When You Say Nothing at All
1988 single by Keith Whitley
"When You Say Nothing at All" is a country song written by Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz. It was a hit song for four different performers: Keith Whitley, who took it to the top of the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart on December 24, 1988; Alison Krauss & Union Station, whose version was their first solo top-10 country hit in 1995; Irish singer Frances Black, whose 1996 version became her third Irish top-10 single and brought the song to the attention of Irish pop singer Ronan Keating, whose 1999 version was his first solo single and a number-one hit in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and New Zealand.
Origin.
Songwriters Paul Overstreet and Don Schlitz came up with "When You Say Nothing at All" at the end of an otherwise unproductive day. Strumming a guitar, trying to write their next song, they were coming up empty. "As we tried to find another way to say nothing, we came up with the song", Overstreet later told author Ace Collins. They thought the song was OK, but nothing special. When Keith Whitley heard it, he loved it, and was not going to let it get away. Earlier, he had recorded another Overstreet-Schlitz composition that became a No. 1 hit for another artist - Randy Travis' "On the Other Hand." Whitley did not plan to let "When You Say Nothing at All" meet the same fate.
Keith Whitley.
RCA released "When You Say Nothing at All" as the follow-up single to the title song of Whitley's "Don't Close Your Eyes" album. The former song already had hit No. 1 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles chart, his first chart-topper after three prior singles made the top 10. "When You Say Nothing at All" entered the Hot Country Singles chart on September 17, 1988, at No. 61, and gradually rose to the top, where it stayed for two weeks at the end of the year. It was the second of five consecutive chart-topping singles for Whitley, who did not live to see the last two, as he died on May 9, 1989, of alcohol poisoning. "Keith did a great job singin' that song," co-composer Schlitz told author Tom Roland. "He truly sang it from the heart." In 2004, Whitley's original was ranked 12th among CMT's "100 Greatest Love Songs". It was sung by Sara Evans on the show. As of February 2015, the song has sold 599,000 digital copies in the US after it became available for download.
Charts.
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Alison Krauss & Union Station version.
In 1994, bluegrass music group Alison Krauss & Union Station covered the song for a tribute album to Whitley titled '. After this cover began to receive unsolicited airplay, BNA Records, the label that had released the album, issued it to radio in January 1995. That version, also featured on Krauss' compilation ', peaked at No. 3 on the "Billboard" Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, and a commercial single reached No. 2 on the same magazine's Hot Country Singles Sales chart. The B-side of the single was Keith Whitley's "Charlotte's in North Carolina", which was another previously unreleased track featured on the Tribute album.
Its success, as well as that of the album, caught Krauss by surprise. "It's a freak thing," she told a "Los Angeles Times" reporter in March 1995. "It's kinda ticklin' us all. We haven't had anything really chart before. At all. Isn't it funny though? We don't know what's goin' on...The office said, 'Hey, it's charting,' and we're like, 'Huh?'"
Mike Cromwell, then the production director at WMIL-FM in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, concocted a duet merging elements of the Alison Krauss & Union Station version with Whitley's original hit version. The "duet" garnered national attention, and it spread from at least Philadelphia to Albuquerque. This "duet" was however never officially serviced to radio and has never been available commercially.
The Alison Krauss & Union Station recording won the 1995 CMA award for "Single of the Year". It has sold 468,000 digital downloads as of May 2017.
Charts.
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Frances Black version.
"When You Say Nothing At All" is the opening track on Frances Black's third solo album, "The Smile on Your Face" (1996), the title of the album being a lyric from this song. Released in August 1996 as the album's first single, this single became her third to reach the Irish top 10, peaking at number eight during an 11-week run in the top 30.
Personnel.
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Ronan Keating version.
"When You Say Nothing at All" was released as the debut solo single by Irish singer-songwriter Ronan Keating. The song was recorded for the soundtrack to the film "Notting Hill" and also appeared on Keating's debut solo album, "Ronan". This cover was released on July 26, 1999, in the United Kingdom. It peaked at number one in the UK, Ireland, and New Zealand. The single is certified double platinum in the UK and platinum in Australia, Denmark, and Sweden.
In February 2003, Keating re-recorded the song as a duet with Mexican singer Paulina Rubio in Spanglish, which was released in Spain, Mexico, and Latin America (excluding Brazil) to promote Keating's second studio album, "Destination". In Brazil, Ronan chose the Brazilian singer Deborah Blando to re-record the song in English and English-Portuguese for the "10 Years Of Hits" album exclusive for that country. A music video was recorded for this version with Blando.
Critical reception.
"Daily Record" wrote that Keating "sounds like Marti Pellow on this drippy ballad." The Spanish website "Jenesaispop" described the Spanglish version as one of the most "squeaky" bilingual collaboration, while Victor González of "GQ Spain" praised the collaboration as "great" in an article of "unusual collaborations".
Track listings.
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Credits and personnel.
Credits are taken from the UK CD1 liner notes.
Studios
Personnel
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Charts.
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References.
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Dazhu Huihai
8th-century Master of Chan Buddhism
Dazhu Huihai (Chinese: ) (fl. 788) was a Chan Master in the Hongzhou School, and was a disciple of Mazu Daoyi. The "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun" (Treatise on the Essential Doctrine of Suddenly Entering into Enlightenment) is attributed to him. His name, Dazhu, means "Great Pearl."
Biography.
The earliest biography of Dazhu Huihai was written well over a century after his death. As such, there is scant reliable information regarding Dazhu's life. He was born in Jianzhou (Fujian). According to Dazhu Huihai's entry in the "Jingde Chuandenglu", his preceptor was Daozhi of the Dayunsi in Yuezhou (Zhejiang). He later studied with Mazu Daoyi for six years, but then returned to the Dayunsi to look after the aging Daozhi. The “Daoyi Stūpa” written by Quan Deyu lists Dazhu Huihai as the first among eleven of Mazu's students who led other disciples during Mazu's funeral. According to Jinhua Jia, this suggests that Dazhu was either the most senior or most important of Mazu's disciples. Mario Poceski states that Dazhu was one of Mazu's earliest disciples, but was something of an outsider in the Hongzhou School, as he left before Mazu became famous.
According to the "Tsung Ching Record," when Dazhu arrived at Kiangsi, he informed Mazu that he had come from Yuezhou seeking the Buddhadharma, to which Mazu replied, "Instead of looking to the treasure house which is your very own, you have left home and gone wandering far away. What for? I have absolutely nothing here at all. What is this Buddha-Dharma that you seek?" When Dazhu inquired as to the meaning of his own treasure house, Mazu said:
"That which asked the question is your treasure house. It contains absolutely everything you need and lacks nothing at all. It is there for you to use freely, so why this vain search for something outside yourself?"
At these words, Dazhu experienced enlightenment. He later said of this encounter with Mazu: “I, the poor priest, heard that the Reverend in Jiangxi said, ‘Your own treasure is perfectly complete; you are free to use it and do not need to seek outside.’ From that moment onward, I have ceased [from my seeking].”
