This lead
to my thinking about songs that actually retell a work of literature. One of my favourite singers/songwriters is
Loreena McKennitt and she has included on her CDs a number of songs based, in
whole or in part, on literary works, both prose and poetry.
An Ancient Muse:
“Penelope’s
Song” gives the perspective of Penelope, Odysseus’s faithful wife.
“The
English Ladye and the Knight” is a poem by Sir Walter Scott set to music.
The Visit:
“The Lady
of Shalott” is the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson set to music.
Parallel Dreams:
“Annachie
Gordon” is the Romeo and Juliet story told in a Scottish folk song.
The Wind That Shakes the Barley:
“Down By
the Sally Gardens” is based on the W. B. Yeats poem.
The Book of Secrets:
“The
Highwayman” sets Alfred Noyes’ poem to music.
“Dante’s
Prayer” was inspired by The Divine Comedy.
McKennitt
also sings songs from Shakespeare’s plays:
“Prospero’s
Speech” on The Mask and Mirror
“Cymbeline”
on The Visit
If you are
interested in listening to musical versions of literature, Wikipedia has an
extensive list of such songs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_songs_that_retell_a_work_of_literature.
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