Romanticism and Popular Culture

This evolving bibliography collects media that represent Romantic-era works and historical figures in fictional contexts. We welcome feedback and additions from the RC community.

Music

Songs from Songs of William Blake: "Introduction (Songs of Innocence)," "The Sick Rose," "The Fly"

Recording Artist:

Kevin Hutchings

Album:

Songs of William Blake

Publication Information:

Indie Pool

Date:

2007

Songs referecing the writing of William Blake.

Songs from Ten Blake Songs & Linten Lea: "Infant Joy," "A Poison Tree," "The Piper"

Recording Artist:

Vaughan Williams

Album:

Ten Blake Songs & Linten Lea

Publication Information:

Meridian Records

Date:

1993

Songs referecing the writing of William Blake.

Blake's poems have been set to music by many composers, including Ralph Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten. -Wikipedia

Songs from The Blake Project: Spring: "The Ecchoing Green," "The Garden of Love"

Recording Artist:

Finn Coren

Album:

The Blake Project: Spring

Publication Information:

Bard

Date:

1997

Songs referecing the writing of William Blake.

Finn Coren's two albums of "The Blake Project" sets his songs. -Wikipedia

Songs from The Blake Project: Spring: The Appendix: "Spring," "The Little Vagabond," "The Nurse's Song"

Recording Artist:

Finn Coren

Album:

The Blake Project: Spring: The Apendix

Publication Information:

Bard

Date:

1998

Songs referecing the writing of William Blake.

Finn Coren's two albums of "The Blake Project" sets his songs. -Wikipedia

Songs from The Chemical Wedding: "King in Crimson," "Chemical Wedding," "The Tower"

Recording Artist:

Bruce Dickson

Album:

The Chemical Wedding

Publication Information:

Sanctuary Records Group

Date:

1998

"'The Book of Thel,' 'Jerusalem,' 'Gates of Urizen.' Bruce Dickinson , who used to be the lead singer for Iron Maiden in the '80s, has released several solo albums since; his Chemical Wedding has a LOT of Blake references on it; one song is called 'The Book of Thel' and there are a couple others [including 'Jerusalem' and 'Gates of Urizen'] that are direct references to Blake. Might be worth a look for those of us interested in pop-cultural representations of Romanticism." — Gord Barentsen

Songs from The Echoing Green: "Pantomine," "Shoot the Moon," "My Life is My Art"

Recording Artist:

Finn Coren

Album:

The Echoing Green

Publication Information:

Bard

Date:

1989

Purportedly inspired by Blake but contain Corren's own lyrics. Songs referece the writing of William Blake.

Songs from The Inspiration of William Blake: "Songs of Innocence," "Lonely London," "Bananas"

Recording Artist:

Jah Wobble

Album:

The Inspiration of William Blake

Publication Information:

All Saints Records

Date:

1996

Songs referecing the writing of William Blake.

Finn Coren's two albums of "The Blake Project" sets his songs, as does Jah Wobble's album The Inspiration of William Blake. -Wikipedia

Songs from The Tyger and Other Tales: "Tyger," "She Walks in Beauty," "Ozymandias"

Recording Artist:

Krysia Kristianne

Album:

The Tyger and Other Tales

Publication Information:

JVC Records

Date:

1990

"(somewhat new-age-y and flimsy for my taste) includes "La Belle Dame,""Ozymandias," "Lady of Shalott," among others." —Tom Dillingham

Songs from The Westbrook Blake: Bright As Fire: "The Fields," "I See They Form," "London Song"

Recording Artist:

Mike Westbrook

Album:

The Westbrook Blake: Bright As Fire

Publication Information:

Europa Records

Date:

1980

The songs reference the writings of William Blake.

British jazz pianist and composer Mike Westbrook began his work for the theatre with Adrian Mitchell's "Tyger", a celebration of Blake staged by the Royal National Theatre in 1971. This became a vehicle for Westbrook's Brass Band of the 70's and 80's and the album "The Westbrook Blake - Bright As Fire" followed on in 1980, essentially a jazz interpretation of Songs of Innocence and of Experience. A revised and expanded version of the work was re-recorded in 1997 and named "Glad Day". -Wikipedia

Songs from Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: "The Argument, Plate 2," A Memorable Fancy, Plates 6–7," "Plates 21–22"

Recording Artist:

Ulver

Album:

Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell

Publication Information:

Jester

Date:

1998

Songs referencing the writing of William Blake.