Dazhu is said to have later composed the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun" at his home monastery in Yuezhou. When Mazu read a copy, he said, “In Yuezhou, there is a great pearl, whose perfect brilliance shines freely without any obstruction.” This is a reference to Dazhu's name, which means "Great Pearl."
Teachings.
Nature of mind.
The "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun," attributed to Dazhu Huihai, describes the mind in the following terms:
Mind has no colour, such as green or yellow, red or white; it is not long or short; it does not vanish or appear; it is free from purity and impurity alike; and its duration is eternal. It is utter stillness. Such, then, is the form and shape of our original mind, which is also our original body—the Buddhakāya!
According to Dazhu, this original mind does not depend on the sense organs, as it is without various means of perception. Instead, Dazhu says it perceives by means of one's own nature ("svabhāva") which is immaterial and motionless. When asked how perception is possible, since the mind's substance cannot be found, Dazhu replies: "We may liken it to a bright mirror which, though it contains no forms, can nevertheless ‘perceive’ all forms."
Eternal perception.
According to Dazhu, when we encounter objects, the things being looked at do not actually exist within the sphere of perception. Similarly, he says when we do not encounter any objects, there is likewise no absence of anything in the sphere of perception either. When asked if it was still possible to perceive even while nothing confronts us, Dazhu responds in the affirmative, saying:
We are now talking of that perception which is independent of there being an object or not. How can that be? The nature of perception being eternal, we go on perceiving whether objects are present or not. Thereby we come to understand that, whereas objects naturally appear and disappear, the nature of perception does neither of those things; and it is the same with all your other senses.
Dazhu goes on to explain it is the same with hearing, as we continue to hear whether sounds are present or not. As such, Dazhu describes the nature of hearing as eternal. When asked who or what is the hearer, Dazhu responds, "It is your own nature which hears and it is the inner cognizer who knows."
Simultaneous functioning of dhyāna and wisdom.
In the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun," Dazhu says that dhāyna is perpetual and not affected by speech or silence, stating that dhyāna functions even when we are engaged in speaking or making distinctions. He says this is like the sun which does not waver whether its rays encounter the earth or not, and also like a mirror whose brightness does not waver whether it is reflecting something or not. He uses this analogy to illustrate the simultaneous function of dhyāna and wisdom: where the capacity to shine (or reflect) refers to wisdom, the unwavering quality of perfect steadiness refers to dhyāna. Dazhu says it is because it lacks sensation that the power of shining and reflecting is unwavering.
Dazhu defines wisdom as being able to distinguish "every sort of good and evil," while dhyāna means to be unaffected by love or aversion even while making these distinctions. In this way, Dazhu says we should be able to perceive all appearances as though they were actually not perceived at all, which means being able to behold them while remaining free of love and hate.
Non-dwelling and making no response.
An important theme of the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun" is non-dwelling (or non-abiding, "wuzhu"), which Dazhu defines as not being fixed on good or evil, being or non-being, inside or outside (or somewhere in between), void or non-void, as well as on concentration or distraction. He also explains non-dwelling in terms of the intangible nature of bodhi. As it is intangible and not something to be "attained," bodhi cannot be thought about, which implies a mind dwelling upon nothing whatsoever. Dazhu further says of non-dwelling:
If you are fully aware in yourself of a non-dwelling mind, you will discover that there is just the fact of dwelling, with nothing to dwell upon or not to dwell upon. This full awareness in yourself of a mind dwelling upon nothing is known as having a clear perception of your own mind or, in other words, as having a clear perception of your own nature.
Dazhu also connects non-dwelling with allowing things to happen while making no response. He says: "Strive on! Strive on! Explore this teaching most thoroughly! Just let things happen without making any response and keep your minds from dwelling on anything whatsoever; for he who can do this thereby enters Nirvāṇa." And also:
Forbearance is the best of ways;But first dismiss both ‘self’ and ‘other’.When things occur, make no response—And thus achieve true Bodhikāya.
Being an unconcerned person.
In a sermon in the "Tsung Ching Record," Dazhu tells his listeners that they should be "unconcerned people" rather than go about "toiling and moiling," holding forth about their understanding of the Dharma while telling others that they are practicing Ch'an and studying the Way. Dazhu describes this disapprovingly as a "craze for karmic activities," saying it is no different from pursuing sounds and forms. Instead, Dazhu advises his audience to "desist from it all" and says that being an unconcerned person means not to follow sights and sounds so that they stir the mind. Similarly, Dazhu taught that we should "let nothing matter." He says:
Walking, standing, sitting and lying—all are the functioning of your nature. In what are you out of accord with it? Just go now and take a rest (i.e. set your minds at rest) for a while. As long as you are not carried away by external winds, your nature will remain like water for ever still and clear. Let nothing matter. Take good care of yourselves!
Status of the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun".
The "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun" usually occurs together with a second text appended to it called the "Zhufang menren canwen yulu" (Record of Questions Asked by Disciples from Everywhere), also attributed to Dazhu, and the two texts together make up the "Dunwu yaomen" (Essential Gate of Immediate Enlightenment). According to Scott Dennis Peterman, this work stradles two distinct Chan styles, with the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun" and the "Zhufang menren canwen yulu" reflecting, respectively, early Chan and classical Chan. Peterman claims the attribution of Dazhu to either text is dubious.
According to Poceski, the format and doctrines of the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun" mark it as a transitional text between early and classical Chan. Poceski points to evidence supporting an early origin for the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun," such as the influence of Shenhui's teachings on it, its terminology, as well as the fact that it quotes from early texts found only among the Dunhuang manuscripts. Although it is the earliest record associated with the Hongzhou School, Poceski questions the extent to which it can be labeled a Hongzhou text, given its format and Dazhu's position within the school.
Jinhua Jia questions whether the text contains Dazhu's teachings at all. That is, while the "Dunwu rudao yaomen lun" is traditionally said to contain the teachings of Dazhu Huihai, Jia argues that the text actually records the teachings of Dazhu's preceptor, Dayun Daozhi.
Notes.
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References.
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Sources.
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Huangbo Xiyun
Huángbò Xīyùn (, ) (died 850) was an influential master of Chan Buddhism during the Tang dynasty. He was part of the Hongzhou school of Chan founded by Mazu.
Huángbò was a student of Baizhang Huaihai (720–814), and the teacher of Linji Yixuan (J. Rinzai) (died 866) (Wade–Giles: Lin-chi I-hsüan; Japanese: Rinzai Gigen).
Biography.
Sources.
Very little about Huángbò's life is known for certain as, unlike other "Transmission of the Lamp" literature, there is no biographical information included with Huángbò's collection of sayings and sermons, the "Chuanxin Fayao" (傳心法要, "Essentials of Mind Transmission") and the "Wanling Lu" (宛陵錄, "Record of Wan-ling"; Japanese: "Enryōroku").
He was born in Fuzhou, China. The records indicated that Huángbò was extraordinarily tall.
Monastic life.
