MoonCCat is the pen name of Luc-Santiago Rodriguez, a poet, musician and photographer who finds his inspiration in the 19th century. He puts into music poems by 19th century French and English poets, defends the classical French alexandrine against contemporary “free verse,” and practices argentic photography instead of digital one. He is also a specialist in absinthe, the beverage celebrated by 19th century poets and artists, which was banned during most of the 20th century; at one time he managed an absinthe shop in Paris, Vert d’Absinthe.
Between 2013 and 2016, MoonCCat sang with a group named Little Girl. In 2015 the group released an EP with 4 titles, whose first song is also titled “Little Girl.” One can hear it on SoundCloud.
The song tells about a man who is fascinated by a little girl; he can’t live his romance with her, because he is already dead; he becomes then her ghost and asks her to come to him: he senses a spell that bounds them forever in eternal night. Here are the lyrics:
Little Girl
words & music by Little Girl
Oh little girl
You are my dream
Oh little girl
It’s you I’ve seen
Oh little girl
I lose my mind
Oh little girl
Don’t be so blind
I love your pale blue eyes
I sink into this paradise
I love your beautiful smile
It’s like a big red butterfly
But I missed my chance
I can’t live our romance
‘Cos I’m already dead
Oh little girl
I am your ghost
Oh little girl
Please don’t fear me
Without you I’m so lost
Please come to me
I’m here for you
Your dream came true!
I love your pale blue eyes
I sink into this paradise
I love your beautiful smile
It’s like a big red butterfly
But I missed my chance
I can’t live our romance
‘Cos I’m already dead
Oh little girl
Listen to the nightingale
The bird sings for us
It casts a spell
That bounds us forever
In eternal night
Shall I cross the river
Or will you come to the light?
I love your pale blue eyes
I sink into this paradise
I love your beautiful smile
It’s like a big red butterfly
But I missed my chance
I can’t live our romance
‘Cos I’m already dead
This song is clearly inspired by the poem “The Phantom-Wooer” by the ‘dark romantic’ writer Thomas Lovell Beddoes. In it, a ghost is in love with a woman and tries to woo her at night, he invites her to die and to come with him into his quiet tomb. Beddoes is indeed one of MoonCCat’s favourite poets, and he used several of his poems as lyrics for his songs, in particular “Dream-Pedlary” (see the video on YouTube) and of course “The Phantom-Wooer” (see the video on YouTube).
In 2016, the membership of the group evolved, and it renamed itself Camera Men. A new version of the song was released in 2016, one can also hear it on SoundCloud.
MoonCCat’s music can be heard on bandcamp, SoundCloud and YouTube, where he also presents his defence of classical prosody, with some of his poems.
This is a revised version of a post previously published on Agapeta, 2015/10/22.