NEW SONG: The Last March of Gondor

[autographedcat]

I had refrained from posting this song yet, as I didn't have a title I liked for it. I'm not 100% sure this is the best title either, but it's the best one I've come up with so far, and at some point, you have to set your children free upon the world.

This song was inspired by a typo. telynor was discussing tracks which will be on the forthcoming Three Weird Sisters album, and made an interesting keyslip, referring to a well known Echo's Chidlren song they have covered as "Least of My King". It floated into my brain and connected with my muse, and the beginnings of this came out.

kitanzi and I batted it back and forth in e-mail, and by the end of the day, we had a song. (Thus proving to us that we could actively write songs together! This one's our first!) Feedback from others, especially telynor and cflute, was helpful in tweaking it and making it better. We debuted it at Boskone to an enthusiastic response (and thanks to ladyat for the bodhran accompaniment!)

To set the scene, imagine the mustering of the troops after the Battle of Penlinor Fields, as Aragorn prepares to lead the Armies of the West to Mordor's Gate.



The Last March of Gondor
by Rob Wynne and Larissa March
TTTO: "Least of My Kind" by Cat Faber

Armored in in battle mail,
Swearing we shall not fail,
Cursing, we ride to Mordor's Door.
Men, elves and dwarves unite
Facing the Shadow's might
Here is a challenge he can't ignore!

Well spent the battle cost
All hope is not yet lost
Frodo still carries the ring
You have not fought in vain
When you march forth again
You shall be led by your king.

We fought and did not yield
Pelennor's battlefield
Now we approach the Dark Lord's gate
Sauron we will defy
Hoping to draw his eye
Far from the one who'll decide our fate

Well spent the battle cost
All hope is not yet lost
Frodo still carries the ring
You have not fought in vain
When you march forth again
You shall be led by your king.

One day may tell the tale
Courage of men shall fail
That will not be this day, I swear
Look on me now, Dark Lord
Reforged, the broken sword
Thought you that Isildur had no heir?

Well spent the battle cost
All hope is not yet lost
Frodo still carries the ring
You have not fought in vain
When you march forth again
You shall be led by your king.

EDIT:I've incorperated a couple of the suggestions from the thread below into the song.

Comments

[mneme]

My comments wouldn't fit into one comment, so I'm breaking them up a bit.

Reforged (is) the broken sword

(why the parenthetical "is" here?)

There are three parenthetical words in the song. They indicate places where a word is being slipped in on the offbeat.

Ah, I see; wasn't sure what you were doing with them. IMO, the song would actually be a bit stronger without some of them -- "Reforged the broken sword" is perfectly gramatical, frex.

I note them that way so that I don't trip over them in perfomance. "Least of My Kind" has a very syncopated beat that is not forgiving of accidently getting the stresses in the wrong place. :)

No kidding. One of the reasons I'm a bit of a scansion facist about it, at least for my own performance. :)

Ok, this is a case where you might be right, but I'm still going to pass on it...That last line is a *strong* echo to Cat's original, and I really don't want to lose it for the sake of pronunciation. I think it still works fine as written, even if the middle syllable of Isildur doesn't get quite as much stress as one might like.

It does, yes. Actually, thinkng about it, it slightly reverses the stresses (singing the phrase naturally, "is" gets more stress than "il", which in turn gets more than "dur"). But it does work, and the echo is worthwhile.

Also, back in the chorus, "Well spent the battle cost" is good, but I think I preferred what I used in -my- filk even for this -- "Well worth the battle cost." But either way, I'm not sure how this flows into the next line; might even be better to say

Though large the battle cost
All hope is not yet lost

I toyed with this one a lot, and that was the best version I came up with. Your first suggestion doesn't flow well into the next line, as you note, and the second suggestion doesn't work for me for some reason -- it sounds awkward.

Note that your original doesn't flow any better into the next line.

I -think- the problem with sug. #2 was the "though large" -- it's the first word doesn't take the stress very well at all. But I'm not all that happy with the original either (but then, I don't have to be; it's your song. :)

BTW, I hope that while I'm tossing these out, you do know that I really appreciate the time you took to write the critique. Even if I ultimately decide in the end that I like what I had in the first place better, it's *always* good to come and look at my work through a fresh pair of eyes. Thanks!!

Absolutely -- it's an enjoyable conversation regardless! And, of course, if I do borrow the song, having a conversation on the various pros and minuses (and decisions involved in them) can give me a better idea of what I actually -want- to change.

[autographedcat.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see; wasn't sure what you were doing with them. IMO, the song would actually be a bit stronger without some of them -- "Reforged the broken sword" is perfectly gramatical, frex.


Heh. That's how I had it just before I posted it. Then I waffled. The word can be left entirely out, and I may leave it out of the "official" lyrics, even if I always do slip it in when I actually sing it. :)

No kidding. One of the reasons I'm a bit of a scansion facist about it, at least for my own performance. :)

And that's not a bad thing. I don't always meet the Gold standard ("A person familiar with the tune should be able to sing it perfectly the first time he reads it"), but I try to get as close to that as possible.

Note that your original doesn't flow any better into the next line.

Um, sure it does. Perhaps if i punctuated:

"Well spent the battle cost;
All hope is not yet lost!"

It's not a single clause, two independant clauses that work together.

I -think- the problem with sug. #2 was the "though large" -- it's the first word doesn't take the stress very well at all. But I'm not all that happy with the original either (but then, I don't have to be; it's your song. :)


The entire construction of "Though large the battle cost" sounds awkward and clumsy.

Absolutely -- it's an enjoyable conversation regardless! And, of course, if I do borrow the song, having a conversation on the various pros and minuses (and decisions involved in them) can give me a better idea of what I actually -want- to change.

Indeed! If you do perform it, you'll have to let me know how it goes over. :)