Ariel Sings

S. Kilbey / B. Shakespeare
(Control)

Appears On:

• Steve Kilbey - Fire Down Below EP (1987), Track 3
• Steve Kilbey - The Slow Crack (1987), CD Track 8, LP & Cass. Track 7 (Side 2, Track 1 on Red Eye RED 15 LP)
• Steve Kilbey - The Slow Crack (2004 reissue), Track 5

The words to this song are from "Ariel's Song" from Act I, Scene II of The Tempest by William Shakespeare. In the liner notes to the 2004 reissue of The Slow Crack, Steve wrote this about the song:

Like every one else who's ever read The Tempest, I was always absolutely knocked out with "the lyrics" to Ariel's song, which is also a spell (as all good songs should be). I tried to give it a possible setting. The score? Shakespeare 1 - Kilbey 0 I'm afraid. File under "Experiment".

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Lyrics (unofficial)

Full fathom five thy father lies
Of his bones are coral made
Those are pearls that were his eyes
Nothing of him that doth fade
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell
Hark, now I hear them
Bell