i finally got my copy and enjoying the Cd so far...
the story could be very well translated into a movie much like Mae's.
Tracklist:
1. Prelude
2. The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)- The narrator begins the story, telling of how Margaret (the heroine) came to meet William (the hero). Margaret went riding in the woods one day and stumbled upon a wounded fawn. Being a kind and compassionate person, "a credit to her ***," she stops and helps the animal. When she does this the land starts to shake and the fawn changes into its true form, William. He takes her back to his forest dwelling and makes love to her on the forest floor.
3. A Bower Scene - Margaret returns home, but soon discovers that she has been impregnated by William. She decides to return to the taiga where she met him.
4. Won't Want For Love (Margaret In The Taiga) - Margaret returns to the forest and searches for William through the night, even though she is exhausted. She sings that though she may be pregnant, it "won't quell [her] want for love."
5. Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All) - William finds Margaret in the forest. He proceeds to make a bed of leaves and boughs for Margaret. Once again, the pair make love on the forest floor "till the conrcrake crows." William proclaims that he would "wager all" for Margaret, a statement he follows up on later in the story at Annan Water.
6. The Queen's Approach - Short instrumental symbolizing the approach of William's adopted mother, a Queen of the forest.
7. Isn't It A Lovely Night? - The two lovers sing about the beautiful night that they have to enjoy each other on. The song finishes with them finished making love ("and we were left to catch our breaths/so swiftly lifting from our chests")
8. The Wanting Comes In Waves/Repaid - William realizes that his mother is coming when he hears her, "a soft disturbance in the dead fog." He knows that she will be angry with him for falling in love with this woman, but he still engages her in conversation and tries to rationalize his emotions to her("still the wanting comes in waves"). The Queen, unimpressed, is furious with William as he expected. William, realizing that she will have her way in the end, strikes a bargain with her: She will allow him to enjoy his night with Margaret, and in return, he will go back to her first thing in the morning and return to his old ways. The Queen agrees to this, saying "consider it your debt repaid."
9. An Interlude - Short, very serene instrumental symbolizing the rest of the night spent between the lovers.
10. The Rake's Song - Introduces the villain of the story, the Rake, who provides some background details of his life. The Rake was married at the age of 21, and was happy with it for a while, until his wife began having children, whom he despised. He had three children, Isaiah, Charlotte and Dawn. His fourth child, Myfanwy, died in childbirth along with her mother. With his wife gone, he began to desire a new life of freedom, but saw the children as a major obstacle. He killed Charlotte first, feeding her poisonous foxglove, then drowned Dawn in the bath, and finally went on to kill Isaiah. Isaiah tried to fight back, but was easily defeated by his father, who then burned his body as punishment. The Rake then tells us that his actions have never really bothered him and that he is never haunted by his past.
11. The Abduction of Margaret - The Rake sneaks up on the place where the two lovers are lying in the forest. He takes Margaret away and brings her to the bank of a massive, rushing river and waits.
12. The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing - The Queen gives the backstory of William's life: she found him abandoned in the Annan Water when he was a child, and rescued him, giving William the form of a fawn by day. The Queen affirms that all in the forest belongs to her, and uses that as justification for allowing the abduction of Margaret. She then commends the Rake's actions and flies him across the river with Margaret, to a place where William will not be able to reach them.
13. Annan Water - William, in pursuit of Margaret and her abductor, reaches the shore of the river, Annan Water. He sees that he will not be able to cross it on his own, since the water is so violent and wild, so he begins to think of other ideas. He prays to the river's spirit, and asks it to calm and allow him to cross; in return, he will allow the river to devour his body when he returns. The river complies and ceases its raging, allowing him to pass.
14. Maragret In Captivity - The Rake brags to Margaret about her kidnapping, and chastises her for crying for help. A terrified Margaret continually calls out for rescue by William, but is told by the Rake that he won't be able to hear her.
15. The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!) - The Rake's children
16. The Wanting Comes In Waves (Reprise) - A short reprise of the earlier theme, made much more triumphant and joyous. William and Margaret are again united.
17. The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned) - The lover's prepare for their deaths, holding each other in their arms as they wait. William promises that they will wander the river as ghosts, still able to love even in death. He proposes marriage, "these rushing waves to bear [their] witness," and Margaret agrees. The waves begin to lap about them as they finish, and as the waves come crashing down about them, William closes his eyes and softly kisses her.
The decemberists- The Hazards of Love
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