白日梦

忽然发现，现在我推荐音乐时，说的话真是越来越少了，一般也就简单的介绍一下为什么会推荐这首歌，最多再表达一下喜爱的程度。呵呵，今天多说一点。

对 The Corrs 的狂热的爱无需再多说了，她（他）们的专辑是一定要追捧的，更何况新专辑《Home》是她（他）们回归之作呢。只是现在越来越后知后觉了，9月26日发行的专辑，居然到10月初才得知。虽想热捧，奈何终归是迟了一步，不能与时俱进（哇，微软拼音2003可以打出这个词组哎！），只好放放马后炮了。

官方网站上介绍说，在这张专辑里，她（他）们开始回归。Caroline Corr（二姐，鼓手）首先提出“回归”的建议，因为“无论我们走到何处，都会被要求表演更多的爱尔兰音乐”。

精心挑选出传统的爱尔兰音乐，重新编排，时刻牢记要保持这些老歌中最初的感情，并通过较现代的方式演绎出来。

本来我打算像处理《雪狼湖》一样，一首都不放到网上来，而是推荐下载/购买整张专辑，可是一次不经意的搜索，给我自己下了个套：不得不（其实是忍不住）把专辑中的一首歌摆上来，并且放弃观看十运会开幕式，花一整晚的时间写上一大堆文字。

话说从头。

（转载请注明出处：daydream.com.cn）

专辑中的第二首歌 Spancil Hill 蛮合我胃口的，于是想找找它的歌词。或许是因为专辑刚刚发行的原因，搜索出来的信息中和 The Corrs 相关的并不多，反倒是其中一篇文章提到的这首爱尔兰民谣背后的悲剧故事吸引了我。

Spancil Hill 这个地方是真实存在的，它位于 Ennis 和 Tulla 之间（别问我这两个地方在哪儿……），现在在那儿只剩下一些断壁残垣和一条十字路了，可在当年，那儿却是一个著名马匹交易市场的举办地，每年都会有1000~2000匹马在这里交易，并吸会引大量的国外买家前来。Clooney 社区教堂离 Spancil Hill 也仅有一英里左右。

这里原来叫作 Cnoc Fuar Choile（盖尔语？），意即 the hill of the cold wood，不知何故，英语化后被称作 Spancil Hill。Spancil 这个词源自“spancilling”，即用一条短绳绑在动物的左前腿和右后腿之间，以此来限制动物的活动，防止它们跑远。

Spancil Hill 马市通常在每年六月的23日举行，但在歌曲的第二段里写道，男主角“在23日是马市的前一天”（It being on the twenty third of June, the day before the fair），这又是怎么一回事呢？原来在老版的诗篇（附在文后）中有过说明：23号恰好是安息日（Sabbath），遵照安息日不工作的传统，马市延后了一天。

Spancil Hill 这首歌源自名为 Spancilhill 的诗篇，作者 Michael Considine 出生于1850年，1870年前后从 Spancilhill 移民到美国。他的部分亲戚也移居到了美国，但仍有一部分留了下来，例如他五个月大的侄子 John。

Michael 去美国后努力工作，希望能把自己的爱人也接过来并完婚，可惜他至死都没能存下足够他爱人移民的钱。他的爱人在最早版本的诗篇中说的很清楚，是“巡逻兵的女儿 Mack（Mack the Ranger’s Daughter）”，而非现在流行的版本中——包括 The Corrs 的这个版本——所说的“农夫的女儿 Ned（Ned the Farmers daughter）”，她就是 Michael 青梅竹马的爱人 Mary MacNamara。

Michael 在波士顿工作了两年左右后去了加利福尼亚，在很长一段时间内饱受疾病的折磨。觉得自己将不久于人世，他写下了这篇 Spancilhill 并寄回家乡爱尔兰，以此纪念自己的爱情。

Michael 1873年逝世，有人说他最后葬在了 Spancilhill，但也有人说他被葬在了加利福尼亚。而他的爱人 Mary MacNamara 则终身未嫁。

附：

Spancilhill 完整版诗篇

Last night as I lay dreaming, of the pleasant days gone by,
My mind being bent on rambling and to Erin’s Isle I did fly.
I stepped on board a vision and sailed out with a will,
‘Till I gladly came to anchor at the Cross of Spancilhill.

Enchanted by the novelty, delighted with the scenes,
Where in my early childhood, I often times have been.
I thought I heard a murmur, I think I hear it still,
‘Tis that little stream of water at the Cross of Spancilhill.

And to amuse my fancy, I lay upon the ground,
Where all my school companions, in crowds assembled ’round.
Some have grown to manhood, while more their graves did fill,
Oh I thought we were all young again, at the Cross of Spancilhill.

It being on a Sabbath morning, I thought I heard a bell,
O’er hills and vallies sounded, in notes that seemed to tell,
That Father Dan was coming, his duty to fulfill,
At the parish church of Clooney, just one mile from Spancilhill.

And when our duty did commence, we all knelt down in prayer,
In hopes for to be ready, to climb the Golden Stair.
And when back home returning, we danced with right good will,
To Martin Moilens music, at the Cross of Spancilhill.

It being on the twenty third of June, the day before the fair,
Sure Erin’s sons and daughters, they all assembled there.
The young, the old, the stout and the bold, they came to sport and kill,
What a curious combination, at the Fair of Spancilhill.

I went into my old home, as every stone can tell,
The old boreen was just the same, and the apple tree over the well,
I miss my sister Ellen, my brothers Pat and Bill,
Sure I only met my strange faces at my home in Spancilhill.

I called to see my neighbors, to hear what they might say,
The old were getting feeble, and the young ones turning grey.
I met with tailor Quigley, he’s as brave as ever still,
Sure he always made my breeches when I lived in Spancilhill.

I paid a flying visit, to my first and only love,
She’s as pure as any lilly, and as gentle as a dove.
She threw her arms around me, saying Mike I love you still,
She is Mack the Rangers daughter, the Pride of Spancilhill.

I thought I stooped to kiss her, as I did in days of yore,
Says she Mike you’re only joking, as you often were before,
The cock crew on the roost again, he crew both loud and shrill,
And I awoke in California, far far from Spancilhill.

But when my vision faded, the tears came in my eyes,
In hope to see that dear old spot, some day before I die.
May the Joyous King of Angels, His Choicest Blessings spill,
On that Glorious spot of Nature, the Cross of Spancilhill.

The Corrs - Home 全专辑eMule下载：VeryCD.com
The Corrs 谈新专辑：点击这里下载

PS：郁闷，开始在verycd上搜索的时候，明明没人发布过这张专辑啊？？兴冲冲的发布了，无意中再次搜索了一下，nnd，9月份就有人发布过了，刚才不知道躲在哪个犄角旮旯，现在才跳出来……只好把帖子改了，发布N久之前下载回来，一直舍不得共享（呵呵 :P）的 Norah Jones - First Sessions。这是她首张正式专辑之前发行的 EP，只有5000张，现在已经是物以稀为贵，某老外在 eBay 上花了200美刀才买到手。。。

有兴趣的到这里下载 Norah Jones - First Sessions 专辑：VeryCD.com