Overly Attached Book Writers : Forum : Character Anthems (for music l..


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Character Anthems (for music lovers among us)

10 Years Ago


Have you ever listened to a song and noticed that it could double as the anthem of one or more of your characters? Well, go right ahead and name the title, artist, paste some lyrics, and then explain how it is applicable. You could even sneak a little advertising in by citing a chapter showcasing how relevant the song is.

Posting a YouTube video of the song lyrics also helps- it's a great way to share the magic with fellow writers
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Re: Character Anthems (for music lovers among us)

10 Years Ago


Omg so many where do I begin. Well In general Lana Del Rey songs in some form or another fit most books I'm write. Particularly Young and Beauitful or Body Electric. Buuuut as for a particular SONG for a CHARACTER...

I suppose for my character Nolan Walsh (from my story Sex is in Our Veins (But Love is in Our Memories) Long title I know but very fitting), Digital Daggers - The Devil Within would be a good Theme song for him

This is because this song is GREAT at describing Nolan's inner battle with  himself, giving a tangible voice to the depression that's been slowly setting him down the path of self sabotage.

I will keep quiet
You won’t even know I’m here
You won’t suspect a thing
You won’t see me in the mirror
But I crept into your heart
You can’t make me disappear
Til I make you

That verse show's how it just crept up on him. He wasn't even aware of what he was doing to himself before it was too late. And the "Til I make you" can be interpreted in many way. Until he gets better, or more likely in this verse "until i make you disappear" In other words kill himself.

I made myself at home
In the cobwebs and the lies
I’m learning all your tricks
I can hurt you from inside
I made myself a promise
You would never see me cry
Til I make you

I don't know if I this is really needing explanation, but this is just telling him of his own self-sabatoge. Yet at the same time how this dark cloud has utter control of him.

 YET at the same time this is PERFECT for describing the warped and manipulative/mentally abusive relationship he develops with Asha once they reconnect.

The best example of this is the chorus that goes

You’ll never know what hit you
Won’t see me closing in
I’m gonna make you suffer
This hell you put me in
I’m underneath your skin
The devil within
You’ll never know what hit you

The reason these lines ring particularly true is because Nolan's revenge... it isn't through fists and physical violence. No it's in the form of subtle words and gestures and sex to make Asha feel guilty, to egg him on, push him harder. They're there to mess with his mind, to make him feel loved one minute but then the next Nolan is subtly whispering things in the ears closest to Asha and undermining all his relationships.

It's convoluted and very mental and obvious the epitome of unhealthy, but still fun. 

SO CHECK OUT THE SONG IF U HAVE A CHANCE

And... for those interested well Idk if I'll actually post the full thing on here, just cause it has VERY long chapters and I'm not splitting them up like I did with Betrothed cause that just messes with the flow. But if anyone wants to read a little of it *cough* there's there's the short like 1K bit on my page that this all stemmed from.
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Re: Character Anthems (for music lovers among us)

10 Years Ago


Wow, I do this so much when I'm listening to music.  I probably have countless songs, but only a line or two makes sense for most of them.  What will I put here today?  I'll choose "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance.

"WELCOME TO THE BLACK PARADE" REAL MEANING :
According to songfacts.com, it's about a man dying of cancer at an early age, and "the black parade" is his journey to death.  Death comes in the form of your most powerful memory.

SONG AS INTERPRETED BY ME  - Using Tharseo from "Initiation Ultimate"

When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city,
To see a marching band,
He said, Son, when you grow up,
Would you be the savior of the broken,
The beaten and the damned,
He said, "Will you defeat them,
You demons and all the non-believers, - There's actually mental demons 
The plans that they have made, - The Creatorians have future plans for Tharseo
Because one day, I'll leave you, - His whole family was murdered, including his dad
A phantom to lead you in the summer, - `
To join the Black Parade, - Black parade = journey to death
When I was a young boy,
My father took me into the city,
To see a marching band,
He said, Son, when you grow up,
Would you be the savior of the broken,
The beaten and the damned,
Sometimes I get the feeling, 
He's watching over me, - Sometimes he feels like his dead brother watches over him
And other times I feel like I should go,
And through it all, the rise and fall,
The bodies in the streets,
And when you're gone we want you all to know,
We'll carry on, we'll carry on, - Even though they're dead, he won't give up
And though you're dead and gone, believe me,
Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on, - Unable to forget
And in my heart, I can't contain it,
The anthem won't explain it, - Anthem?  That's just a coincidence.  :)
And while that sends you reeling,
From decimated dreams, - When they killed his brother, Ionracas, they killed Ion's bright future. Tharseo hates the Creatorians for that, as his brother could have made a positive difference in the world.
Your misery and hate will kill us all, - In Tharseo's opinion, the death of Ion was entirely uncalled for.  If they can kill an innocent man as an experiment, who knows how many people could be killed?
So paint it black and take it back,
Let's shout out loud and clear,
Defiant to the end we hear the call,
To carry on, we'll carry on,
And though you're dead and gone, believe me,
Your memory will carry on, we'll carry on,
And though you're broken and defeated,
You're weary widow marches,
On and on we carry through the fears,
Disappointed faces of your peers,
Take a look at me,
'Cause I could not care at all,
Do or die, you'll never make me,
Because the world will never take my heart,
Though you try, you'll never break me,
We want it all, we wanna play this part,
Won't explain or say I'm sorry,
I'm unashamed, I'm gonna show my scar, - Has both physical and mental scars.  Not quite unashamed, however.
Give a cheer for all the broken,
Listen here, because it's only,
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero,
Just a boy who wanna sing his song,
Just a man, I'm not a hero,
I don't care,We'll carry on, we'll carry on,
And though you're dead and gone, believe me,
Your memory will carry on, you'll carry on,
And though you're broken and defeated,
Your weary widow marches on,
Do or die, you'll never make me,
Because the world will never take my heart, - Tharseo refuses to join the people who destroyed his once perfect life, even if becoming a Creatorian means returning to a life of wealth and answers.
Though you try, you'll never break me, - Even torture and force couldn't make him join them, it will only make him despise the U15 more.  He could never accept the Creatorians into his life or forgive them for what they did.
We want it all, we wanna play this part,
(We'll carry on)
Do or die, you'll never make me,
Because the world will never take my heart,
Though you try, you'll never break me,
We want it all, we wanna play this part,
(We'll carry on)
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Re: Character Anthems (for music lovers among us)