Huángbò began his monastic life on Mount Huangbo in Fujian province, receiving the Buddhist name Xiyun (Hsi-yun). As was the custom of the times, he traveled around seeking instructions from various Chan masters. He visited Mt. Tiantai and sought teachings from the National Teacher Nanyang Huizhong (Wade–Giles: Nan-yang Hui-chung; Japanese: Nan’yō Echū). At some point he may also have studied under Nanquan Puyuan (748–835) (Wade–Giles: Nan-ch’üan P’u-yüan; Japanese: Nansen Fugan), a student of Mazu Daoyi (Wade–Giles: Ma-tsu Tao-i; Japanese: Baso Dōitsu) (709–788)
However, Huángbò's main teacher was Baizhang Huaihai (Wade–Giles: Pai-chang Huai-hai; Japanese: Hyakujo Ekai), another Mazu student, and it was from Baizhang that Huángbò received Dharma transmission. According to Yuanwu Keqin's commentary in "The Blue Cliff Record", when Huángbò first met Baizhang, Baizhang exclaimed, “Magnificent! Imposing! Where have you come from?” Huángbò replied, “Magnificent and imposing, I’ve come from the mountains.”
Lung-hsing Monastery.
In 842, a prominent government official in Jiangxi province, Pei Xiu (Wade–Giles: P’ei Hsiu) (787 or 797–860), invited Huángbò to take up residence at Longxing Monastery. Pei was an ardent student of Chan and received teachings from Huángbò, eventually building a monastery for Huángbò around 846, which the master named Huang-po after the mountain where he had been a novice monk.
Death.
Before Huángbò died, he named thirteen successors, the most prominent of which was Linji Yixuan. He was given the posthumous title (probably under the urging of Pei Xiu who became chief minister of the central government in 853) of “Chan Master Without Limits” (Tuan Chi Ch’an Shih).
John Blofeld says he died on Mount Huangbo during the T'ai Chung reign of the Tang dynasty, or between 847 and 859. Blofeld says his memorial pagoda is "The Tower of Spacious Karma" and that it was Emperor Hsüan Tsung who gave him the title "The Zen Master Who Destroys All Limitations".
Teachings.
Sources.
What is known of Huángbò's teachings comes from two texts, the "Chuanxin Fayao" (傳心法要, "Essential of Mind Transmission") and the "Wanling Lu" (宛陵錄, "Record of Wan-ling"; Japanese: "Enryōroku") written by Huángbò's student, Pei Xiu. Pei compiled the teachings from his own notes and sent the manuscript to the senior monks on Mount Huangbo for further editing and emendation.
The “official” version of the Huángbò literature was published as part of the "Transmission of the Lamp", Compiled during the Ching-te Period, in 1004. The record of Huángbò is more or less equally split between sermons by the master and question and answer dialogues between the master and his disciples and lay people.
One Mind.
Huángbò's teaching centered on the concept of “mind” (Chinese: 心 "xin"), a central issue for Buddhism since its inception. He taught that mind cannot be sought by the mind. One of his most important sayings was "mind is the Buddha". He said:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />All the Buddhas and all sentient beings are nothing but the One Mind, beside which nothing exists. The One Mind alone is the Buddha, and there is no distinction between the Buddha and sentient beings.
He also said:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />To awaken suddenly to the fact that your own Mind is the Buddha, that there is nothing to be attained or a single action to be performed – this is the Supreme Way.
He also firmly rejected all dualism, especially between the “ordinary” and “enlightened” states:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />If you would only rid yourselves of the concepts of ordinary and Enlightened, you would find that there is no other Buddha than the Buddha in your own Mind. The arising and the elimination of illusion are both illusory. Illusion is not something rooted in Reality; it exists because of your dualistic thinking. If you will only cease to indulge in opposed concepts such as ‘ordinary’ and ‘Enlightened’, illusion will cease of itself.
A single spiritual brilliance.
Huangbo connected the One Mind with the single spiritual brilliance (or one pure radiance) of the "Śūraṅgama Sūtra", which divides to become the six sense spheres. According to Huangbo, if one can recognize that the eighteen realms (the six sense organs, six sense objects, and corresponding six consciousnesses) have no objective existence, then the six sensory capabilities will be just a single spiritual brilliance.
Huangbo also likened mind to the sun which shines spontaneously, "shining without intending to shine." For Huangbo, when one transcends the dharmas of being and non-being, one's mind is like the sun whose brilliance shines naturally, and this requires no effort. Similarly, Huangbo said:
Consider the sunlight. You may say it is near, yet if you follow it from world to world you will never catch it in your hands. Then you may describe it as far away and, lo, you will see it just before your eyes. Follow it and, behold, it escapes you; run from it and it follows you close. You can neither possess it nor have done with it. From this example you can understand how it is with the true Nature of all things and, henceforth, there will be no need to grieve or to worry about such things.
Tathāgatagarbha.
Since all is Buddha-mind, all actions reflect the Buddha, are actions of a Buddha. Huángbò's teaching on this reflected the Indian concept of the tathāgatagarbha, the idea that within all beings is the nature of the Buddha. Therefore, Huángbò taught that seeking the Buddha was futile as the Buddha resided within:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />If you know positively that all sentient beings are already one with Bodhi [enlightenment, Supreme Wisdom], you will cease thinking of Bodhi as something to be attained”
Huángbò was adamant that any form of “seeking” was not only useless, but obstructed clarity:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />Sentient beings are attached to forms and so seek externally for Buddhahood. By their very seeking they lose it.
Furthermore, he claimed that
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />'Studying the Way’ is just a figure of speech [...] In fact, the Way is not something which can be studied. You must not allow this name [the Way] to lead you into forming a mental concept of a road.
The three bodies of a Buddha.
Regarding the three bodies of a Buddha (the dharmakāya, sambhogakāya, and nirmānakāya), Huangbo taught that the two form bodies, the sambhogakāya and nirmānakāya, were not the true Buddha. This is because the form bodies merely respond to circumstances and phenomena, giving teachings in accordance with the differing capabilities of sentient beings, in various appearances and guises. Moreover, for Huangbo, spoken Dharma that responds to events through the senses is not the real Dharma. On the other hand, the dharmakāya preaches the Dharma without anything that is preached or realized. Thus, Huangbo says, "The Dharma body’s preaching of the Dharma cannot be sought with word, voice, shape, or [written] character. It is without anything that is preached and without anything that is realized, but is only the transparency of the self-nature."
Non-attachment to written texts.
According to the accounts, Huángbò avoided clinging to written texts. This is exemplified by the following story:
Pei Xiu presented Huángbò with a text he had written on his understanding of Chan.
Huángbò placed the text down without looking at and after a long pause asked, “Do you understand?”
Pei Xiu replied, “I don’t understand.”
Huángbò said, “If it can be understood in this manner, then it isn’t the true teaching. If it can be seen in paper and ink, then it’s not the essence of our order.”
What Huángbò knew was that students of Chan often became attached to “seeking” enlightenment and he constantly warned against this (and all attachment) as an obstruction to enlightenment:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />If you students of the Way wish to become Buddhas, you need study no doctrines whatever, but learn only how to avoid seeking for and attaching yourselves to anything.
