So, as previously mentioned, my friends sent me a survey a while ago. It had about twenty entries, each for a particular scene in the movie of your life, and they wanted to know what song you would pick for each.
Knowing me, of course, I was all over this like white on rice. Also knowing me, I couldn't just pick some songs and send it back out. No, that would be too easy! Instead I fooled around with it for some weeks, slowly tweaking it into something approaching perfection, given that I wanted all of the tracks to fit onto one CD. I also tried to limit myself to one son per artist.
And then the computer died. So I let it go for a while, and when I finally got this thing working again one of the first things I did was go back and review the list. A few more changes, and I figure it's probably good.
And, of course, I can't let it pass without giving at least some small comment. So, without further ado:
01. Opening Credits / "A Modern Way Of Letting Go" - Idlewild (2:22)
This one has possibly the least ostensible reason behind it - I love the song, and sympathize with some of the lyrics. Short and sharp, as the opening credits should be.
02. Waking-up Scene / "Sharp Little Guy" - Rushmore OST (0:42)
Is it okay to steal a song from another movie? This is the kind of snippet that sounds like someone bounding out of bed and getting ready for the day - so I think it'd be funny to have it soundtrack my slowly dragging my ass out of bed and stumbling into the living room.
03. Average-day Scene / "Questions And Answers" - The Apples In Stereo (2:53)
The only song, as far as I know, that the Apples have done that is written and sung by Hilarie Sidney, their drummer. I kind of hope it's the only song she's done, because it's nice to think her first try knocked one right out of the park. It's got kind of a laid-back, ramshackle feel I associate with average days, and it's indie, so all my friends accusations of indie-worship will have another target.
04. Best-friend Scene / "Relive Yr Unhappy Childhood" - Kid606 (1:25)
The best friend scene is going to involve at least some footage of us sitting around playing video games at 5 or 6 in the morning, and this has the right air of (a) disorientation (b) verisimilitude and (c) enjoyment. Shame about the title, though.
05. First-date Scene / "Kung Fu" - Ash (2:22)
First dates are supposed to be fun. And hopefully exciting. Sure, the song is about Jackie Chan, but it's also kind of a date song. It's FUN, that's the important thing.
06. Falling-in-love Scene / "I Found A Reason" - Cat Power (2:00)
A cover of an old Velvet Underground song, just Chan Marshall and her piano. It perfectly conveys, not love, not the dating process, but those actual moments when you realise you're falling in love.
07. Love Scene / "He'd Be A Diamond" - Teenage Fanclub (2:56)
I'm not saying I'm the sort of person whose 'love scenes' would be soundtracked by this song; I'm saying I'd like to have the sort of love scene (and I assume we're not necessarily just talking about sex here) that 'He'd Be A Diamond' would be appropriate for. Sure, the song is about a guy saying that if you'd just take him back he'd be much better, but his initial sins are never really enumerated, and the song winds up really being about the fact that she still has feelings for him. I personally think the lines and though you feel like shit/He says you look beautiful are terribly romantic; your mileage may vary.
08. Fight-with-friend Scene / "Oh Shit!" - The Buzzcocks (1:38)
Oh shit I thought you and I were friends/Oh shit I guess this is where our love ends/Oh shit I thought things were goin' well/but it hasn't turned out so swell/Has it/Oh shit/Oh shit The song was designed for this scene. It'd be criminal not to use it. I'm picturing an actual fist fight, for some reason.
09. Break-up Scene / "English Fire" - Bush (3:31)
I know, it's Bush. A bit of a joke. But on their second last album, the one nobody bought, they actually have some pretty good songs. 'English Fire' is the prize of the bunch, an endless riff and muted cries of all my love and let's be free. Sounds to me like the dawning realization that you've done something irrevocable, and then waking up the next day and remembering it. If a breakup is included in this film, it's going to be a messy one.
