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Keywords:
curse (2), cursing (1), more cursing (1)
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Description:
Does exactly what it says on the tin.
Written by Scottish musician and composer R J Stewart, a friend of my dad's, in 1975. I don't know what was in his head when he wrote it, but the song somehow chimed with me. Especially as we now have a prime minister hell-bent on concreting over the British landscape because it's good for the economy. My home town is full of sealed-up wells - a historic spa resort with no spas left. Our last working spa was demolished to make way for a splurge of luxury apartments which look like one of those Rotastak complexes you get for hamsters. This curse isn't aimed at individuals but at the whole culture of profit-before-people and environmental pillaging which seems to have infected our national consciousness.
Many thanks indeed to R J Stewart for permission to record and post this. You can check out his other music and books at www.dreampower.com.
And many thanks to Dick, who is a constant inspiration to me as well as providing his own distinctive contributions.
Song copyright © R J Stewart 1975. Recorded with permission.
This recording © Rebsie Fairholm/Dick Langford 2008
Rebsie: vocals, midi stuff (Fitch cello, sitar, drums)
Dick: more midi stuff (bass, extra percussion, horns, strings)
The cursing figure in the photo appeared one day on the wall of the (demolished) hospital where I was born. Luckily I managed to photograph it a few days before somebody embellished it with an unwieldy erect phallus.
Lyrics:
The Cursing Song
Lyrics © R J Stewart
Cursed be they that have ruined a fair land,
And cursed be they that have sealed up the wells,
And cursed be they that abandoned the Gods hands,
And build a strange place for their people to dwell.
Cursed be your breath and cursed be your breathing,
Cursed be your eyes and cursed be your sight,
Cursed be your hands that have blackened the harvest,
And closed the old ways to the joy and the light.
Cursed be your name all cursed and forgotten,
Cursed beyond memory, place, or recall,
And dust be your souls out of Nothing begotten,
Nothing to no-thing, and Nothing to All.
Now cursed are they that have ruined our fair land,
And cursed are they that have sealed up our wells,
And cursed are they that abandoned our Gods hands,
And built a strange place for the children to dwell.
Hardware:
A couple of Macs and some other bits
Software:
GB3 and 4, Jam Packs
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cursed indeed!! &mdash 01/17/08 - 03:55:12 PM
and who better to know than you?? ;) - a fabulous colab - as usual and stamped with true rebsie style - lots of lovely sounds going on too - fat and delicious - which reminds me... thank you both - big loves xoxoxo
[ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 05:50:24 AM
Heh! Yes, this is the logcal next step up from the joy of swearing in the MacJams chat window. Thanks for being firsties. [ Reply to This ]
The Cursing Song &mdash 01/17/08 - 03:57:05 PM
what an excellent song ..a pure art to enjoy
the voice the charming of the syle .the fitch cello
the arragment .just speechless this song is
just awesome .goodness a sitar you fly too far !!
thank you so very much for such Colab and a true
gem to share .!!! [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 05:58:06 AM
Thank you Feter for your constant support. Maybe it's my Asian genes but I really love the sound of the sitar and have been waiting for the right opportunity to use one on a song. [ Reply to This ]
A &mdash 01/17/08 - 03:59:54 PM
lovely song, I enjoyed this very much, I really do like this, great sounds from all the instruments, lovely strings and your wonderful vocals, superb!! [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 06:02:44 AM
Thanks Bob, glad you enjoyed it. That's always the most important thing. [ Reply to This ]
With Mr Stewart all the way! &mdash 01/17/08 - 04:23:42 PM
Powerful words delivered perfectly Rebsie! Hard to believe there's not at least one real (as in wood and strings) instrument amongst all that. Top marks to you both - 11/10 for Mr Stewart!
Neil [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 06:20:55 AM
Cheers Neil. I agree, the songwriting and the concise way he presents such a powerful message are top notch. His work deserves to be much more widely known. The lyrics here have multiple levels of meaning, from the direct spoiling of the environment to the sealing of the wells of vision which connect us with the soul of the land.