Although Huángbò often cautioned students against dependence on textual practices, pointing to the necessity of direct experience over sutra study, his record shows that he was familiar with a wide selection of Buddhist doctrines and texts, including the Diamond Sutra, the Vimalakīrti Sutra and the Lotus Sutra.
Hitting and shouting.
Huángbò was also noted for the manner of his teaching, incorporating the hitting and shouting pioneered by Mazu. There are a number of instances in the record of Huángbò slapping students.
The Blue Cliff Record tells the story of the future emperor of China, hiding in the Chan community as a novice monk, receiving slaps from Huángbò for questioning why Huángbò was bowing to an image of the Buddha.
The most famous instance was when Linji Yixuan was directed by the head monk, Muzhou Daoming, to question Huángbò on the meaning of Buddhism after Linji had been practicing in Huángbò's monastery for three years without an interview. Three times Linji went to Huángbò and three times the only answer he got was a slap.
His apparent disrespect was extended to his own position:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />You people are just like drunkards. I don’t know how you manage to keep on your feet in such a sodden condition. Why everyone will die laughing at you. It all seems so easy, so why do we have to live to see a day like this? Can’t you understand that in the whole Empire of the T’ang there are no "teachers of Zen"?
A monk stepped forth and asked, "How can you say that? At this very moment, as all can see, we are sitting face to face with one who has appeared in the world to be a teacher of monks and a leader of men!"
Please note that I did not say there is no Zen. I merely pointed out that there are no teachers!
Overcoming fear.
While Huángbò was an uncompromising and somewhat fearsome Chan teacher, he understood the nature of fear in students when they heard the doctrine of emptiness and the Void:
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />Those who hasten towards it [the Void] dare not enter, fearing to hurtle down through the void with nothing to cling to or to stay their fall. So they look to the brink and retreat.
He taught that "no activity" was the gateway of his Dharma but that
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />All who reach this gate fear to enter. [To overcome this fear, one] must enter it with the suddenness of a knife-thrust.
Notes.
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References.
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Sources.
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At Home with You
At Home with You is the second studio album from Australian rock band X. It was produced by Lobby Loyde; whereas the band's first album was reputedly recorded in five hours, the second was completed in five days.
Details.
Between this and its first album X-Aspirations the group had broken up; mainstays Steve Lucas and Ian Rilen had played with Harold Holt and the Sharks and The Feel, and Sardine v respectively. Lucas and Rilen and Steve Cafiero regrouped as X in late 1984.
X was managed by Sydney-based manager Nick Chance of Chance Management between 1984 and 1986 after he was approached by Ian Rilen to do so, and agreed. Steve Cafiero played his last show with X at the North Sydney Leagues Club on 2 December 1984.
X was on a tour and heading to Melbourne, 2 days after the last show it transpired for Cafiero when he broke the news.
The Melbourne shows were at The Club 5 Dec; La Trobe Uni. 6 Dec; Prince of Wales Hotel 7 Dec; and Eureka Hotel 8 Dec. Cathy was recommended by booking agent Gerard Schlaghecke at Premier Artists in Melbourne, after a call from Nick on 3 Dec advising Cafiero had left the band, and asking Gerard if he knew a Melbourne-based replacement. He recommended Cathy, knowing her to be fan of X and that she knew the songs. Cathy agreed to do the shows on 2 days notice and a rehearsal studio was booked for the evening of 4 Dec in Melbourne on arrival of Ian, Steve and Nick. Ian's bass was so loud at that first rehearsal, Nick recalls sitting in the rental car below and hearing nothing but the bass with the reverberations felt in the car. X were rehearsing in a three-story double brick building on the third floor.
During the 2nd rehearsal Nick organised by requesting an extended soundcheck at The Club 5 Dec, Cathy began playing the drum pattern for 'You Say That You Love Me'. Ian joined in with a bass line tune, and Steve added guitar. The song was written in about 10 mins. It was to go on the "At Home With You" album when it was recorded in March 1985. During that moment Steve and Ian, with Nick watching, all realised X had found a new drummer that was as good, if not better than Steve Cafiero.
Cathy played all the shows flawlessly and impressed everyone with her drumming style and ability. It was one of the things that made "At Home With You" the album it was. It would have been quite a different album, possibly not as good, if Cathy hadn't joined the band. She breathed new life into the band, and at the time when they needed it, still getting over the shock of Steve Cafieros's sudden departure after so many years as an original lineup member.
The song 'You Say That You Love Me' made the album in March 1985 when it was recorded, and it would never have been written at all if Cathy had not agreed to join the band on 2 days notice. Cathy had previously been a member of the Canberra band **** **** (pronounced 'Cough Cough'). Green had first seen X 'a couple of years earlier' at the invitation of Mark Seymour, of Hunters and Collectors; three tracks on "At Home With You" which utilised the 'Horns of Contempt' (John Howard, Jeremy Smith and Michael Waters), the brass section from Hunters & Collectors. The latter also covered Ian and Stephanie Rilen's song 'Stuck on You', which originally recorded by Sardine V. It was on the 'Hunters & Collectors' 1986 album Human Frailty.
The 'X - At Home With You' album was recorded by and on the Major Music label run by Max Robenstone. He also has a relative that ran restaurant that provided excellent food to the studio which was Richmond Recorders, all paid for by Major Records.
Reception.
Ian McFarlane has written that "At Home with You" 'displayed a breadth and sense of dynamics only previously hinted at in the band's music. A lot had to do with the freshness and vitality, to say nothing of the rhythmic swing, that Green contributed to the band.' Richard Guilliatt, writing in the Age in November 1985, claimed the LP 'vindicates the band's persistence, a fantastic slice of the most basic, earthy rock...' The sleeve notes to the 2009 reissue, quoting an interview with Green from December, 1985, claim that the photograph on the album cover is of the band reacting with hilarity to The Cosby Show.
Original LP track listing.
A special limited edition was released called "A TV Dinner at Home with X". It contained a T-shirt and a flexi-disc of the song "El Salvador" recorded live at The Prince of Wales in Melbourne, Australia on 13 March 1985 for a live 3PBS radio broadcast. In searching for the master tapes for this track for the 2007 reissue, the complete concert was found and issued as a bonus disc.
2007 reissue track listing.
Disc two.
Live at the Prince of Wales Melbourne. 13 March 1985.
References.
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Our Lady of La Salette
1846 Marian apparition in France
Our Lady of La Salette () is a Marian apparition reported by two French children, Maximin Giraud and Mélanie Calvat, to have occurred at La Salette-Fallavaux, France, in 1846.
On 19 September 1851, the local bishop formally approved the public devotion and prayers to Our Lady of La Salette. On 21 August 1879, Pope Leo XIII granted a canonical coronation to the image now located within the Basilica of Our Lady of La Salette. A Russian-style tiara


David Wenham
Australian actor
David Wenham is an Australian actor who has appeared in film, television and theatre. He is known for his roles as Faramir in "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, Friar Carl in "Van Helsing" and ', Dilios in "300" and its sequel ', Al Parker in "Top of the Lake", Lieutenant John Scarfield in "", and Hank Snow in "Elvis". He is known in his native Australia for his role as Diver Dan in "SeaChange" and Price Galese in "Les Norton".
