(faustus) these metaphysics of magicians - au!faustus/fem!mephistopheles
Title: These Metaphysics of Magicians
Fandom: Doctor Faustus
Subject: 1940s Carnival AU!Faustus/fem!Mephistopheles
Notes: Made for waywardmixes's Round 5: AU challenge.
A while back I was working on a Faustus mix and I kept ending up with these songs that fit lyrically, but felt way too upbeat/out of place (namely Formidable Marinade). Then I was listening to Grounds for Divorce and started to picture Faustus as this old, washed-up magician who spends his days drinking and performing in this crappy, depressing little carnival. And Valdes & Cornelius are his drinking buddies who also work at the carnival (as a fortune teller and a janitor, respectively) and end up getting Faustus involved in all sorts of black magic. So he summons Mephistopheles (who I am picturing as a Supernatural-type crossroads demon here) and instead of telling him to disguise himself as a monk, tells him appear as a ~lovely lady~. And, as usual, instead of using his magic abilities to do anything worthwhile, he instead uses them in the carnival's magic show (with Mephistopheles as his assistant) and as the carnival becomes more popular, he starts to value fame over knowledge. Also, while this mix is mostly about Faustus, there is some Faustus/Mephistopheles going on here (because I've only seen one production of Doctor Faustus, but it featured Mephistopheles delivering his lines about wives while crawling over Faustus on a bed) as Mephistopheles seduces Faustus, then gets annoyed with him as he keeps trying to repent. And, on one last note, I saw this taking place in America because I was on vacation in New Mexico at the time and was picturing a carnival on the outskirts of a town in the desert.
Anyways, there is a more formal summary of the AU down there, but I felt the need to put down some of my rambling thoughts here.
Also, the three ink drawings are by Harry Clarke (from his gorgeous Faust illustrations).
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus
Dissatisfied with life, Faustus sells his soul to the devil for knowledge
and power. As part of his deal, the demon Mephistopheles becomes his
servant for 24 years, at the end of which the devil will claim Faustus's
soul as payment. Faustus wastes the powers given to him on frivolous
pursuits, tries to repent at the last possible moment, and is thrown
into Hell anyways.
For a more in-depth (and funnier) summary, I recommend Myths Retold's
Faustus is One Bad Motherfucker
(Seriously, go read it, it's great)
{DOWNLOAD}
The Alternate Universe
Setting: the 1940s, a carnival in America
Once a scholar at a prestigious university, Faustus was expelled and found
work as a magician in a failing carnival. With the help of his fellow carnies
Valdes and Cornelius, he attempts to summon a demon. His spell works and
Mephistopheles appears. Faustus is quick to sell his soul in order to gain
knowledge and power, as well as Mephistopheles' servitude for 24 years.
At first intending to use his newfound abilities to return to his previous
intellectual life, he instead uses them to improve his magic show. With
Mephistopheles (in the guise of a woman) acting as his lovely assistant,
Faustus's fantatstic performances bring fame to the carnival. As they travel
the country, Faustus begins to regret his deal as his 24 years draw to a close.
