Narniacs

My nephew and I recently watched "Prince Caspian," the newest movie adaptation from C.S. Lewis' Narnia Chronicles. As movies go it was... Meh. But it got me thinking about how this kids' tale, with its battles, fauns and talking trees hooked me as an 11-year-old, has worked its way into popular culture -- especially music. Hippie jam bands, indie rockers, Jesus-loving Swedish metalheads, they all love it:


Joanna Newsom's incredible "Bridges and Balloons," which mentions Cair Paravel, illustrated through stop-action animation created by Pennsylvania's Capital Area School for the Arts (above) and a version by Colin Meloy of The Decemberists below. (Here's The Decemberists version as recorded.)


Phish's "Prince Caspian" overdubbed onto the film trailer.

Less intriguing, Narnia, the Swedish Christian heavy metal band:

Then there's the California band Cair Paravel, whose "piano-driven rock wavers between droning, solemn passages and sunny explosive crescendos that's as accessible as it is adventurous."

Update: Steve Cradit writes in to point out a hilarious Andy Samberg/Chris Parnell SNL rap hit, "Chronic of Narnia":

Others?