Monday, July 8, 2013

Black is the Colour...

A while back my wonderful sister-in-law came to visit and we sat in front of the fire, scoffed sipped red wine and watched music videos. Perfection. We both have a bit of a thing for Passenger at the moment and, while idly looking through clips, we arrived at this song. (Okay, I think that's what happened. It was a few days ago.) Anyway. I saw it and I knew.


Isobel Anderson (who has the remarkable good taste to share my surname) sitting in a pub, opening her mouth and letting the most amazing sound pour out. Jealousy, awe, wonder and 'Aha' rolled together.

So.

Number One. My present protagonist, Cat  (lead singer of a celtic-rock band and foster mother of the god Lugh) is absolutely going to sit in a pub and just open her mouth and sing. Don't know how or when, but it's going to happen.

Number Two. Isobel has a very different type of voice to Cat, and looks very different, but she does look incredibly like how I'd always imagined a character called Carrie to look, and if Carrie could sing, (which she can't) that's how she'd sound. I have to re-write Carrie's book to bring her alive. But... ideas are stirring.

Number Three. I am now determined to use Black is the Colour of My True Love's Hair in (at least) two pivotal moments in Fosterling, my current work in progress. Firstly when Cat sings to her love just before she returns from the islands with a completely unexpected baby she won't explain, and secondly when she's been kidnapped by One Eyed Balor, and Lugh realises she's in the wrong world when he hears someone re-singing the song and asks who they heard it from. Yay. Love it when pieces just fit together.

Black is the Colour is a song that's been used many times before - most notably in Ellis Peter's wonderful novel of the same name. (Although in that case the singer changed the words to Black is the Colour of my True Love's Heart, when she believed she'd been betrayed.)  But I think it's up to it.

Here's the Passenger mix that lead to it. There's an excerpt from Isobel singing Black is the Colour at the beginning, but don't worry, it's not the same!


And can I just say - I love the clip. The sea. The birds. The shore. An old wooden boat and three people just singing. Love. (And she so looks completely like Carrie. I don't have room, time, headspace to re-write Carrie. But damn it, I'm just going to have to do it.)

1 comment:

  1. AArrgggh... I 'm reading in the pub and don't have headphones. will re-visit tomorrow. But I do recall Passenger well...I've run away from home to work, left a babysitter with the kids. School holidays with no hubby have worn me out... it's bliss to be here and to write!

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