Tom Waits as Doctor Faustus --- PJ Harvey as Mephistopheles
01// AMERICAN CARNY THEME
{Murder by Death}
instrumental
02// GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE
{Elbow}
monday is for drinking to the seldom seen kid
there's whispering of jokers doing flesh by the pound
to a chorus of supposes from the little town whores
there'll be twisted karaoke at the Aniseed Lounge
there's a hole in my neighborhood
down which of late I cannot help but fall
03// STRANGE MOON RISING
{Smoke Fairies}
drove where the headlights led me
where the ancients traders go
the trees close in around me
too dark to see the moor
climbed the stairs and said once more
find out what you're breathing for
it's all like a distant pull
that sends a strange moon rising
04// A KISS BEFORE YOU GO
{Katzenjammer}
welcome to the crossroads
the center of your life
a shrink has got your money
and the devil's got your wife
welcome to the crossroads
05// SUBTLE WORLD
{Serpents of Wisdom}
she goes where they don't know
to the subtle world below
take her hand and you will see
take her hand, drink her cup
06// ABOARD THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE
{Jill Tracy & the Malcontent Orchestra}
Instrumental
07// THE WIZARD
{Bat for Lashes}
fight me in the dark
wrestle your bones over mine
into our moonless march comes the wizard
come, the wizard comes
trembling midnight lands
i travel with the wizard
drink his blood and he's our leader
08// THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD
{Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse}
if you love tales of transformation
now, then 1-2-3
you could be the man who played God
all things you can see around you
you can change them
rearrange them in your mind
09// DEVIL DO
{Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs}
well, I've been to church and I declare
they ain't got nothing I could learn in there
ain't nobody gonna love you like the devil do
10// FORMIDABLE MARINADE
{Amanda Palmer}
nakedness has a sweet, sweet smell
that sends me down to the pits of hell
the steam that rises from the water
tells me you are Satan's daughter
if I am the devil's son
then into the darkness we should run
I'll feast on your body if you'll feast on mine
blood is thicker and redder than wine
11// BURN FOR YOU
{Jace Everett}
walk a hundred miles across the coast
pawn my watch and sell my soul
six feet down, I'll call your name
when this whole world goes up in flames
baby, I'll burn for you
12// PLAY WITH FIRE
{Twice As Much}
well, you've got your diamonds and you've got your pretty clothes
and the chauffer drives your car, you let everybody know
but don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire
13// I WOULD NOT KNOW THE DEVIL
{Fresh and Onlys}
I would not know the devil
I've only seen him one time
14// SECOND HAND FAITH
{Emilie Autumn}
sitting in a Chinese restaurant
someone comes to offer me
a little second hand faith
second hand faith is all i need
if an ancient word, a heathen spell can salvage me
i will believe in miracles 'cause it would take a saint to set me free
15// MORNING FOG
{Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi}
instrumental
16// TAKE ME BACK
{Aloe Bacc}
now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
and if I die before I wake
must be a mistake, Lord take me back
I don't need this, I don't deserve it
it ain't my fault, ain't nobody perfect
gimme a chance, start over again
all I want is a different end
start it over, over again
17// GRAVEYARD
{The Devil Makes Three}
I wanna sing you a sad song
most of it I don't expect you to believe
it starts off with just whiskey and wine
some miles of travel and some real good times
but it ends in a dark corridor
where there ain't no windows
and there ain't no doors
18// SO LONG TO THE CIRCUS
{World/Inferno Friendship Society}
I stepped right out of that song while it played
I lit it like a stage and gave it like a gift
so long to the circus, so long to it all
I've always had a good sense of when it's time to get gone
when the police are about to arrive, when security steps in
wave goodbye to the circus
19// WHITE PALMS
{Black Rebel Motorcycle Club}
Jesus, when you coming back?
Jesus never coming back
Jesus won't take me back
Jesus never coming home
20// HELL
{Squirrel Nut Zippers}
in the afterlife
you could be headed for the serious strife
now, you make the scene all day
but tomorrow, there'll be hell to pay
now the D and the A and the M
and the N and the A
and the T and the I-O-N
lose your face, lose your name
then get fitted for a suit of flame
21// NIGHTMARE
{Artie Shaw & His Orchestra}
instrumental
22// DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
{Southside Johnny}
he went down, down, down
and the devil called him by name
well, he went down, down, down
and the devil said, 'where you been?'
Bonus Tracks
(in case this mix wasn't already long enough)
LONG SNAKE MOAN {PJ Harvey}
bring me lover, all your power
I'll be no Hell, out of your spell
Hell's no God above, all drunk on my love
you ought to hear my long snake moan
you ought to see me from my throne
TEMPTATION {Tom Waits}
rusted brandy in a diamond glass
everything is made from dreams
time is made from honey slow and sweet
only the fools know what it mean
temptation, I can't resist
I just know that she is made of smoke
but I've lost my way
Fandom: Doctor Faustus
Subject: 1940s Carnival AU!Faustus/fem!Mephistopheles
Notes: Made for waywardmixes's Round 5: AU challenge.
