(no subject)

[tree_and_leaf]

I know that what is obscure knowledge is very much culturally relative, but I am still boggling at the idea that there's something particularly revolutionary or clever about using the sodding Skye Boat Song (melody thereof) as the theme tune of a tv series dealing with the '45 and its aftermath.

I mean, all credit to Bear McCreary, the composer for going on to use it in an interesting variety of ways (though the Stevenson poem was deliberately written to fit the metre of the SBS, rather than it being McCreary's idea to put the two together), but still...

Comments

[white_hart]

I think the first version of the Skye Boat Song I knew (in one of the BBC Music for Schools booklets from the 60s, which is where I learnt most of my traditional music from) had the Stevenson poem as lyrics rather than the actual words. I’m not sure why, but that suggests that the combination is far from radical.

[tree_and_leaf]

No, indeed not!

[jesuswasbatman]

I first learned it as a hymn tune from the "Come and Praise" book: "Spirit of God as strong as the wind, gentle as is the dove".

[tree_and_leaf]

It's a nice hymn, although substantially newer than the Stevenson lyric! (Though it goes back to 1970, so is older than I thought).

[lilliburlero]

I really don't think that lyric is Stevenson's finest hour - 'I' where 'me' should be is a hard squick for me and sours the rest. I discovered over a course of what nearly became a stand-up row on the point that both my best friend and my boyfriend think that the I/Skye rhyme emphasises the wistful need of the speaker for connection with the place and I Am Offically Wrong, Proven By Sums, so ymmv. The Bear McCreary version gets me into a good pedantic mood to sporkwatch Outlander though.

[tree_and_leaf]

No, I don't think it's a great poem either!