Alison Moyet - Dido's Lament: When I Am Laid In Earth Lyrics






When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in, in thy breast.
When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in, in thy breast.
Remember me, remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.
Remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.
Remember me, remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.
Remember me, but ah!
Forget my fate.





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Alison Moyet Dido's Lament: When I Am Laid In Earth Comments
  1. S.... ....

    Listen to Anneke van Giersbergen version, it's also very beautiful.

  2. M.... C....

    So beautiful. And perhaps a version that those poor brave soldiers who gave their lives might have preferred.

  3. h.... ....

    This rendition, and Ase's Death (E Grieg), are what I play when the melancholy hits me.

  4. E.... M....

    I would like this beautiful piece played at my funeral.

  5. F.... F....

    I was introduced to this aria in an undergraduate Music History course years back. I really didn’t understand it’s true sentiment until years later while lying on what was thought to be my cancer death bed.

  6. J.... L....

    Beautiful. Check this version out too sung by counter tenor Andreas Scholl: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8VTB-NwvuE&list=RDY8VTB-NwvuE&start_radio=1

  7. A.... B....

    Fantastic. Wouldn't believe a modern cover of this could be executed so well.

  8. m.... a....

    I love Alison moyet you Is my angel i from chile my name Is Mauricio

  9. M.... L....

    She certainly is not "The Voice" since that title belongs to Frank Sinatra, but she has a rather mellow voice, singing this rather morbid song.  Little thin on the higher notes.  I an see Elvis Costello having a part in writing this song but not Bacharach!  The song is rather dirgeful!  Maybe nice for a big funeral in a cathedral somewhere requiring a bit of pomp.

  10. r.... ....

    even for a lesser trained ear, you can hear the autotune behind it.

    r.... ....

    Auto Tune? Sounds useful!

  11. M.... M....

    I love this and the beautiful way Alison sings it. I cry every time,I listen. Thanks you sing in splendor, to me.

  12. t.... ....

    Moving beauty.

  13. A.... ....

    This song is intense, moving and beautiful!! Thank You very much!

  14. J.... ....

    I come to enlighten you, Jeff Buckley version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMBGOCr22po

  15. A.... T....

    I guess there are not many or no one of you who heard how Marianne Beate Kielland sang it.
    Crystalclear but expressed with the feeling you would expect according to the text. And the conductor and the musicians are just as good to make the performance a wonderful experience.

  16. n.... ....

    So beautiful,  Such a perfect voice for this piece, I have played this many times and never tier of it, She will also be one of my favorite singers

  17. b.... j....

    Quel air admirable!! et cette version d'Alison Moyet est empreinte de sensibilité et d'émotion même si je ne peux oublier la version de Jessye Norman dans un registre plus tragique.

  18. L.... L....

    Alison Moyet - you are a legend - xxx

  19. P.... M....

    Wonderful

  20. J.... ....

    Jeff did it better

  21. M.... T....

    This moving threnody I listened at least 100 x already and I tend the next 100 x yet

  22. b.... ....

    incredible....

  23. j.... b....

    I love this opera

  24. K.... P....

    Beautiful but your breathy tone with end your career very fast. Very unhealthy for the voice. (I have a degree in voice)

    K.... P....

    She can continue to do as she wishes. But it's not healthy. That's my point.

    K.... P....

    Dear Ms Paradis,
    Please google the following YouTube video
    Ep. 28 "Bad To Be Breathy?"- Voice Lessons To The World

    And please note the following regarding Mr Justin Stoney's educational background:
    'Justin holds a BFA in Musical Theatre Performance and a BA in English from the University of Michigan, where he graduated at the top of his class and also was elected University Commencement Speaker. Justin studied classical vocal technique with veterans of the Metropolitan Opera, Musical Theatre vocal technique with veterans of Broadway, and contemporary vocal technique with industry-leading Pop/Rock/R&B instructors. Alongside vocal training, Justin has extensive formal training in Classical and Jazz piano. An accomplished musician, he plays the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, mandolin, drums, and the Irish whistle.'
    source. the New York Vocal Coaching website

    Also, I suggest that you listen to some more Alison Moyet songs on YouTube. You should hear that she doesn't sing breathy like this all the time.. However, I won't be at all surprised if she employs a number of other vocal techniques that you will deem 'unhealthy'.

