One of Los’s ongoing projects is translating Finnegans Wake by James Joyce into rock music.
The Wake naturally lends itself to a musical translation with its jabberwocky prose of multilingual puns and portmanteau words. It’s a twilight book, so it’s gonna need a twilight soundtrack.
Here is the ‘thunderword’ from page 1.
“Bababadalgharaghtakamminarronnkonnbronntonnerronntuonnthunntrovarr-hounawnskawntoohoohoordenenthurnuk!”
This thunderword contains the word for thunder in a dozen different languages. The musical translation follows some of the letter cues. The bass riff begins with the notes “B A B A D A G A” as in “Bababadalgharagh”.
Finally, here’s the “Ballad of Persse O’Reilly” from Page 44.
The Ballad has 14 Choruses and goes on for 3 pages. Above, is but one verse and chorus of this epic drinking song.
Enjoyce!