Early life.
Wenham has five older sisters; Helen, Anne, Carmel, Kathryn, and Maree; and one older brother, Peter. He was raised in the Roman Catholic faith and attended Christian Brothers' High School, Lewisham, Sydney.
Career.
Wenham started his career as an actor after graduating from Theatre Nepean at the University of Western Sydney with a Bachelor of Arts (Performing Arts) in 1987. Wenham's television credits include several telefilms, such as his AFI award-winning role in 1997's "Simone de Beauvoir's Babies"; and his role as the outwardly laid back but deeply enigmatic diver Dan Della Bosca in the 1998 and 1999 seasons of the ABC television series "SeaChange". His role as "Diver Dan" has made the actor something of a sex symbol, although he dislikes thinking of himself as such, and he has been voted Australia's "sexiest man alive". A portrait of Wenham by artist Adam Cullen won the Archibald Prize in 2000.
Australian films Wenham has starred in include "The Boys" (1998) based on the play of the same name premiered at Griffin Theatre Company and in turn based on the murder of Anita Cobby; ' (1999), based on the life of Father Damien; "The Bank" (2001); "Gettin' Square" (2003); "Stiff" (2004); "The Brush-Off" (2004) and "Three Dollars" (2005). Wenham has periodically appeared in Hollywood films; he is known for playing Faramir, son of Denethor II, in New Line Cinema's ' and "".
He was seen in "Van Helsing" playing Hugh Jackman's sidekick, Friar Carl. His character, Dilios, narrated and appeared in the 2007 film "300". He reprises his role of Dilios in both the 2014 sequel, ' and the video game, ' for Sony PlayStation Portable, which contains a substantial amount of new dialogue. Minor roles of Wenham's in overseas films include in "The Crocodile Hunter" as a park ranger, and briefly in "Moulin Rouge!" as Audrey. Wenham stars in the music video for Alex Lloyd's single "Brand New Day". In 2008's "Australia", he reunited with Hugh Jackman playing antagonist Neil Fletcher.
In 2009, he appeared in "Public Enemies" as one of John Dillinger's men. He also returned to the stage, this time as the lead actor, Jerry Springer, in the British musical "". During its 6-day run at the Sydney Opera House he played in sold-out performances alongside ARIA award-winning singer Kate Miller-Heidke.
In 2010, he played the character 'Len' in the Australian drama film "Oranges and Sunshine". Also in 2010, Wenham starred as the disgraced Melbourne lawyer Andrew Fraser in the Australian television series "Killing Time". This ten-part series shows Fraser's fall from grace as he defends many Melbourne criminals during the 1980s and 1990s. It was shown on TV1 in late 2011.
Wenham plays New Zealand detective Al Parker alongside Elisabeth Moss in the 2013 BBC series "Top of the Lake".
In 2013, Wenham returned to the stage to play the lead role of John Proctor, in the Melbourne Theatre Company's mid-year production of Arthur Miller's "The Crucible".
In 2014, Wenham starred as Patrick Jones in "Paper Planes", released on 15 January 2015. That same year, Wenham voiced the role Jacko a frilled-neck lizard, in "Blinky Bill the Movie". In 2016, Wenham played the role of John, the adoptive father of Saroo Brierley in "Lion".
Wenham played the role of the villain Harold Meachum in the Netflix original television series "Iron Fist", which premiered in March 2017.
In 2018, Wenham plays the voice of Johnny Town-Mouse in "Peter Rabbit", a role he reprised in the 2021 sequel "".
In 2020, it was announced that Wenham was cast as Jasper Queller in the upcoming Netflix thriller series "Pieces of Her", which is adapted from the Karin Slaughter novel of the same name.
In 2022, Wenham returned to work with director Baz Luhrmann again to play the role of country singer Hank Snow in the biographical film "Elvis".
In November 2022, Wenham played Scrooge in a production of A Christmas Carol, his performance was praised as showing Scrooge as traumatised.
He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2023 Australia Day Honours.
Personal life.
Wenham met actress and yoga teacher Kate Agnew at a play at Belvoir St Theatre in Sydney, Australia in 1994. They began a relationship that year. They have two daughters. As of 2020, they live together in a $2.75 million-dollar house in Brisbane, Australia.
On 20 September 2006, Wenham read a poem called "The Crocodiles are Crying" by Rupert McCall at the memorial service for Steve Irwin.
Wenham is a Sydney Swans supporter.

Faramir
Fictional character in The Lord of the Rings
Faramir is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings". He is introduced as the younger brother of Boromir of the Fellowship of the Ring and second son of Denethor, the Steward of Gondor.
Faramir enters the narrative in "The Two Towers", where, upon meeting Frodo Baggins, he is presented with a temptation to take possession of the One Ring. In "The Return of the King", he leads the forces of Gondor in the War of the Ring, coming near to death, succeeds his father as Steward, and wins the love of Éowyn, lady of the royal house of Rohan.
Tolkien wrote that of all his characters, Faramir was the most like him: Tolkien had fought in the First World War and had similarly had a vision of darkness. Scholars have likened Faramir's courage to that in the Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon", and his hunting green-clad in Ithilien to the English folk hero and outlaw Robin Hood. The Tolkien scholar Jane Chance sees Faramir as central to a complex web of Germanic allegiance-relationships.
Faramir has been the subject of illustrations by Tolkien artists including John Howe, Ted Nasmith and Anke Eißmann. He was voiced by Andrew Seear in the BBC's 1981 radio adaptation. He was played by David Wenham in Peter Jackson's film trilogy.
Narrative.
Background.
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[Faramir] read the hearts of men as shrewdly as his father, but what he read moved him sooner to pity than to scorn. He was gentle in bearing, and a lover of lore and of music, and therefore by many in those days his courage was judged less than his brother's. But it was not so, except that he did not seek glory in danger without a purpose.
 J.R.R. Tolkien
 , Appendix A to "The Lord of the Rings"
Faramir is the son of Denethor, who becomes steward of Gondor a year after Faramir's birth. His mother is Finduilas, daughter of Prince Adrahil of Dol Amroth; she dies when Faramir is five, and is to him "but a memory of loveliness in far days and of his first grief". After her death Denethor becomes sombre, cold, and detached, but the relationship between Faramir and his elder brother Boromir, who is five years older, only grows closer, even though Denethor openly favours Boromir. Faramir is used to giving way and not airing his own opinions. Faramir displeases his father by welcoming the wizard Gandalf to Minas Tirith, Gondor's capital. Faramir, eager for knowledge, learns much from Gandalf about Gondor's history.
Faramir looks much like Boromir, who is described as "a tall man with a fair and noble face, dark-haired and grey-eyed, proud and stern of glance". In Faramir, "by some chance the blood of Westernesse [runs] nearly true". He does not enjoy fighting for its own sake.
Gondor had long been threatened by the nearby realm of Mordor, and in 3018 (when Faramir was 35) the Dark Lord Sauron begins the War of the Ring, attacking the ruined city of Osgiliath that guards the river crossing to Minas Tirith. Faramir and Boromir commands the defence.
