Filk song: Northwest Passage (the slashy version)

[luzula]

I have finally finished my slashy filk version of Stan Rogers' Northwest Passage. It took months, which you wouldn't think given the length, and I finally finished it while above the Arctic Circle, which seemed fitting.

Title: Northwest Passage (the slashy version)
Author: Luzula
Pairing: Fraser/Kowalski
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Melody and some lyrics by Stan Rogers, harmonies and the rest of the lyrics by me. His original lyrics are here for comparison. Characters aren't mine either. I make no money from this.
Acknowledgements: Thank you to j_s_cavalcante for betaing this and pushing me to improve the first version.

I recorded this together with my sister, you can download it here.
ETA: It is now also generously hosted in the podfic archive of general_jinjur: right click and download.

I sing solo in the first verse (okay, maybe it's a bit high for me, but I wanted to sing the melody somewhere), then we're in unison, then she takes over the melody and I sing the harmony, since she's the soprano and I'm the alto.


Westward from the Davis Strait 'tis there 'twas said to lie
The sea route to the Orient for which so many died;
Seeking gold and glory, leaving weathered, broken bones
And a long-forgotten lonely cairn of stones.

Chorus:
Ah, for just one time I would take the Northwest Passage
To find the hand of Franklin reaching for the Beaufort Sea,
Tracing one warm line through a land so wide and savage
And make a northwest passage to the sea.

Three centuries thereafter we take passage overland
In wintertime, to search for Franklin's reaching-out hand
The dogs toil on before us through the many shades of white
Running far before the fading of the light

Chorus

We eat and move to stay alive, two sparks of life exposed
In the vast and open land stretching far out to the coast
I've come home to the satisfying hard work of the trail
And sharing it with you will never pale

Chorus

Through the evening, by the stove, we huddle close and rest
I drink my tea, and wonder why you came with me on this quest
I watch you surreptitiously in the corner of my eyes
Wishing I could simply speak my mind

Chorus

I am lost, I cannot read your body like the land
Although I am aware of every movement of your hands
I admire your unconscious grace as you steer the sled
Imagining your hands on me instead

Chorus:
Ah, if just one time I could gather all my courage
And cross the line unspoken that is keeping us apart
Then my lips, hands, words all would speak of my desire
To make a place of warmth amid the cold

Comments

[kill-claudio.livejournal.com]

Wow, that's fantastic! I really admire your ability to twist the words so subtly - it almost seems like Stan Rogers could have written it. Except, er, with the slash. This is clearly how the original version should have been written. *g*

[luzula]

Thank you! I was a little nervous about keeping part of Stan Rogers' lyrics, so I'm glad you thought it works.

[isiscolo.livejournal.com]

Oh, I love the lyrics you've written!

[luzula]

Thank you, I'm glad you like it!

[brigantine1.livejournal.com]

Oh, that *aches!*

And it's kinda hot too, there at the last couple of verses. ;)

[luzula]

Thank you!

I didn't set out to make it hot, but I'm glad you found it so. : )

[omphale]

Okay, this is pretty damn awesome.

[luzula]

Thank you so much!

[bibliokat.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's beautiful! It can be really hard to write/change lyrics so I'm very impressed. You both have lovely voices;) Thanks for sharing!

[luzula]

Thank you! Yeah, lyrics are hard. The rhyming especially was really messing with me. And thanks for the compliment on the singing. : )

[dtkokoro.livejournal.com]

I adore this! And I love your singing! Its gorgeous, simply gorgeous *listens again*

[luzula]

Oh, thank you! You put a big smile on my face. I'm glad you think it's worth re-listening to, as well.

[shenoa86.livejournal.com]

That was incredible. I heard your version before I searched for and listened to Rogers' version and then Fraser's and I like yours best, lol. I had to listen to it a couple of times, it just grabbed me. The singing was absolutely lovely and the lyrics were extremely well-done. They fit perfectly and captured Fraser's voice very well. I've actually put it on one of my cds so I can listen to it whenever I want (hope that's ok). Thanks very much for recording/posting :)

[luzula]

Wow, thank you! I'm really glad you like the lyrics, since they took quite some time for me to get right. And I had lots of fun making the harmonies and singing it, so I'm happy you like the recording too. Of course you can put it on a cd, I'm flattered that you would.

Thanks again, this comment made my day! : )

[otterfudge.livejournal.com]

Hi there, I'm new to Due South fandom (in fact just saw the finale today), went searching for podfic and was lucky enough to come across your amazing filk! The lyrics and rhyming are so sharp, the harmonies breathtaking, and you and your sister's voices are both so beautiful. It's the best thing I could hope to find to ease the sadness of the show's ending. I like to believe your filk is just how Fraser and RayK ended up...or well, maybe a few more verses on, when they of course overcame their fear and set about warming up that tent. :)

[akamine_chan]

Just so you know, Luzula isn't ignoring you, she's just in the mountains sans internet access until the end of July. *looks at calender* Oh, yay, she'll be back soon!

[luzula]

Heee. I am lucky to have someone who will reply to my comments in my absence. *g*

[luzula]

Hey, sorry for the late reply, but like Aka said, I haven't had internet for a while. Anyway, welcome to the fandom! I am so glad you liked the song. It was actually one of my first fannish contributions, and I'm still very fond of it.

[morrghan.livejournal.com]

This is lovely!

The lyrics fit right along with the original- slashy yet understated. You and your sister have lovely voices!

Thanks for sharing your work with us!

[luzula]

Thank you so much! I am so happy to get a comment on this song--it was one of my first fannish works.

[ride-4ever.livejournal.com]

Stunned by the beauty of this! Totally captures that glory and pain of the love fully felt but not yet spoken. Your lyrics interspersed with the Stan Rogers lyrics, your voice and music : I can hardly breathe and I feel like crying. And to achieve "understated" slash is a remarkable bit of artistry (and it's still HOT). \0/

[luzula]

Thank you, I'm glad the song touched you! It's one of the first things I wrote, and I'm still fond of it.

[garonne.livejournal.com]

I'm completely blown away by this. It's beautiful. I already adored the original - I don't know how many times I must have listened to it. I didn't think it could be improved upon, but it turns out it could. This evening it's your version that I've been playing on a loop!

(I'm also rather pleased to have discovered the concept of filk, something I didn't even know existed before...)

[luzula]

Oh wow, thank you! I have a huge smile on my face right now. This was one of my first fanworks, actually, and I'm still very fond of it.

Filks are a thing that have their own subculture separate from fanfic, but I'm not in it at all. I like to make them, though--I have few others if you click on the tag. : )