Hayley Westenra - She Moves Through the Fair

From the U.S. release of Odyssey, with flute accompaniment

Lyrics:

My young love said to me
My mother won't mind
And my father won't slight you
For your lack of kind

She stepped away from me
And she moved through the fair
And fondly I watched her
Move here and move there
And then she went homeward
Just one star away
Like the swan in the evening
Moves over the lake

Last night she came to me
My dead love came in
So softly she came
That her feet made no din
And she laid her hand on me
And this she did say
It will not be long now
And she moved through the fair

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Hayley
• Westenra
• Odyssey
• She
• Moves
• Through
• the
• Fair
• Celtic
• Irish
• traditional

[MyMoppet52]

Fantastic version. Lovely voice & haunting music. I love these verses. They are so hard to find. The last verse makes it perfect. I believe that this might be a favorite verse from the past. It is so sad and many of the old songs are sad! Something kept the two apart. Perhaps her father was bothered by his lack of money or she was pregnant and her folks would not let her marry since he was poor. I can see her drowning herself in grief. This version is perfect on many levels. Thank you.

[hayleywestenrafan1]

@MyMoppet52 Actually I think she died, and then came back to him as a spirit, when it was his time for him to die. In the first verse: "and then she went homeward, just one star away"... and then, in particular, "my dead love came in", "her feet made no din", further indication that this was not a fleshly human being. Then "it will not be long" seems to say that it's not long before he'll join her in eternity.

I love this song too. The instrumental part in the middle is soothing yet haunting.

[hayleywestenrafan1]

Wow, thanks. ;)

[helen210290]

check out Chloe Matharu's cover of this. really beautiful!

[MyMoppet52]

@hayleywestenrafan1 Hello. It has been a long time, but I was trying to find the version of this song which I think shows that she died. You seem to feel that way also. When I found it I got the chills. I am sending this to you instead of posting it as an answer video. I think sometimes they appear rude. I did want you to hear this though. Of course the interpretation is different since a male group is singing it. I love your version very much also, but do miss the extra verse. Thank you. Barb

[MyMoppet52]

@hayleywestenrafan1 Your are exactly right! You have said it exactly as I believe. For my own personal reasons I feel she was kept from marrying due to him being poor or her being 'with child'. Something happened and the townspeople knew they would not be wed. I think she came back as a ghost through the windows to claim her 'husband'. He would be soon dying to join her & they could have their 'marriage' then. I love your version here. It is so haunting & lends itself to this train of thought.

[natasha678]

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