Life as a Movie Soundtrack

I've seen this around in the flotsam and jetsam of the ether between myspace and the rest of the world wide web, and finally decided, for lack of a better post, to do it too. For this I credit Murphy and Leslie. I decided to add some comments on the songs as well, to fill it out a bit. You know how I love my words and all. (The way it works is to put the iPod on shuffle and write whatever song comes up for that category. Highly scientific.)

Opening Credits: Is it the Sun?—Jackopierce
(I first heard of JP back in high school from my friend Matt V. I got their double live CD back then and was saddened by news of their breakup in the late nineties. A quintessential east Texas sound. I'd say this is a pretty good opening credits song. Well done, iPod.)

Waking Up: Fu-Ge-La—The Fugees
(Another album from high school that still finds rotation. I mean who didn't own "The Score" by the Fugees who is anywhere near my age? Don't know if I want to wake up to Pras, Wyclef and Lauryn but I guess it could be worse)

First Day of School: Party Generation—Dar Williams
(Actually a very fitting song. It's about a guy who turns 34 and decides he wants to party and be young again and ends up with a 40 of malt liquor at a playground and then finds his way to a college party. "Tonight we're gonna be the party/we will party all night long/we are the party generation/you were the best, but we'll survive/party on!" Sounds like much of college to me... )

Falling in Love: Take Me or Leave Me—RENT Broadway soundtrack
(Oh jeez. I don't have the balls to sing a song like that to a boyfriend. I'm not nearly as confident as this requires. What a gutsy statement and what a simply TOUGH song to sing. If I were to sing it, I'd be JoAnne long before I was Maureen)

Fight Song: Hurricane—Bob Dylan
(Not really a fight song per se. It is about a fighter and a fight, but not the song I'd put on before I went paddling or something akin to kicking ones opponent in the nether regions. I need more beat, or wailing guitars, or soaring choruses. Like a "Living on a Prayer" or "Express Yourself" sort of song.)

Breaking Up: One Moment More—Mindy Smith
(It works perfectly for a breakup song. The chorus is, "Oh please don't go/let me have you just one moment more/oh all I need/all I want is just one moment more" until you find out that the song is about her mother dying of cancer and then you feel guilty for even thinking about something like a breakup when this girl is talking about losing her mom and saying goodbye to her and then you feel like a schmuck. Thanks for the guilt complex, iPod. )

Prom: Rehab—Amy Winehouse
(Glad this came up! This is a new favorite. As a prom song it'd would never pass a panel of teachers as theme but it'd sure be fun to dance to. "I didn't get a lot of your class/but I know it don't come in a shot glass...")

Life: You're Stronger Than Me—Patsy Cline
(I don't know what "Life" as a category means exactly, but I bet this isn't the prime song for it. Patsy is from Winchester, VA so she gets points for local pride, even if she died a good 20-some years before my birth. Patsy reminds me of driving around in Abby's car in college, listening to "Walkin' After Midnight". She had a crush on a guy who liked Patsy, so she was playing Patsy a lot at the time. )

Driving: Going to California—Led Zeppelin
(Only a few short years ago I swore I'd never like Zeppelin. Woops. This is one of my favorites though. It's a fitting driving song, for those slower moments, with a sense of movement, of fresh starts. Maybe not the perfect driving song, but this is my iPod on shuffle. This is how we roll.)

Flashback: Sixteen, Maybe Less—Calexico and Iron & Wine
(This was an amazing fit to show up. #1 it is simply a great song. I highly recommend the whole EP. #2 the song is about a flashback to an old love, about trying to meet up again and missing each other and wondering all these years later. "I met my wife at a party where I drank too much/My son is married and tells me we don't talk enough/Call it predictable yesterday my dream was of you.")

Getting Back Together: Must Be Dreaming—Frou Frou
(I have no idea what she's actually saying in this song except, "I must be dreaming or we're onto something/I must be dreaming for I don't fall in love this lawlessly" and then something really high and electronic..al. I guess it works then! Thanks, Imogen. You rule in your European chicness.)

Wedding: Love Me Like a Man—Eddie From Ohio
(I would pay money to go to the wedding where this song was played. That'd be so great. Holy crap. I mean with lines like, "They all want me to rock them like my back ain't go no bones/I want a man to rock me like my backbone was his own..." that would be one speechless crowd at a wedding. Hmm...
It was made famous by Bonnie Raitt but EFO does such a sweet blusey cover of it. )

Party: Ramblin' Man—Allman Brothers Band
(Remember, I went to hippie college; this was played at parties. Or at Taps, or resident favorite skeezy townie bar/remodeled funeral home. Seriously. Frankly this is a perfect song to come up. Steve Jobs has sabotaged my technology.)

Birth of a Child: I'll Say I'm Sorry Now—Shawn Colvin
(What a friggin' depressing song to come up in this category! Holy crap! I'm confident that I don't really want children when the time comes, but if this is the song that is to describe my parenting emotions at the time of birth then I KNOW I shouldn't have kids. "For all the bye and bye/And hard as we try/The bow breaks and the cradle falls/For everything I do/That will tear at you/Let me say I'm sorry now" I need a Zyban and a whiskey after a song like that. Jeez. )


Death Scene: Please Don't Bury Me—John Prine
(Laughed out loud when this came through the headphones. This is the song it grabbed? Hilarious. Seriously. The first two lines, "Woke up this morning, put on my slippers/walked in the kitchen and died..." and it's about the dispersant of his possessions. It's fairly whimsical. Like giving his arms to Venus D'Milo, or giving his ears to the deaf if they don't mind the size. Years ago I was on a camping trip with my boyfriend at the time and we ended up playing a concert for a whole campground (long story) but this was one of the songs we played. We were both John Prine fans independent of each other. Needless to say, it was true love.)

Ending Credits: Senorita—Justin Timberlake
(I sure as heck JT sings my ending credits! I have nothing really to say about this song, except that the guys and girls parts at the end always reminds me of Chris Girardi. I'm not sure why, but he's the face I see.)