Shortly before the battle, Faramir has a prophetic dream, in which a voice speaks of the "Sword that was Broken" that is to be found at Imladris far to the north, about the awakening of "Isildur's Bane", the approach of "Doom", and the appearance of "the Halfling". Faramir decides to journey to Imladris and seek the advice of Elrond the Half-elven, but Denethor sends Boromir instead.
"The Two Towers".
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 “For myself,” said Faramir, “I would see the White Tree in flower again in the courts of the kings, and the Silver Crown return, and Minas Tirith in peace: Minas Anor again as of old, full of light, high and fair, beautiful as a queen among other queens: not a mistress of many slaves, nay, not even a kind mistress of willing slaves. War must be, while we defend our lives against a destroyer who would devour all; but I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend: the city of the Men of Númenor; and I would have her loved for her memory, her ancientry, her beauty, and her present wisdom.”
 J.R.R. Tolkien
 , "The Two Towers"
Faramir first encounters the hobbits Frodo Baggins and Samwise Gamgee in Ithilien, and recognises them to be the Halflings mentioned in his dreams. Faramir questions Frodo about his quest, and Frodo reveals that he, along with eight other companions including Boromir, had set out from Rivendell. During the interrogation, Faramir asks often about Boromir, since he knows, as Frodo does not, that Boromir is already dead. One night, Faramir had waded down to the Anduin after seeing a boat there. It contained the dead body of his brother, who had been killed by Orcs after Frodo had left the group. Frodo tries to avoid the subject of his quest, but Faramir realises that Frodo was carrying something important to Sauron. Sam accidentally speaks of Boromir's desire for the One Ring, thus revealing what Frodo is carrying. Faramir then shows the crucial difference between him and his proud brother:
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Faramir is wise enough to know that such a weapon is not to be used. He sees how his brother had been tempted beyond his strength, and wishes that he had gone on the quest himself. He gives the Hobbits provisions and sends them on their way, warning Frodo that their guide, Gollum, is treacherous, and that an unknown terror lives on the pass of Cirith Ungol, where Gollum is leading them.
"The Return of the King".
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 [Pippin said:] 'Here was one with an air of high nobility such as Aragorn at times revealed, less high perhaps, yet also less incalculable and remote: one of the Kings of Men born into a later time, but touched with the wisdom and sadness of the Elder Race. [...] He was a captain that men would follow, [...] even under the shadow of the black wings [of the Nazgûl].'
 J.R.R. Tolkien
 , "The Return of the King"
The following evening, Faramir sends his company to reinforce the garrison at Osgiliath, while he and three men ride to Minas Tirith. They are pursued by the Nazgûl. Faramir rides back to help the fallen and is rescued by Gandalf. At Minas Tirith, Faramir reports to Denethor and Gandalf that he had met Frodo and Sam. Denethor becomes angry that Faramir had let them go to Mordor with the Ring, instead of bringing it to him.
The Witch-king of Angmar, leader of the Nazgûl, leads a large army from Minas Morgul, and seizes Osgiliath. Faramir stays with the rearguard, and is gravely wounded. The city's cavalry bring him back to Minas Tirith, and the Battle of the Pelennor Fields begins. Denethor believes the unconscious Faramir to be fatally injured. He has a funeral pyre built for himself and Faramir. The Hobbit Pippin Took, sworn into Denethor's service, alerts Gandalf, and Faramir is rescued from the flames. Mad with grief, Denethor lies down on the pyre, burning himself alive.
After the battle, Aragorn heals Faramir with "athelas" in the Houses of Healing. Recuperating, Faramir meets the Lady Éowyn of Rohan, and falls in love with her. At first, Éowyn refuses his advances, only desiring to find honour in death, but soon she loves him in return. Faramir becomes Steward, and prepares the city for the arrival of Aragorn, now King of Gondor. On the day of the coronation, Faramir surrenders his Stewardship. Aragorn, however, renews the office, announcing that as long as his line lasts, Faramir's descendants would be Stewards of Gondor. He makes Faramir Prince of Ithilien. In addition, as Steward Faramir serves as the King's chief counsellor and rules Gondor when the King is absent. With Éowyn, he settles in Ithilien, among the hills of the Emyn Arnen; they have a son named Elboron. After Faramir's death at the age of 120, his son succeeds him. Barahir, Faramir's grandson, writes "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen", said in the frame story to have been inserted in the "Thain's Book" by the writer Findegil.
Analysis.
Medieval knight.
The Tolkien scholar Elizabeth Solopova states that Faramir's decision to reject the One Ring shows influences from a kind of courage and behaviour that was known to Tolkien from the medieval poem "The Battle of Maldon". By not taking the Ring, Faramir rejects the desire for power and glory which a defeat of Sauron would bring him.
The Tolkien scholar Jane Chance analyses Faramir's place in what she identifies as an elaborate web of relationships based on a medieval Germanic worldview. Firstly, she describes Faramir and Boromir as a pair of opposites, good and evil brothers, which she likens to Theoden and Denethor whom she considers a pair of good and evil "Kings". Secondly, she explores what she sees as a series of parallel instances of feudal allegiance (a man's oath of service to his lord, in return for protection) and betrayal (the breaking of that oath) involving Faramir and Frodo. Sam serves Frodo faithfully, but accidentally betrays him to Faramir with the smoke from his cooking fire and then by mentioning the Ring. Gollum's allegiance to Frodo is in the form of an oath sworn on the Ring, to obey Frodo and not to run off. Frodo "betrays" Gollum by luring him into the captivity of Faramir's men. Gollum then swears to Faramir that he will never return to the forbidden pool. The last of the parallel allegiance relationships is that Faramir grants Frodo protection, in the manner of a Germanic lord, and in return Frodo offers his service. Thirdly, after the War of the Ring, society is renewed as Aragorn marries Arwen, bringing the races of Man and Elf together, while in parallel to that Faramir marries Éowyn, bringing together the nations of Rohan and Gondor.
Medieval outlaw.
Several scholars have noted a likeness between Faramir and the legendary medieval figure of Robin Hood. Marjorie Burns sees a sign of Englishness, "a Robin Hood touch", in the green-clad Faramir and his men hunting the enemy in the forested Ithilien. P.N. Harrison comments that Faramir's "wilderness dwelling, his skill with the bow, and his choice of a green cloak, mask, and gauntlets as clothing all invite direct comparisons" with the outlaw of Sherwood Forest. Ben Reinhard, in "Mythlore", writes that while there are medieval-style knights in "The Lord of the Rings", and Faramir's conduct and speech are in many ways perfectly chivalric, he is definitely not a "knight in shining armour". Instead, he leads the attack on the men of Harad "in a thoroughly unchivalric guerilla ambuscade", while "clothing, weaponry, tactics, and [concealed] refuge" all indicate the opposite of the shining knight: the outlaw in the Greenwood.
Tolkien's personal experiences.
