I'll start by admitting that the melody for this song is not written by me, though it is a song that is now in the public domain: Ave Maria. So in a way this breaks the rule of making a totally original song, as this can be seen as a type of cover.. But I'll share it anyway. I did write new words and make a bit of a different version, at least.

I've been having the idea of making a version of Ave Maria, but for Medusa, for a while now, and this week it kind of just happened over a few nights. I have a long history with the original song, Ave Maria, as I used to listen to it on repeat when I first started living alone when I was nineteen years old. It was one of few songs that just soothed when few other things did. So I tried to retain a soothing quality for this version as well.

The idea of the song is kind of subverting/shifting that whole projection of the holy woman to include the "monster" of Medusa, to make space for the horrors that were visited upon her (and many women) but then maybe try to travel onwards from there instead of staying in a rage or victimhoid, looking ahead to what could be, instead. Felt I processed some of my own emotions through making this song..

Though I completed it over a few nights, there were some preparations for making it: I've been practicing playing the melody on piano for a few weeks and wrote the lyrics and even calculated the words so they'd work with the melody..(But as I recorded it ended up more flowy anyway and I chose to embrace that instead)

So the sounds are based on the melody I recorded myself playing on my electric piano/keyboard through a midi connection, and then adjusted the sounds with multiple layers in the software. The tones ended a bit longer and drawn out and not "accurate" tempo-wise bit i felt that it fit for this version, it's like Medusa is adding a bit of her own distortion into it..so I didn't edit it "into place" but let it be more drawn out than the original song.

I've been thinking I should record new singing as there are imperfections and I find the words a bit awkward at times and they could be polished more...but also can't bring myself to change it, as somehow I feel this is one of those songs that wants to be a bit rough around the edges, so I'll leave it as it is for now.

Just a funny final note: Aave means ghost in Finnish so I decided to add that extra letter A to have that double meaning in the song title.. And it is fitting for this week with halloween/all saints/samhain/kekri..

Aave Meduusa (original Finnish lyrics)
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Aave Meduusa

Hirviöäiti kaunehin
Sun vihasi nousee aallon lailla
Kunnes syvyyksiin taas uppoaa
Ja käärmepää osaa ajatella
Mistä patriarkka ei voi aavistaakaan
Kun ei osaa kuulla naisen sanaa

Anna voimaa jaksaa
Elämään naisen kehossa
Kun sitä aina tarkastellaan
Mutta peilisilmin katseet käännetään
Kohti tarkastajaa
Tutkikoot jokainen ensin itseään
Ja omaa sisintään
Niin ehkä voimme oppia elämään rauhassa
Sekä yksin että yhdessä

Aave Meduusa...

Aave Meduusa (lyrics translated to English)
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Ave/ghost Medusa

Monster Mother most beautiful
Your wrath rises like a wave
Until it sinks back into the depths
A snake head can think thoughts
That the patriarchy can have no idea of
When it is unable to hear a woman's word

Give me strength to go on
Living in a woman's body
When it's always getting observed
But with mirror eyes the gaze is turned back
At the observer
Let everyone inspect themselves first
And their own inner worlds
And maybe we can learn to live in peace
Both alone and together

Ave/ghost Medusa

Tags: ave maria, cover, electronic, ghost, holy, version, week 43 2024, View by:Minnamari