Re: Kate/Joyce

[chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (chris williams)]

In article <snelson-010594194505@ts6-37.upenn.edu> you write:
>Kate Bush's albums are full of things that hint at literary references, but
>I spotted something beyond coincidence.  Stepping off the page, indeed.
>
>The first verse of her song "The Sensual World" has the lines:
>
>..Then I'd taken the kiss of seedcake back from his mouth
>..He said I was a flower of the mountain, yes
>   But now I've powers over a woman's body, yes
>
>In the last chapter ("Penelope") of James Joyce's _Ulysses_ there's the
>line:
>
>"yes first I gave him the bit of seedcake out of my mouth and it was
>leapyear like now yes 16 years ago my God after that long kiss I near lost
>my breath yes he said I was a flower of the mountain yes so we are flowers
>all a womans body yes that was the one true thing he said in his life..."

   This was all worked out long ago by Jorn Barger, Love-Hounds Flame
Master and Joyce Scholar. The "recovered lyrics" are in the archives.
Love-Hounds Flame Master Emeritus Jon Drukman recorded a version of
_The Sensual World_ using Jorn's lyrics with a female singer (sorry
but her name has slipped my mind) and the instrumental recording
of the song. Good work, and credit where credit is due.

   Kate has confirmed that the original (and slightly different
musically) version was indeed a direct lift, that she sought rights
from the Joyce estate and as refused. She was them forced to write
new lyrics about the same charactor. She was (for Kate) quite annoyed.
One additional point about the birth of the song - she whispers
the word "re-write" in "...our arrows of desire rewrite the speech"


                          Chris Williams of
                             Chris'n'Vickie of Chicago
                               chrisw@fciad2.bsd.uchicago.edu (his)
                                 vickie@njin.rutgers.edu      (hers)