I personally think that this song is absolutely beautiful. Kimberly Perry's vocals are not original, but they are classic bluegrass. It is worth noting that bluegrass vocalists don't make careers as singers, but they make careers by songwriting, and by being in bands surrounded by great bluegrass musicians. All that aside,to grasp the full effect of the song, you almost have to watch the music video ( youtube.com/watch ).
The song alludes to Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott" (based off a legend from the days of King Arthur, Elaine of Astolat), and a collection of Tennyson's poems is a freqent image in the video. Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" is a poem about a girl living in a mysterious tower, who is cursed with death if she should leave. The Lady of Shalott does leave and she takes a boat and floats down a river toward Camelot. She dies while singing before she arrives. She is found with the boat near Camelot, and Sir Lancelot and all the people marvel at her beauty.
One of my favorite lines, "Send me away to the words of a love song", is spirited and light and still inneocent in the face of death. It inspires me and haunts me.
I am hoping that this song gets some solid radio airplay, because it is truly a nice song. Thanks for reading.
heyy you know now the song has more meaning to me now that i think of that, my mom is obsessed with this song and plays it twice on the hour, she'll be over it soon, but in the meantime, gah, what does it mean??..I guess its just her thoughts on how she lives life, but i like your idea, however, after an interview with the band perry, it turns out that they just sat down and made it up.
heyy you know now the song has more meaning to me now that i think of that, my mom is obsessed with this song and plays it twice on the hour, she'll be over it soon, but in the meantime, gah, what does it mean??..I guess its just her thoughts on how she lives life, but i like your idea, however, after an interview with the band perry, it turns out that they just sat down and made it up.
You are totally on the money! the author was close friends with the artists who made up the Pre-Ralphaelite brotherhood and other artists who painted in the same style - 1850-1890. The images chosen for the video are taken from the artwork of Waterhouse, Hunt and others who painted and titled their painting after the parts of the poem itself.
You are totally on the money! the author was close friends with the artists who made up the Pre-Ralphaelite brotherhood and other artists who painted in the same style - 1850-1890. The images chosen for the video are taken from the artwork of Waterhouse, Hunt and others who painted and titled their painting after the parts of the poem itself.
I really don't think it is about the poem...
In the poem, she dies from freezing to death because she sang too much. Why the mention of a knife, then? And if it were about the poem, you'd think they'd include more about weaving, a mirror, shadows, etc.
All it really has in common is early virginal death and a river, which is a pretty common romantic (if tragic) theme.
I really don't think it is about the poem...
In the poem, she dies from freezing to death because she sang too much. Why the mention of a knife, then? And if it were about the poem, you'd think they'd include more about weaving, a mirror, shadows, etc.
All it really has in common is early virginal death and a river, which is a pretty common romantic (if tragic) theme.
I really think it's just an expression of romantic ideas of death more than anything else.
I really think it's just an expression of romantic ideas of death more than anything else.
@Daughtryhead you are missing a couple parts that relate the song to the poem even though i think the song is very loosely based on the poem. In the beginning of the poem the townspeople are pretty much oblivious to Lady Shalott. They are going about their day as if nothing is happening and she is singing her heart out. She is so removed from the people that they whisper the voice is a fairy. When she is dead in the poem in the boat the townspeople finally take interest in her and all come out to see her corpse,...
@Daughtryhead you are missing a couple parts that relate the song to the poem even though i think the song is very loosely based on the poem. In the beginning of the poem the townspeople are pretty much oblivious to Lady Shalott. They are going about their day as if nothing is happening and she is singing her heart out. She is so removed from the people that they whisper the voice is a fairy. When she is dead in the poem in the boat the townspeople finally take interest in her and all come out to see her corpse, "funny when you're dead how people start listening". Also "sink me in the river at dawn, send me away with the words of a love song", relates to the part of the poem where she first falls in love with Lancelot. His singing is one of the things that captures her heart and once she hears his voice she is doomed. There is also the imagery of the lady of Shalott weaving bright wonderful colors then all of a sudden the curse hits her and it's autumn (when things begin to die and fade away) and the subject of the song shining down a rainbow contrasted with how her mother isn't even "grey". I think it's all very deliberate.
I personally think that this song is absolutely beautiful. Kimberly Perry's vocals are not original, but they are classic bluegrass. It is worth noting that bluegrass vocalists don't make careers as singers, but they make careers by songwriting, and by being in bands surrounded by great bluegrass musicians. All that aside,to grasp the full effect of the song, you almost have to watch the music video ( youtube.com/watch ).
