Asking a music question.

I know we have to choose from the songbook, but I think you should some day at least do a cover of the Firefly theme song if you haven't already, because I'd love to hear your take on it ;) And you should totally do Tam Lin (Fairport Convention's version is awesome, and I'd love to see your take on it).

Also out of the running, but something I want to see done some day -- put The Lovesong of J Alfred Prufrock to music. Why? because in Tam Lin, Pamela Dean has one of the characters do it, and I've always wanted to figure out what that would sound like.

Serious suggestions: [bearing in mind I don't know what a good "fit" to the CD is, since I haven't heard it :(]
Afterlife -- beautiful lyrics, I'd love to hear it
Ariel's Wood -- because it's Shakespeare-influenced and that's really reason enough ;)
About A Girl -- ditto on the Afterlife comment
Gravity -- ditto, and because Wicked Girls touched me profoundly
House of Myths -- also ditto

Oh hell, anything -- I just want to be able to get a copy of that CD, since I discovered you after it was sold out. So I will trust your awesome judgment, just rerelease it, mmk? ;)

Angel of Amphitrite's Bay

It fits the theme, even if it seems a lot more wistful than many of them... And I am a sucker for anything and everything mermaidesque.

I would love to get another copy if "You Shall" winds up on there.

*nod* I love the lyrics so much, I just want to hear it! :)

Real Suggestions:

Little Girl - because I love Jo, and everything about her story, and she needs more story told, or sung (yes, this would also apply to Last Call, but not knowing the tunes of either, I suggested Little Girl. I think both fit the overall theme of SFH)

Showdown - it's a song about Ranger Girl. That is awesome. And again, similar in some tones. Once you pick up the mantle (or get handed the mantle) to fight the good fight, you don't just get to walk away and say it never happened. The fight's yours now, and you're stuck with it to either fight (and maybe win) or give up and lose everything.

Blow Ye Winds, Blow - Captain Jack!

Suggestions I would make except they probably don't fit the album well:

The Seal Skin, and the Story, and the Sky : I would love to hear this recorded someday, but given the existing album this doesn't seem like the time or place to suggest it. *sadness*.

Calling to the Storm: This looks like it would be absolutely sumptious to listen to, but I probably shouldn't suggest songs that require you to deal with complicated spaghetti vocals.

Not a Suggestion but a Question:

Is there an existing (rough!) MP3 of "You Would Fit in the Microwave" - While I concede it isn't a song I can imagine recording, it would fit my slow but growing pile/mix-set of lullabies handily (and yes, of course this set includes CLose Your Eyes).




Songs I would Suggest

I haven't heard any of your songs that aren't on the CDs, sadly, but "Breathe the Wonder" caught my eye. I have this whole playlist of songs that helps recharge me and keeps me motivated to write, and it sounds like it belongs there.

I love everything you do, but I love the fairytale/myth slant best: these songs are where I go for strength when I need it from music; these lyrics are the messages I'd want for children (on that note, I'd love permission to bring some of the lyrics into my classroom: I'm going to be an English teacher, and I feel like what you've written could resonate powerfully with so many young girls).

As far as the single song--"Golden Apples and Bones" would pick up the threads you wove into "Take Advantage" and "Earthquake Weather" (reconstructed fairytale/myth; going against your story). "She Dances" would continue the water theme: selkies, lighthouse keepers' daughters, and the little mermaid (whose story would also match the 'ocean girl wronged by her lover' thread in "Still Catch the Tide").

But if I had to pick just one, I'd want "In Glory and In Thunder", to tie "Stars Fall Home" as an album to the themes of loss, healing and redemption you voice so eloquently in "Wicked Girls." I can see them in "Take Advantage" and "Earthquake Weather", and to a lesser extent in "Dorothy" and her search through the web of Oz's/childhood's lies to get home, so "In Glory..." could conceivably fit thematically into "Stars Fall Home", though I think it functions best as a bridge between the two albums.

Where the Foxes is my favorite.

Quite Mad, and Spiders to Weave are also good.

Wild and Lawless, Tribal Secrets, and Enchanting Song. Mostly for the entirely selfish reason of me wanting to sing them and my brain being unable decide on a tune without hearing it first. But also:

Wild and Lawless because it makes me want to get up and dance in joyful and slightly drunk revelry. I think we all need to take a trip to goblin town once in a while!

Tribal Secrets because it strikes a chord of belonging and general rightness in me. There are several parts in the song where I just stop and go "This is exactly right."

Enchanting Song because it makes me want to run until I can't anymore, until I've reached the end of the road and another one appears.

Course, I've no idea if these mesh well with the rest of the album, but they're my favorites, so I'll throw them out there anyway.

I have looked through the songbook, and I can honestly say that I cannot really pick a song. I will leave that to you.

But I desperately need you to re-release Stars Fall Home, because I lost my copy when I lost all my stuff in storage, and I was unable to find a copy at any dealers. I know the whole album, and I can hear most of it in my head, but that doesn't replace having the actual CD.

(And if anyone reading this has an extra copy they'd like to part with, I'm in the market. Send me a message.)