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

Le Corsaire

Recording Artist:

Marius Petipa

Date:

1858

1844 – Hector Berlioz: Le Corsaire overture (possibly also inspired by James Fenimore Cooper's Red Rover as the original title is Le Corsaire Rouge) -Wikipedia

Lions After Slumber

Recording Artist:

Scritti Politti

Album:

The Sweetest Girl (single)

Date:

1982

Scritti Politti, “Lions After Slumber,” B-side to the single “The Sweetest Girl” (1982)

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBU2uQET3tU\

Lions After Slumber

Album:

The Sweetest Girl

Publication Information:

Rough Trade

Date:

1981

"The B-side [of the band's 1981 single "The 'Sweetest Girl'"], "Lions After Slumber" takes its title and quotes, in its final lines, from the 1819 political poem "The Masque of Anarchy" by Percy Bysshe Shelley." -Wikipedia

Little Boy Lost & If I Live Or If I Die

Recording Artist:

John Vanderslice

Album:

Time Travel Is Lonely

Publication Information:

Barsuk

Date:

2001

Songs from the album Time Travel is Lonely by John Vanderslice, in reference to the writings of William Blake.

London

Recording Artist:

Sparklehorse

Album:

London

Publication Information:

Capitol Records

Date:

1995

Sets William Blake's poem, "London" to music. The music can be found online on Youtube.

Lord Byron's Luggage

Recording Artist:

Warren Zevon

Album:

My Ride's Here

Publication Information:

Artemis

Date:

2002

2002 – Warren Zevon: Lord Byron's Luggage -Wikipedia

Los placeres de la pobreza (The pleasures of poverty), and El Camino del Exceso (The Road of Excess)

Recording Artist:

Héroes del Silencio

Album:

El Espíritu del Vino

Publication Information:

EMI

Date:

1995

The songs reference the writings of William Blake.

Enrique Bunbury from Spanish band Héroes del Silencio was influenced by Blake's work, with songs like "El Camino del Exceso (The Road of Excess)," "Los Placeres de la Pobreza (The Pleasures of Poverty)," "Deshacer el Mundo (Unmake the World)" and "La Chispa Adecuada (The Right Spark)". -Wikipedia

Love's Secret Domain

Recording Artist:

Coil

Album:

Love's Secret Domain

Publication Information:

Wax Trax

Date:

1991

Album title as well as the song "Love's Secret Domain" are written with reference to the writing of William Blake.

Coil performed a song called "Love's Secret Domain" that quotes Blake's "The Sick Rose." -Wikipedia

Lullaby

Recording Artist:

Loreena McKennitt

Album:

Elemental

Publication Information:

Quinlan Road

Date:

1985

"'Lullaby' uses the words of a poem by William Blake. The song was written for the 1983 Stratford Festival of Canada production of Blake by Elliot Hayes and performed by Douglas Campbell." -Wikipedia

Manfred

Recording Artist:

Robert Schumann

Date:

1849

1849 – Robert Schumann: Overture and incidental music to Manfred -Wikipedia

Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58

Recording Artist:

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Date:

1885

1885 – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Manfred Symphony in B minor, Op. 58 -Wikipedia

Marino Faliero

Recording Artist:

Gaetano Donizetti

Date:

1835

1835 – Gaetano Donizetti: Marino Faliero, opera -Wikipedia

My Blakean Year

Recording Artist:

Patti Smith

Album:

Trampin'

Publication Information:

Columbia Records

Date:

2004

In addition to numerous other songs with Blake references, Smith has also published a book of poems entitled Auguries of Innocence (2005).

The lyrics can be found on the artist's website at pattismith.net.

My Boat is On the Shore

Recording Artist:

William Crathern

Date:

1820

1820 – William Crathern: My Boat is On the Shore (1820), a setting for voice and piano of words from the poem To Thomas More written by Byron in 1817. -Wikipedia