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This is mostly a for-myself feel-good sort of entry (still rather desperately needed, though I am doing better mental-health-wise than a few days ago), though the betas may enjoy it too, and anyone who's a Vienna Teng fan or wonders why I am listening to her so much these days.
So, under the cut, all the VT songs that are in my "book party" playlist (the only one I have left, since it was on my phone; I'll have to recreate the others as desired), and who/what they remind me of in my writing. (With not so much spoilers for books 3 and 4 as lots of ???.) Links if you want to join in!
Not in any particular order; links are to YouTube or Bandcamp; lyrics linked to VT's website. There are nearly 100 songs on this playlist now, so obviously plenty of others remind me of themes, characters and jokes as well, but for whatever reason there's more VT than anything else.
As I said before, Harbor is a good song for George and Olivia - it's actually a bit trite for VT, but so may be the central romantic pairing in a book series, at times. :P
Sail your sea
Meet your storm
All I want is to be your harbor
And water metaphors galore. I've also put Stray Italian Greyhound in the mix for them, though surprise is pretty much universal for my characters where romance is concerned. Flyweight Love, on the other hand, I've been thinking of recently as an Andy and Rose song, probably spurred by the political notes.
Along similar oh I swear I don't want this lines, Recessional is a good song for Janet and Anke. As is Now Three, for reasons.
I also mentioned before that Nothing Without You is a Beatrice and Wilfrid song:
Oh, call my name
You know my name
And in that sound, everything will change
I mean, really. (ETA: it occurred to me after a dozen or so play-throughs of this that it could be a song about God… which makes it even more appropriate, heh.) Though I actually prefer Augustine for them:
Lead me now
I understand
Faith is both the prison and the open hand
Eric's Song is totally for Janet and Will.
And of course I forgive
I’ve seen how you live
Like a phoenix you rise from the ashes
You pick up the pieces
And the ghosts in the attic
They never quite leave
And of course I forgive
You’ve seen how I live
I’ve got darkness and fears to appease
My voices and analogies
Ambitions like ribbons
Worn bright on my sleeve
Strange how we know each other
I've been playing that one a lot lately.
Moving away from the ambiguously romantic to the more clearly familial, Oh Mama No is for Janet and Alisha, and I have stuck Grandmother Song in there mostly because I love it, but also for Camilla and Mrs. A. (and also Olivia and Grandma Dezzie). And why not The Atheist Christmas Carol for George and his mother? Don't forget I love you.
Antebellum is clearly meant to be about a battered romantic relationship, but to me it's perfect for Olivia and Sam, with the metaphors of war a bonus.
I know the borderlines we drew between us
Keep the weapons down
Keep the wounded safe
"But oh how I could make you bleed." Yeah.
I admit that Green Island Serenade is the only song with Chinese lyrics I own, but it is full of watery imagery and thus perfect: Saskia and Lin's song, of course.
Speaking of water and the lack of it, I've also got Watershed (just on general principles) and Drought in the mix. Come break me with ice, let the water of calm trickle over my doubts. The latter is a bit dramatic for Charles and Beatrice, as is Gravity, and they may not "belong" to anyone in particular, but as thematic statements both work (and I like them, so there).
(ETA: "Drought" is for Olivia and Bernard, of course. I even used the language myself.)
The song that does say Charles and Beatrice to me, oddly enough since it's not about anything they actually experience, is St. Stephen's Cross. It also works in terms of the significance of history (it's Charles's period, at least) and as something that might happen to a pair of time travelers. Or, if one should wish it, it could describe Philippe and Genevieve's eventual reunion. Anyway, it's gorgeous and I love it.
And that is all - so far! Others may very well work their way in.
So, under the cut, all the VT songs that are in my "book party" playlist (the only one I have left, since it was on my phone; I'll have to recreate the others as desired), and who/what they remind me of in my writing. (With not so much spoilers for books 3 and 4 as lots of ???.) Links if you want to join in!
Not in any particular order; links are to YouTube or Bandcamp; lyrics linked to VT's website. There are nearly 100 songs on this playlist now, so obviously plenty of others remind me of themes, characters and jokes as well, but for whatever reason there's more VT than anything else.
As I said before, Harbor is a good song for George and Olivia - it's actually a bit trite for VT, but so may be the central romantic pairing in a book series, at times. :P
Sail your sea
Meet your storm
All I want is to be your harbor
And water metaphors galore. I've also put Stray Italian Greyhound in the mix for them, though surprise is pretty much universal for my characters where romance is concerned. Flyweight Love, on the other hand, I've been thinking of recently as an Andy and Rose song, probably spurred by the political notes.
Along similar oh I swear I don't want this lines, Recessional is a good song for Janet and Anke. As is Now Three, for reasons.
I also mentioned before that Nothing Without You is a Beatrice and Wilfrid song:
Oh, call my name
You know my name
And in that sound, everything will change
I mean, really. (ETA: it occurred to me after a dozen or so play-throughs of this that it could be a song about God… which makes it even more appropriate, heh.) Though I actually prefer Augustine for them:
Lead me now
I understand
Faith is both the prison and the open hand
Eric's Song is totally for Janet and Will.
And of course I forgive
I’ve seen how you live
Like a phoenix you rise from the ashes
You pick up the pieces
And the ghosts in the attic
They never quite leave
And of course I forgive
You’ve seen how I live
I’ve got darkness and fears to appease
My voices and analogies
Ambitions like ribbons
Worn bright on my sleeve
Strange how we know each other
I've been playing that one a lot lately.
Moving away from the ambiguously romantic to the more clearly familial, Oh Mama No is for Janet and Alisha, and I have stuck Grandmother Song in there mostly because I love it, but also for Camilla and Mrs. A. (and also Olivia and Grandma Dezzie). And why not The Atheist Christmas Carol for George and his mother? Don't forget I love you.
Antebellum is clearly meant to be about a battered romantic relationship, but to me it's perfect for Olivia and Sam, with the metaphors of war a bonus.
I know the borderlines we drew between us
Keep the weapons down
Keep the wounded safe
"But oh how I could make you bleed." Yeah.
I admit that Green Island Serenade is the only song with Chinese lyrics I own, but it is full of watery imagery and thus perfect: Saskia and Lin's song, of course.
Speaking of water and the lack of it, I've also got Watershed (just on general principles) and Drought in the mix. Come break me with ice, let the water of calm trickle over my doubts. The latter is a bit dramatic for Charles and Beatrice, as is Gravity, and they may not "belong" to anyone in particular, but as thematic statements both work (and I like them, so there).
(ETA: "Drought" is for Olivia and Bernard, of course. I even used the language myself.)
The song that does say Charles and Beatrice to me, oddly enough since it's not about anything they actually experience, is St. Stephen's Cross. It also works in terms of the significance of history (it's Charles's period, at least) and as something that might happen to a pair of time travelers. Or, if one should wish it, it could describe Philippe and Genevieve's eventual reunion. Anyway, it's gorgeous and I love it.
And that is all - so far! Others may very well work their way in.
Phone?
Date: 2014-07-13 05:08 pm (UTC)From:Re: Phone?
Date: 2014-07-13 05:24 pm (UTC)From: