SETTING EDGAR ALLAN POE TO MUSIC: A VERSION OF “MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE” BY IRON MAIDEN

Resumo

Abstract: This paper focuses on “Murders in the rue Morgue”, the song written by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden and inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s eponymous narrative. Stemming from a summary of the original story, we intend to investigate the process through which bassist-songwriter Steve Harris transplanted the story from the page into a diverse semiotic frame. If on the one hand the aggressive nature of heavy metal music favors the relocation of Poe’s brutal plot, on the other the songwriter is obliged to exercise his ability to compress the storyline into short verses that, in order to remain true to this musical genre, are usually sung at a very fast tempo. Besides the song’s lyrical analysis, we will also look into some musical facets such as the vocalist’s diction, how the combined words and melody are delivered in order to convey a particular impression onto the listener, as well as some aspects concerning the arrangement – all of which will eventually contribute to the song’s overall effect. To do that, we rely mainly on Luiz Tatit's writings about the Semiotics of the Song, explaining the analytical scheme he has devised for songs, and applying it to our object.