Tolkien's biographer John Garth, in his book "Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth", writes that the resemblance between Faramir and the author, which Tolkien admitted in a letter ("As far as any character is 'like me', it is Faramir"), was that the two men were both soldiers and scholars, Faramir having "a reverence for the old histories and sacred values that helps him through a bitter war." Tolkien served as an officer in the British Army during the First World War, fighting in the Battle of the Somme in 1916. Tolkien bestowed his dream of "darkness unescapable" on Faramir, who narrates the dream to Éowyn. Of this, Tolkien wrote, "when Faramir speaks of his private vision of the Great Wave, he speaks for me. That vision and dream has been ever with me — and has been inherited (as I only discovered recently) by one of my children, Michael."
The scholar of literature Melissa A. Smith suggests that Tolkien's First World War experience of war brides may be reflected in Faramir's brief courtship of Éowyn. She notes that Tolkien wrote in response to criticism that "In my experience feelings and decisions ripen very quickly (as measured by mere 'clock-time', which is actually not justly applicable) in periods of great stress, and especially under the expectation of imminent death". Smith adds that Tolkien indeed married Edith Bratt just before he was posted to the Western Front in France.
Development.
In "The History of The Lord of the Rings", Christopher Tolkien recorded that his father had not foreseen the emergence of Faramir during the writing of the book, only inventing him at the actual point of his appearance in "The Two Towers". Tolkien himself noted that the introduction of Faramir had led to postponement of the book's dénouement and to further development of the background for Gondor and Rohan.
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Faramir said: "Do not scorn pity that is the gift of a gentle heart, Éowyn! But I do not offer you my pity. For you are a lady high and valiant and have yourself won
renown that shall not be forgotten; and you are a lady beautiful, I deem, beyond even the words of the Elven-tongue to tell. And I love you. Once I pitied your sorrow. But now, were you sorrowless, without fear or any lack, were you the blissful Queen of Gondor, still I would love you. Éowyn, do you not love me?"
 J.R.R. Tolkien
 , "The Return of the King", after Tolkien had edited out all the "thou" and "thee" forms.
In early drafts, Tolkien had used the familiar forms "thou" and "thee" to show a sudden shift in the relationship between Faramir and Éowyn, a "deliberate change to a form of affection or endearment". Christopher Tolkien comments that
<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />The 'sudden change' to which he referred here ... is possibly to be seen in their first meeting in the garden of the Houses of Healing, where Faramir says: 'Then, Éowyn of Rohan, I say to you that you are beautiful', but at the end of his speech changes to the 'familiar' form, 'But thou and I have both passed under the wings of the Shadow' (whereas Éowyn continues to use 'you'). In the following meetings, in this text, Faramir uses the 'familiar' forms, but Éowyn does not do so until the last ('Dost thou not know?'); and soon after this point my father went back over what he had written and changed every 'thou' and 'thee' to 'you'.
Portrayal in adaptations.
Art.
Faramir appears in several illustrations created by John Howe, Ted Nasmith and Anke Eißmann for "The Lord of the Rings" and related products. One of the scenes from the book that received many depictions is Faramir and Éowyn's meeting at the top of Minas Tirith.
Radio.
In the BBC's 1981 radio adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings", Faramir is voiced by Andrew Seear. The radio drama adhered faithfully to the books, and Peter Jackson gave the adaptation credit in the production of his film trilogy.
Film.
In Rankin/Bass' 1980 adaptation of "The Return of the King", a dark-haired man taken to be Faramir is shown next to Éowyn in greeting Aragorn as he arrives to Minas Tirith.
In Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" film trilogy, Faramir is played by David Wenham. The actor joked that he got the role because he and Sean Bean, who played Boromir, both had large noses. The plot of the second film, "", introduces a significant deviation from the book: Faramir does not at first let Frodo, Sam, and Gollum go, but decides to bring them and the Ring to Gondor. He takes them to Osgiliath and not until the Nazgûl attack the city and Frodo comes under the threat of capture does he release them. Jackson's explanation is that he needed another adventure to delay Frodo and Sam, because the episode at Cirith Ungol was moved to the third film, and so a new climax was needed. On the timeline given by Tolkien, Frodo and Sam had only reached the Black Gate at the time of the fall of Isengard. Jackson argues that it was necessary for Faramir to be tempted by the Ring because in his films everyone else was tempted, and letting Faramir be immune would seem inconsistent to a film audience. Jackson's portrayal of the Rangers' treatment of Gollum, who is beaten up, and Faramir's implicit compliance, have been criticised. In the book, Faramir calls the creature "Sméagol" instead of "Gollum", and tells his men to "treat him gently, but watch him".
In the extended edition of "The Two Towers", Jackson included an invented flashback scene in which Denethor neglects Faramir in favour of Boromir when sending him to Rivendell, so that Faramir wanted to please his father by bringing him the Ring. (The relationship is similarly strained in the book, but his father's favouritism does not seem to affect his decisions in Ithilien.) Reviewers have opined that the extended edition presents Faramir in a more favourable light.
Video games.
Faramir is a bonus playable character in the video game "". In a bonus video track within this game, Wenham says that "Faramir and Boromir were brothers, and it isn't beyond possibility that Faramir would have gone to Rivendell instead. And if that [had] happened, Faramir could have survived and returned to Gondor."
References.
Primary.
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Secondary.
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Frodo Baggins
Fictional hobbit protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings
Frodo Baggins (Westron: "Maura Labingi") is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings and one of the protagonists in "The Lord of the Rings". Frodo is a hobbit of the Shire who inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, described familiarly as "uncle", and undertakes the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor. He is mentioned in Tolkien's posthumously published works, "The Silmarillion" and "Unfinished Tales".
Frodo is repeatedly wounded during the quest and becomes increasingly burdened by the Ring as it nears Mordor. He changes, too, growing in understanding and compassion, and avoiding violence. On his return to the Shire, he is unable to settle back into ordinary life; two years after the Ring's destruction, he is allowed to take ship to the earthly paradise of Valinor.
Frodo's name comes from the Old English name "Fróda", meaning "wise by experience". Commentators have written that he combines courage, selflessness, and fidelity and that as a good character, he seems unexciting but grows through his quest, an unheroic person who reaches heroic stature.
Internal history.
Background.
Frodo is introduced in "The Lord of the Rings" as Bilbo Baggins's cousin and adoptive heir. Frodo's parents, Drogo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck, had been killed in a boating accident when Frodo was twelve; Frodo spends the next nine years living with his maternal family, the Brandybucks, in Brandy Hall. At the age of twenty-one, he is adopted by Bilbo, who brings him to live at his home, Bag End in the Shire. He and Bilbo share the same birthday, the 22nd of September. Bilbo introduces Frodo to the Elvish languages, and they often go on long walking trips together.
"The Fellowship of the Ring".
Frodo comes of age as Bilbo leaves the Shire. Frodo inherits Bag End and Bilbo's ring. Gandalf, uncertain about the origin of the ring, warns Frodo to avoid using it and to keep it secret. Frodo keeps it hidden for the next seventeen years, and it gives him the same longevity it had given Bilbo. Gandalf returns to tell him that it is the One Ring of the Dark Lord Sauron, who is seeking to recover and use it to conquer Middle-earth.
