The Rime of The Ancient Mariner in Popular Culture - Music

Music

• "Rime of The Ancient Mariner" is a 13 and half minute progressive epic from the British band Iron Maiden's 1984 album "Powerslave", based on Coleridge's poem with many direct quotes. Written by the band's bass player, Steve Harris.
• Finnish symphonic metal band Nightwish makes a reference to the poem in the song "The Islander".
• Progressive rock band Pink Floyd alludes to Coleridge's poem in the first verse of their song "Echoes".
• Fleetwood Mac's hit song "Albatross" drew its title from the poem, as the composer Peter Green read the poem when he was at school.
• Malvina Reynolds's song The Albatross is based on the poem and applies its moral to modern life.
• The album cover of Australian singer Sarah Blasko's album What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have was inspired by an illustration of The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. A song from the album, "Queen of Apology", features the line "Truth, truth, everywhere, but not a drop to drink." The album also features a song titled "The Albatross".
• The song "Good Morning Captain" from the album "Spiderland" by US underground rock band Slint is an adaptation of the poem.
• Shane MacGowan of the Irish folk rock band The Pogues makes reference to "a minstrel... stoppeth one in three" in the song "Fiesta". The Pogues song "The Turkish Song of the Damned" is also based heavily on the poem, adopting the same meter and including many direct quotes and references.
• The Flogging Molly song "Rebels of the Sacred Heart" has the line "the albatross hangin' round your neck is the cross you bear for your sins."
• The band Corrosion of Conformity has a song called "Albatross", in which the lyricist warns the albatross away. The lyricist also states, "I believe the albatross is me".
• David Bedford recorded a concept album The Rime of the Ancient Mariner in 1975. An experimental work, it consists of two parts of the poem set to music, and is similar in style to a dramatic reading of the poem.
• The title track of pirate-themed rap group Captain Dan's second album, Rimes of the Hip-Hop Mariners, was a stylized retelling of the main events of the poem.
• The band Liberty 5-3000 has a song entitled "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" which uses the direct text of the first two parts of the poem as lyrics set to original music.
• The music video for the song "Living Hell" by the Tiger Lillies draws heavily on the poem, recreating themes such as the killing of the albatross.
• The song 'Albatross' by Wild Beasts re-tells the story of the poem.
• The song "Peep-Hole" by Guided by Voices, featured on their album Bee Thousand, contains the lyrics, "Give me the cost of the albatross / And wear it around your neck for size," in reference to the poem.
• The lyrics to the song (In The Wake Of) The Swollen Goat by the band Clutch mentions having an "Albatross on your neck" in reference to the poem.
• American punk band Alesana's song "Heavy Hangs the Albatross" is named in reference to the poem.
• Hard rock band Chevelle's song "Face to the Floor" contains a reference to an albatross as a great weight dragging one downwards, much like that in the poem.
• Italian progressive rock band Hostsonaten (Fabio Zuffanti of Finisterre)released "Rime of the Ancient Mariner - Part One" on AMS/VM2000 in 2012
• The Big Wreck song Albatross alludes to the poem, particularly via the lyric "I'll wear the albatross for one more day".
• "Bear's Vision of St. Agnes" by American indie band mewithoutYou includes the lyrics "you've worn me like an albatross / I've only slowed you down".
• The British band 'Bastille' make direct use of the 'Albatross around your neck' in their hidden track 'The Weight of Living Part I' on their debut full length album 'Bad Blood'. Includes references to the shooting of the Albatross, and the sun used in the latter part of Coleridge's poem.