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Marianne Faithfull — Witches Song
Album: Broken English
Avg rating:
6.5

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1750









Released: 1979
Length: 4:38
Plays (last 30 days): 4
Shall I see tonight sister
Bathed in magic greet
Shall we meet on the hilltop
Where the two roads meet
We will form the circle
Hold our hands and chant
Let the great one know
What it is we want

Danger is great joy
Dark is bright as fire
Happy is our family
Lonely is the ward

Sister we are waiting
On the rock and chain
Fly fast through the airwaves
Meet with pride and truth

Danger is great joy
Dark is bright as fire
Happy is our family
Lonely is the ward

Father we are waiting
For you to appear
Do you feel the panic
Can you see the fear ?
Mother we are waiting
For you to give consent
If there's to be a marriage
In the eve's contemp

Danger is great joy
Dark is bright as fire
Happy is our family
Lonely is the ward

La da da da da da, la la la la la
La da da da da da, la la la la la
La da da da da da, la la la la la
La da da da da da, la la la la la
Remember death is far away and life is sweet
Comments (65)add comment
Starts badly, gets worse. 
Reminds me of Kiss the Girl from the Little Mermaid (which of course came later). Both good songs!
 neilbain wrote:

This would most likely feature in my desert island list.



sort of guantanamo bay 2.0 kind of island?
 timmus wrote:
 

 What kind of drug use would change one's voice? Smoking, definitely, but this doesn't sound like it's in the wheelhouse of heroin, cocaine, or psychedelics.  The only other thing I can think of is screaming a lot while under the influence.


Mick Jagger maybe..?
This song is TERRIBLE.  
Just makes me think of "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid.  
Good tune! 
Start of the melody reminds me of Kiss the Girl from Little Mermaid 
Sorry, but please make it stop.
This would most likely feature in my desert island list.
This song has grown on me will give it an 8
 cuatro.thomas wrote:

WTF is listening to this and giving it more than a 1?  This song is wretched.  


*I* am and enjoying it. PSD button's there for a reason...
WTF is listening to this and giving it more than a 1?  This song is wretched.  
"Noted for her distinctive voice, Faithfull's previously melodic and  higher-registered vocals (which were prevalent throughout her career in
the 1960s) were affected by severe laryngitis, coupled with persistent drug abuse during the 1970s, permanently altering her voice
 

 What kind of drug use would change one's voice? Smoking, definitely, but this doesn't sound like it's in the wheelhouse of heroin, cocaine, or psychedelics.  The only other thing I can think of is screaming a lot while under the influence.
 PT-NOMORE wrote:
Man, so true about the RP Spotify combo!  What a great time for appreciating music.  RP introduces me to amazing songs for the first time and Spotify let's me dig in.  
Back in my day...  I couldn't afford to pay $20 for an album
Marianne Faithful is one of the ones I'm going to take a deeper dive into though.
Sure, be a negative person, you have every right. 
However, your existence is going to be less full without artists of Marianne Faithful's character. I don't like Tom Waits, but am on here bitching about his voice? No, I simply move on to the next track.
I suggest you do the same. The world will be a little better for it, at least this little corner of it.
And yes, support RadioParadise.com I gave them $100 at the beginning of the year. About 1/2 my Spotify Premium membership. Between the two, RP and Spotify, my musical library has expanded more in 5 years than the previous 50 years of music listening. 
I kid you not.
Happy listening everyone!!!


this is such a great album. thanks RP for playing it!
 gentlegiantfinn wrote:

This is the only track that is an auto-skip for me on RP. It's not only the voice, but how it fits in the song as well. I don't think I would like the song much if it was sang by anyone else. Even though I can't stand her voice, I appreciate that not every voice needs to sound beautiful: I even like growling. For me it's slightly problematic that the song gets played so often. Luckily this is the only song of its kind on RP.

And to possible haters: freedom to express negativity is just as important as positivity in a free world. Feel free to dislike this comment. That's what the button is there for.