One line that resonates with me is the "cursed be your hands that have blackened the harvest", since I'm so heavily immersed in the politics of agricultural biodiversity. All the issues I rant about (GM crops, loss of biodiversity and big business trying to control the world's food supply) are so neatly summed up in that one line, even though most of those issues were not on the radar in 1975. [ Reply to This ]
I did bugger all! &mdash 01/17/08 - 04:39:56 PM
Just added a few sounds but Rebsie is too nice to say so :-)
I was amazed when I heard this for the first time. The lyrics have a real resonance for contemporary society and as Rebsie said they have a far deeper significance than just bulldozing our history for profit.
I was pleased to be a small part of it.
Cheers
Dick
[ Reply to This ]
*ahem* &mdash 01/17/08 - 05:06:57 PM
You've got a funny definition of bugger all, mister.
This arrangement would be a shadow of what it is without the ** 20 TRACKS ** you contributed. You've added all that lushness without compromising the subtlety, which is a special skill you have and I'm very grateful for it. [ Reply to This ]
"They paved .. &mdash 01/17/08 - 04:40:25 PM
.. paradise and put up a parking lot"... the b**t*rds!
and cursed be Tomas for the phallus graffiti as well ;o)
Love this song, not heard the original .. but I loved the celtic lilt to this, particularily on the "a strange place" line.. with the morris dancer percussion in tow :o)
I had a thought that a delayed verse might have worked later on .. you know that er...start repeating a bit after the first line starts, as in Frre Jacque or Scarborough Fair, also helping with the build.
.. and even light drums could have come in at some point (with the bass might be a bit early), though I would have to hear that etc ..
Could go a touch more "Figgy Duff" this one ..
.. and the hospital where I was born is also long since gone (Royston, Glasgow) :o( .. I sympathise. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 06:34:53 AM
Thanks Alan. I'm not surprised you haven't heard the original, wonderful though it is. I found it on a very ancient and wobbly 1970s tape. I think it's time for an R J Stewart revival though.
The original is sung with a fine Scots accent, which means that "cursed" rhymes with "dust" ... a subtlety which is lost when it's sung by a Sassenach.
St Paul's Hospital Cheltenham, 1861-1998, RIP. [ Reply to This ]
Pimathon winner &mdash 01/17/08 - 04:59:15 PM
Nice song. You druids need to settle down.
Really an excellent full sound. The bass gives it a complete feel.
Great job.
Dave [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 06:49:18 AM
I'm not much of a druid, just a common or garden underworld traveller.
Thanks for commenting David. We have my collaborator to thank for the fullness of the sound, and for his wonderful power-bass. [ Reply to This ]
I love the way the bass comes in late &mdash 01/17/08 - 05:23:31 PM
and adds such a heavy undertow. Another beautiful tune from you Rebsie. Whatever you touch turn to gold. The sitar-like solo is perfect and the rhythm track is fantastic. Where do I stop? Ah yes - you've got a mighty fine voice my dear. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 06:51:36 AM
Explicit title? &mdash 01/17/08 - 05:26:53 PM
heh...
Cool melody on this tune. Something's clipping with your vox on the mp3 I downloaded, thought you'd like to know
Nice thing you always do with this type of thing that fits your style, or iS you. 'Ndeed, dear. Lovely.
. - Harold [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 07:05:03 AM
Yes, this song is right up my street.
You're right about there being a touch of distortion in a couple of places where the levels were a bit hot, but I hoped nobody would notice! I don't use any compression on my songs (just a personal thing, but I hate what it does to the subtle tones in my voice) so I have a difficult balancing act trying to get the master volume as high as possible without crunching into the red. And I did overcook this one slightly. Mea culpa. [ Reply to This ]
I have heard &mdash 01/17/08 - 06:16:12 PM
three versions of this song now and I've enjoyed each and every one. My only slight reservation with this latest version, which is excellent, is that odd percussive noise which makes it sound like a rattlesnake has been thrown into the room. I may grow to appreciate or at least habituate to it on future listens, but after a couple of listens I found it obtrusive. That aside, I like this version a lot. I no longer have the earlier versions to compare it with but it stands up on its own merits. Dick's contributions are extremely valuable, despite his now legendary modesty, and I no longer feel I need to compliment Rebsie - this is just her doing that fabby thing that she does. Good work, both of you! [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 07:12:47 AM
Thanks for your support as always, Eppy.