    You might also google this YouTube video
    Vocal Genie 20: How to Sing With a Breathy Sound - Healthfully

    and take the matter up with the teacher concerned, if you haven't done so already.

    K.... P....

    I did what I liked after my first (and only) classical guitar lesson. The guy was a complete jerk and he had no respect for the kind of music I wanted to play, so there was no point in prolonging the agony - for either of us.

    Just think how much music there wouldn't be in the world if it wasn't for the incorrigible.

    K.... P....

    Geraint Hall BFA and BA is the equivalent to what I have, if you didn’t get that.. my Professors have PhD’s.. so this irrelevant.

    K.... P....

    So are you asking me to find a professor with a PhD who doesn't agree that singing with a breathy tone is always unhealthy? Someone with a BA and a BFA isn't good enough for you?

    OK then: Jeannie Gagné aka Vocal Genie (the lady in the 2nd YouTube video I asked you to look at) is Professor of Voice at Berklee College of Music in Boston, and has an M.A. in vocal performance, anatomy and health. Is that good enough? Or do I have to find someone even more highly qualified to convince you to consider the possibility that what you've been taught might not be entirely true?

  25. C.... L....

    Chewbacca

  26. v.... ....

    Sorry, although an amazing musical piece, it is a boring and without feeling execution. For example try Jeff Buckley's execution to see the difference.

  27. l.... p....

    walking out brought me here.. feel so lonely...

  28. g.... ....

    ce morceau est tellement beau que même chanté par une voix pas faite pour ça, il reste émouvant.

  29. O.... B....

    I'm playing this as a duet with my cello teacher☺🎻

  30. P.... M....

    Un timbre de voix si emouvant

  31. A.... H....

    I love this singer, she is so talented, but she 's not an opera singer.
    Listen from Jessye Norman! She' s perfect!

  32. B.... C....

    me gusta mas con klaus nomi

  33. l.... g....

    Who knew? 350+ years later and the masterpiece can still draw an audience. It is to the credit and good taste of those pop artists who are drawn to its beauty and immortality.

  34. s.... ....

    Wow amazing! She is so talented!

  35. B.... K....

    unbearably beautiful composition and performance

  36. u.... v....

    I am s deeply moved. I have recently lost someone very dear and this song seems to speak my endless sorrow. After hearing this for the first time I searched youtube for other covers of this masterpiece and, although it is beautifully expressed by many opera singers, Alison makes it true. Thanks for posting

  37. b.... ....

    The beauty of this piece by H Purcell is that it transcends time and genre.....yes it is sung by the most highbrow of classically trained opera singers and there are those who will think that that level of perfection is what it should ALWAYS be. Sadly I feel they are looking for technique and accuracy rather than the feeling of the piece...the LAMENT. I was as moved by Alison's version as I was by Jeff Buckley, Barbara Bonnet or a handful of other singers including Janet Baker. It's BEAUTIFUL.

    b.... ....

    christina ricci sings this in "the man who cried" and it was BEAUTIFUL!!!

    b.... ....

    Ricci simgle this thé beau du or this

  38. L.... ....

    oooo. I have shivers and goosebumps...

  39. A.... v....

    terrible!!!! This woman hasn't understood she should not be singing this at all!! Lack of interpretating your own musical possibilities.  It's colourless and without any musicality at all.

    A.... v....

    Please link me to YOUR version of it....so I can compare her lack of musicality with your obvious expertise. I REALLY would like to hear it sung by you.

    A.... v....

    Anne van Lith
    If to you this conveys "no musicality at all" I would very much like to hear what you have to offer. On second thought, not.

    A.... v....

    This is a ridicolous opinion... Perhaps of a person close in her room??

  40. f.... ....

    Good to hear but doesn't give me the tingles I get with Emma Kirkby

  41. f.... ....

    Superb collection of musical choices, bravo!

  42. D.... D....

    My favourite version : )

  43. L.... L....

    Superbe chanson, c'est beau à entendre et la voix est incroyable !

  44. S.... s....

    Harika bir eser

  45. l.... d....

    very unexpected

  46. G.... G....

    Hauntingly beautiful, both the voice and the arrangement, making the familiar aria touchingly human, closer to home, closer to the epicentre of real-life loss. In no way is Alison Moyet competing with any opera singers, and it would be missing the point to try and rank them.

    G.... G....

    +Georg Guillemin Невозможно не согласиться. Это пение изумляет и поражает... Никогда в истории ни одна оперная певица ещё не пела эту арию с таким чувством.

