What are you listening to?

[Pogo]

​

That reminded me of this -- R Crumb and his Cheap Suit Serenaders: Singin' in the Bathtub

​

 

[Coyote]

Stan Rogers - Witch of the Westmerelands...



Pale was the wounded knight
That bore the rowan shield,
Loud and cruel were the ravens' cries
As they feasted on the field,

Saying, "Beck water, cold and clear,
Will never clean your wound.
There's none but the Witch of the Westmoreland
Can make thee hale and sound.

"So turn, turn your stallion's head
Till his red mane flies in the wind
And the rider of the moon goes by
And the bright star falls behind."

And clear was the paling moon
When a shadow passed him by;
Below the hill were the brightest stars
When he heard the owlet cry.

Saying, "Why do you ride this way
And wherefore came you here?"
"I seek the Witch of the Westmoreland
Who dwells by the Winding Mere."

And it's weary by the Ullswater
And the misty brake fern way
Till through the cleft of the Kirkstane Pass
The winding water lay.

He said, "Lie down my brindled hound
And rest ye, my good gray hawk,
And thee, my steed, may graze thy fill
For I must dismount and walk.

"But come when you hear my horn
And answer swift the call,
For I fear ere the sun will rise this morn
Ye will serve me best of all."

And it's down to the water's brim
He's borne the rowan shield
And the goldenrod he has cast in
To see what the lake might yield

And wet rose she from the lake
And fast and fleet went she,
One half the form of a maiden fair
With a jet-black mare's body.

And loud, long, and shrill he blew,
Till his steed was by his side;
High overhead the gray hawk flew
And swiftly he did ride.

Saying, "Course well me brindled hound
And fetch me the jet-black mare!
Stoop and strike, me good gray hawk,
And bring me the maiden fair!"

She said, "Pray sheath thy silvery sword,
Lay down thy rowan shield.
For I see by the briny blood that flows
You've been wounded in the field."

And she stood in a gown of a velvet blue,
Bound 'round with a silver chain,
And she's kissed his pale lips once and twice
And three times 'round again.

And she's bound his wounds with the goldenrod,
Full fast in her arms he lay,
And he has risen hale and sound,
With the sun high in the day.

She said, "Ride with your brindled hound at heel
And your good gray hawk in hand.
There's none can harm the knight who's lain
With the Witch of the Westmoreland."

 

[Pogo]

Stan Rogers - Witch of the Westmerelands...



Pale was the wounded knight
That bore the rowan shield,
Loud and cruel were the ravens' cries
As they feasted on the field,

Saying, "Beck water, cold and clear,
Will never clean your wound.
There's none but the Witch of the Westmoreland
Can make thee hale and sound.

"So turn, turn your stallion's head
Till his red mane flies in the wind
And the rider of the moon goes by
And the bright star falls behind."

And clear was the paling moon
When a shadow passed him by;
Below the hill were the brightest stars
When he heard the owlet cry.

Saying, "Why do you ride this way
And wherefore came you here?"
"I seek the Witch of the Westmoreland
Who dwells by the Winding Mere."

And it's weary by the Ullswater
And the misty brake fern way
Till through the cleft of the Kirkstane Pass
The winding water lay.

He said, "Lie down my brindled hound
And rest ye, my good gray hawk,
And thee, my steed, may graze thy fill
For I must dismount and walk.

"But come when you hear my horn
And answer swift the call,
For I fear ere the sun will rise this morn
Ye will serve me best of all."

And it's down to the water's brim
He's borne the rowan shield
And the goldenrod he has cast in
To see what the lake might yield

And wet rose she from the lake
And fast and fleet went she,
One half the form of a maiden fair
With a jet-black mare's body.

And loud, long, and shrill he blew,
Till his steed was by his side;
High overhead the gray hawk flew
And swiftly he did ride.

Saying, "Course well me brindled hound
And fetch me the jet-black mare!
Stoop and strike, me good gray hawk,
And bring me the maiden fair!"

She said, "Pray sheath thy silvery sword,
Lay down thy rowan shield.
For I see by the briny blood that flows
You've been wounded in the field."

And she stood in a gown of a velvet blue,
Bound 'round with a silver chain,
And she's kissed his pale lips once and twice
And three times 'round again.

And she's bound his wounds with the goldenrod,
Full fast in her arms he lay,
And he has risen hale and sound,
With the sun high in the day.

She said, "Ride with your brindled hound at heel
And your good gray hawk in hand.
There's none can harm the knight who's lain
With the Witch of the Westmoreland."

>> Many casual listeners assume that this ballad of a wounded knight seeking redemption and healing is an actual medieval piece, but it was written in the twentieth century by Archie Fisher. However, just like the great Arthurian tales, "Witch of the Westmereland" is written on two levels; a spiritual metaphor lies within a fantastic adventure.

At the song's outset, we meet our hero, a knight who is wounded and battle-weary; he could be a veteran of virtually any war in any era, and his war need not have been literal. Visitations from animal guides including ravens (sacred to Odin) and a hare (sacred to Eostre) inform him that his wounds cannot be healed by any normal means. His are spiritual wounds which will require supernatural healing. Both creatures direct him to seek out the "maid who dwells by the winding mere." An owl (sacred to Athena and a symbol of wisdom) further instructs the knight in the method of finding the witch he seeks: He must cast goldenrod into the witch's lake.

Throughout his adventures, the knight is aided by the three companions traditional to a knight: his horse, his hawk, and his hounds. In medieval folklore, these were often seen as extensions of the knight himself, symbols of his skill and strength. So it is significant that our hero tells them to wait behind as he approaches the mere. Like every spiritual seeker, he has to set aside his own ego and accomplishments before he can approach his subconscious, the gateway to Divine power.

However, as he approaches the mere, it's interesting to note that the knight bears the four magical tools with him. His sword and shield are at his side, his horn is ready should he need to summon his hounds, and the goldenrod he needs to summon the witch fills the role of the phallic wand. Of course, we don't need Freud to point out the significance of the knight placing his goldenrod in the witch's lake.

The knight's shield is of particular interest. Every time it is mentioned, from the second line on, it's referred to as "the rowan shield." Now, traditionally, shields were made from lindenwood, and poets dating back to the Beowulf period have consistently talked about linden shields. Rowan, on the other hand, is often associated with warding off magic. Could it be that this knight is not only spiritually wounded but also has built up shields that cut him off from the magical possibilities of the world?

In any case, once the knight uses the goldenrod to perform the Great Rite Symbolic on the lake, the witch springs forth from the water like a mystical revelation emerging from a seeker's subconscious. Unexpectedly, the witch has a centaurian form, half-maiden and half-horse; she represents the union of the human being with nature. The knight blows his horn to recall his helpful beasts, for he will need all of his faculties to catch the witch once she has entered this realm.

When at length the half-horse witch is apprehended by the knight's hounds and hawk, she transforms entirely into a maiden, clad in blue and silver as she stands in the moonlight. She commands the knight to sheathe his sword and lay down his shield. Once he has abandoned the aggression (or alternatively the logic) of the sword and the defensiveness of the shield, she kisses him three times; thus the knight is blessed by all three aspects of the Goddess. She then binds his wounds with the goldenrod, showing him that he has had the capacity to heal himself all along. Finally, he lies in her arms, achieving the Great Rite of union with the Divine Source. As the sun rises, he likewise rises from her embrace, not only fully healed, but also made invincible, for "none can harm the knight who's lain with the witch of the Westmereland." << -- Cedric's Pagan Thoughts

 

[Picaro]

Katherine Jenkin's Believe cd, selection 7 onward, to be followed by Sarah Brightman's Eden cd.

 

[Coyote]

Mason Williams - Classical Gas

 

[Coyote]

Led Zeppelin - Immigrant Song

 

[Coyote]

I think this is Steppenwolfs best song ever...Monster

 

[Coyote]

Odetta...unrivaled....love her

 

[Coyote]

Leon and Eric Bibb - Bring a Little Water Sylvie

 

[Coyote]

Lyle Lovett - If I had a boat....
this one I have to thank AVG-JOE for introducing me to

 

[Coyote]

 

[Picaro]

Lyle Lovett - If I had a boat....
this one I have to thank AVG-JOE for introducing me to

Lyle Lovett has several excellent songs out there over the years. We go see him every time he passes through town. Fairly eclectic body of work.

 

[jasonnfree]

puccini while cooking lentils

 

[Picaro]

Renatta Tebaldi's cover of Catalini ebben? ... Ne andro lotana, (the intro aria to La Wally), Fredrica von Stade's cover of voi che sapete, from Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, Sumi Jo's fascinating cover of Queen of the Night's Revenge Aria from Mozart's The Magic Flute, amazing vocals on that, then Kristen Flagstad's cover of Du bist der Lenz from Wagner's Die Walkure, then Birgitt Nilsson's Isolde's Leibestod, from Wagner's Tristian and Isolde, then the entire cd of Wynton Marsalis' Portrait of Wynton Marsalis.

 

[phoenyx]

 

[phoenyx]

 

[rcfieldz]

My farts.

 

[phoenyx]

Little Mix's Salute, with the background of an AMV...

 

[QuickHitCurepon]

 

[jessaragen]

Kaney West is perfect for work