Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The Well of the Saints

Well I've made good to my public (and by other public) --- all two blog readers, by finishing up another song. Yeah it's late, but I'm on leave tomorrow (so that I can be here to take delivery of Small Person's new bunkbeds) so hopefully it's not to bad. Oh yeah, I've somehow got to read seven papers too (while on leave, yep) but hopefully that won't be too grim.

Anyway, yes, another new - or rather old - song dating from years and years ago: at least before 2000, perhaps before 1995? About 3:30 long, which would be perfect for a pop song, except that it's not really a pop song - another mournful piece about, well, the usual mix of faithlessness, ennui, and desperation.

I think The Well of the Saints is a beautiful title for a song. Uncle Google and Mad Aunt Wikipedia tell me that it's the title of a early 20th century Irish play: but this song has nothing whatsoever to do with the play except the title, as far as I'm aware. Although reading the synopsis, well both seem more or less depressing, or at least melancholy.

So, that makes something like 8 songs now, of which at least 6 are in the slow, guitar driven style, relatively consistent, with a couple of outliers (children with rather more bass than is good for it, and the colonel, which turned into a rattling dunedin thing, somehow).

Enough for an EP (gulp!)

3 comments:

Fi said...

I often wonder what it is about melancholy music that makes it so appealing? I really like melancholy stuff in general (just ask Tim!) and I'm looking forward to hearing your new songs.

James said...

I don't know. I tend not to listen to too much dreary stuff myself (as in most of what I'm doing now is about by mealcholia threshold), I'll settle for the kind of wryness that e.g. My Friend the Chocolate Cake does so well.

But, since I was at home this evening, so going through my stack of CD's I'm not allowed to play when anyone else is awake at home, came across Paradise Found which is apparently Maddy Prior (english folkie) singing the songs of Charles "Methodist" Wesley. All very stirring stuff, except in the middle there is Dead! Dead! the Child I Lov'd So Well --- quite self explanatory, autobiographical (and not surprsing given the time) but completely unexpected.

Dr Tim said...

Well, your blog has two more readers than mine.