regshoe: Photo of the white cliffs of Dover, with Greek text (On the knees of the gods)
[personal profile] regshoe
It has been a week of good news, hasn't it! Many congratulations to all Americans (and, um, Destiel shippers)—and this announcement today seems like at least a very little bit of hope.

Apparently I'm still not quite over my last Flight of the Heron fic, so, here's where I got the title from:



This song has been recorded by several of my favourite folk singers—Kate Rusby's and June Tabor's versions are both very lovely—but Cara Dillon's was the first one I heard, and it's still the one I like best. She sings it with a slightly different rhythm to the other versions I know, slower and less regular-sounding, and the little alteration to the tune she makes at the end of the third and fifth verses has a beautiful, heartbreaking finality about it.

I've wanted to use it for a fic title for some time. The simple story of someone who marries for money rather than love and regrets the choice has a resonance about it—I seem to have a habit of shipping things that end up being tragically rejected by the story and/or the characters, and although I'm not especially proud of it, that '...instead of gold, sure it's brass I'll find' verse has comforted me in the face of more than one half of an OTP who (although usually from rather different motivations) makes the wrong romantic choice*. The last verse, which rather abruptly starts talking about armies, sits oddly alongside the rest of the lyrics (one of the notes quoted on the song's Mainly Norfolk page suggests that it's a 'floating verse', borrowed from another song in the way that sometimes happens in the oral tradition), so I was quite pleased at figuring out a way to tie it into the same story with that fic. :D


However! Writing continues meanwhile. I've got a first draft of my Yuletide assignment done—I reckon it'll need quite a lot of refining and re-drafting, but I've been really enjoying the writing and I'm happy with what I've got so far. I'm going to let it sit for a few days now and plan treats—I have three treats I want to write, though how many of those I actually manage remains to be seen.


*Including two E. M. Forster books, and at least he meant it to be taken that way. :P

Date: Nov. 9th, 2020 08:06 pm (UTC)
theseatheseatheopensea: Illustration of the Sir Patrick Spens ballad, from A Book of Old English Ballads, by George Wharton Edwards. (Sir Patrick Spens.)
From: [personal profile] theseatheseatheopensea
Getting some good news is *so* necessary, we can always use a bit of hope here and there! <3

As someone who gets a lot of inspiration from music, I loved reading about yours! This is a very evocative and poignant song, especially for those of us who favour stories about sad, tragic ships and bad decisions, heh (and, of course, it goes very nicely with your story, which I am also not quite over *cries forever*)

And it's awesome to know that your writing is being so successful!! *high fives* Good luck with the rest of your fic and the treats!! :D

Date: Nov. 10th, 2020 07:38 pm (UTC)
starshipfox: (Berry the lamb)
From: [personal profile] starshipfox
Thank you for sharing this song! It's very beautiful. I love Cara Dillon's voice.

I'm glad your Yuletide assignment has been fun and productive. I just finished my femslash exchange fic, which I thought would *never* get done.

Date: Nov. 11th, 2020 09:54 pm (UTC)
starshipfox: (parker)
From: [personal profile] starshipfox
I've listened to a number of Cara Dillon's songs over the years, but never consistently. I've always enjoyed her voice though.

I didn't sign up for Yuletide this year because I felt it would be too much! Well done for writing a femslash treat! I'm looking forward to reading Yuletide stories when they come out.

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