Not an odd question at all, Nonnie! I’m very flattered and glad that you’re interested 🙂
Okay, well, some of the songs and poems I have used are Tolkien’s words. Here are the ones I have used (or referred to) that are from canon:
Lay of Nimrodel
The Man in the Moon Stayed Up Too Late
Bilbo’s Bath Song
The Song of Durin (Gimli’s chant in Khazad-Dum)
The Lay of Luthien and Beren
The Riddle of Strider
I also used ‘I Sit Beside The Fire And Think’, but made up my own two final stanzas.
I also wrote a whole slew of new ones. The songs I created (GULP) are
Now and Forever I’ll Be Marching Home (the song sung as the Dwarves leave Ered Luin)
Bijebruk! (Gimli’s mining ditty, also doubles as a drinking song)
The Dwarven Mourning chant (rather like a plainsong, very hymnal)
The Song of Beginnings
The Iron Hills For Me
No, I don’t actually listen to music as I write. I tend to want to concentrate on the music, instead of writing! I find it really distracting. My head is a noisy enough place already 🙂
Some absolutely glorious people ( notanightlight , muchymozzarella, flamesburnonthemountainside) have composed and recorded songs from Sansukh. They are completely gobsmackingly beautiful. Check it out on the utterly bogglingly huge Sansukh Masterpost.
(It also has the link for my own version of the Iron Hills For Me, oh gawdelpme hahaha)
Aw Yiss 