SUNDAY SONGS #5
A tiny tale of longing, desire, and what we find in the most secret chambers of our hearts. Plus, an ode to Shelley Duvall's Faerie Tale Theatre. Here's "Robin."
Sunday Songs is a series where I revisit songs from my music catalog. While most of you know me as a writer, I’m a musician first. Here are the stories behind the songs. Stay tuned for new music news. Thanks for listening!
When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with fairy tales. No surprise then that, as a child of the eighties, I was a huge fan of Shelley Duvall’s Faerie Tale Theatre. I’d often dream of the wild, low-budget sets, especially the castles, with their endless cardboard halls, rooms of full of straw, spindles, and wacky, long suffering princesses. I didn’t want to be a wacky, long suffering princess when I grew up, but I did want to inhabit secret spaces — doors that opened to forgotten rooms, other worlds, passages, and tunnels to someplace else.
As a grownup, I continued to dream of castles, and the enchanted forests surrounding the kingdoms. I got lost in the halls, I discovered impossible rooms. Doors opened out into tangled, endless acres. There were knowing birds, mythical wildlife, and life changing chance encounters. I know now that these not-so-distant lands are the unconscious, the private chambers of my heart. And I believe my songs come from these places, too.
“Robin” certainly did. A slip of a song clocking in at 2:44, “Robin” came to me complete, like an episode of Faerie Tale Theatre, except I was the narrator, wrestling with a secret longing. At the time I didn’t really know what I was pining after — Robin Hood? Bows and arrows? Quite the tale! But listening back, “Robin” comes from a small forgotten room, a thicket deep in the woods. A wanting clothed in fairy tale, a desire so true it’s barely formed.
I hope you enjoy this little song. No matter the chaos in our world, there is always so much to discover in the secret chambers of our hearts. Perhaps you’ll find something there you can’t believe? Take refuge. Hold it, tend to it. It’s yours.
Sending love to all. Feel free to share a little slip of a story or whatever’s on your mind in the comments. May we all have a moment or two to access our wildest dreams, the longings that surprise us, our most intangible desires.
Keep singing,
xx Alexa
PS. If you were also a Faerie Tale Theatre fan, I came across this piece about Shelley Duvall. She disappeared for over two decades. What a story. Thank you, Shelley for inspiring us all with your imagination.
Robin
Robin, he knows the woods
Oh to be there, oh to be there
Oh to be there when he points and shoots
The woods are bright and small
And he’s so very tall
The birds don’t mind at all when he comes in
Leaves change from spring to fall
And I’m still like a doll
Constant in my wondering
Is he there now?
Robin, he knows the woods
Oh to be there, oh to be there
Oh to be there when he points and shoots
All songs written and performed by Alexa Wilding c. White Witch Music 2011 / ASCAP; Tiny Prism Records, NYC / Produced by Tim Foljahn / Mixed by Fred Smith / Mastered by Fred Kevorkian / Engineered by Murray Trider at Ground Control Studios, Brooklyn, NY
Additional percussion recorded by Tom Beaujour at The Nuthouse, Hoboken, NJ
Players: Alexa Wilding, Tim Foljahn, Brian Kantor, Fred Smith, Murray Trider