It's my "Autumnal Playlist" if you will.
This song I came upon while living at Evangel University. It was my first summer not coming back to PA. I was on my own for the first time. The year was 2000. Gladiator had just come out in theaters. I was house sitting for the summer while also working at EU's very on TV Station, ECTV.
But the route to this song started the previous year. On a random night in October some friends and I went to see the latest Tim Burton movie, "Sleepy Hollow." There was a trailer on that for another movie that was out called, "The Messenger." It was the story of Joan of Arc.
I of course went to the theater (I think by myself) the very next night to see it. I was blown away by that movie. To fully explain that would take another blog. Needless to say it stuck with me. So did the lead actress, Milla Jovovich.
So, I was very much surprised when (the following summer) I learned the Ukrainian model, turned actress, turned musician had released an album. I liked many of the songs but the one that stuck with me the most.
Song 10/Day10
Today's Song: "In A Glade," from Milla Jovovich's album, The Divine Comedy.
The coolest thing about this song...is that it is sung in Ukrainian. It is a traditional song from the Ukraine. While I don't know the origin or history of the song, Milla captures such a haunting beauty in her voice and pacing of the song. The title of this post is a translation of some of the lyrics, which I never looked up until today, over 12 years later.
This song pulls me strongly into the Fall. I'm not sure if that's a harpsichord or what playing but the notes just feel like the stems of leaves popping off the trees while the harp fills my mind with images of the red, orange, yellow stars floating down to the dark, damp, brown soil.
And it is almost oppressive, the beauty of this forest of falling leaves. All that can be seen is the somber hues of Autumn and the dark bark of the trees. The boughs and branches are too tightly woven over head and still too full of leaves, all the while they are falling and filling the air dancing among the dark wood, until they land and carpet the soil, hiding the patches of green grass.
Her voice beckoning the listener deeper and deeper into the woods until they come across the titular glade. Here, I see a scene described in my all time favorite book, The Black Cauldron, by Lloyd Alexander. The lead character Taran, a teenage boy, in ancient Prydain (Briton) has a dream. This dream shows him element representing his primary companions resting on a wet rock. One item is a harp, that stands for the character of Fflewdder Fflam, a bard. The harp ties into the music of the song...and we've come full circle.
I love the melancholy overtones. But there is a flicker of hope tied into her voice. So enjoy something from another culture, and let it take you somewhere otherworldly.
Check out "In A Glade" from Milla Jovovich's album The Divine Comedy.
-Jesse
No comments:
Post a Comment