The black metal/experimental music group Ulver released Themes from William Blake's The Marriage of Heaven and Hell in 1998, setting large portions of the poem's text. -Wikipedia

Songs from Tyger: "Tyger," "London," "Alchemy of the Heart"

Recording Artist:

Tangerine Dream

Album:

Tyger

Publication Information:

Jive Records

Date:

1983

Songs referecing the writing of William Blake.

Sample songs from Tyger: "Tyger," "London," "Alchemy of the Heart"

Greg Brown released an album of selections from the Songs of Innocence and Experience (1986), and several Blake songs were included in Tangerine Dream's album Tyger (1987). - Wikipedia

Songs of Innocence

Recording Artist:

Album:

Songs of Innocence

Date:

2014

U2, Songs of Innocence (2014)

Songs of Innocence and Experience

Recording Artist:

William Bolcom

Album:

Songs of Innocence and Experience

Date:

1984

This was performed in 1984 and released 2004. The title is a reference to the writing of William Blake.

Songs of Innocence and Experience: A Tribute to William Blake’s Poetry

Recording Artist:

Anda al Sinaia

Album:

Songs of Innocence and Experience

Date:

2007

The album is a tribute to William Blake's poetry.

Songs: "Spring," "The Sick Rose," "Night"

Recording Artist:

William Blake and the Human Abstractions

Publication Information:

Adversion Recordings

Date:

2008

Began as a project for an art exhibit at Muhlenberg College. The resulting album includes "Spring," "The Sick Rose," "Night," "The Human Abstraction," "Chimney Sweeper," "The Ecchoing Green," "Ah! Sunflower," "Little Boy Lost/Found," "Infant Joy/Sorrow," "Hear the Voice of the Bard!" and an improvisational instrumental piece called "Wings of Fire" based on a student performance in the Gallery.

Sound Affects (Album)

Recording Artist:

The Jam

Album:

Sound Affects

Publication Information:

Polydor Records

Date:

1980

The Jam's 1980 album Sound Affects features three stanzas from Percy Shelley's "Masque of Anarchy" on its back cover art.

Summertime in England

Recording Artist:

Van Morrison

Album:

Common One

Date:

1980

Van Morrison, “Summertime in England” from Common One (1980) contains the lyrics “Did you ever hear about /Wordsworth and Coleridge, baby? / Did you ever hear about Wordsworth and Coleridge? […] Smokin' up in Kendal / They were smokin' by the lakeside” and a reference to William Blake.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxA0UWDkVNI&feature=youtu.be

Summertime in England

Recording Artist:

Van Morrison

Album:

Common One

Publication Information:

Mercury Records (UK), Warner Bros (US)

Date:

1980

The song references the writings of William Blake.

Blake is also mentioned, along with T. S. Eliot, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and William Wordsworth, among others, in the lyrics of "Summertime in England," a song loosely based on Blake's poem, "And did those feet in ancient time" and from Morrison's 1980 album, Common One. -Wikipedia

Tasso, Lamento e trionfo

Author:

Franz Liszt

Date:

1849

1849–54 – Franz Liszt: Tasso, Lamento e trionfo, symphonic poem -Wikipedia

The Clod and the Pebble

Recording Artist:

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

Album:

Tape Club

Date:

2011

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, “The Clod and the Pebble” from Tape Club (2011)

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlcGzrNsy30&feature=youtu.be

The Dreamer is Still Asleep

Recording Artist:

Coil

Album:

Musick to Play in the Dark Vol. 1

Publication Information:

Chalice

Date:

1999

The song references the writings of William Blake.

Coil performed a song called "Love's Secret Domain" that quotes Blake's "The Sick Rose",[28] they also allude to Blake in "The Dreamer is Still Asleep" on Musick to Play in the Dark Vol. 1. -Wikipedia

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