10 Years Ago


This song actually came out on the "Away From the Sun" album around the time the Weapons Company trilogy is set. The entire album became almost like anthems for those of us dealing with OIF at that time because every song on there just speaks to the situations unique to the frame of mind. This one specifically fits the mood of my MMC in Often Tested :)

"Changes" by 3 doors down

I'm not suposed to be scared of anything, but I don't know where I am I wish that I could move but I'm exhausted and nobody understands (how I feel) I'm trying hard to breathe now but there's no air in my lungs There's no one here to talk to and the pain inside is making me numb I try to hold this Under control They can't help me 'Cause no one knows

Now I'm going through changes, changes God, I feel so frustrated lately When I get suffocated, save me Now I'm going through changes, changes

I'm feeling weak and weary walking through this world alone Everything you say, every word of it, cuts me to the bone I've got something to say, but now I've got no where to turn It feels like I've been buried underneath all the weight of the world I try to hold this Under control They can't help me 'Cause no one knows

Now I'm going through changes, changes God, I feel so frustrated lately When I get suffocated, save me Now I'm going through changes, changes

I'm blind and shakin' Bound and breaking I hope I make it through all these changes

Now I'm going through changes, changes God, I feel so frustrated lately When I get suffocated, save me Now I'm falling apart, now I feel it

But I'm going through changes, changes God, I feel so frustrated lately And I get suffocated, I hate this But I'm going through changes, changes 
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Re: Character Anthems (for music lovers among us)

10 Years Ago


Artist: Madina Lake
Song:  House of Cards
Character this song is relevant to: Xenia Foxtrot (though not quite in same way as speaker of original song and lyrics. Lyrics pasted below are not verbatim; lines I find completely irrelevant were omitted)
YouTube:

It's late at night the world's asleep (Xenia can't be having normal sleeping patterns in first months after fleeing Dremeadow and going into hiding)
And I'm trying not to think (or she'll be ruminating over how her life fell apart when she was 23, between being thrown out of her university, her country having a massive change in government and her father becoming the king- it all became just too much for her)
I take some pills cause my mind bleeds (Or drinks, more likely. She'd definitely be hitting the ale houses hard whenever it feels safe, at least until she reaches that moment of clarity where she realizes self-destruction will not help anyone)
I'm thinking what is wrong with me (She hates that she's always been the black sheep, and now it's exploded into a situation where she had to flee her homeland)
Because the only thing I know about honesty
Is every lie I told that you believed (everywhere she went to live during her time in hiding under the alias Daria Goodlet, she had to lie about everything from her name to her background to why she does not live among other hobbits. It's as though the alter-ego circumstance has forced her to create is completely consuming her)

And you'll be amazed
At the secrets I keep (who would believe, after all, that the oddball recluse hobbit is actually the black sheep, estranged member of a foreign land's royal family?)
You'll be amazed
At my mouth full of lies
But I'm too afraid to come clean (That, right there, would be playing the bad ideas game a little too hard for even Xenia's liking)
Cause my life's the flame in a house of cards

I try disconnect my heart again
Just so I can breathe (her conscience has been nagging her, telling her to look into what is going on with Dremeadow and what happened to her mother Queen Arabella ever since the Wanted poster of Kiran Mani appeared. This was exacerbated by the appearance of a Wanted poster for her youngest sibling)
I wanna be myself again (minus the whole princess thing she's had to deal with and conceal for five years, of course. It's more like she misses the things she did long before she was ever a princess, such as archery, spontaneous travel with friends, looking for new things to try and the like)
But I just can't cause (Well, if she acted too much like herself, she'd be caught for sure)

It's such a shame what I've become
After years of breaking down (She wishes it were not necessary to live like a hermit, pushing away everyone who shows her kindness and friendliness when she is aching to befriend them)
My whole life has come undone (Xenia was a very successful archer and had high grades in school. The latter was utterly destroyed when Xenia was caught helping another student pass a test. Then, not long after she was expelled from University, Dremeadow's government structure got turned upside down, with her caught in the ensuing chaos leading to her running away)
Cause I'm trying to fake it all (yet, she feels, there's no other choice)
And I know that you love someone
But that someone isn't me
Or is this me?

You'll be amazed
You'll be amazed