A while back I was working on a Faustus mix and I kept ending up with these songs that fit lyrically, but felt way too upbeat/out of place (namely Formidable Marinade). Then I was listening to Grounds for Divorce and started to picture Faustus as this old, washed-up magician who spends his days drinking and performing in this crappy, depressing little carnival. And Valdes & Cornelius are his drinking buddies who also work at the carnival (as a fortune teller and a janitor, respectively) and end up getting Faustus involved in all sorts of black magic. So he summons Mephistopheles (who I am picturing as a Supernatural-type crossroads demon here) and instead of telling him to disguise himself as a monk, tells him appear as a ~lovely lady~. And, as usual, instead of using his magic abilities to do anything worthwhile, he instead uses them in the carnival's magic show (with Mephistopheles as his assistant) and as the carnival becomes more popular, he starts to value fame over knowledge. Also, while this mix is mostly about Faustus, there is some Faustus/Mephistopheles going on here (because I've only seen one production of Doctor Faustus, but it featured Mephistopheles delivering his lines about wives while crawling over Faustus on a bed) as Mephistopheles seduces Faustus, then gets annoyed with him as he keeps trying to repent. And, on one last note, I saw this taking place in America because I was on vacation in New Mexico at the time and was picturing a carnival on the outskirts of a town in the desert.
Anyways, there is a more formal summary of the AU down there, but I felt the need to put down some of my rambling thoughts here.
Also, the three ink drawings are by Harry Clarke (from his gorgeous Faust illustrations).
The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus
Dissatisfied with life, Faustus sells his soul to the devil for knowledge
and power. As part of his deal, the demon Mephistopheles becomes his
servant for 24 years, at the end of which the devil will claim Faustus's
soul as payment. Faustus wastes the powers given to him on frivolous
pursuits, tries to repent at the last possible moment, and is thrown
into Hell anyways.
For a more in-depth (and funnier) summary, I recommend Myths Retold's
Faustus is One Bad Motherfucker
(Seriously, go read it, it's great)
{DOWNLOAD}
The Alternate Universe
Setting: the 1940s, a carnival in America
Once a scholar at a prestigious university, Faustus was expelled and found
work as a magician in a failing carnival. With the help of his fellow carnies
Valdes and Cornelius, he attempts to summon a demon. His spell works and
Mephistopheles appears. Faustus is quick to sell his soul in order to gain
knowledge and power, as well as Mephistopheles' servitude for 24 years.
At first intending to use his newfound abilities to return to his previous
intellectual life, he instead uses them to improve his magic show. With
Mephistopheles (in the guise of a woman) acting as his lovely assistant,
Faustus's fantatstic performances bring fame to the carnival. As they travel
the country, Faustus begins to regret his deal as his 24 years draw to a close.
