Every so often, I hear a song when I'm working on a new book that completely embodies my main character's emotions throughout the book. I haven't really found one for Stella in The Remnants, but I will work it out eventually!
But I will share my other main character's songs.
Unravelled
Unravelled
For Aliz in Unravelled, this hauntingly beautiful song really highlights her helplessness and how alone she felt in the days after Auschwitz. Her hesitance to speak is also highlighted in this song, as well as the extreme loss of her family and sense of self after the Holocaust. This song wasn't released until the manuscript was long written, but after I heard it, I knew it was all about Aliz. I particularly like this version in relation to her. It is sung by a young lady with a gorgeous set of pipes:
A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera- Say Something, Covered by Jasmine Thompson
A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera- Say Something, Covered by Jasmine Thompson
Lyrics that stick out in my head for Aliz from this song:
And I am feeling so small
It was over my head
I know nothing at all
And I will stumble and fall
I'm still learning to love
Just starting to crawl
It was over my head
I know nothing at all
And I will stumble and fall
I'm still learning to love
Just starting to crawl
Say something, I'm giving up on you
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you
And I will swallow my pride
You're the one that I love
And I'm saying goodbye
I'm sorry that I couldn't get to you
Anywhere I would've followed you
Say something, I'm giving up on you
And I will swallow my pride
You're the one that I love
And I'm saying goodbye
Lyrics that connect with Rebecca (the whole song really):
I was just a little boy swimming in the ocean
My past mistakes and future joys
I don't think I can swim this on my own
Swim this on my own, Swim this on my own.
Destiny fall down
Wipe away my past mistakes
The sun ain't shining now
I don't think I can make this place my home
Make this place my home, Make this place my home.
Send by me from your voice to my ears, to my ears
Send me from your voice to my ears.
If I abide to your will
Shall I never have no pain
Will I never have no pain.
I"m tired but my body's hungry
Lay me by the riverside so I can die.
Please be still, cause I'm complacent here
Lying by the riverside,lying by the riverside.
Ever try to stop me
YouTube | Twitter | Facebook | Facebook for My Books | Mailing List | Bloglovin'
Most of what I write, I see in my head as a scene set to music. For the novel I'm working on now, most of the songs are by Radiohead ("Creep," "Everything in its Right Place," the Kid A version of "Morning Bell"). But also "Run" by Air (Holy girl/don't get up/for running/Stay with me/I feel sad/when you run), which I imagine as one twin speaking to the other (just like with "Creep," where verse 1 is one twin and verse 2 is the other), and the instrumental song "One Million Miles" by J. Ralph. It's often the music itself or a particular song's combination of music and lyrics that are representative of the characters or the overall mood of a scene for me.
ReplyDeleteMusic can be such a huge part of writing fiction/poetry! Great post!
That is amazing! What kinds of novels are you working on?
DeleteThe one I'm working on now is dark and strange (like most of what I write, haha). The gothic is the niche I occupy most comfortably. Psychological horror, obsession, violence, insanity -- all that good stuff, hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why it changed my username in my reply, but just so you know, I'm the same person! masloraskolnikov = acrossthehogsback!
ReplyDelete