We'll have to agree to disagree about the rattlesnake percussion. I love what it adds to the song, a kind of poised aggression which is meant to be unsettling. I'm glad you approve of the rest of the arrangement ... I agree that Dick did a fine job. [ Reply to This ]
I loved the earlier &mdash 01/17/08 - 07:07:22 PM
version and this is even better. Excellent additional bits from Dick. I'm a big fan of the Fitch Cello and that Sitar... and your wonderful singing of course Rebsie.
Peter [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 07:24:11 AM
Thanks Peter! As you listened to my original demo version you can hear how much richness and dynamic range Dick has added to it. I'm very pleased with how it turned out. The Fitch cello is great ... a freebie which sounds better than a lot of paid-for software instruments. It makes wonderful harmonic drones, which is why I use it such a lot. [ Reply to This ]
I'm with you &mdash 01/18/08 - 05:07:16 AM
all the way with these sentiments, just having been cast into the shadow of a brick wall at the bottom of my garden all within the law (allegedly). There will be nothing left of our historic lands and buildings if this get rich quick building fest carries on. This song is wonderful in the production and singing and the words are excellent. Very lush sounding, regards M [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 07:42:00 AM
I sympathise, Maurice. The get-rich-quick property opportunists are a blight on my street too. 1930s houses with big gardens ... nobody buys them to live in anymore, just to rip out all their character, build ugly extensions and flog them on at a vast profit. The gardens which have been tended and loved for 70 years are erased with a JCB and replaced with gravel so that the posh twits who buy the overpriced houses can park their Jeeps on it. Oops, am I ranting again? Sorry. But I do know how you feel. There are many other things in the world to feel outraged about, but the widespread attitude of "add value and sod the neighbours" really bugs me. [ Reply to This ]
Im giving you a standing O!! &mdash 01/18/08 - 01:25:24 PM
Incredible... stunned.. bowled over... speechless (almost)...
How do you keep getting better?? How ?? Its Mr Langford isnt it?? i want a damn Dick Langford of my own!! LOL!
This... this whole thing... from your back story and just... damn! just laying it down!! Awesomeness!
Best yet, ever.. super ga ga wonderful!
DLing it and taking it with me to a party this weekend *evil grins*.
....*bows way way low before leaving such grace*... [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 08:04:58 AM
Your effusive comments are always guaranteed to put a big smile on my face Jason! Thanks.
Yes it is Mr Langford. There's no better way to raise your own game than by working with other musicians who are really skilled. My music has come on in leaps and bounds since I've had Dick as a creative partner. Aside from what he adds to the songs directly, he feeds my musical imagination and gives me the confidence and enthusiasm to try new ideas, which has made a huge difference. I'm very happy with the way things are going.
Thanks for your support! I'm glad to see the muses seem to be stirring for you too at the moment. [ Reply to This ]
Curses! &mdash 01/18/08 - 05:28:30 PM
Good song, good singing, good production. I was waiting for the bagpipes. Where were the bagpipes?
Oh well, good use of strings and things. Very poignant lyrics and sentiment. Something most of us can relate to quite vividly.
Nicely done. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 08:11:25 AM
Thanks! I wish I played the bagpipes, but I think my husband is grateful I don't.
Bagpipes and sitar ... that must be a combination I can use somewhere ... [ Reply to This ]
Oh but my dear Rebsie Girl! &mdash 01/19/08 - 09:01:18 AM
It is! it is a combination you can use somewhere and I see nooo reason at all that you shouldnt have didge in there trading licks with the pipes and sitar!
Come on! Wind up the amazing Mr Langford and lets do a funky weird haunting pan world ethnocentric folk goth piece!! I am sooo down or up for it!
please please please??? [ Reply to This ]
33 Years Later... &mdash 01/18/08 - 06:51:33 PM
and we are STILL the ones who are cursed.
This is a subtle, lovely arrangement, but much too genteel for the subject matter, from my perspective.
If any lyric deserves an angry *Rap* treatment, with the most damnable expletives... this is it.
