Sunday, March 13, 2011

Sonnet 2 spoken word with Guitar


                 CLICK HERE FOR Sonnet 2 Spoken Word & Guitar mp3




This is me speaking sonnet 2 with the guitar. I wrote the guitar accompaniment and it can be used for any of the 150 or so sonnets. Now you know what my voice sounds like. I hope I haven't scared anyone away.
I don't read a lot of  Shakespeare and I just chose this one out of the blue. It's about an older guy talking to a younger man about the reasons to get married ( I think). I love the words and the way they are used, but
am neutral on the content. I'm neither for or against having kids.


Here are the words in case you can't hear them:



When forty winters shall beseige thy brow,
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty's field,
Thy youth's proud livery, so gazed on now,
Will be a tatter'd weed, of small worth held:
Then being ask'd where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days,
To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes,
Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserved thy beauty's use,
If thou couldst answer 'This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count and make my old excuse,'
Proving his beauty by succession thine!
This were to be new made when thou art old,
And see thy blood warm when thou feel'st it cold.



7 comments:

Anonymous said...

oops, i can't get to the link.

but the text is wonderful.

zonedin said...

It worked for me. I think it's great! Your voice is nice and you got that old English accent;~). You are brave. A while back I video recorded myself (in 30 second increments) reading a story that I wrote and I hate to hear myself, so I haven't shared it.

rivercat said...

I can relate. Its reassuring to know I finally got the file to play for somebody. This is the only time I've ever recorded a poem. I am insecure about my voice and looks but I try not to be too critical of myself or let it stop me from doing stuff...like going out of the house to get the mail in, (if you know what I mean!)... I added a hint of accent because it didnt sound right to me without it.
Thanks for listening and for the feedback :)

Whatever said...

Sounds Good, But it might be even better if you found one you felt more passionately about the subject matter. :)

rivercat said...

ha,youre right, when I read the words I thought the metaphors were cool, but that the two guys were kind of lame...shakespeares not really my thing ... Im more passionate about the ethereal and intangible feelings I get from making my music and if im very lucky, writing. If I make something that's interesting and more personal maybe i'll put it up but I may also chicken out. Thanks for commenting :)

dead-girl said...

i liked hearing your voice reading the sonnet but would like even better to hear one of your own poems it would be awesome to have a painting and a poem plus the mp3 all together...

you do inspire me through what you are doing with your blog.

rivercat said...

thanks, I was thinking about making this and I may like to do things I dont really love to do as a way of examining myself in a random haphazard way.
I dont really love shakespeare stuff or think what he says is rational in relation to how i feel on the same subject, but im so glad I somehow made this recordimg. in a sense shakespeare, like all of us was pushing his thoughts outside himself. he was a masterful salesman. i feel more like the bottom of a river letting the current flow and thinking about what i see as well as wondering why im there. I also liked my guitar piece because it seems universal.
just looking at the sonnets briefly i recognized it could be used for all of them regardless of topic or emotion,and more impotantly that the musical dialogue was a back an forth, but instead of a debate or statements about varying degrees of devotion or different circumstances, the universality of the musical dialogue ( the two repeating chords talking back and forth and the refrain)is one of a kind of playful acceptance of any two positions, kind of laughing and crying with each other as the debate is held apart in the voice. i guess thats why i like spacey music.Personally i dont listen to any music anymore much, and when i have the time i just practicecand experiment with my electric guitar unplugged .For me thats the extent of my music involvement at the present time .Listen to it and see if you know what i mean or if im totally insane :))