10. Get-back-together Scene / "Warning Sign" - Coldplay (5:31)
It has to be mushy. It has to be soft and sentimental and utterly, utterly contrite, because even if by some miracle it wasn't my fault, how often has a guy gotten very far while clinging to that fact? And let's face it, it probably was my fault anyway. The ladies tend to like Coldplay (and hey, so do I), and since the song moves smoothly from heartbroken pronouncements that you were an island, and I passed you by to the denuemont where she does, in fact, take him back, it's perfect. Just not dignified - but hey, it never was going to be, right?
11. "Life's okay" Scene / "Imitation Of Life" - REM (3:56)
All of the effective scenes like this take place only after the character(s) involved come to some sort of hard fought conclusion that life is, in fact, okay. So the song for the scene shouldn't just be a simply 'HAPPY HAPPY JOY JOY' type thing, but a little more nuanced. Not only does 'Imitation Of Life' make me very happy, but it's got nuance up the wazoo.
12. Heartbreak Scene / "Hamburg" - Readymade (5:03)
Those echoing guitar chords. I was/Taking speed in Germany That long, long ending. I'm pretty sure if I'm good, when I die the closing chords and synths from 'Hamburg' are what I'll hear. Breaks my heart every time.
13. Mental-breakdown Scene / "Bad Man" - Six By Seven (2:36)
If I'm having a breakdown, I'm going to be trashing something. 'Bad Man' is a, well, bad man, coming to terms with the fact that he's been a shit. Very, very loudly. And the desperation inherent in Chris Olley's I have a soul to change adds into the breakdown part.
14. Driving Scene / "Hippy Death Suite" - Clinic (1:18)
And if they're filming me driving, I'm probably trying to kill someone. Possibly a hippy.
15. Lesson-learning Scene / "Battery In Your Leg" - Blur (3:19)
Hard one to pick - what soundtracks a lesson? Ultimately I went with the last song from an album that feels like the process of learning something important. 'Battery In Your Leg' is shaky and fragile, but dammit, we got there, didn't we?
16. Deep-thought Scene / "Another Green World" - Brian Eno (1:36)
It's Eno. It's ambient. Seems like a pretty obvious choice for quiet reflection.
17. Flashback Scene / "Popular" - Nada Surf (3:34)
First of all, I loved this song as a kid. Second of all, it's about highschool. Third of all, it's viciously sarcastic. Fourth of all, it's really fucking loud.
18. Getting ready-for-the-party Scene / "Thank You For Sending Me An Angel (Live)" - Talking Heads (2:09)
This may be a bit weird, as the lyrics to 'Thank You For Sending Me An Angel' are anything but party-like. But I do actually listen to live version when getting ready to go out - it gets you all worked up.
19. Party Scene / "(A) Touch Sensitive" - Super Furry Animals (3:07)
All the best parties take place in time lapse photography. That cut-up, shuddering bass. The porno moans. The disco strings. Everyone at the party is really drunk, you know?
20. Drug Scene / "Squares" - The Beta Band (3:46)
The lyrics sound like me after shrooms, and the sound is pristine, going from minimalist beat to sweeping psychedelia for the chorus. Sounds multicolored to me - no bad trips here.
21. Happy Dance Scene / "Miss Lucifer" - Primal Scream (2:28)
All of New Order's songs are too long. Ridiculous lyrics, but tons of attitude and style. And you could dance to it.
22. Long-night-alone Scene / "Open Ocean Sailing" - Radar Bros. (4:14)
A slurred acoustic strum, someone crooning Fight the ways of a slow production day, and the drummer only connects every couple of attempts. Yes, this is the sort of thing I listen to at 4am when I'm alone and insomniac.
23. Death Scene / "How I Made My Millions" - radiohead (3:08)
The saddest song ever made, by Thom, alone at home, while his girlfriend does the dishes (you can hear here). I'm sure there are words, but I don't know what they are.
24. Closing Credits / "The Day After The Revolution" - Pulp (5:52)
I, I could do anything/If I could just get round to it/And I could be a genius/If I just put my mind to it Cocker's brilliant summation of how cool life is and how we routinely fail to take advantage of it. See here.
Total time: 71:26
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