Mike Heron Beautiful Stranger lyrics

Soft lapped the bark boats
A wounded shoulder hurt me not
Snake like branches quietly hid my eyes so bright
In the swamp red sun

Soft edged the foreign words
Colored by the dark waves splash in the mist
Brown the breasts and purple stained
Dye deep pounded with the stone

The warm wind now lifts the haze
I looked and I caught my breath
And I raised my head up high
And I shouted out loud in my soul
Beautiful stranger, I'm glad I found you

Bright the sky above my head
Streaked with red and yellow wing
Warm the mud between my toes
Darkest green the inland trail

Distant now the bark boats
Golden beads on silver wire of sea
Long bathed by salty spray
Visions float on the dry earths smell


Drifting back through younger days
I looked and I caught my breath
And I shouted out loud in my soul
Beautiful stranger, I'm glad I found you

Moist and cool the river bank
Laid me down against a tree
Remembering as in a dream
Shoulder cut in the dark waves splash

In that place no wound there was
Only a ring of finest bronze there gleamed
Soft lapped the back boats
Brown the breasts and purple stained
River green reflect the gaze

I looked and I caught my breath
And I raised my head up high
And I shouted out loud in my soul
Beautiful stranger, I'm glad I found you