Fables Music

[Kelsi Parker]

Lately, I've been working on the idea of a Fables fantrack -- something to burn and have as a bonus at Fablecon, or mail out to people who can't make it. And I think I may have donated far too many brain cells to the cause, so feel free to chip in with other songs you think fit, which songs you think should be cut, and comments that I have way too much time on my hands.

Also? Be glad I'm posting the edited version.

Fairytale of New York - The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl

Fairytale - Sara Bareilles

Fairy Tales - Jojo

Prince Charming - Adam Ant

Boy Blue - Cyndi Lauper

Rose Red - Emilie Autumn

This Was Pompeii - Dar Williams

Less direct a connection than most of the ones here, but I think it's very evocative of the Exiles' flight from the Homelands.

Fairytale of New York - No Use for a Name

Hungry Like the Wolf - Duran Duran

Some songs just demand to be included. This is one of them.

Three Little Pigs - Green Jelly

The Briar and the Rose -

The vocalist isn't listed on the one, but it's definately not Tom Waits. The lyrics are the same, though.

The Frog Prince - Keane

Cinderella - The Cheetah Girls

Fable (Message Version) - Robert Miles

Mostly instrumental, and attempts to find lyrics result in a large crop of popup ads with no real results.

Beauty and the Beast - Angela Lansbury

Personal Thing - The Flash Girls

After making a vid of it, this had to be included.

I'm Gonna Make You Love Me - The Jayhawks

Storybook Love - Mark Knopfler

Cinderella Undercover - Oingo Boingo

Fairytale of New York - Third Eye Blind

Winter - Tori Amos

My Happy Ending - Avril Lavigne

Ain't Your Fairytale - Sonata Arctica

Legends Never Die - Doro

Fairytale - Gamma Ray

Prince Charming Comes - Flash Girls

Try as I might, I can't find the lyrics to this. But it's good and fits Fables very well.

Cinderella - Sweetbox

Animal Farm - The Kinks

Fairytale Love Story - Alice in Chains

Parade of the Wooden Soldiers - The Crystals

Gepetto - Belly

New York City - They Might Be Giants

Fairy Tale of New York - Ronan Keating and Marie Brennan

If you think I've included a lot of versions of this song here, you should see how many were on the original list.

Mood Indigo - Ella Fitzgerald

Goldilocks - Beady Belle

Fairy Tale - Frank Sinatra

The Longest Story - Daphne Loves Derby

Snow Queen - Carole King

How Does This Story End? - Dean Friedman

[Katiria]

Ha! That's a good list. I mean, there are songs in it that I can't really say I like, but this isn't about personal opinion. :P

I'm happy to see "Fairytale for New York" made it on (several times), although the Lyrics are a bit less fairytale and more angry...:P

<i>"You're a bum, you're a punk!"

"You're an old slut on junk..."</i>

Good song, though...good song. :)

[Kelsi Parker]

Feel free to add personal opinions, I don't mind. And yes, Fairytale of New York isn't that much fairytale-focused, but it has the most appropriate name ever. I've seen weaker criteria used for official soundtracks. *grin* And I've always felt that the insulting was more good-natured banter between a very odd couple.

[Tony Akins]

Wow...
Kelsi you rock!
This community rocks!

[Tony Akins]

Just felt I'd add this from the Steven Sondheim musical; Jack, in this show, is not especially bright. In fact I modelled a version of Jack on this very interpretation ( see unpublished FABLES issues...oh wait you CAN'T ...It's UNPUBLISHED!).

