Friday, February 22, 2008

More thoughts on lyrics...

Thank you for the comment by anonymous that has now added an English translation of Hedfan Angel.
Yesterday evening I started to tackle some of the tracks that are not on Laura Marling's Alas I Cannot Swim and, having worked out most of those for 'Typical', I then discovered the site http://lyricwiki.org/ that I was previously unaware of.
The two versions were in good agreement, which naturally pleased me, but what I particularly liked about the site is that, at least as far as I can tell from very limited experience, it is done without most of dubious advertising tricks that many other lyric sites seem to employ. Yes it does have paid-for promotions but they are kept well apart from the main content, so you will only click 'n' see them if you really chose to do so and a good thing in my opinion.

Here is my interpretation of those of the first of the two tracks recorded live for the (2007) My Manic And I EP. I've started on New Romantic, which is the other live track on the EP and, let me tell you it is worth it for this alone: it is proving a really good way of appreciating song lyrics.

Laura Marling --- Typical

Again I let jealousy blind me today.
My oldest friend and I blew her away
Just a few kind words and all I could say
I've known you ten years - it feels like a day.

I watched her cry, torn apart at the hands of a child.

Again I used arrogance as something to depend
Condemned all religion to pitiless end.
A politician's resonance ran through my mind
Patriotic in one sense, the other just blind.

And so many die, torn apart at the hands of a child.

And I keep going on. I've got nothing to lose.
I gave up morals when I took up you.
It's boring to hear of another young truth.
What a typically shit thing to do!

I was shallow to the one man that stuck around.
Sunk so low that I nearly drowned.
I screamed at his heart when he wasn't around
Consoled him recklessly, I knew you were down.

I watched him cry, a broken heart at the hands of a child.

I'll keep on going, I've nothing to lose
I gave up morals when I took up you.
It's boring to hear of another young truth.
What a typically shit thing to do!


Now I have felt heartbreak too
And I know what it feels like.
I have felt heartbreak
Now you can leave me alone, right?

I kept on going, I had nothing to lose.
I gave up morals when I took up booze.
It's boring to hear of another young truth.
What a typically shit thing to do!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Note added 23rd February:
This is so good, and such a welcome comment, that I've now decided to post the above mentioned translation of Hedfan Angel in its entirety:

FLY ANGEL FLY
No answer in my memory, no light in the distance.
I'm here in the darkness, and here I belong.
No word and no reason, nothing
to look forward to,
You've left me here,
And everything's in pieces

A terrible accident and now I am dying,
Are you watching over me as I sleep soundly?

Will you kiss me softly and gently?
Now you've left me here - now
you have flown away
FLY ANGEL FLY
FLY ANGEL FLY
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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