Eye Of The Day

They called me Margaretha the day I was born The day I died the soldiers called me H21 In the circuses and palaces, a hundred names I've borne From the Belle of the Epoque, to eye of the storm But if anybody asks, I named myself after the sun I was a teacher when I was young But I ran away from home To the East Indies and warm, warm sun To wed a man I did not know He called me Lady McCleod But the times did not allow My complaints as drinking dragged him down So in dancing peace I found They called me a tourist when I began to dance An amateur and courtesan when I came to France On the stages, in the salons, I held my tongue I was never owned by any man nor known by anyone And if anybody asks, I named myself after the sun I never cared much for their war I had seen men fight before Seen the sickness in their esprit de corps I would dance for them no more They came to take me away From the Hotel Champs Elysée Told the soldiers I'd nothing to say They wouldn't have listened anyway Too many men had died, and somebody had to pay They set a date for my dying day But as I stood in that killing field, refusing a blindfold Staring down the soldiers and the hatred of the world I felt the warmth of the Malay sun and I smiled for them all They all thought they had the best of me But not one of them could say what I was called Just before the darkness came I whispered my real name I am Mata Hari, eye of the day In the cells my body lay unclaimed If anybody asks, I named myself after the sun If anybody asks, I named myself after the sun --- Eye of the Day - Frank Turner