The Hazards of Love is a 2009 album by the Decemberists, in case you have been living under a rock for the last few months. And here is summary of the plot in the entire album.
The Hazards of Love I: The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle The Thistles Undone
The Narrator is telling how Margaret, a girl in the service of her feudal lord, went out riding on a summer's day, in green and grey and white. She, in the taiga, finds a faun whose legs are caught in a trap. She, out of pity for the creature, releases him. They fall in love on sight of each other. They spend the night together, and Margaret is impregnated by the faun, William.
A Bower Scene
Margaret returns to her home, where she is confronted by a Sister (Catholic, presumably). The Sister asks Margaret why she does not continue with her work, and, putting two and two together, finds that Margaret is pregnant. She shuns Margaret and banishes her from her lodgings. Margaret returns to the taiga, hoping that William will find her.
Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga)
Margaret finds her way back to the taiga and sings the forest into helping her find William and give her a place to rest. William finds Margaret, and they decide to...
The Hazards of Love II: Wager All
Spend the night together in the taiga. All is well, William vows that he will love Margaret no matter what is trying to push them apart.
The Queen's Approach
Unbeknownst to the lovers, the Forest Queen has seen them together and is watching.
Isn't it a Lovely Night?
Margaret and William, resting on the forest floor under the stars, contemplate how much they love their future baby. Which is not born yet.
The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid
Margaret is asleep, but William stays up. He knows that the Forest Queen is nearby. He calls out to her, telling of how he can sense her. The Forest Queen had saved William when he was a child, and swore to keep him from humanity, but William tells her that the 'wanting comes in waves'.
The Forest Queen is not impressed. She tells him how he has a debt to pay back to her, for she saved him when he was a young and vulnerable child in the woods. She is angry for him not being 'gracious'.
William argues with her. After a long fight, she decides to let him have one night with Margaret, but only one night. In the morning she vows to take him back, forever, so that his debt can be repaid.
Interlude
The night passes.
The Rake's Song
Now we hear of the Rake, a bachelor whose wife died in childbirth. He then killed all of his children, one by drowning, one by poison, and the other he burned 'for incurring his wrath'. The Rake sees all of this as Margaret's fault.
The Abduction of Margaret
The Rake, in his anger and chaos, abducts Margaret from William in the night. William does not know until the morning that his love was stolen.
The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing
The Rake, now at the Annan river, is stymied. He cannot cross in any conventional way, the waters are too swift and turbulent. The Forest Queen, still bitter about William's choice, decides to intervene. She strikes a deal with the Rake: As long as he keeps Margaret away from William, she will fly him across the river. He agrees.
Annan Water
William, waking up for the first time, realizes that Margaret was taken. He frantically follows the Rake's clumsy path to the Annan River. He is sure that they crossed, but he cannot cross himself. In his desperation, he strikes a deal with the Spirit of the Annan. He may cross just one time, and on the second crossing he will be taken by the river. The deal is struck, and William may cross.
Margaret in Captivity
Margaret has been taken by the Rake. He has tied her up and humiliated her, covering her in tar and feathers. He is taking all of his anger regarding the death of his wife out on Margaret. He tells her that no one will rescue her, but she calls out to William anyway.
The Hazards of Love III: Revenge!
William, hearing Margaret's call, dashes to her aid. He battles the Rake, and eventually bests him. The Rake, dead, falls to a dark afterlife. He is taunted by his dead children, and is forced to relive all of their deaths... over and over. William and Margaret escape the Rake's lair.
The Wanting Comes in Waves (reprise)
William realizes that he must cross back to the taiga, over the Annan. He has no choice but to brave the waters. The water, however, has no intention of letting him live. His puny boat is beaten and broken, and it begins to sink as it is pummeled by the waves.
The Hazards of Love IV: The Drowned
In the final song, William sings to Margaret from their sinking ship. They pledge to get married there, and their ghosts will wander the water forever. As their ship finally collapses and waves rise one last time, he kisses her softly. Together, they die on the water.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment