diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 3154ea2..df166c2 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ Imports:
     usethis,
     magrittr,
     clipr,
+    tools,
     httr,
     sys,
     miniUI,
diff --git a/NAMESPACE b/NAMESPACE
index 0b39501..9b33ab6 100644
--- a/NAMESPACE
+++ b/NAMESPACE
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 export("%>%")
 export(add_entry)
 export(add_separator)
+export(applescript)
 export(b64_image)
 export(bitbar_plugins_dir)
 export(new_bitbar_script)
@@ -12,4 +13,6 @@ import(httr)
 import(miniUI)
 import(shiny)
 importFrom(magrittr,"%>%")
+importFrom(tools,file_ext)
+importFrom(tools,file_path_sans_ext)
 importFrom(usethis,use_template)
diff --git a/R/applescript.R b/R/applescript.R
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbd8813
--- /dev/null
+++ b/R/applescript.R
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+#' Execute AppleScript and Return Results
+#'
+#' @md
+#' @param script_source character vector of valid applescript source lines.
+#'        They will be turned into a single script file with a newline inserted
+#'        between each element of the vector.
+#' @param extra_args the `applescript` binary takes arguments but we only
+#'        use the filename execution so you can place any other arguments
+#'        for it here. NOTE that there is a separate parameter for specifying
+#'        parameters
+#' @param param a character vector of parameters to pass to the invokation.
+#' @return anything the script returns (invisibly).
+#' @note `stdout` is captured and returned but `stderr` (if any) is displayed in the console.
+#' @export
+#' @examples \dontrun{
+#' # open a folder
+#' applescript(
+#'   sprintf(
+#'     'tell app "Finder" to open POSIX file "%s"',
+#'     Sys.getenv("R_DOC_DIR")
+#'   )
+#' )
+#'
+#'
+#' # talk to an app and return data
+#' res <- applescript('
+#' tell application "iTunes"
+#'   set r_name to name of current track
+#'   set r_artist to artist of current track
+#' end
+#' return "artist=" & r_artist & " || track=" & r_name
+#' ')
+#'
+#' print(res)
+#' }
+applescript <- function(script_source, extra_args = c(), params = c()) {
+
+  script_source <- paste0(script_source, collapse = "\n")
+
+  tf <- tempfile(fileext = ".applescript")
+  on.exit(unlink(tf), add=TRUE)
+
+  cat(script_source, file = tf)
+
+  osascript <- Sys.which("osascript")
+
+  args <- c(extra_args, tf, params)
+
+  system2(
+    command = osascript,
+    args = args,
+    stdout = TRUE
+  ) -> res
+
+  invisible(res)
+
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/R/bitbar-package.R b/R/bitbar-package.R
index 500ff54..f3e21aa 100644
--- a/R/bitbar-package.R
+++ b/R/bitbar-package.R
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #' @md
 #' @name bitbar
 #' @importFrom usethis use_template
+#' @importFrom tools file_path_sans_ext file_ext
 #' @import httr shiny miniUI
 #' @keywords internal
 #' @author Bob Rudis (bob@@rud.is)
diff --git a/man/applescript.Rd b/man/applescript.Rd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..edb75c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/man/applescript.Rd
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+% Generated by roxygen2: do not edit by hand
+% Please edit documentation in R/applescript.R
+\name{applescript}
+\alias{applescript}
+\title{Execute AppleScript and Return Results}
+\usage{
+applescript(script_source, extra_args = c(), params = c())
+}
+\arguments{
+\item{script_source}{character vector of valid applescript source lines.
+They will be turned into a single script file with a newline inserted
+between each element of the vector.}
+
+\item{extra_args}{the \code{applescript} binary takes arguments but we only
+use the filename execution so you can place any other arguments
+for it here. NOTE that there is a separate parameter for specifying
+parameters}
+
+\item{param}{a character vector of parameters to pass to the invokation.}
+}
+\value{
+anything the script returns (invisibly).
+}
+\description{
+Execute AppleScript and Return Results
+}
+\note{
+\code{stdout} is captured and returned but \code{stderr} (if any) is displayed in the console.
+}
+\examples{
+\dontrun{
+# open a folder
+applescript(
+  sprintf(
+    'tell app "Finder" to open POSIX file "\%s"',
+    Sys.getenv("R_DOC_DIR")
+  )
+)
+
+
+# talk to an app and return data
+res <- applescript('
+tell application "iTunes"
+  set r_name to name of current track
+  set r_artist to artist of current track
+end
+return "artist=" & r_artist & " || track=" & r_name
+')
+
+print(res)
+}
+}