But Damn! those Stewart men do some fine work. ;)
--- Joe [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/19/08 - 08:19:21 AM
Thanks Joe, I appreciate you giving this a listen.
I think there's a lot to be said for making a subtle curse like this. Weaving it gently into a controlled hypnotic rhythm gives it a power of its own.
You Stewarts have great credentials. Rightful kings of Scotland, by all accounts. And a very pretty tartan to go with it. [ Reply to This ]
exotic spices &mdash 01/18/08 - 08:52:49 PM
Excellent combination of sounds, very well-mixed. No small feat, considering the variety.
The bass adds a certain "boomy momentousness" to this track. This track sounds very rich and full.
There's an interesting sustained sound, like a "squeeze-box", or drone. Very hypnotic!
The sitar was a bit exotic of a spice, but I think I could get used to it! ;) You handle it well here.
Excellent photo. Images like this are like making music, aren't they? Ephemeral, fleeting moments.
[ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/20/08 - 03:40:47 PM
Thanks Cameron, for another gracious and considered comment.
As reluctant as Dick is to take his due credit, the bass gravity and the overall richness of the sound are mostly down to him.
The 'squeezebox' drone is Claire Fitch's wonderful multi-purpose cello s/w instrument. Usually when I use it I adjust it to get it sounding like an authentic cello, which it does very well. But in this case I decided it didn't need to sound like a real cello, it was fulfilling a role as a drone instrument and there was no reason why it had to sound like anything in particular. :) So I gave it a slightly more stilted attack on the notes and it kind of sounds like a backwards accordion. I liked it like that so I left it in. [ Reply to This ]
haunted &mdash 01/19/08 - 02:00:42 AM
A lyric still poignant over 20 years later. This is a beautiful dark track, your lovely vocal giving some light thru the curtains.
Great work guys
steve [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/20/08 - 03:16:05 PM
20 years? Your sense of time is just like mine, Steve!
Thanks for your kind words, that's a nice way of describing it. [ Reply to This ]
CLASSIC &mdash 01/19/08 - 07:17:05 AM
Classic Sweep and Scope.
Ahead of its time in 1975, timely now.
The British Invasion, Too continues.
Superb Layout and Delivery.
appreciation and regards,
Cooper [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/21/08 - 05:25:09 AM
Thanks RT. British invasion indeed. And Mr Stewart lives on your side of the Atlantic these days, so watch out! ;) [ Reply to This ]
beautiful &mdash 01/19/08 - 07:06:34 PM
this is really beautiful. reminds me a little of Fairport Convention/ Linda Thompson. really well played and recorded. gorgeous, really. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/22/08 - 12:15:23 PM
Thanks Brian, glad you liked it. I can certainly cite Fairport and Linda as influences. [ Reply to This ]
@#&*$#@!!!! &mdash 01/20/08 - 11:53:55 AM
I expected more cursing. I guess I've been listening to American music too much.
Powerful, powerful song. Very haunting and very apt for these times. What you describe happening to your home is exactly what's happening to the city I consider my second home, the town of Oxford, Mississippi - home of William Faulkner. It's being paved and built up so that instead of the idyllic small Souther town you'd expect Faulker to hail from, its becoming the picture of urban sprawl.
You and Dick do a wonderful job with this tune, Rebsie. It's lovely and haunting. Thanks for sharing it with us all. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/22/08 - 12:52:20 PM
If you want THAT kind of cursing, I have a recording of me tripping over a guitar en route from the computer to the microphone, but I haven't yet managed to incorporate it in a song.
Yep, the insidious culture of greed seems to be everywhere. Not just in big business, but on a local and individual level. I'm convinced town planners never actually set foot in the areas they make decisions for. I dunno about you, but in this country they design big retail parks with no footpaths or proper pedestrian access, so if you DARE to venture into them on your own two legs instead of a car you risk getting your arse knocked off.
Your warmth and wit are always appreciated here, Joe. Thanks for being so supportive. [ Reply to This ]
nothing to all &mdash 01/20/08 - 03:43:40 PM
wow, I'm blown away, got the chills, goose bumps and all! wow. what a wicked song! great lyrics and Rebsie - your delivery gives those lyrics extra power. Great pic too! [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/22/08 - 01:03:59 PM
Thanks for a lovely comment Ray, it's good to see you around here again.