  47. J.... f....

    beautifully executed Ms Moyet....Shakespeare over rated.

  48. K.... S....

    This is like someone rapping Shakespeare's Sonnets. Horses for courses, Moyet was (is?) an average jazz singer, but she does not cut the custard on this one.

    K.... S....

    I don't think she tried to cut any mustard (custard?), but to put her very own vocal character stamp on it. Try listening to a reinvented Linda Ronstadt when, in the 1980s, and with the help of the inimitable Nelson Riddle, she turned to classic jazz to sing some fabulous numbers from the Great American Songbook in her 'What's New' release.

    K.... S....

    I like this performance a little more than you, but I'm totally stealing "cut the custard". That's up there with my father's "upsetting the apple tart".

    K.... S....

    I'd much prefer to hear Purcell than Ms. Moyet.

    K.... S....

    Ah, the snobs have arrived. Always festive.

    K.... S....

    ...not really, no...

  49. d.... ....

    It's a bit wooden. I'd like to hear a Death Metal band do John Eccles's "Find Me A Lonely Cave" though!

  50. H.... C....

    This aria has so much connection to African-American spirituals that I cannot get out of my head that there is one! Wonderful bluesy version! One of my favorite renditions of this aria is in the title Jessye Norman - A Portrait - When I Am Laid In Earth (Purcel

    H.... C....

    Humberto Capiro Such musical concepts seem to be connected to the human condition - walking bass to signify lilting emotions, trills like a quivering voice etc.

  51. p.... a....

    Versión realmente conmovedora. El dramatismo de la voz se acuerda con un tema lancinante, logrando una verdad de la que carecen la gran mayoría de las versiones. Los solos de Alison Moyet y de Jessye Norman, cada una a su manera, logran transmitirme el escalofrío del sacrificio ante el imposible amor: «When I am laid, am laid in earth, May my wrongs create/ No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;/ Remember me, remember me, but ah! forget my fate,/ Remember me,  but ! forget my fate».

  52. k.... ....

    The text, and the Purcell opera, allude to the Aeneid, the Roman legend of the Trojan warrior Aeneas, travelling to Italy from the betrayed and fallen Troy in order to settle there and secure his son Ascanius's lineage. Their ship is blown off course from Sicily, and they land on the shore of North Africa, in Carthage, a town newly settled by refugees from Tyre. Aeneas falls in love with their queen, Dido, but dutifully departs for Italy leaving her. Distraught at his betrayal, she orders a pyre to be built and set ablaze so that Aeneas will see from his ship that she has killed herself. She sings the lament before stabbing herself as Aeneas sails on.

    k.... ....

    most of Aeneas' crew are drowned by the maelstrom and monster Scylla and Charybdis. The few still alive are washed up on the Libyan shore, where they believe cannibals will shortly appear to eat them. Aeneas gives his crew a peptalk: "Haec olim meminisse iuvabit" -- there will come a time when you will rejoice to remember these things. That was my high school motto -- tho 50 years later I have yet to rejoice to remember them high school things.

    k.... ....

    There are so many lessons for the female sex concerning men and their mindset towards life which informs their relationships. Seriously, I am embarassed at her stupidity. And i wouldn't wonder that men see women this way. I do not blame them.

  53. S.... H....

    M/s Moyet -your voice is superb -pitch,tonality,clarity,yibrato -please do some more young lady,because I have just discovered this and it is ineffable in it`s ability to reach into one`s soulkeep. 

  54. S.... H....

    I NEVER KNEW SHE HAD SUCH A RICH AND SUBTLE VOICE  -IT IS PERFECT!

  55. M.... ....

    Well done!

    M.... ....

    @*****
    Nein, "voyage, voyage" hat diese französische Punkerin gesungen.

    M.... ....

    @***** daß ich den  musiklischen Geschmack von anderen nicht teile, sollte Dich nicht zu einer Fehlannahme verleiten. Musik regt Gefühle an und weil das bei mir intensiv funktioniert, habe ich einen dezidierten Geschmack. 
    Eine Situation wie in vielen anderen Bereichen:  
    Derjenige, der sich auf die Materie einläßt, erkennt Unterschiede und setzt Präferenzen. 
    Und Leute, bei denen das nicht funktioniert, hören jedes Gedudel im Radio.
    Zurück zu dem Stück oben: Ich sage nichts zu seiner Qualität, wenn ich feststelle, daß es auf mich wie ein Schlafmittel wirkt. 

