Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Joni Mitchell
Canonical path: /mitchell-joni/the-magdalene-laundries
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
The Magdalene Laundries
Read The Magdalene Laundries lyrics by Joni Mitchell on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
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Curated by Ethan Walker
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Lyrics
The Magdalene Laundries
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I was an unmarried girl
I'd just turned twenty-seven
When they sent me to the sisters
For the way men looked at me
Branded as a jezebel
I knew I was not bound for heaven
I'd be cast in shame
Into the magdalene laundries
Most girls come here pregnant
Some by their own fathers
Bridget got that belly
By her parish priest
We're trying to get things white as snow
All of us woe-begotten-daughters
In the streaming stains
Of the magdalene laundries
Prostitutes and destitutes
And temptresses like me--
Fallen women--
Sentenced into dreamless drudgery ...
Why do they call this heartless place
Our lady of charity?
Oh charity!
These bloodless brides of jesus
If they had just once glimpsed their groom
Then they'd know, and they'd drop the stones
Concealed behind their rosaries
They wilt the grass they walk upon
They leech the light out of a room
They'd like to drive us down the drain
At the magdalene laundries
Peg o'connell died today
She was a cheeky girl
A flirt
They just stuffed her in a hole!
Surely to God you'd think at least some bells should ring!
One day I'm going to die here too
And they'll plant me in the dirt
Like some lame bulb
That never blooms come any spring
Not any spring
No, not any spring
Not any spring
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Who performs "The Magdalene Laundries"?
Joni Mitchell performs "The Magdalene Laundries", and this lyric page sits inside the Joni Mitchell catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "The Magdalene Laundries"?
Yes. The related section below points to A Bird That Whistles and A Strange Boy with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Joni Mitchell?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Joni Mitchell's lyric pages.
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