Thursday, December 20, 2012
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Rock poetry
Among all rock groups, the Moody Blues regarded themselves as poets. The band's spin off group, the Blue Jays had a similar approach to writing.
I Dreamed Last Night is a fine example of their writing and has superb lyrical composition - but does it stand as a poem? As a song it appeals to universal themes of longing and lost love - but is the writer telling his own story or is it merely a collection of disjoined thoughts and convenient rhymes?
Oh I dreamed last night I was hearing, hearing your voice
and the things that you said well they left me, left me no choice
And you told me we had the power
And you told me this was the hour
that you don't know how
if I could show you now
Well I dreamed last night you were calling, calling my name
You were locked inside of your secrets,
calling my name
And you told me lost was the key
And you told me how you long to be free,
that you don't know how
Oh let me show you now
Like a bird on a far distant mountain,
like a ship on an uncharted sea,
you are lost in the arms that have found you
Don't be afraid,
love's plans are made
Oh don't be afraid
If there's a time and a place to begin love
It must be now
Let it go
Set it free
Oh I dreamed last night I was hearing, hearing your voice.
Why did you say those things that have left me,
left me no choice?
When you told me we had the power
why did you tell me now was the hour?
But you don't know how
Oh let me show you now
Like a bird on a far distant mountain,
like a ship on an uncharted sea,
you are lost in the arms that have found you
Oh don't be afraid
Love's plans are made
Don't be afraid
If there's a time and a place to begin love
It must be now
Let it go
Set it free
Oh I dreamed last night I was hearing, hearing your voice
I Dreamed Last Night is a fine example of their writing and has superb lyrical composition - but does it stand as a poem? As a song it appeals to universal themes of longing and lost love - but is the writer telling his own story or is it merely a collection of disjoined thoughts and convenient rhymes?
Oh I dreamed last night I was hearing, hearing your voice
and the things that you said well they left me, left me no choice
And you told me we had the power
And you told me this was the hour
that you don't know how
if I could show you now
Well I dreamed last night you were calling, calling my name
You were locked inside of your secrets,
calling my name
And you told me lost was the key
And you told me how you long to be free,
that you don't know how
Oh let me show you now
Like a bird on a far distant mountain,
like a ship on an uncharted sea,
you are lost in the arms that have found you
Don't be afraid,
love's plans are made
Oh don't be afraid
If there's a time and a place to begin love
It must be now
Let it go
Set it free
Oh I dreamed last night I was hearing, hearing your voice.
Why did you say those things that have left me,
left me no choice?
When you told me we had the power
why did you tell me now was the hour?
But you don't know how
Oh let me show you now
Like a bird on a far distant mountain,
like a ship on an uncharted sea,
you are lost in the arms that have found you
Oh don't be afraid
Love's plans are made
Don't be afraid
If there's a time and a place to begin love
It must be now
Let it go
Set it free
Oh I dreamed last night I was hearing, hearing your voice
Monday, May 21, 2012
Radiance Festival
On Saturday - May 26th - members of The Five will be reading at the Radiance Festival at St Matthew's Church, Church Hill, Walsall, UK. WS1 3DG
Radiance is described as a Christian Spirituality Fair. Admission is £5 for the day, running from 10am to 3.30pm.
Chris Warren, Colin Gibson and Simon Iredale, of The Five, are scheduled to read at 11.45am.
Chris Warren will also be leading a workshop on "poetry and prayer" during the day.
The Five first wrote and read together as students in 1977 and reconvened five years ago. Their latest anthology is Five Squared.
Radiance is described as a Christian Spirituality Fair. Admission is £5 for the day, running from 10am to 3.30pm.
Chris Warren, Colin Gibson and Simon Iredale, of The Five, are scheduled to read at 11.45am.
Chris Warren will also be leading a workshop on "poetry and prayer" during the day.
The Five first wrote and read together as students in 1977 and reconvened five years ago. Their latest anthology is Five Squared.
Friday, May 11, 2012
The music-makers
We are the music-makers
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.
We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying,
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.
Ode
Arthur O’Shaughnessy 1844-1881
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
With wonderful deathless ditties
We build up the world's great cities,
And out of a fabulous story
We fashion an empire's glory:
One man with a dream, at pleasure,
Shall go forth and conquer a crown;
And three with a new song's measure
Can trample an empire down.
We, in the ages lying
In the buried past of the earth,
Built Nineveh with our sighing,
And Babel itself with our mirth;
And o'erthrew them with prophesying,
To the old of the new world's worth;
For each age is a dream that is dying,
Or one that is coming to birth.
Ode
Arthur O’Shaughnessy 1844-1881
Saturday, April 14, 2012
Lyric festival
Check out the Sheffield Lyric Festival:
"Now in its second year, Lyric is Sheffield's only festival of poetry, music and the spoken word and will take place from Wednesday 9 May to Friday 11 May 2012 at the University of Sheffield."
It is organised by poet Simon Armitage, professor of poetry in Sheffield.
More details here:
http://www.shef.ac.uk/mediacentre/2012/stellar-line-up-celebrate-poetry-and-music-at-lyric-festival.html
http://www.shef.ac.uk/lyric/2012
Friday, February 17, 2012
Poems to make you think
Here is a collection of thought-provoking videos of poetry and lyrics. There's a great Dylan song and some up-dated material that's already been on this site. These are poets thinking about life, the universe and everything. Any ideas for additions welcome.
Full listing:
Full listing:
- Spring - The Innocence Mission
- Stephen Lovatt - title unknown
- Gates of Eden - Bob Dylan
- On Burnham Beach - Tom Rudge
- Dover Beach - Matthew Arnold
- Always Making Things - Stewart Henderson
- Heaven Haven - Gerard Manley Hopkins, music versions by Caedmon and the Innocence Mission
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