Most poetic song??

Subject: Most poetic song??
From: GUEST,Waldo
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 12:31 AM

There are songs whose lyrics would work well at a poetry reading, and then there are those which, when read aloud, sound stilted, confusing or just plain ridiculous. (Seems to me there was a DJ a few years back who did a bit with reading rock lyrics - I remember him reading Mellencamp's "Scarecrow" and getting to the part about "to call it eh your job oh huh sho' don't make it right" - it was hysterical).

Anyhow, excepting those songs that started out as poetry (Robert Burns, Robert Service, etc.) what are the songs wherein the lyrics transcend the music in a powerful way? Many Paul Simon songs come to my mind, and some Dylan, but I'm sure there are plenty others out there. My sentimental vote, though, goes to "Sounds of Silence".

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: Peg
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 02:29 AM

David Bowie, Leaonard Cohen, Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Neil Peart, Ian Anderson, Neil Finn, Justin Hayward, Robin Williamson, Brendan Perry, Bernie Taupin, Joni Mitchell...

for starters...

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: Teribus
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 03:55 AM

Eric Bogle - "Safe in the Harbour"

Example

"Ah to throw off the shackles
And fly with the seagulls
To where green waves tumble
'fore driving sea winds
Or to lie on the decking
On a warm summer evening
Watch the red sun fall burning
Beneath the Earth's rim."

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: Hrothgar
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 05:07 AM

And to continue the Stan Rogers connection - "Bluenose."

"See her bow lift free of Mother Sea
In a sunburst cloud of spray."

"She will range far south from the harbour mouth
And rejoice in every wave."

etc., etc.

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: GUEST,Fred Miller
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 09:07 AM

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: GUEST,Fred Miller
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 09:30 AM

Whoops. I just wanted to ask Peg--Peg who are you?! You say such odd interesting things.

But Neil Peart? Well, I guess it's one of those things I don't get.

Anyway, I think Steve Allen originated the comic device of reading songs aloud, and various people have been doing it since.

Some songs work okay on the page, but I think it's sometimes after you've heard the music. Some of Paul Simon's are like that--you can't help hearing the sense the music makes of them, once you've heard it. I like a Natalie Merchant song called You'll Never Know, which looks fairly pedestrian, but has a tragic psychology. An admired childhood friend is dead and so is not there to see how compromised the "I" of the song has become. Which is sad, but I think it's the musical swell, the sense of release from having to live up to one's standards,(as projected onto the admired friend) that makes it tragic rather than simply sad. Reminds me of John Updike's Deaths of Distant Friends.

Some of Lucinda William's, some Cowboy Junkies read pretty well. Joni Mitchell's People's Parties reads fine.

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: GUEST,Taliesn
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 11:40 AM

One candidate for capturing a moment:

"Night in the City" Light up ,light up Light up your lazy blue eyes Moon's up , night's up Taking the town by surprise Night time ,night time, Day left an hour ago City light time Must you get readt so slow There are places to come from and places to go

Night in the city looks pretty to me Night in the city looks fine music comes spilling out into the street Colors go flashing in time.....

Joni Mitchel_ 1968_ first album

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: GUEST,allen woodpecker
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 01:03 PM

"Dark Horse on the Wind" by Liam Weldon. The most poetic piece ever to emerge on the subject of Ireland's history?? Could well be. You could sing it to any tune you like, and it would still be wonderful. A.W.

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: Mudlark
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 01:21 PM

Yeah, Joni Mitchell...Hissing of Summer Lawns album especially. Also Ani d'Franco and Suzanne Vega for contemporary stuff. And Randy Newman ("Human kindness, overflowing, and I think it's gonna rain today") And many of Michael Smith's songs, like The Dutchman...

Teribus...beautiful excerpt from "Safe in the harbor."

Lots of old traditional ballads have great words, parts of which are sheer poetry, like Mary Hamilton, Skye Boat Song, Twa Sisters, Pretty Polly, The Great Silkie...very powerful stuff...but to my mind they seem to need the melody to bring them to life. Whereas I will never forget Pete Seeger illustrating a beautiful tune, but with words that sound dumb when spoken, by reciting Greensleeves in leaden cadence...

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: late 'n short 2
Date: 03 Sep 02 - 02:48 PM

"Standing in the Light" is another Eric Bogle song that quickly comes to mind.

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: weerover
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 03:01 PM

Just found this thread while looking for something else: dunno about most poetic song, but for me the most poetic lines (in the context of the song as a whole are:

"...as white as the hands of a priest or a hangman
The snow spread its blanket the next Christmas round..."

(The Tinkerman's Daughter, Michael McConnell)

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: mg
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 04:30 PM

Raglan Road but I guess it started out as a poeM????

mg

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: Francy
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 05:38 PM

Charles Badger Clark's Annie Laurie/Bad Half Hour with music by Tom Russell............Frank of Toledo

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: GUEST,iggy
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 06:03 PM

Just listen and then read most of Stan Rogers work. Yes, that's poetry.

iggy

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: leprechaun
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 10:47 PM

Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: Bert
Date: 06 Nov 02 - 11:22 PM

Much of Gordon Lighfoot's work is great poetry.

"The lamp is burning low upon my table top
the snow is softly falling..."

And I did hear someone (was it Parkinson?) read You ain't nothin' but a hound dog once, and it was great.

Subject: RE: Most poetic song??
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Nov 02 - 01:01 AM

Sweater Song by Weezer.