Sure, be a negative person, you have every right. 
However, your existence is going to be less full without artists of Marianne Faithful's character. I don't like Tom Waits, but am on here bitching about his voice? No, I simply move on to the next track.
I suggest you do the same. The world will be a little better for it, at least this little corner of it.
And yes, support RadioParadise.com I gave them $100 at the beginning of the year. About 1/2 my Spotify Premium membership. Between the two, RP and Spotify, my musical library has expanded more in 5 years than the previous 50 years of music listening. 
I kid you not.
Happy listening everyone!!!
This is the only track that is an auto-skip for me on RP. It's not only the voice, but how it fits in the song as well. I don't think I would like the song much if it was sang by anyone else. Even though I can't stand her voice, I appreciate that not every voice needs to sound beautiful: I even like growling. For me it's slightly problematic that the song gets played so often. Luckily this is the only song of its kind on RP.

And to possible haters: freedom to express negativity is just as important as positivity in a free world. Feel free to dislike this comment. That's what the button is there for.
 Slimpack wrote:
This was my favorite album when it came out.... on cassette playing in my 69 Falcon.{#Bananajam}

they actually played "Why'd ya do it." on  the radio station I was Listening to at the time, CFNY, or as the Live Earl Jive Used to call it ," C F'N Y.
 tm wrote:

I saw MF in 2000 in a small club in Switzerland



good for you
I saw MF in 2000 in a small club in Switzerland
 NelsonBlack wrote:

1979 was when the journey Marianne Faithful made since the early 60's and the journey music made since the early 60's intersected.


I like the analogy!
 DaMoGan wrote:



From her Wikipedia article:

"Noted for her distinctive voice, Faithfull's previously melodic and
higher-registered vocals (which were prevalent throughout her career in
the 1960s) were affected by severe laryngitis,
coupled with persistent drug abuse during the 1970s, permanently
altering her voice, leaving it raspy, cracked and lower in pitch. This
new sound was praised as "whisky soaked" by some critics and seen as
having helped to capture the raw emotions expressed in Faithfull's
music."


Now you know... the rest of the story.

Does that reference (carbon) date me?
Whether it dates you or not, kinda moot, compared to the rude comment you replied to!! I've only come to hear of her work here, on RO. But, I kinda wish my musical influx wasn't so restricted when I was a young buck!! If she sounds this good here, I can only imagine how she sounded before "things" went south for her! God bless her and, RO for keeping her "alive"!! And, I think this is an awesome song!

 Spuck wrote:

Wow! Lots of judgmental people who probably can't put lyrics or a tune together themselves but love to trash those they can't understand.

I bought this album when it came out. Lots of history there. All I can say is, like so many things, I guess you had to be there to understand.



totally agree lots of history and a complete album from start to finish
 johnsf wrote:

Ugh, such a bad voice. Switching over to Soma FM until this song is finished. 




From her Wikipedia article:

"Noted for her distinctive voice, Faithfull's previously melodic and
higher-registered vocals (which were prevalent throughout her career in
the 1960s) were affected by severe laryngitis,
coupled with persistent drug abuse during the 1970s, permanently
altering her voice, leaving it raspy, cracked and lower in pitch. This
new sound was praised as "whisky soaked" by some critics and seen as
having helped to capture the raw emotions expressed in Faithfull's
music."


Now you know... the rest of the story.

Does that reference (carbon) date me?
 dmcanany wrote:

I like this tune, but I am not excited about her voice. 




How is that even possible?
 tinypriest wrote:

Public Service Announcement: Please pay for RP. Send them $5 a month or MORE. I give and we should all do so. Nothing stays free. Support Radio Paradise. (I'm not paid to say this, just a fan, who pays for you to enjoy).