"Giants In the Sky"
Jack:
There are giants in the sky!
There are big, tall, terrible giants in the sky!
When you're way up high, and you look below
At the world you've left and the things you know,
Little more than a glance is enough to show
You just how small you are.
When you're way up high, and you're on your own,
In a world like none that you've ever known,
Where the sky's like lead, and the earth's like stone,
You're free to do whatever pleases you.
Exploring things you'd never dared,
'Cause you don't care,
When suddenly there's
A big, tall, terrible giant at the door.
A big, tall, terrible lady giant sweeping the floor.
And she gives you food, and she gives you rest.
And she draws you close to her giant breast.
And you know things now, that you never knew before.
After the sky.
Only just when you've made a friend and all,
And you know she's big, but you don't feel small,
Someone bigger than her comes along the hall
To swallow you for lunch!
And your heart is lead, and your stomach's stone,
And you're really scared, being all alone,
And it's then that you miss all the things you've known,
And the world you've left, and the little you own;
The fun is done.
You steal what you can, and run!
And you scramble down, and you look below
At the world you left, and the things you know..
The roof, the house, and your mother at the door.
The roof, the house, and the world you'd never thought to explore.
And you think of all of the things you'd seen.
And you wish that you could live in-between.
And you're back again, only different than before.
After the sky.
There are giants in the sky!
There are big, tall, terrible, awesome, scary,
Wonderful giants in the sky!

Great stuff.
h.e.

[Katiria]

Feel free to add personal opinions, I don't mind. And yes, Fairytale of New York isn't that much fairytale-focused, but it has the most appropriate name ever. I've seen weaker criteria used for official soundtracks. *grin* And I've always felt that the insulting was more good-natured banter between a very odd couple.

While I like the Pogues, the rendition I've heard was the No Use For a Name version, which sounds very angry to me. :P

As for suggesting songs, I'm not really creative enough to attempt. I guess I'll offer up <a href="http://www.musicsonglyrics.com/A/aceofbaselyrics/aceofbasewaitingformagiclyrics.htm">"Waiting For Magic"</a> by Ace of Base (Ah, that takes me back...), which keeps drawing references on Snow White...but really, that's all I got for my own suggestions.

Just felt I'd add this from the Steven Sondheim musical; Jack, in this show, is not especially bright. In fact I modelled a version of Jack on this very interpretation ( see unpublished FABLES issues...oh wait you CAN'T ...It's UNPUBLISHED!).

My friend always sings that song at me when I talk about Fables or JoF. I'm not a huge fan of it, but hey, you're right, it works.

About the unpublished Fables Issues...how about sharing? Sharing is caring, you know... :P

[Tony Akins]

Sharing is indeed caring. But it's far more fun causing a ruckus and stirring the hearts of FABLES fandom into demanding the release of the "Captive Issues". Besides, if I shared and believe me I want to, I'd be on the run like Jack; price on my head;the whole she-bang. Ask Bill and Shelly :~)

[Kelsi Parker]

Fair enough; I'll agree that the 'No Use for a Name' cover has an angrier tone to it.

[Katiria]

Fair enough; I'll agree that the 'No Use for a Name' cover has an angrier tone to it.

You can't tell me that the Pogues don't have SOME angry quality to their version. :P Even "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda" had a bitter tone to it (but I guess they didn't write that one...)

I just thought of another song you could add to your list. You've not really got any up there to recognize the Arabian folks and what better to recognize Arabian fables than German techno? :P The song I was thinking of is <a href="http://www.uppercutmusic.com/artist_e/e-type_lyrics/arabian_star_feat_na_na_lyrics.html"> Arabian Star</a> by E-Type. I don't know how much the lyrics apply, but hey- they talk about the desert and journies...that works, right? :)

[Cindy McShane]

Hmmm if you want to expand genres This Kiss by Faith Hill

Will think more when brain is not on menus......

[Laura Truxillo]

"Kiss That Frog" by Peter Gabriel, maybe? Though I suppose I should hold off on that one until we see the OGN or something.

Hah! Into the Woods! I can't think of that song without remembering my friend, who's the absolute antithesis of Fables!Jack, singing it for an audition.

The vocalist isn't listed on the one, but it's definately not Tom Waits. The lyrics are the same, though.

If the lyrics are the same, then why not the one by Tom Waits? Or you mean he's just usually mis-credited?

Because I'm a Disney nut, "Once Upon a Time in New York City" plays in my head every time I reread the first TP of Fables.

[Kelsi Parker]

Regarding the angry-levels of different versions of 'Fairytale of New York' -- I didn't say that the Pogues version was entirely without anger, just that it had lower levels. Also, listening to this entire playlist (plus another 30+ that were cut from the list) repeatedly over the past few days caused my brain to dribble out my ears.

