Coincidence? I think not.

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

I love the song Hallelujah and especially like the Rufus Wainwright version. The lyrics have always reminded me a bit of Gen.  A Rufus Wainwright song came on my phone's mix today and I glanced at the album cover and look at what I noticed:




(Ok, I flipped Rufus' picture and WHERE IS YOUR SWORD but still. Oh, and your wife's hand. Where is that?)

Comments

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

This song has definitely brought Gen to my mind before, but the picture cinches it!

And another thing

[(Anonymous)]

I was just listening to Hallelujah myself! It was an a cappella version. By men dressed up as monks. Singing in the limited tonal range of Gregorian chants. Yes, yes it was weird.

Wish you'd been there, checkers.

: )

~mwt

Re: And another thing

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Weird stuff? A folk song by men dressed as monks singing in Gregorian chants? Sign me up!

Have you ever seen Leonard Cohen sing it? That's pretty weird in itself. I've read that he wrote 15 verses total, but I'm not sure that's true.

Re: And another thing

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Sign me up as well!

Being a degenerate millennial, I believe the first version of this song I ever heard was the one used in Shrek. 0:) But there are so many beautiful renditions out there!

My favorite stanza is:
...I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor (you know)
I used to live alone before I knew you
And I've seen your flag on the marble arch
And love is not a victory march...

Awwww Gen!!

Another song I associate with Irene/Gen is "I Remain" by Alanis Morissette, from the Prince of Persia soundtrack.

Re: And another thing

[(Anonymous)]

I'm partial to the Allman Brothers' Song, I'm No Angel-- although I don't think I ever really listened to the lyrics until just a few years ago.

. . . No, I'm no stranger to the street
I’ve got my label
So I won't crumble at your feet
And I know baby
So I've got scars upon my cheek
. . .
So you like my spurs that jingle
And I never leave you cold
So I might steal your diamonds
I'll bring you back some gold . . .

~mwt

RE: Re: And another thing

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

That is eerily appropriate! As a companion song, might I suggest "I'm No Angel" by Dido for the queen.


If you gave me just a coin for every time we say goodbye
Well I'd be rich beyond my dreams, I'm sorry for my weary life
I know I'm not perfect but I can smile
and I hope that you see this heart behind my tired eyes

I'm no angel, but please don't think that I can't cry

Re: And another thing

[(Anonymous)]

Okay, so. We’d only been in Osnabrueck a couple of days when we started seeing a concert bill stuck up everywhere announcing Gregorian Voices would be singing at the LutheranKirche.

I was so excited. We went to the tourist information office and got tickets as soon as we could.

The Lutheran Church where the concert was held was just lovely. Minimal decoration in an Arts and Crafts style-- trim around the windows and doors painted directly onto the cement walls. Everything was mossy green or mustard yellow and whoever put those colors and those patterns together did a brilliant job.

Have I mentioned that I was excited? Very excited. Gregorian Chants! So- So- Excited.

Then the pseudo monks came out.

The first half was sort of fair to middling oldie timey church music which was not Gregorian Chants but was okay. It was the second half of the performance where the lid came off.

What we didn’t know is that there is a Lord of the Dance/Riverdance style pop group that does Gregorian Chant crossed with Pop Music that is Very Professional and quite nice if that’s your cup of tea and then there is a Bulgarian Knock-Off which seems to be eight guys in Monk Robes who steal all arrangements from the famous Pop Group and sing them with heavy accents and bad backing tracks in small churches around Europe. Guess which one we were going to see?

You have not *lived* until you have heard a guy dressed as monk in a small beautiful European church singing Eric Clapton's Knock Knock Knocking on Heaven's Door in a Bulgarian accent. Trust me on this.

I don't know if I can put in a link. I'll just post this and then try in another comment.

~mwt

Re: And another thing

[(Anonymous)]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cm47Vg3wUw

~mwt

Re: And another thing

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

This is so wrong yet so right.

However, I still prefer Hildegard von Bingen as far as chanting goes. Just saying...

Re: And another thing

[(Anonymous)]

That is just. Wow.

Just how confused were you when you realized what exactly you were in for here?

~hazelwillow (who has forgotten her password)

Re: And another thing

[(Anonymous)]

It was spammed! Checkers will have to let it out.

~mwt

Re: And another thing

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

Unspammed!

Re: And another thing

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

That is HILARIOUS. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

RE: And another thing

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

The next book definitely needs a chanting monk! I hear they're great fun at parties.

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I also associate this song with Shrek, and never thought of Gen before when I heard it, but now I most certainly do. That picture is basically Gen with sideburns.

Hmm... should Gen grow sideburns? There's a deep question worthy of some philosophical debate!

[filkferengi]

Well, he's been growing some serious sidekicks lately, so why not sideburns?

;)

[checkers65477.livejournal.com]

As long as he doesn't start wearing his hair long and curled, like Dite. Can you imagine the crap his cousins would give him, next time they came to visit?

[filkferengi]

But then, think of all the inkpots he could hide in his hair, & then laugh at Irene's frustration when she finds none to throw.

[weg]

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I'm freenarnian and I endorse this idea of Gen with Sidekicks and Sideburns.

[filkferengi]

;)

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

I also approve this message!

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

His hair used to be long in TT, right? He never grew it back after Galen cut it in QoA. Ah, traumatic haircuts are not lost on me.

[frosted-feather.livejournal.com]

Adding to the discussion really late, I've always thought the song "Eyes on Fire" by Blue foundation is a great song for Gen/Irene. The lyrics could alternately be each of them speaking:

I'm taking it slow
Feeding my flame
Shuffling the cards of your game
And just in time
In the right place
Suddenly I will play my ace