My Life: Music From The Motion Picture (Your Life's Soundtrack W/O)Sep 06 '04 Write an essay on this topic.The Bottom Line My movie would be similar to Garden State, judging by the soundtrack... I enjoy write-offs life this. I mean, it doesn't require a lot of thinking, and yet it's so fun and takes up a lot of my time. The rules are pretty straight forward: your life's a movie (and I'm sure I'll do well in the box office), so make a soundtrack for it. There were different categories that you choose songs for, and that's what the rest is. It's pretty ingenious (thanks Whisperscream!). If I was lazy, I would just use the entire Garden State soundtrack because it's so amazing, but instead I just borrowed (stole) two songs from it. Anyway, let the fun begin! Jon's Life: Music From The Motion Picture Track List: Opening Credits: "Debaser"- Pixies Waking Up: "Museum of Idiots"- They Might Be Giants Average Day: "Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell"- The Flaming Lips First Date: "I Have a Date"- The Vandals Falling In Love: "Enjoy The Silence"- Depeche Mode Love Scene: "Soul Love"- David Bowie Fight Scene: "Fortunate Son"- Creedence Clearwater Revival Breaking Up: "Won't Get Fooled Again"- The Who Getting Back Together: "Hold Me Now"- The Polyphonic Spree Secret Love: "Something"- The Beatles Life's OK: "Everything Starts At The Seam"- The Polyphonic Spree Mental Breakdown: "Heroin"- The Velvet Underground Driving: "Gravity Rides Everything"- Modest Mouse Learning A Lesson: "I Fought The Law"- The Clash Deep Thought: "New Slang"- The Shins Flashback: "Ruby Tuesday"- The Rolling Stones Partying: "Misty Mountain Hop"- Led Zeppelin Happy Dance: "Another One Bites The Dust"- Queen Regretting: "Say It Ain't So"- Weezer Long Night Alone: "The Only Living Boy In New York"- Simon and Garfunkel Death Scene: "Rock n' Roll Suicide"- David Bowie Closing Credits: "Death of Glory"- The Clash That's my list. The funny thing was, I really thought about this list long and hard. I scratched out tons of songs, I tried to fit in as many of my favorite bands/songs that I could, but in the end, I just put what I really felt best represents my life for now (and I know it will change soon). This isn't all of my favorite songs, but it's songs that work. It also happens to be a pretty decent soundtrack, if I do say so myself. I wouldn't mind forking over a few bucks to buy it. Why? I don't want to end the write-off there, because then what I was saying before would be a lie. I did do a lot of work and thinking on this write-off, and here's where you can see how. I'll just briefly talk about why I chose each song and how they work. Opening Credits: "Debaser"- Pixies I chose this song first off because I love movies, and I always imagined sitting in a theater when the screen goes black and imagining this song opening a movie; the cool bassline, the explosiveness of it, for the perfect movie, it would be the perfect opener. I chose it for my "movie" because the craziness just represents what's up for the rest of the soundtrack (not because I think my life would make the perfect movie, I know that it wouldn't). It was no challenge, "Debaser" was my first and final choice. Waking Up: "Museum of Idiots"- They Might Be Giants This one is kind of odd. The thing that got me interested in using this song for waking up was that I fell asleep while listening to the TMBG album The Spine, and I woke up right when "Museum of Idiots" started, and it just made me think of waking up every day of my life. The booming horns that play on and off remind me of the suddenness of waking up. It just really works. Average Day: "Ego Tripping At The Gates of Hell"- The Flaming Lips This was the first one that I actually had more than one choice for. I was thinking about an average day, and just imagined not much to happen. I imagined waking up and going to sleep not any more excited or sad or mad than I was when I woke up. So, I tried to choose a song that kind of stayed the same for the whole song. First, I chose "Gravity Rides Everything" by Modest Mouse. Then, I decided that that would work more for driving. Then, I thought of looking at Flaming Lips songs. And sure enough, "Ego Tripping" was perfect. "I was waiting on a moment/ but the moment never came/ all the billion other moments/ were just slipping all away/ so I must have been tripping/ just ego tripping/" First Date: "I Have a Date"- The Vandals I haven't listened to The Vandals in the longest time, but I remembered pretty soon after I started the list that this song is perfect for me. The song is perfectly corny and cheesy about a guy going on a date with this girl that he never thought he would, and the whole song sounds like something he would sing to himself in front of the mirror while preparing for the date (which I can relate to). I'm pretty much like the song. I'm really corny with first dates and all of that, so I had to put this. Falling In Love: "Enjoy The Silence"- Depeche Mode For all of the love/dating categories, I was switching which one should have "Soul Love" by David