Probably the most annoying, virtue signalling comment I've ever seen on this forum.
There were women rockers before this album, but I can't think of a feminist rock album before this (yeah, there was some folk/pop songs). It was earthshaking.
Ugh, such a bad voice. Switching over to Soma FM until this song is finished. 
I like this tune, but I am not excited about her voice. 
Public Service Announcement: Please pay for RP. Send them $5 a month or MORE. I give and we should all do so. Nothing stays free. Support Radio Paradise. (I'm not paid to say this, just a fan, who pays for you to enjoy).
I used to be the doorman at Largo - a club in LA - home to a lot of great singer songwriters and I had the privilege to be feet away from some incredible shows. Ms. Faithful showed up one night to watch Jon Brion - a LA fav. She bypassed the line and literally moved a guy in a wheelchair who was talking to me out of the way so she could see if she was on the guest list that night. Never meet your idols.
Delon, Marianne & Jagger
Marianne et Alain Delon 
This stands up on its own.  Sounds better with subsequent listens.
It's funny -- I absolutely detested Broken English (from this album) when it came out, probably because it was overplayed on FM radio. Now I'm hearing Marianne's voice in other songs (the one about the housewife is hypnotic), and I'm hooked. I may have to get this recording.

Wait .. I think I have to get a CD player first. I have one in the car, but I don't use it much because of the pandemic. Funny that.
1979 was when the journey Marianne Faithful made since the early 60's and the journey music made since the early 60's intersected.
"There you see her
Sitting there across the way
She don't got a lot to say
But there's something about her
And you don't know why
But you're dyin' to try
You wanna kiss the girl"

I wonder if someone at Disney had been listening to Marianne Faithfull?
 Spuck wrote:
Wow! Lots of judgmental people who probably can't put lyrics or a tune together themselves but love to trash those they can't understand.

I bought this album when it came out. Lots of history there. All I can say is, like so many things, I guess you had to be there to understand.
 
Agreed... I found this album in my collection about two weeks ago, ha.. forgot i owned it.  Took it upstarts for a revisit and thought, I know this song..    Treasures everywhere!     
 Spuck wrote:
Wow! Lots of judgmental people who probably can't put lyrics or a tune together themselves but love to trash those they can't understand.

I bought this album when it came out. Lots of history there. All I can say is, like so many things, I guess you had to be there to understand.
 
Why'd you do what you did?
Her voice grinds on me ever so slightly, but the song itself is quite good, weak 7
she has a spectacular voice
Wow! Lots of judgmental people who probably can't put lyrics or a tune together themselves but love to trash those they can't understand.

I bought this album when it came out. Lots of history there. All I can say is, like so many things, I guess you had to be there to understand.
Read Bruce Cockburn comment.  Same applies to you, dear.
Well I love this track and the whole album.
Bought the LP when it came out. Brings back old memories of my childhood room. Great song. 
Sounds like she has a Mars bar stuck in her... throat, at times 
6 ->2 becaus i used to love her, but it's all over now...
Yes!
 

xray38 wrote:
Takes me back..listened to this album a lot. "Why'd you do what you did?" always comes to mind for some reason. (I mean, you NEVER heard a song like that at the time).
And The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.
 

Takes me back..listened to this album a lot. "Why'd you do what you did?" always comes to mind for some reason. (I mean, you NEVER heard a song like that at the time).
And The Ballad of Lucy Jordan.
A classy act! It either strikes a cord or it doesn't… For me it's GREAT!
It's obvious that some don't get it, but I'm happy to include myself among the ones that do ...

Rock on Marianne. 
I can't believe I gave this a '2' before.  Now rescored to '1' (I don't give many of those out, but I dislike this so much...).
How did this woman become popular? It's like listening to a frog choking on a cancer stick.
Hmmmmm...I've got it. "Kiss the Girl"! I had no idea Sebastian the Crab was channeling Marianne Faithfull.
Delightful. 
This was my favorite album when it came out.... on cassette playing in my 69 Falcon.{#Bananajam}
Broken voice 
Sounds a bit like someone being strangled in water .... oh wait. 
my husband is in the other room imitating Marianne - hilarious.
This could easily be a RP only play.  Not that I am complaining. Wife is a big fan. 
Love and Strength to my English neighbors

As Tears Go By
Loved this album—which I haven't played in a long time. Thanks for bringing back this memory.
fabulous morning song thanks 


Only for the faithfull..
Bro-ooo-ooo-ken English.....