Realising that he is a danger to the Shire as long as he remains there, Frodo decides to take the Ring to Rivendell, home of Elrond, a mighty Elf-lord. He leaves with three companions: his gardener Samwise Gamgee and his cousins Merry Brandybuck and Pippin Took. They are just in time, for Sauron's most powerful servants, the Nine Nazgûl, have entered the Shire as Black Riders, looking for the Ring. They follow Frodo's trail, nearly intercepting him.
The hobbits escape into the Old Forest. They are waylaid by the magic of Old Man Willow, but rescued by Tom Bombadil, who gives them shelter and guidance. They are caught in fog on the Barrow Downs by a barrow-wight and put under a spell. Frodo breaks free, attacks the barrow-wight, and summons Bombadil, who again rescues the hobbits and sets them on their way.
At the "Prancing Pony" inn, Frodo receives a delayed letter from Gandalf and meets a man calling himself Strider, a Ranger; his real name is Aragorn. The One Ring slips onto Frodo's finger in the inn's common room, turning him invisible. This attracts the Nazgûl, who ransack the hobbits' empty rooms in the night. Strider leads the group through the marshes.
While encamped on Weathertop, they are attacked by five Nazgûl. The leader, the Witch-king of Angmar, stabs Frodo with a Morgul blade, the wound threatening to turn him into a wraith under the Nazgûl's control. Reaching Rivendell, he is healed by Elrond.
The Council of Elrond resolves to destroy the Ring by casting it into Mount Doom in Mordor, Sauron's realm. Frodo, realizing that he is destined for this task, steps forward to be the Ring-bearer. A Fellowship of nine companions is formed to assist him: the hobbits, Gandalf, Aragorn, the dwarf Gimli, the elf Legolas, and Boromir, a man of Gondor. Bilbo, living in Rivendell, gives Frodo his sword Sting and a coat of Dwarf mail made of "mithril". The company, unable to cross the Misty Mountains by a pass, enters the mines of Moria. Frodo is stabbed by an Orc with a spear, but his "mithril" mail-shirt saves his life. Gandalf was killed battling a Balrog. Aragorn leads them out to Lothlórien. There Galadriel gives Frodo an Elven cloak and a phial, which carries the Light of Eärendil to aid him on his quest.
The Fellowship travels by boat down the Anduin River and reaches the lawn of Parth Galen, just above the impassable falls of Rauros. There, Boromir, succumbing to the lure of the Ring, tries to take it by force. Frodo escapes by putting it on. This breaks the Fellowship; the company is scattered by invading Orcs. Frodo chooses to continue the quest alone, but Sam follows him.
"The Two Towers".
Frodo and Sam make their way through the wilds, followed by the monster Gollum, who has been tracking them, seeking to reclaim the Ring, which he had lost to Bilbo (as portrayed in "The Hobbit"). Gollum attacks the hobbits, but Frodo subdues him with Sting. He takes pity on Gollum and spares his life, making him promise to guide them through the dead marshes to the Black Gate. They find the gate impassable; Gollum tells them of "another way" into Mordor, and Frodo, over Sam's objections, lets him lead them south into Ithilien. There they meet Faramir, younger brother of Boromir, who takes them to a hidden cave. Frodo allows Gollum to be captured by Faramir, saving Gollum's life but leaving him feeling betrayed. Faramir provisions the hobbits and sends them on their way, warning Frodo to beware of Gollum's treachery.
They pass Minas Morgul, where the pull of the Ring becomes overwhelming, and climb the Endless Stair to cross into Mordor. At the top they enter a tunnel, not knowing it is the home of the giant spider Shelob. Gollum hopes to deliver the hobbits to her and retake the Ring after she had killed them. Shelob stings Frodo, rendering him unconscious, but Sam drives her off with Sting and the Phial of Galadriel. Believing that Frodo is dead, Sam takes the Ring and continues the quest. Soon, however, he overhears Orcs taking Frodo for questioning, saying that he is still alive.
"The Return of the King".
Sam rescues Frodo and returns the Ring. Dressed in scavenged Orc-armour, they set off, trailed by Gollum. At Mount Doom, Frodo enters the chasm where Sauron had forged the Ring. Here Frodo loses the will to destroy the Ring, and puts it on, claiming it for himself. Gollum attacks the invisible Frodo, biting off his finger and reclaiming the Ring. As he dances in elation, Gollum falls with the Ring into the fiery Cracks of Doom. The Ring is destroyed, and with it Sauron's power. Frodo and Sam are rescued by Great Eagles as Mount Doom erupts, destroying Mordor.
After Aragorn's coronation, the four hobbits return home. They find that the fallen wizard Saruman and his agents have taken over the Shire and started to industrialize it. Frodo and his companions lead a rebellion and defeat the intruders. Even after Saruman attempts to stab Frodo, Frodo lets him go, only for Saruman to be killed by his henchman Gríma Wormtongue. The hobbits restore the Shire to its prior state of peace and goodwill. While successful in his quest, Frodo never recovers from the physical and emotional wounds he suffered on the quest. After two years, Frodo and Bilbo as Ring-bearers are granted passage to Valinor.
Other works.
"The Sea-Bell" was published in Tolkien's 1962 collection of verse "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" with the sub-title "Frodos Dreme". Tolkien suggests that this enigmatic narrative poem represents the despairing dreams that visited Frodo in the Shire in the years following the destruction of the Ring. It relates the unnamed speaker's journey to a mysterious land across the sea, where he tries but fails to make contact with the people who dwell there. He descends into despair and near-madness, eventually returning to his own country, to find himself utterly alienated from those he once knew.
"Frodo the halfling" is mentioned briefly at the end of "The Silmarillion", as "alone with his servant he passed through peril and darkness" and "cast the Great Ring of Power" into the fire.
In the poem "Bilbo's Last Song", Frodo is at the Grey Havens at the farthest west of Middle-earth, about to leave the mortal world on an elven-ship to Valinor.
"The Hunt for the Ring" in "Unfinished Tales" describes how the Black Riders travelled to Isengard and the Shire in search of the One Ring, purportedly "according to the account that Gandalf gave to Frodo". It is one of several mentions of Frodo in the book.
Family tree.
The Tolkien scholar Jason Fisher notes that Tolkien stated that hobbits were extremely "clannish" and had a strong "predilections for genealogy". Accordingly, Tolkien's decision to include Frodo's family tree in "Lord of the Rings" gives the book, in Fisher's view, a strongly "hobbitish perspective". The tree also, he notes, serves to show Frodo's and Bilbo's connections and familial characteristics. Frodo's family tree is as follows:
Concept and creation.
Frodo did not appear until the third draft of "A Long-Expected Party" (the first chapter of "The Lord of the Rings"), when he was named Bingo, son of Bilbo Baggins and Primula Brandybuck. In the fourth draft, he was renamed Bingo Bolger-Baggins, son of Rollo Bolger and Primula Brandybuck. Tolkien did not change the name to Frodo until the third phase of writing, when much of the narrative, as far as the hobbits' arrival in Rivendell, had already taken shape. Prior to this, the name "Frodo" had been used for the character who eventually became Pippin Took