A playlist for the Song Lyrics 2 card

[elwinfortuna]

So one of the cards I made was this one! It's basically a whole bunch of songs I like which have lyrics I can relate to Middle-earth in some way.

It's perfectly fine to pick it up just as a set of prompts, but if you'd like some additional context and to be inspired by the whole song if the prompt for it happens to be called, I've made up a YouTube playlist of all the songs in order.

I'm especially keen to see someone take on O62, Handlebars by Flobots, regarding Sauron or Morgoth. :D

Anyway, if you have any questions about any of these lyrics or want to know why I picked them, I have as usual thought about all of this stuff in way too much detail and would be happy to share!

Comments

[grundyscribbling]

All right, I'll bite. Why did you pick these lyrics?

[elwinfortuna]

Do you have any ones in particular you're interested in?

Here's a couple of hopefully, non-lengthy ones:

B5: Black wild ocean, open up and swallow me -- This whole song is about Maglor's grief for his family, and it's so on point that I genuinely wonder sometimes if it was written about Maglor!

O70: My life, my love, my drive, it came from pain -- This one is about Fëanor, from his own point of view, at Alqualondë, as he reflects back over his life so far.

G59: "Go, switch off the stars and paint the sky black" -- This song is very much about the experience of grief and loss, and is in fact inspired by WH Auden's famous poem Stop All The Clocks, so this would work for any couple in Middle-earth separated by fate or untimely death. For me it would work for Finrod/Bëor in particular.

[grundyscribbling]

Just curious in general. :)

[hhimring]

Thank you for the playlist!
If you feel like talking about the Leonard Cohen song and what its Middle-earth associations are for you, I would be interested!

[elwinfortuna]

To me, these lyrics are about Arda Marred. Specifically about Eru's words to Melkor: "And thou, Melkor, shalt see that no theme may be played that hath not its uttermost source in me, nor can any alter the music in my despite. For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined."

"There is a crack in everything/that's how the light gets in" is essentially saying that out of the marring of the world, out of all that suffering and tragedy that the Silmarillion depicts so well, beauty beyond imagination emerges. "Dear-bought shall those songs be, and yet well-bought" is Manwë's response to exiled Fëanor, and this is on the same theme -- that out of pain and grief, beauty can result, and more than beauty -- wonder beyond imagination.

Through the Ages, the pattern repeats in what Galadriel calls 'the long defeat.' "Yeah, the wars, they will be fought again / the holy dove, she will be bought again..." Galadriel might say if she were Leonard Cohen!

[hhimring]

Thank you very much!
I ended up not officially claiming the card for this March's bingo, but I will keep this prompt and your explanation in mind, because I'd like to write something for it, if I can. I've also read the explanation of those three prompts you talked about to Grundy, so perhaps something will come of that, too.

[elleth]

Oh, that's a neat idea! Do you mind me stealing it for the lyrics cards I made, too? <3

[elwinfortuna]

Go for it! (Sorry about the delay in replying, I was away for a week with very little internet.)