    M.... ....

    @Hans-Werner Link
    Dann will ich das Geheimnis Deiner Abneigung lüften:

    Es ist eigentlich eine Arie von Purcell aus der Oper "Dido and Aeneas".

    Ich habe Gänsehaut dabei. Vielleicht nicht unbedingt bei dieser Aufnahme, aber mit einem guten Mezzo auf jeden Fall.

    M.... ....

    +MonsieurLu77 You speak English, German and French!!! amazing

    M.... ....

    @Lollipop Lys
    Thanks

  56. D.... ....

    My gripe with the vast amount of opera performances is you can barely understand the lyrics, although the singing is usually more suiting.  With this song, I feel the lyrics elevate the power of the song and therefore should be sung concisely.

    D.... ....

    (Which she does in this recording)

    D.... ....

    Listen to better singers. Jessye Norman's diction in her recordings of this are perfectly clear, as are many good singers. And the voice is absolutely glorious, and she does it with complete conviction.

  57. b.... ....

    As a fan of both rock and classical, I think this has more impact than the conventional classical performances. In Alison Moyet's hands, it becomes almost like one of her classic torch songs. Purists will object. In this song, Purcell wrote from his soul, and I think he'd be impressed with her version.

    b.... ....

    @bobsherunkle1 I still love Catherine Bott's version but I like your point. I think a Death Metal band could bring back "Find Me A Lonely Cave" by John Eccles. Music should be refreshed.

    b.... ....

    Actually, I think the original version with a trained singer is much more powerful when done well than the modern versions, although this arrangement is neither offensive nor cheap as it stays pretty close to the instrumentation and rhythm of the original.

    b.... ....

    I applaud her for doing this, and I wonder if she got influenced/inspired by the one who really blew this out of the water, Klaus Nomi, the avant-garde German singer who literally seemed to be from out of this world... if you really want to hear an unbelievably poignant version (not to compare), but hear his... (plus his rendition of 'The Cold Song' which at least on my list on the right shows up..... I love Alison Moyet btw, so this is in no way supposed to be a poo poo of her doing this.....

  58. C.... H....

    Amazing, when you think that Purcell wrote this in the 1680's!

  59. b.... ....

    simply stunning

  60. U.... s....

    Wow, Alison singing Purcell!?. That's unexpected! Brava! 

  61. Z.... ....

    As a classical singer myself, I have to admit that I really like this version too!

  62. B.... K....

    Gorgeous :'(

  63. J.... G....

    One of my favorite singers and songs, together

  64. A.... A....

    Different but still beautiful :)

  65. N.... V....

    touching ... I love it

  66. B.... A....

    Its amazing vocal, beautiful song, very classy..., this is what you call music.., where are you alison...?, why can't you do another debut, all your fans missing you....come back....

  67. t.... ....

    Beautiful - no "sucking" involved, whatsoever (see comments below) - and I have listened to many versions  

  68. o.... v....

    habt ihr sigur ros gehört?

  69. o.... v....

    einfach.... alison ,,,

  70. J.... B....

    Just at this day, of the Funeral festivity in HONOUR  of Nelson Mandela, I heard this song, it is so very much in line with todays mixed feelings and deep EMOTIONS, as so many of us feel and go trough, recognizing the Great Man, who surpassed the unthinkable with LOVE, Empathy, Compassion, Nelson Mandela is and will be a great example for all of us into the ages ahead in our future.
    Thank you Nelson Mandela, for all you gave to mankind, for ever. 

    J.... B....

    Changes of that size takes generation(s), Mandela can't be blamed for that , he tried in His way, some change has started....

  71. F.... L....

    alison moyet! love you!

  72. G.... F....

    Speechless......

  73. R.... B....

    This version sucks.

    R.... B....

    Obviously, she's no Gauvin or Mingardo. But, excellent in her own right (listen to "This House", "Whispering your name" and "When I was your girl") - about the best modern music can offer. I'd also say, she's the most mature (not talking age here) pop singer I know of (along with the likes of Aznavour, Mathieu, etc.). And for a pop musician, has a superb voice and style. 
     As for "Dido's lament", it's less about how she sings it (after all, she's not classically trained), but much more about the effort. I don't expect some shallow R&B, hiphop (or whatever else the rubbish the modern lout calls "music") "artist" (fuck me if those thugs and bimbos are artists!) to know Purcell's name (I doubt most know Bach's!), let alone try to interpret an aria of his.

