Today I purchased my textbooks for the coming semester on Amazon and for some reason or another (probably because I spent over $250 on 6 books) got a $5 credit on the Amazon mp3 store and another $5 credit towards Amazon on demand TV or something. I know! Great deal, right!? Sarcasm aside, I guess it was nice that I got that stuff since I would have purchased the books regardless of if they gave the "free" stuff to me on the side. I was especially happy when I found out that Amazon has a bunch of mp3 albums on sale for $5, so I could get a whole album instead of just picking and choosing songs. After a lot of searching I decided to get The Hazards of Love by The Decemberists. They actually had a really nice selection of stuff for $5. They had The Black Keys, Devendra Banhart, She & Him, and a bunch of other cool stuff... not just Ke$ha and Katy Perry.
The Hazards of Love is an indie rock opera written by the leader of The Decemberists, Colin Meloy. It tells the story of a girl named Margaret (voiced by Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond) who wanders into the forest and meets what seems to be a wounded fawn. She tries to help it but it ends up being a shape-shifting, forest-dwelling being named William (voiced by Meloy) who is a fawn by day and a human by night. As she tries to help him he transforms into a human being and they fall in love and do their thing (I don't think it was rape as some internet forums suggest). Margaret goes back to town but can't stop thinking of William. She's in love with him, which is why I don't think it was rape. Also because she then willingly goes back to the forest once she starts showing that she's pregnant. She tells the flowers and trees and stuff to let William know she's back, and he comes to her and they do it again. A lot of people don't understand the line when Margaret and William sing "And here we died our little deaths" but a little death, or la petite mort, is actually a metaphor for orgasm. Then William hears his (adopted) mother coming, who we find out is the Fairy Queen (voiced by Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond). She had found William in the forest when he was a baby and took him in as her own in order to keep him away from the world of men. She is also the reason that he is a fawn during the day. She is upset with William because she sees his relationship with Margaret as a betrayal ("And now, this is how I am repaid?"). She forbids him to go out at night (when he takes human form). He makes a deal with the Queen. He is allowed one night with Margaret but in return the Queen makes him promise to spend the rest of his nights at home with her. Obviously William intends to run away, otherwise he wouldn't make such a stupid deal.
Now that we have the backstory, the rest of the plot can start to move along. Next we hear a song by a character named The Rake (also voiced by Meloy). This song acts as an introduction to his character. A rake is a womanizer and just an all-around bad guy usually. So we learn that The Rake (he doesn't have a real name in the narrative) was married at the age of 21 and at first was happy. "I was wedded and it whetted my thirst/ Until her womb started spilling out babies/ Only then did I reckon my curse". He starts complaining about his wife and children and rejoices when he talks about how his wife and fourth child died in childbirth. He then goes on to tell how he murdered his first three children by poisoning, drowning, and burning them. He is completely unashamed and not sorry for it either, saying, "I expect that you think that I should be haunted/ But it never really bothers me". What a fucking ass!
Well he really is a fucking ass, because next he abducts Margaret, who is waiting for William in the clearing where they first met. The Rake ties her up, and takes her away. But then he comes to a river which he needs to find a way across. Well, the Fairy Queen is all to happy to help since she is jealous and doesn't really want William to be involved with Margaret. She whisks The Rake and Margaret across the river. William chases after them but he too comes to the river and needs to find a way across it. He tells the river that if it slows its current and lets him cross in order to help Margaret, when he comes back the river can take his life then. Once he crosses the river he comes to the rescue of Margaret with the help of The Rake's three dead children who come back from the dead to haunt their dad, and drive him crazy. William and Margaret go back to the river and try to cross it, but as per Williams earlier promise they aren't able to make it across. As they are swept away downriver William asks Margaret to marry him. "But with this long, last rush of air let’s speak our vows in starry whisper/ And when the waves came crashing down, he closed his eyes/ And softly kissed her."
But really, what did you expect from The Decemberists? A happy ending? Even though it's a really sad story I can't help but think that it's an appropriate ending. And besides, in reality fairy tales didn't usually have happy endings (Disney lied to you), and this story is definitely a fairy tale.
The music in this album is some of the best stuff I've ever heard from The Decemberists, and that's saying a lot since I really like them. It works just like any opera you've ever heard in a lot of ways. Characters have themes. William's theme is "The wanting comes in waves" which is repeated throughout the album. The Queen is always accompanied by a loud, distorted electric guitar which is unusual for The Decemberists but works well with the emotions the music is trying to portray. I also like the idea that the different characters are sung by different people (except William and the Rake, but Meloy differentiates them). Sharah Worden (the Queen) is an amazing singer and really shines on this album. Her part at the end of "The Wanting Comes in Waves/ Repaid" is chilling. It actually made me shiver when I heard it.
So yeah, if you haven't heard this album yet you should really give it a listen.
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