Magick Musick

[Thorn]

(To borrow Debbie's phrase)

Thought it would be fun to talk about music other than Zeppelin. Possibly with magickal content, or just groovy to listen to.

The Mission, 80's "bubble-gum goth" band, had some incredible pagan lyrics, especially on their Carved in Sand album. An example:

Deliverance

Believe in magic believe in lore legend and myth
And the hand that guides in the cunning of hope, in the weaving of dreams
And the lady of the lake takes my hand and leads me
To the holy isle and the fairy rings and the circles of stone
Forever and again

Give me, give me, give me, deliverance
Brother, sister, give me, give me
Deliverance, deliver me

Surrender to the wisdom of age and the spirits of time
Remember our souls entwined for eternity
And the healing hand of the fairy queen will come to all who have faith in her
And the apple tree will bear its fruit in the gardens of avalon
Forever and again

Give me, give me, give me deliverance
Brother, sister, give me, give me
Deliverance, deliver me
Give me, give me, give me, deliverance
Brother, sister, give me, give me
Deliverance, deliver me

Let me sleep for awhile and dream of avalon and the beltane fires
And a silent kiss steals away into the mist and out to the lake
Where the sword will rise again from the water into the
Hands of the chosen one the righteous one
Forever and again

Give me, give me, give me, deliverance
Brother, sister, give me, give me
Deliverance, deliver me
Give me, give me, give me, deliverance
Brother, sister, give me, give me
Deliverance, deliver me


Fields of the Nephilim are another band for great lyrics, though darker. Very Crowley influenced, as one could guess from song titles like "Love Under Will" and "Moonchild". Though I must say, it feels like a lot of that is just for effect. From their Nephilim album:

Celebrate

When the moment's right
Only moments rise
For the lesser blessed
It's all promises
When the daughters rise
From their comas rise
For a lesser blessed
It seems honest here

Celebrate give love and praise
Celebrate
For our lesser days

Obsessions in your eyes
The peril of my life
Where others fall
You came back again
With no grace in mind
For the magan blind
To a lesser god we'd seem honest here

And you'll turn
You'll find new highways
And you'll turn
But lady you'll burn

This moment's all you have it there
This moment hangs like your ragged hair

Celebrate
Give love and praise
Celebrate
For our lesser days

When the moment's right
Only moments rise
The eternal sea of silence
The shadows of mankind
And you'll turn
You'll find new highways
And you'll turn
You find new highways

Celebrate here
Celebrate here please
For all you've changed me
Celebrate here
Celebrate here
Celebrate for our lesser days

[Thorn]

For some really powerful orchestral music, check out:

Rimsky-Korsakov's Night on Bald Mountain (that's the really creepy bit from Fantasia)

Stravinsky's Rite of Spring and Firebird. (I just love those Russian composers.)

Franz Lizst's Bohemian Rhapsodies. (I can't remember which # is my favorite - I'll have to check my CD collection when I get home.)

[Thorn]

The blues as a genre seems particularly magickal to me. (To other's too, it would appear - judging by all the legends of blues performers selling their souls... )

For blues that's not too depressing, check out Stevie Ray Vaughan - especially his Texas Flood album. (Stevie is the one musician on the planet that I love every bit as much as I do Zeppelin.)

Or grab some old country blues like Robert Johnson or Charlie Patton. Some citified stuff like Howlin' Wolf or Buddy Guy. If you're into female vocals, there's no one like Billie Holiday. Or contemporary Canadian Diana Krall - no skinny white chick has sang that good since Janis died.

Then there's Dr. John for some fantastic New Orleans style jazz & blues piano. (As an aside, John took his stage name from a notorious New Orleans voodoo doctor, and I've got my suspicions about his own practices.)

[Summer]

Those are beautiful lyrics Thorn. I haven't ever heard of that band before, but I already like their songs, because the lyrics are so haunting.

I haven't ever really gotten into the blues except that I absolutely love Stevie Ray. I haven't ever bought any of his albums, but I love all of the stuff that I hear by him on the radio.

I myself think that The Mighty Rearranger by Robert Plant has really spiritual lyrics on it. Check it out.

robertplanthomepage.com/lyrics/mighty_rearranger_lyrics.htm