Bowie. Falling in love was the main choice for a while, but then I thought of "Enjoy The Silence" by Depeche Mode. Not only is it a fantastic song, but it's also a song that makes me think about my experiences with the opposite sex (whether it was love or not is something some people will never know). "All I ever wanted/ All I ever needed is here/ In my arms/ Words are very unnecessary/ They can only do harm/" Love Scene: "Soul Love"- David Bowie Anyone who knows me knows that I'm in love with David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust. The fist time I listened was an extraordinary experience, as have been all of the millions of listens following. One song that really sticks in my head during different moments in life is "Soul Love." It's a song that's kind of happy, kind of raw, but all rock n' roll. Any love scene in the movie of Jon would have "Soul Love" playing at full volume. Fight Scene: "Fortunate Son"- Creedence Clearwater Revival This was a tough one for me, but basically the concept of a fight scene in my movie is just an absurd thought. However, if there were, I'd want it to break into the cool guitar intro of "Fortunate Son," which is quickly followed by those powerful, angered vocals. Boy I'd love to watch myself get the sh*t beaten out of me while listening to that song. Breaking Up: "Won't Get Fooled Again"- The Who This song works for me because I'm the kind of guy that misses what he doesn't have. So if a girlfriend breaks up with me, I miss her like hell. Then, if somehow we get back together, I see that I only missed her because I didn't have her. Then she breaks up with me again (because I rarely break up with girls) and the cycle repeats. "Won't Get Fooled Again" is a good song for this. I keep trying to change my ways, but every time I think I do I'm really exactly the same as before, and I tell myself that "I won't get fooled again" (I know that's not what the song is about, I'm just connecting the two a little). Maybe Roger Daltry's scream will help me come to my senses... Getting Back Together: "Hold Me Now"- The Polyphonic Spree Of course, getting back together is always a joyous occasion. Joyous occasions require happy music, and what more happier than The Polyphonic Spree? "Hold Me Now" is my favorite song of theirs, and it just fits. The explosive chorus is just so fun and happy, there's nothing that can bring me down. Secret Love: "Something"- The Beatles Abbey Road is one of my favorite album of all times, and "Something" is one of my favorite songs off of the album. I was actually going to have two Beatles songs on the album, but I decided not to. I realized afterward that the other song I had chosen, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," was a Harrison song, and so is "Something." Anyway, "Something" is just so cool and mellow. I love it! It reminds me of those moments when I would be too scared to tell a girl that I liked her. Life's OK: "Everything Starts At The Seam"- The Polyphonic Spree I knew I had to do another Polyphonic Spree song for Life's OK, but I wasn't sure what to choose. For the longest time I was going to do "Light and Day," but I went with "Everything Starts At The Seam" for two reasons. Firt, because I have the song (I don't have "Light and Day" on anything). Second, because it's a very short song. It's a really bouncy, happy song (typical Polyphonic), but very short. And that reminds me of the moments where I think life's okay, and then it ends suddenly. And I like how it is followed by Mental Breakdown. Mental Breakdown: "Heroin"- The Velvet Underground I had two other choices for mental breakdown. My first choice was "Where Is My Mind?" by Pixies. Then I decided I didn't want to rip off too many soundtracks. Then "19th Nervous Breakdown," but the music for that song didn't fit for actually having a breakdown. But "Heroin" by The Velvet Underground... it's perfect! It's so screechy and raw, so strange, that it actually sounds like a breakdown. Sure, it's called heroin, but it sounds like a breakdown. And I chose it for the sound. Driving: "Gravity Rides Everything"- Modest Mouse I was in the car with my brother and he popped in Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antarctica. He put it on "Gravity Rides Everything" and said, "Hey, I feel like I'm in a car commercial." The song was on a car commercial, for those that don't know. Anyway, the song really worked with driving. It's calm and soothing. It's just a driving song. Learning A Lesson: "I Fought The Law"- The Clash "I fought the law but the law won/" There's no better lesson to learn than losing to the law. I chose the Clash's version of "I Fought The Law" because I feel that it has more of the anger of actually having lost to the law. The original version sounds to happy. When I listen to The Clash's version, I think, "this is the kind of music I want played in a movie when a guy gets killed by the cops." Learning a Lesson works, too. Deep Thought: "New Slang"- The Shins This is the first song that I stole from the Garden State soundtrack. I mean, I