The Good-Morrow - 02/26/18 05:58 PM
How to put music to a poem from the early 17th century?
– well, with a little help from BiaB…
John Donne wrote a beautiful poem called The Good-Morrow.
Don't know how the copyright act works overseas – in Norway lyrics are free after 70 years. Please, tell me if I do anything wrong.
Not a traditional song, but it sounds familiar…
Already thinking of new vocal ideas – guess I have to try them out in a couple of weeks or months ;-)
Here is what it sounds like today:
THE GOOD-MORROW
BiaB tracks used:
Style is _SPECTER.STY
RealTracks in style: ~733:Bass, Acoustic, Jazz Ballad Sw 060 (A:in-2)
RealTracks in style: 936:Piano, Acoustic, Rehearsal Waltz Sw 140
RealTracks in style: ~993:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryWaltzGrittyPicked Sw 140
RealTracks in style: 2558:Cello, Background SlowSwing Sw 065
RealDrums: RealDrums in Style: BluesMondaySw8^02-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat
And the poem:
The Good-Morrow
BY JOHN DONNE
I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?
’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.
And now good-morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear;
For love, all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,
Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.
My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres,
Without sharp north, without declining west?
Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;
If our two loves be one, or, thou and I
Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.
– well, with a little help from BiaB…
John Donne wrote a beautiful poem called The Good-Morrow.
Don't know how the copyright act works overseas – in Norway lyrics are free after 70 years. Please, tell me if I do anything wrong.
Not a traditional song, but it sounds familiar…
Already thinking of new vocal ideas – guess I have to try them out in a couple of weeks or months ;-)
Here is what it sounds like today:
THE GOOD-MORROW
BiaB tracks used:
Style is _SPECTER.STY
RealTracks in style: ~733:Bass, Acoustic, Jazz Ballad Sw 060 (A:in-2)
RealTracks in style: 936:Piano, Acoustic, Rehearsal Waltz Sw 140
RealTracks in style: ~993:Guitar, Electric, Rhythm CountryWaltzGrittyPicked Sw 140
RealTracks in style: 2558:Cello, Background SlowSwing Sw 065
RealDrums: RealDrums in Style: BluesMondaySw8^02-a:Sidestick, HiHat , b:Snare, HiHat
And the poem:
The Good-Morrow
BY JOHN DONNE
I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?
’Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desired, and got, ’twas but a dream of thee.
And now good-morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear;
For love, all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,
Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.
My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres,
Without sharp north, without declining west?
Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;
If our two loves be one, or, thou and I
Love so alike, that none do slacken, none can die.
What a unique and abstract idea - and you managed to pull it off brilliantly! The whole tune just flows so nicely, from the lyricism to the progressions and arrangement. The entire song just works so perfectly. It showcases some serious creativity and a good grasp on songwriting. 