Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Faithfull Tears

Marianne Faithfull - "As Tears Go By" - 1965

Beat poet indifference, angst, and simple shyness meets 60's style in femme fatale.



There is a long tradition of songs from England that involve lyrics about tears.

John Dowland's "Flow My Tears." Published in 1600
Flow, my tears, fall from your springs!
Exiled for ever, let me mourn;
Where night's black bird her sad infamy sings,
There let me live forlorn.

Down vain lights, shine you no more!
No nights are dark enough for those
That in despair their lost fortunes deplore.
Light doth but shame disclose.

Never may my woes be relieved,
Since pity is fled;
And tears and sighs and groans my weary days
Of all joys have deprived.

From the highest spire of contentment
My fortune is thrown;
And fear and grief and pain for my deserts
Are my hopes, since hope is gone.

Hark! you shadows that in darkness dwell,
Learn to contemn light
Happy, happy they that in hell
Feel not the world's despite.
Of all the youtube clips of this song, this was my favorite performance however there are no visuals other than a static image of countertenor Andreas Scholl. The countertenor is capable of reaching the high pitches of the castrata, the foie gras of the vocalist's world.

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