Tom Waits as Doctor Faustus --- PJ Harvey as Mephistopheles
01// AMERICAN CARNY THEME
{Murder by Death}
instrumental
02// GROUNDS FOR DIVORCE
{Elbow}
monday is for drinking to the seldom seen kid
there's whispering of jokers doing flesh by the pound
to a chorus of supposes from the little town whores
there'll be twisted karaoke at the Aniseed Lounge
there's a hole in my neighborhood
down which of late I cannot help but fall
03// STRANGE MOON RISING
{Smoke Fairies}
drove where the headlights led me
where the ancients traders go
the trees close in around me
too dark to see the moor
climbed the stairs and said once more
find out what you're breathing for
it's all like a distant pull
that sends a strange moon rising
04// A KISS BEFORE YOU GO
{Katzenjammer}
welcome to the crossroads
the center of your life
a shrink has got your money
and the devil's got your wife
welcome to the crossroads
05// SUBTLE WORLD
{Serpents of Wisdom}
she goes where they don't know
to the subtle world below
take her hand and you will see
take her hand, drink her cup
06// ABOARD THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE
{Jill Tracy & the Malcontent Orchestra}
Instrumental
07// THE WIZARD
{Bat for Lashes}
fight me in the dark
wrestle your bones over mine
into our moonless march comes the wizard
come, the wizard comes
trembling midnight lands
i travel with the wizard
drink his blood and he's our leader
08// THE MAN WHO PLAYED GOD
{Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse}
if you love tales of transformation
now, then 1-2-3
you could be the man who played God
all things you can see around you
you can change them
rearrange them in your mind
09// DEVIL DO
{Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs}
well, I've been to church and I declare
they ain't got nothing I could learn in there
ain't nobody gonna love you like the devil do
10// FORMIDABLE MARINADE
{Amanda Palmer}
nakedness has a sweet, sweet smell
that sends me down to the pits of hell
the steam that rises from the water
tells me you are Satan's daughter
if I am the devil's son
then into the darkness we should run
I'll feast on your body if you'll feast on mine
blood is thicker and redder than wine
11// BURN FOR YOU
{Jace Everett}
walk a hundred miles across the coast
pawn my watch and sell my soul
six feet down, I'll call your name
when this whole world goes up in flames
baby, I'll burn for you
12// PLAY WITH FIRE
{Twice As Much}
well, you've got your diamonds and you've got your pretty clothes
and the chauffer drives your car, you let everybody know
but don't play with me 'cause you're playing with fire
13// I WOULD NOT KNOW THE DEVIL
{Fresh and Onlys}
I would not know the devil
I've only seen him one time
14// SECOND HAND FAITH
{Emilie Autumn}
sitting in a Chinese restaurant
someone comes to offer me
a little second hand faith
second hand faith is all i need
if an ancient word, a heathen spell can salvage me
i will believe in miracles 'cause it would take a saint to set me free
15// MORNING FOG
{Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi}
instrumental
16// TAKE ME BACK
{Aloe Bacc}
now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the Lord my soul to keep
and if I die before I wake
must be a mistake, Lord take me back
I don't need this, I don't deserve it
it ain't my fault, ain't nobody perfect
gimme a chance, start over again
all I want is a different end
start it over, over again
17// GRAVEYARD
{The Devil Makes Three}
I wanna sing you a sad song
most of it I don't expect you to believe
it starts off with just whiskey and wine
some miles of travel and some real good times
but it ends in a dark corridor
where there ain't no windows
and there ain't no doors
18// SO LONG TO THE CIRCUS
{World/Inferno Friendship Society}
I stepped right out of that song while it played
I lit it like a stage and gave it like a gift
so long to the circus, so long to it all
I've always had a good sense of when it's time to get gone
when the police are about to arrive, when security steps in
wave goodbye to the circus
19// WHITE PALMS
{Black Rebel Motorcycle Club}
Jesus, when you coming back?
Jesus never coming back
Jesus won't take me back
Jesus never coming home
20// HELL
{Squirrel Nut Zippers}
in the afterlife
you could be headed for the serious strife
now, you make the scene all day
but tomorrow, there'll be hell to pay
now the D and the A and the M
and the N and the A
and the T and the I-O-N
lose your face, lose your name
then get fitted for a suit of flame
21// NIGHTMARE
{Artie Shaw & His Orchestra}
instrumental
22// DOWN, DOWN, DOWN
{Southside Johnny}
he went down, down, down
and the devil called him by name
well, he went down, down, down
and the devil said, 'where you been?'
Bonus Tracks
(in case this mix wasn't already long enough)
LONG SNAKE MOAN {PJ Harvey}
bring me lover, all your power
I'll be no Hell, out of your spell
Hell's no God above, all drunk on my love
you ought to hear my long snake moan
you ought to see me from my throne
TEMPTATION {Tom Waits}
rusted brandy in a diamond glass
everything is made from dreams
time is made from honey slow and sweet
only the fools know what it mean
temptation, I can't resist
I just know that she is made of smoke
but I've lost my way