes of the girl
Who lit my darkest days.
And the fog, it comes in from the headland,
And creeps up the hill to our door;
Sometimes it makes the shape of a girl
Who drowned off the northern shore.

Sometimes it makes the shape of a girl
Who drowned off the northern shore.

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This is my transcription from the Ashley Hutchings Street Cries CD. The song has a very simple melody with a spooky feel to it. The string accompaniment adds to the spookiness. Great song.

Any corrections?

You can hear the song at MySpace