Tag Archives: Natalie Merchant

Natalie Merchant Sings Old Poems to Life

Natalie Merchant has been a favorite singer/songwriter of mine since the days of Ten Thousand Maniacs.  These Are The Days continues to be one of those “go to” songs for me.  When I watched this video today, I was awe-struck.  She has literally breathed life into poetry that was flat and lifeless on a dusty old page for hundreds of years.  She has created something new and innovative with something embedded in time.  Natalie spent six years researching the poets and poetry that she painstakingly chose to bring to life in her new album Leave Your Sleep, which debuts on April 13th.  Her Ted Talk highlights some of the songs from the album along with her amazing storytelling skills.  Just watch Natalie make people fall in love with 19th Century poetry with her  uniquely haunting voice.  I’ll be sharing this with my students and have already pre-ordered the album.  What a spectacular comeback for Natalie!

“Leave Your Sleep is the most elaborate project I have ever completed or even imagined.  Nearly seven years ago I set out to create a piece of work I hoped could capture the universal experience of childhood through poetry and music.” ~ Natalie Merchant 2010