***BEAUTIFUL MONSTER PLAY LIST***
Because music has a powerful influence over me and my art, I
thought it was only right to put together a ten-song play list for my current
WIP, Beautiful Monster. Mind you, this isn’t music I use while writing it. I
always listen to wordless new age music whenever I write so as not to get
easily distracted (except when writing blogs, of course, in which case, I’ll
listen to anything). The play list in question has more to do with the songs’
influences on the story. For some of the songs, I use their lyrics as dialogue,
while others just seem to fit perfectly with the events. Enough gum flapping.
Let’s get right to the first track! And for the sake of keeping everything
organized, the songs will be listed in alphabetical order by their band name.
Starting with…
***BRIAN KENNEDY: DRY YOUR EYES (COVER SONG)***
This song was originally done by Mike Skinner a.k.a. The
Streets, but to be honest, I like the Brian Kennedy version better. Let’s look
at the title for a moment: Dry Your Eyes. Being unable to cry in front of
people is a common theme with Windham Xavier’s characterization. Yes, he’s a
male. Yes, he’s a hardened warrior. According to society, both of those things
make crying a social taboo. There are many times in the novel where Windham would have been
justified in unleashing his biblical flood of tears, but he chooses not to
because he doesn’t want to give his attackers a reason to humiliate him. He
only saves his tears for those who truly deserve them.
***BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE: TEARS DON’T FALL***
Another song about being unable to cry? Sure, why not?
Although since it’s Bullet For My Valentine, there’s going to be a lot of
screaming and rage. This song could technically be a battle theme for when Windham goes up against
Torger and Shelly. It’s heavy, it’s badass, and it gets across its message
perfectly. And just to clarify, Torger and Shelly are deemed undeserving of Windham’s tears despite
the fact that they’re the reason he feels the way he does.
***DELAIN: COME CLOSER***
The phrase “come closer” is used a lot in my novel whether
it’s Shelly’s hypnotic voice seducing Windham
into captivity or Tarja urging him to open up and bare his soul to her. I might
even have one of the characters sing the lyrics to this song, I don’t know yet.
“Winter shadow cools you, white before your eyes. Summer shadow soothes you,
nothing on your mind.” I don’t know what it is about the winter/summer shadow
lines, but those are my favorite in the whole song.
***NIGHTWISH: WHILE YOUR LIPS ARE STILL RED***
The dramatic tension within Beautiful Monster is clearly
urging Windham
and Tarja to love each other, so this Nighwish song is the perfect anthem for
their eventual romance. “Kiss while your lips are still red.” It’s just a more
loving way of saying “kiss before you die”. With Windham’s chaotic mind and suicidal thoughts,
you don’t know how long this is all going to last for him. Even after hooking
up with Tarja, he still has to tell his story of captivity to the Commander.
It’s doubtful even Tarja’s loving gestures could help him out with that one
considering how insensitive and cruel everybody at Paladin Cross seems to be.
***OTHERWISE: BEAUTIFUL MONSTER***
Of course, where would this story be without its namesake?
The phrase Beautiful Monster accurately describes Shelly Atwood along with the
woman she draws inspiration from, Lucy Butler from Millennium. They’re both
attractive as hell. They’re both the epitome of all evil. The only difference
is, Lucy’s seductive ways are a means to an end while Shelly’s seduction is the
end game. Lucy wants to create an army of brainwashed mediocre teenagers while
Shelly wants all the free sex she can handle. These brutal features are evident
in the opening lyrics of the song: “There’s something about the way that she
makes me hate myself. I could run away but I don’t want no one else. Say what
you want. It’s already done. It’s Russian Roulette and love is the gun. You
don’t know her, you don’t know her like I do.”
***PANTERA: THIS LOVE***
It’s pretty obvious by the story’s actions so far what will
go down in chapter ten. I won’t say what exactly, but the writing is on the
wall for Shelly Atwood. Her time is running out. And what will Windham say to her? “I’d kill myself for you!
I’d kill you for myself!” Phil Anselmo sounds like a total badass when he says
that in this song. Windham,
though not as stereotypically male as Phil, will hopefully sound just as
brooding and cold.
***THE POLICE: I BURN FOR YOU***
Hopefully, Windham
will get the opportunity to sing this lovely song to Tarja, the one woman who
deserves his tears. “Now that I have found you in the coolth of your evening
smile. The shade of your parasol. And your love flows through me. Though I
drink at your pool, I burn for you. You and I are lovers. As nighttime falls
around our bed. In peace we sleep entwined as your love flows through me.
Though and ocean sooths my head, I burn for you.” This is by far The Police’s
most romantic song. I could listen to it over and over again and picture having
a beautiful woman to sing it to. Okay, Garrison, let’s not get too ahead of
ourselves here.
***SARA AYERS: ARE YOU COMING HOME?***
You know that meme that says, “Great writers steal”? Well,
maybe I’ve taken that lesson too much to heart when it comes to this new age
song, which can’t be found on You Tube unfortunately. The lyrics “crush the
bones, burn the bodies” are what Windham
sings to himself when he watches Shelly’s castle burn to the ground. The
question “Where are you going, beautiful boy?” is also from that song, albeit
said by Shelly during her seduction of Windham.
There’s something powerful about Sara Ayers’ voice that makes any lyrics seem
like pure heaven. That’s probably the point of her music.
***TOTO: I’LL BE OVER YOU***
Imagine having to sing this heartfelt breakup song to your
female rapist. Luckily, Windham
won’t have to do that. But the lyrics fit like OJ Simpson’s glove. “There were
the nights holding you close. Someday I’ll try to forget them, as soon as my
heart stops breaking, anticipating. As soon as forever is through, I’ll be over
you.” No kidding, Windam. No fucking kidding!
***WITHIN TEMPTATION: FROZEN***
No, I’m not talking about the Disney princess song. I’m
talking about a Within Temptation song dealing with the topic of domestic
violence. Sharon Den Adel sings about how she can’t feel her senses, how she
can only feel the cold. That’s what Windham
feels when he’s watching the castle burn, as entertained by it as he is. That’s
what psychological trauma does to the human brain: it dulls the senses and
makes zombies out of the sharpest minds. Poor Windham. Poor, poor Windham.
***CONCLUSION***
So that’s all I have for you today. If you have any other
ideas for what you’d like to see added to this list, let me know in the
comments section. You can even go on You Tube and check out the songs that are
on the list now (save for the Sara Ayers song, because it’s not there). I’m
Garrison Kelly! Even when you feel like dying, keep climbing the mountain!
***PUBLIC DIALOGUE OF THE DAY***
CHOIR TEACHER: Our next song that we’re going to perform is
called “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel”.
JAMES: (doing a blunt affect Garrison voice) I hate
religious songs.
GARRISON: Hahahahaha!