also have Oh, Inverted World, but I'll admit to not loving this song until seeing Garden State. It's the kind of song that you can stare at a wall while listening to, and that's usually what I do. It's a real deep thought song. Hell, it beat "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" out of the category. It's such an amazing song! Flashback: "Ruby Tuesday"- The Rolling Stones I chose this song because it just has special meaning to me, as any flashback song should. Flashbacks would be memories of things that I want to remember... good memories. "Ruby Tuesday" is the song I think about when thinking of a specific one. The song also has some really good lyrics. It's just a good song for a flashback. "Don’t question why she needs to be so free/ She’ll tell you it’s the only way to be/ She just can’t be chained/ To a life where nothing’s gained/ And nothing’s lost/ At such a cost/ Goodbye, Ruby Tuesday/ Who could hang a name on you? / When you change with every new day/ Still I’m gonna miss you.../" Partying: "Misty Mountain Hop"- Led Zeppelin Much like the fight scene, I laughed when imagining a movie about me involving Partying. I don't go to too many parties and I don't party (the verb). However, I have a perfect party song. "Misty Mountain Hop." Since the first time I heard it, I knew that I loved it. It's just so fun, and if I did party, I would want to listen to that song. Once again, the drug references in the song have nothing to do with my life (drug free's the way to be). Happy Dance: "Another One Bites The Dust"- Queen I wanted to do Van Morrison's "Moondance," but that's more of a love song, or another kind of dance. Happy dance is for being home alone, sliding out in your socks and dancing in your underwear. "Another One Bites The Dust" is my song for this kind of dancing. That's true happy dancing; dancing the way I love to be: in my underwear. And no one's there to judge! Mmmm, just thinking about that bassline is giving me ideas... Regretting: "Say It Ain't So"- Weezer I went through a lot of the categories trying to fit in a Weezer song. Weezer is the band that represents me over a long period of time. I started listening to them in 5th grade and still love them. That's longer than any band I listen to. So they're mine! Pinkerton songs didn't work too well with me, so I went for something from Blue and found it quite easy: "Say it ain't so," regret. It just fit, for me. Long Night Alone: "The Only Living Boy In New York"- Simon and Garfunkel My second song from the soundtrack of Garden State. However, this is one that I don't have on another album. I don't have any Simon and Garfunkel, though I really like them. This song is just loneliness in my head, and it fits. Hell, I listen to the Garden State soundtrack while I'm alone, so most of those songs make me think of being alone for a long time. But this fits perfectly. "Half of the time we're gone and we don't know where/ we don't know where/" Death Scene: "Rock n' Roll Suicide"- David Bowie Well, I'm glad there's death in my movie... that's not a good sign... are you killing me off!? NO!!! Well, if I have to die, I want to go out in an emotional way. I mean, when Bowie yelps the end part of this song, I just think, "Wow... powerful." Any song that brings the words powerful to your mind is very special. But it's such a beautiful song, and I want people to cry when I die (that's the only way I can be happy), so THERE! CRY! "Oh no love! you’re not alone/ You’re watching yourself but you’re too unfair/ You got your head all tangled up but if I could only/ Make you care/ Oh no love! you’re not alone/ No matter what or who you’ve been/ No matter when or where you’ve seen/ All the knives seem to lacerate your brain/ I’ve had my share, I’ll help you with the pain/ You’re not alone/" Closing Credits: "Death or Glory"- The Clash Alright. I'm dead. Everyone is crying. The movie ends. I still want it to have an impact. So, out comes The Clash's "Death or Glory," one of my picks for best songs ever written. It's not too extraordinary to listen to, but it's just so great and the words and everything and... YEAH! People will feel the pain that I bring upon them! And it'll make them think, too. It's just a good ending song, too, just like "Debaser" is a good starting song. And people will walk out of the movie, saying, "wow, that had a great soundtrack! If it wasn't the worst movie of the year, I might have actually bought it!" And then they go home and forget all about it... thanks... "Death or glory/ becomes just another story/" So, that's my list. I hope I've inspired people to listen to any of the songs they're no familiar with. Or maybe people know who I am more because of the music that represents different aspects of my life. Or maybe I've gained nothing! Well, all I know is that I'm going to create this soundtrack and listen to it. I'm really starting to like it! Maybe you can do the same with your life. It's a fun write-off! You should try it! As for me... I'm done. -Jon. grandpa_riot  |
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