Pop Sonnets: Shakespearean Spins on Your Favourite Songs. Erik Didriksen

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СКАЧАТЬ Lynyrd Skynyrd, ‘Free Bird’

       Destiny’s Child, ‘Say My Name’

       III. SONGS OF TIME AND MORTALITY

       Talking Heads, ‘Once in a Lifetime’

       Journey, ‘Don’t Stop Believin’’

       Bon Jovi, ‘Livin’ on a Prayer’

       Alanis Morissette, ‘Ironic’

       Boston, ‘More Than a Feeling’

       The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, ‘The Impression That I Get’

       Outkast, ‘Hey Ya!’

       Lorde, ‘Royals’

       Idina Menzel, ‘Let It Go’

       The Beatles, ‘All You Need Is Love’

       U2, ‘I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For’

       The Doors, ‘Light My Fire’

       Nena, ‘99 Luftballons’

       Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc, ‘Wake Me Up’

       The Bee Gees, ‘Stayin’ Alive’

       Don Henley, ‘The Boys of Summer’

       IV. ROGUES, RASCALS & WANTON WOMEN

       Tommy Tutone, ‘867-5309/Jenny’

       Sir Mix-a-Lot, ‘Baby Got Back’

       Beastie Boys, ‘(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)’

       LMFAO, ‘Party Rock Anthem’

       Icona Pop feat. Charli XCX, ‘I Love It’

       Chumbawumba, ‘Tubthumping’

       Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams, ‘Get Lucky’

       Madonna, ‘Material Girl’

       George Thorogood and the Destroyers, ‘Bad to the Bone’

       Bruce Springsteen, ‘Dancing in the Dark’

       Cyndi Lauper, ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’

       The Weather Girls, ‘It’s Raining Men’

       MC Hammer, ‘U Can’t Touch This’

       The Village People, ‘YMCA’

       Men Without Hats, ‘The Safety Dance’

       Rebecca Black, ‘Friday’

       Miley Cyrus, ‘Party in the USA’

       Blink-182, ‘What’s My Age Again?’

       Meghan Trainor, ‘All About That Bass’

       The Chainsmokers, ‘#SELFIE’

       The Trammps, ‘Disco Inferno’

       Vanilla Ice, ‘Ice Ice Baby’

       Katy Perry, ‘I Kissed a Girl’

       ABBA, ‘Dancing Queen’

       V. BALLADS OF HEROES

       DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince, ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’

       Billy Joel, ‘Piano Man’

       Johnny Cash, ‘Folsom Prison Blues’

       Simon and Garfunkel, ‘Mrs. Robinson’

       Elton John, ‘Rocket Man’

       Kenny Rogers, ‘The Gambler’

       Chuck Berry, ‘Johnny B. Goode’

       Barry Manilow, ‘Copacabana’

       Arlo Guthrie, ‘Alice’s Restaurant’

       Roger Miller, ‘King of the Road’

       The Tokens, ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’

       The Animals, ‘House of the Rising Sun’

       Black Sabbath, ‘Iron Man’

       Michael Jackson, ‘Thriller’

       The Eagles, ‘Hotel California’

       Queen, ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’

       Jay-Z, ‘99 Problems’

       Frank Sinatra, ‘My Way’

       Index of First Lines

       Acknowledgements

       About the Author

       About the Publisher

       INTRODUCTION

      William Shakespeare (1564–1616) has mystified scholars for centuries. With so little documentary evidence about his life and career, particularly in his own hand, he is a topic of endless academic speculation. Did he really compose the works attributed to him? For whom were the ‘Fair Youth’ and ‘Dark Lady’ sonnets written? Was Shakespeare murdered by a rival writer?

      These questions, while intriguing, ignore an important aspect of Shakespeare’s work. He was not an author but a playwright; his work is intended not to be read but heard. His stunning use of rhyme and rhythm not only guided the audience to greater understanding of plot and theme but also helped the actors memorise and perform his works. Given his tremendous power on the stage, we must ask ourselves: if Shakespeare’s plays were intended for performance, why do we believe his sonnets were intended solely for the page?

      In fact, they weren’t. The 154 sonnets we know and cherish were an exception, written and published in 1608 to bolster his income while London СКАЧАТЬ