    R.... B....

    Big time

    R.... B....

    Actually you suck Rosasano. You suck the life and fun out of every room, with your snobbery.

    R.... B....

    Aznavour & Stratas ... pretty good for kids with polio and tuberculosis.

    R.... B....

    your opinion is duly noted :D

  74. C.... ....

    holy cow, what an awesome rendition & beautiful voice... sad sad song.

  75. H.... ....

    I so so agree with you. •*•♪¸.•*¨¨*•.¸¸¸.•*•♪ღ♪•« …. Hᴜɢʜ….…..ツ

  76. m.... ....

    Been loving this voice since the mid 80s.

  77. W.... ....

    Damn you woman, you made me cry!

  78. b.... ....

    To some extent I agree with hootersnooter, and I do understand the musical context There are indeed some very good operatic interpretations of this aria including Jesse Norman, but not all of them convey its beauty. Someone who has had the voice training to sing opera does not always produce a pleasing result. They might be technically proficient, but any singer requires at least some innate talent and feeling. As the old saying goes, "you cannot make a silk purse of of a sow's ear"

  79. g.... ....

    ONE OF THE BEST SONGS I EVER HEARD. IT MAKE ME CRY.
    MAX

  80. A.... ....

    What a ridiculous comment to make about opera singers - clearly you have no understanding of opera or the musical context of this piece. I am not complaining about Alison Moyet's performance here which is pleasing enough but it does not convey the true beauty of this aria. Listen to Janet Baker or Jessye Norman

  81. D.... D....

    I would say, this is a "love it" or "hate it" version... I love opera and baroque... and I love Alison Moyet... I think this is superb... just a wonderful version, brings something totally different, and gave me goosebumps. Inspired choice of song

  82. n.... f....

    The moment I heard this,I fell in love with the pure,stripped down honesty and simplicity of alison's interpretation of the lament. For me, it's offered up as as a true prayer - straight from the heart ... no fuss, no frills,superbly measured delivery - Alison's voice at it's very best! - Now,this is what I call soul music!!

  83. C.... ....

    Early Baroque music is supposed to be sung with vibrato. Sorry, but this version is too lame for me, though I am a big fan of Moyet. Her voice is too deep to do it any justice.

  84. o.... ....

    Wonderful. I like many early music performances but this is just as fresh.

  85. C.... ....

    Trouble with grasping the concept of irony? I'm not getting the reference. You... surely haven't got Alison Moyet confused with Alanis Morisette, have you?

  86. w.... ....

    This is awful. Does she have a cold or it is the recording? I would think it's irony, but Miss Moyet has had problems with grasping that concept in the past.

  87. M.... ....

    I have to face the fact that this performance delivers me the message clearer than by those of opera singers by a factor of about 10 000

  88. Q.... ....

    I'm using the term "pop singer" very loosely here! lol

  89. Q.... ....

    Love the accomp! Lovely overall, tho the highest "Remember me" wants more voice -that is one phrase where some operatic training would be beneficial or maybe she just doesn't have the upper registers. V atmospheric & great emotion -actually surprisingly operatic for a pop singer! I obviously need to listen to more of her! :)

  90. a.... ....

    You're joking. You have to be. Educate yourself, please. Jessye Norman. Get on it and don't ever say anything about opera again until you have sung or at least watched it.

  91. J.... ....

    aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah....her voice is unbelievible........Gänsehaut pur!!!

  92. A.... T....

    This is a beautiful version of one of the most moving arias. Alison's album is one of the best she's ever done, and is a fabulous record of her glorious voice.

  93. j.... p....

    Just lost a dear friend. This song says it all. An exceptional voice.

  94. r.... ....

    dark and beautifull

  95. F.... A....

    Alison is a real talent. Just love her voice

  96. d.... s....

    @daz3406 Totally agree!

  97. C.... ....

    @bronskilx That's the first time I've seen someone use the word "prig" outside an Enid Blyton book - and you're quite right :) I can't stand pedants.

  98. M.... ....

    Her voice is almost jazzy, so rich

  99. p.... ....

    Just listened to the Waldbuehne Berlin performance of Sasha Waltz which was fantastic. Still - for that aria I prefer this deep voiced, non-operatic interpretation - Alison, I love You for that - a music one would like to die with

    grand admiration perlaurent