Regarding 'Briar and the Rose' -- I prefer this version to Tom Waits' take on it, even though I haven't identified the vocalist. I think both artists are doing a cover of an older song, though.

And I'm not going to specify to keep SOME secrecy, but it appears I can't deliberately leave off a song to keep from giving away a vid I have in the planning stages without someone else bringing it up. . .

[Katiria]

And I'm not going to specify to keep SOME secrecy, but it appears I can't deliberately leave off a song to keep from giving away a vid I have in the planning stages without someone else bringing it up. . .

:D Yay! A vid!

[Jack Johnson]

At first I was just going to say that I would add a version of "Once Upon a Dream" (either classic or the new one off the DVD), but another Disney song just occurred to me as well..."A Whole New World" is almost perfect for Snow and Bigby. And of course, you have to include the song "Arabian Nights" from Aladdin as well.

[Laura Truxillo]

Regarding 'Briar and the Rose' -- I prefer this version to Tom Waits' take on it, even though I haven't identified the vocalist. I think both artists are doing a cover of an older song, though.

*gasp!* Blasphemy!
Then again, to me, Tom Waits is right behind the Beatles and Eric Clapton and right above BareNaked Ladies and Aretha, so....
...mmm, that whiskey-soaked razor-blade voice...*drool*
Man always does best singing his own stuff though, since IMHO, he's more of a poet than Dylan even.

Brennan's Glen, I think, is the name of another song I was listening to recently that follows the classic motiff of two dead lovers turning into a rose and briar. They even use the "my love died for me today, I'll die for her tomorrow" line (yeah, in that one, the girl dies first).

Which, I want to say, is...Barbra Allen, was it? "Oh mother, make my bed; make it soft and narrow..." and all that?


Man, I miss being in English classes.

As for the Pogues...I've never heard them not sound angry. I mean, c'mon, sounding bitter for "The Irish Rover?" That's pushing it, mate.

[Kelsi Parker]

To clarify: Tom Waits = Awesome^2. Other rendition of 'The Briar and the Rose' = more appropriate to Briar Rose. I'm not dissing Tom Waits, just trying to work on the side of Fables-relatedness beyond the 'kickass song' factor.

[Katiria]

Which, I want to say, is...Barbra Allen, was it? "Oh mother, make my bed; make it soft and narrow..." and all that?

See, that quotation reminds me of <a href="http://lyrics.rare-lyrics.com/S/Steeleye-Span/Little-Sir-Hugh.html"> Little Sir Hugh</a> by Steeleye Span, which is really just their version of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Sir_Hugh">old story</a>. "Little Sir Hugh" starts with, "Mother, Mother, make my bed, make for my a winding sheet...". Granted, I googled your reference and it's not the same, but I just find it interesting the similarities in those lines.

[Mark Buckingham]

I have to get a few favorites of my own into this...

Jethro Tull:
"And The Mouse Police Never Sleeps" (from the album "Heavy horses")
"Jack Frost And The Hooded Crow" (from the bonus tracks on "Broadsword and the Beast")
"Jack-In-The-Green" (from the album "Songs from the Wood")

Expect more offerings from the Fables artist who listens to prog rock while drawing the comic you love!

Bucky

[Bill Willingham]

Tull's the Mouse Police Never Sleep was obviously the inspiration for the Mouse Police in Fables (even though the song referred to cats of course). But the image of police mounted on mice was what came instantly into my head when I first listened to the song and I'd been nurturing it for years until an opportunity came along to use it -- which is how they ended up in Fables.

Now I'm upset because my copy of Broadsword and the Beast doesn't have the Jack Frost bonus track.

So is Tull considered Prog Rock? I never know what the catagories are, much less how to apply them. For example, I have no idea what ska is, but have at least a notion that it has nothing to do with the Society for Creative Anacronism.

[Mark Buckingham]

Now I'm upset because my copy of Broadsword and the Beast doesn't have the Jack Frost bonus track.

There are eight extra tracks on the digital remaster ...all good stuff of the same vintage. I can send you a copy if would like?

So is Tull considered Prog Rock?

Yes!