Chills and goosebumps are good, I'm happy with that. :) [ Reply to This ]
WOW &mdash 01/20/08 - 03:57:24 PM
Rebs this is great ! Lovely vocal very haunting and real ....the accordian or organ sound draws you in and then you voice makes you listen then the story wow just brings my mind to old past and forests and well great job vocals , sound bed is increadable ! [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/22/08 - 01:08:49 PM
Thank you. The idea was to grab your attention and then hold it there with the hypnotic rhythm, so I'm glad it worked. [ Reply to This ]
I'll admit... &mdash 01/20/08 - 04:02:00 PM
Like Joe I was looking for some profanity LOL but I was glad to hear cursing done so well. I often speak about cursing and profanity, because I believe cursing is much worse. Thanks for sharing.
Moses [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/24/08 - 08:07:57 AM
Thanks Moses. Funnily enough the word "cursing" has a slightly different usage on this side of the Atlantic ... "consigning person or thing to destruction", as my dictionary says. So it didn't occur to me that it might be interpreted as "swearing" until I saw the responses from Americans! [ Reply to This ]
being so full of curses &mdash 01/20/08 - 09:35:37 PM
it maybe should be labeled explicit! Really supa dupa! I get so little time to listen to songs on MacJams, I have to go right for the rebsie as soon as I see it for I know I won't be disappointed. Excellent as always! [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/24/08 - 08:12:16 AM
What a lovely thing to say Jim, thank you. It certainly is hard to find the time to keep up with stuff on MacJams, and the longer you've been here the more difficult it is to keep up with all the people you've made friends with over the years. [ Reply to This ]
Voice &mdash 01/21/08 - 05:28:25 AM
A song perfectly matched to you voice. Tone of vocal and instruments conveys the lyric in a direct and powerful way. Great song!
Thanks
Bill [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/24/08 - 08:14:59 AM
Thanks Bill, glad you like it. I decided this one would be most powerful if it was direct and uncluttered, so I'm glad you picked up on that. [ Reply to This ]
rebsie &mdash 01/21/08 - 08:33:05 AM
&mdash 01/24/08 - 08:19:15 AM
Cheers Jack. I don't know how you find the energy to be so unfailingly supportive to so many people here, but I appreciate it! :) [ Reply to This ]
This &mdash 01/22/08 - 08:32:40 AM
song really hit home with me.I studied environmental science in college for a couple of years.I remember one of the professors telling me that he used to go around plugging up pipes that were dumping pollution into streams.They would then back up into the factory and wreak havoc.When it's profit against the environment it seems like the money always wins.Great song! [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/24/08 - 09:13:32 AM
What a great idea, plugging up the pipes. I'd love to do that. As I get older I spend less time taking direct action and more time ranting on my blog instead, but you're making me nostalgic for a bit of criminal damage. Many years ago my brother and I 'moved' a dual-carriageway which was about to rip its way through the fields where we played as kids. The site of the new road was marked out with red and white poles ready for the bulldozers, and we ripped them all out and flung them as far as we could into the cornfields. And we moved a manhole cover and filled in the drain with earth and stones. It was all in vain though, the road was built and much to my disgust I have to drive along it every time I visit my parents. [ Reply to This ]
Yes it,s hard &mdash 01/22/08 - 09:29:44 AM
to watch a country go off and leave your dreams and trade the future for simple profit that only goes to one or two pockets.
Stamping out beauty is what politics do best. [ Reply to This ]
&mdash 01/24/08 - 09:30:42 AM
Yes indeed, the damage is usually down to a handful of already wealthy profiteers who generally don't have to live next to the hideous things they create. [ Reply to This ]
One problem with Capitalism... &mdash 01/22/08 - 11:39:55 AM
...as it's used now, is that it's an infinite game that's played on a finite playing field. So the adherents who can't see beyond the noses on their faces just start grabbing onto new, "unimportant" (or LESS important), areas to "play" in when the old ones dry up.
Sounds like that's what your (and ours) administration is doing to you.
Curse them...
F@*k 'em... [ Reply to This ]
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