By Maki
A Curse Lifted
In the heart of a forgotten town, nestled between towering mountains where the Slow West Vultures ruled the skies and veiled in perpetual mist, stood a mysterious establishment known as the Song Bar. Its dilapidated façade exuded an eerie charm, drawing in all who sought refuge from the mundane or relief from their troubles. Legend spoke of a curse that clung to the bar like a ghostly shroud, a malevolent force that intertwined with the music that echoed within its walls.
The Song Bar had been a fixture of the town for as long as anyone could remember, but its origins were shrouded in mystery. The ancient inscription carved in stone above the doorway – Come in Peace, Peace Go With You, Brother – bore witness to the fact that it was a friendly place. The story went that a wandering minstrel had once sought shelter from a storm and had stumbled upon an abandoned building. As he played to keep his spirits up, he attracted others to his side and unwittingly sealed the fate of the establishment. From that day forth, the Song Bar became a haven for lost souls, a place where the weight of their sorrows could be momentarily lifted by the power of music.
A storm raged as dusk settled over the town and a solitary figure approached the creaking door of the Song Bar. This night, it was Cassidy, a weary traveller haunted by the ghosts of the past. Pushing open the heavy door, a cascade of warm, amber light spilled onto the cobblestones, inviting her into the dimly lit interior.
The air inside was thick with smoke and anticipation, and the soft strumming of a guitar caressed her ears as she went in. The Landlord, a mysterious figure clad in a tattered cloak, his face barely visible in the flickering light of a Black Candle, nodded silently as Cassidy took a seat at the worn-out wooden bar.
The Curse of the Song Bar manifested itself in strange ways. Patrons spoke of melodies that echoed the sorrows of their souls and lyrics that seemed to be written by the hand of fate. Each note played and every lyric sung in the Song Bar seemed to carry the heavy burden that clung to the hearts of all who drank there.
As she sipped on her drink, the room filled with a mournful tune that plucked at the strings of the soul. As if on cue, the sinister gypsy figure sitting in the shadows at the furthest end of the room, yelled Se Murió Mi Madre [My Mother Died] and launched into a spine-chilling lament. His raw-voiced anguish echoed around the bar, unsettling all within.
The storm had grown much stronger, and a bright flash of lightning lit the Song Bar up as Young Ned of The Hill was quite literally blown in through the door. His dramatic entrance was followed by a deafening clap of thunder that shook the building to its foundations. “Sólo se acuerdan de Santa Bárbara cuando truena” [You only remember Santa Barbara when it thunders] the gypsy cursed as he looked around the room. “He isn’t going to sing again, is he?” asked Cassidy a little more earnestly than might have been advisable given the gypsy’s disposition. Shortly after, Ned downed his pint and headed back out into the storm. “Fare Well Good Fellows”, he shouted back as he disappeared into the night. “Not sure what’s got into him”, said the Landlord, “he’s not usually that friendly. And never that polite!” “Why don’t you kill yourself?” came Ned’s reply, the words bursting through the open window like Bullets. “That’s more like it!”, said the Landlord. “That’s the Ned we know and love!”
Cassidy soon succumbed to the enchantment, feeling the weight of past mistakes and lost opportunities pressing on her. She began to feel helplessly overwhelmed.
But amid the haunting melodies, a flicker of hope emerged. The Landlord, with eyes that held ancient wisdom, noticed Cassidy’s struggle. With a solemn nod, the cloaked figure beckoned her to a hidden corner of the bar. Behind a dusty curtain, a narrow staircase led down into darkness. “Let me tell you how this all came to be”, said the Landlord. “It begins with a blessing …but ends with a curse” he began as he told her the minstrel’s tale. Curiosity overcoming fear, Cassidy followed the Landlord into the depths of the Song Bar. The air grew colder, and the echoes of the cursed melodies faded into the distance. In a hidden chamber, bathed in a soft, ethereal light, Cassidy discovered a piano covered in dust and forgotten memories.
The Landlord gestured for her to play, and as hesitant fingers touched the keys, a different kind of magic unfolded. If I could only remember the tune that was my birthright, thought Cassidy, I’d play it now. The piano responded not with sorrowful laments but with uplifting harmonies that spoke of redemption and renewal. It was a melody that untangled the knots of regret and hinted of second chances.
In that secret chamber the Song Bar revealed its hidden blessing. The music became a channel for healing, a force that could transform the weight of sorrow into the wings of hope. As Cassidy played the Anti-Curse, the haunting atmosphere lifted and the darkness that clung to the bar began to recede.
Word of the hidden Blessing spread through the town, and the Song Bar transformed from a haven of despair to a sanctuary of redemption. The cursed melodies that once imprisoned souls now became anthems of resilience, guiding patrons towards healing and renewal.
The mysterious Landlord, it seemed, had been a guardian of The Blessing all along. As the townspeople gathered at the Song Bar to revel in the new-found magic, they discovered that sometimes, within the depths of darkness, the most profound blessings awaited those willing to seek them out. And so, the Song Bar, once cursed, now stood as a testament to the transformative power of music, a beacon of hope in a world touched by both shadow and light.
The Blessed Anti-Curse A-List Playlist:
The Mountain Goats – Slow West Vultures
Gil Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson – Peace Go With You Brother (As-Salaam-Alaikum)
The Grateful Dead – Cassidy
Lee “Scratch” Perry – Black Candle
Agnes Obel – The Curse
Camarón de La Isla – Se Murió Mi Madre
The Pogues – Young Ned Of The Hill
Celina y Reutilio – Santa Barbara
Mischief Brew – Fare Well Good Fellows
The Only Ones – Why Don’t You Kill Yourself
Tunng – Bullets
Kevin Ayers – It Begins With A Blessing
Charlotte Day Wilson – If I Could
Boygenius – Anti-Curse
Aira Yuuki – Blessing
Ornette Coleman – The Blessing
(No B-List)
Guru’s Wildcard Pick:
The Stranglers – Bless You (Save You, Spare You, Damn You)
A blessing that’s really a curse.
These playlists were inspired by readers' song nominations in response to last week's topic: The big balance: songs about blessings and curses. The next topic will launch on Thursday after 1pm UK time.
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