Proposal

I was able create my entire edition, as the text I chose was relatively short and condensed. However, here is the proposal I submitted for my edition which details my original plan:

I am proposing an edition of the lyrics of Beck’s song “Farewell Ride.” I chose to create an edition of these lyrics because I am a fan of Beck’s music and have some familiarity with the history of his discography and songwriting. However, I hope that I can imbue my edition of this song’s lyrics with a broader meaning that feels relevant to all music lovers, not just fans of Beck’s work.

1. Why is an edition of this text worthwhile? What might be learned from it?

An edition of this text is worthwhile because examining the song’s lyrical variants shows the process by which Beck, a White musician, incorporates the influences of Black blues music into his work. “Farewell Ride” draws very directly from a blues song called “Ella Speed,” and this song was sung most famously by Black musicians before Beck begun to play it.

Beyond the scope of Beck’s use of this musical style, this analysis is relevant because Beck represents an archetype of a White, alternative, artsy musician. I believe appropriation of Black musical styles occurs amongst other similarly positioned White artists.

2. Who is the primary intended audience and how will your edition respond to their particular needs?

The audience for this text is anyone interested in music history. I hope that people who aren’t necessarily fans of Beck’s music will find this interesting because the edition’s analysis has implications beyond Beck’s music, as I mentioned above. As I will discuss below, I also hope my edition can be artfully made, and so this might give the work a broader audience, since people will be attracted to the edition’s aesthetic quality.

3. How will your edition be presented?

I want to make a physical copy of my edition because as an artist myself I want to make a beautiful book like some of the Art Books we saw in Special Collections. In addition to text, my physical copy will include images that I draw and a photograph of Beck and also the musicians that popularized “Ella Speed.”

I want to make a physical copy of my edition because as an artist myself I want to make a beautiful book like some of the Art Books we saw in Special Collections. In addition to text, my physical copy will include images that I draw and a photograph of Beck and also the musicians that popularized “Ella Speed.”

4. What editorial method will you use to address textual variants?

Because there aren’ t many variants of the lyrics, it is feasible for me to present all variants in my edition. This follows Stillinger’s bibliographic method.