The song alludes to Lord Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott" (based off a legend from the days of King Arthur, Elaine of Astolat), and a collection of Tennyson's poems is a freqent image in the video. Tennyson's "The Lady of Shalott" is a poem about a girl living in a mysterious tower, who is cursed with death if she should leave. The Lady of Shalott does leave and she takes a boat and floats down a river toward Camelot. She dies while singing before she arrives. She is found with the boat near Camelot, and Sir Lancelot and all the people marvel at her beauty.
One of my favorite lines, "Send me away to the words of a love song", is spirited and light and still inneocent in the face of death. It inspires me and haunts me.
I am hoping that this song gets some solid radio airplay, because it is truly a nice song. Thanks for reading.
i completely agree with you. very very beautiful song.
i completely agree with you. very very beautiful song.
heyy you know now the song has more meaning to me now that i think of that, my mom is obsessed with this song and plays it twice on the hour, she'll be over it soon, but in the meantime, gah, what does it mean??..I guess its just her thoughts on how she lives life, but i like your idea, however, after an interview with the band perry, it turns out that they just sat down and made it up.
heyy you know now the song has more meaning to me now that i think of that, my mom is obsessed with this song and plays it twice on the hour, she'll be over it soon, but in the meantime, gah, what does it mean??..I guess its just her thoughts on how she lives life, but i like your idea, however, after an interview with the band perry, it turns out that they just sat down and made it up.
You know what? You are totally right. I regret ever saying that about KP- she is a lovely singer.
You know what? You are totally right. I regret ever saying that about KP- she is a lovely singer.
You know what? You are totally right. I regret ever saying that about KP- she is a lovely singer.
You know what? You are totally right. I regret ever saying that about KP- she is a lovely singer.
You are totally on the money! the author was close friends with the artists who made up the Pre-Ralphaelite brotherhood and other artists who painted in the same style - 1850-1890. The images chosen for the video are taken from the artwork of Waterhouse, Hunt and others who painted and titled their painting after the parts of the poem itself.
You are totally on the money! the author was close friends with the artists who made up the Pre-Ralphaelite brotherhood and other artists who painted in the same style - 1850-1890. The images chosen for the video are taken from the artwork of Waterhouse, Hunt and others who painted and titled their painting after the parts of the poem itself.
I really don't think it is about the poem... In the poem, she dies from freezing to death because she sang too much. Why the mention of a knife, then? And if it were about the poem, you'd think they'd include more about weaving, a mirror, shadows, etc. All it really has in common is early virginal death and a river, which is a pretty common romantic (if tragic) theme.
I really don't think it is about the poem... In the poem, she dies from freezing to death because she sang too much. Why the mention of a knife, then? And if it were about the poem, you'd think they'd include more about weaving, a mirror, shadows, etc. All it really has in common is early virginal death and a river, which is a pretty common romantic (if tragic) theme.
I really think it's just an expression of romantic ideas of death more than anything else.
I really think it's just an expression of romantic ideas of death more than anything else.
@Daughtryhead you are missing a couple parts that relate the song to the poem even though i think the song is very loosely based on the poem. In the beginning of the poem the townspeople are pretty much oblivious to Lady Shalott. They are going about their day as if nothing is happening and she is singing her heart out. She is so removed from the people that they whisper the voice is a fairy. When she is dead in the poem in the boat the townspeople finally take interest in her and all come out to see her corpse,...
@Daughtryhead you are missing a couple parts that relate the song to the poem even though i think the song is very loosely based on the poem. In the beginning of the poem the townspeople are pretty much oblivious to Lady Shalott. They are going about their day as if nothing is happening and she is singing her heart out. She is so removed from the people that they whisper the voice is a fairy. When she is dead in the poem in the boat the townspeople finally take interest in her and all come out to see her corpse, "funny when you're dead how people start listening". Also "sink me in the river at dawn, send me away with the words of a love song", relates to the part of the poem where she first falls in love with Lancelot. His singing is one of the things that captures her heart and once she hears his voice she is doomed. There is also the imagery of the lady of Shalott weaving bright wonderful colors then all of a sudden the curse hits her and it's autumn (when things begin to die and fade away) and the subject of the song shining down a rainbow contrasted with how her mother isn't even "grey". I think it's all very deliberate.