I'm not usually a big fan of memes, but every once in a while, I see one that sparks my interest, so I give it a go. I've seen the following one on a number of blogs over the past couple of weeks, and found the results that most people were getting with it to be kind of cool. The idea is to use the music collection on your computer to create a soundtrack for a movie about your life.
The rules:
1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc.).
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press play.
4. For every question, type the song that's playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button.
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool.
I have to be honest and admit that I did skip one track as it wasn't actually a song, but an introduction to a song from a live album. I was pleasantly surprised by most of the results, and think that it's actually a pretty decent soundtrack. Some of the songs suit the scenes quite well. I might even burn myself a copy to play in the car.
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Posted by on Friday, December 1, 2006 in - leave a comment
The Dennis Arsenault Story; A Motion Picture Soundtrack
Opening Credits:
Spiders [Kidsmoke] - Wilco
A nice 10 minute and 46 second track for the opening credits.
"This recent rash of kidsmoke
All these telescopic poems
It's good to be alone"
Waking Up:
How Do You?- Radiohead
Nice early Radiohead rocker.
"He's bitter and twisted, he knows what he wants.
He wants to be loved and he wants to belong.
He wants us to listen, he wants us to weep.
He was a stupid baby who turned into a powerful freak."
First Day of School:
Norwegian Wood - The Beatles
Gives a bit of a sad mood for the first day of school, which, if i recall correctly, was a sad day.
"And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, Norwegian wood."
Falling in Love:
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp - Led Zeppelin
Great little acoustic romp that seems to suit the scene just fine. Though in reality, i think the song might be about Robert Plants dog.
"Ah, caught you smiling at me,
Thats the way it should be,
Like a leaf to a tree, So fine"
Fight Song:
Never Mind - The Replacements
Not an overly aggressive song, but i think it works.
"Absolution is out of the question
It makes no sense to apologize
The words I thought I brought, I left behind
So never mind
All over but the shouting, just a waste of time
Never mind
All over but the shouting, just a waste of time"
Breaking Up:
Undone - Pearl Jam
Great b-side track from PJ. Every soundtrack needs a somewhat unknown song from a great band.
"The world has come undone.
Another day and who can wait.
Change don't come at once.
It's a wave, building before it breaks."
Prom:
Samaritan - The Long Winters
I didn't actually go to my prom. If I did, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want it to be set to this song.
"Please don’t report me to the police
I wanted to help but I can’t stick around
Do what you have to do but remember I helped you out
If and when you see me again just pretend we never met
I needed to do that for myself"
Life:
Lost In Space - Fountains of Wayne
Poppy little tune which might suit the scene better if I was a girl. Which I'm not.
"She's in another world
Yeah, she's off in a distant place
She's a pretty little thing but she's lost
Yeah, she's lost in space"
Mental Breakdown:
Crowded - Poor Old Lu
I'm glad to see these guys made the cut in the soundtrack of my life. Great song for the scene too.
"There are a thousand things
That try to turn my head
And my blinking eyes
Are they easily led
It all feels the same to me
Is it good or bad?
It all feels the same to me
But I read that the free are free indeed"
Driving:
All Along the Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
This makes for a pretty decent driving song. Maybe it's a scene where i just shot someone, hopped in my car, and sped off.
"Outside in the cold distance
A wild cat did growl
Two riders were approachin
And the wind began to howl"
Flashback:
Recycled Air - The Postal Service
This could be an interesting flashback scene.
"I watch the patchwork farms' slow fade into the ocean's arms
And from here they can't see me stare, The stale taste of recycled air"
Getting Back Together:
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic - the Police
Maybe the happiest and corniest scene in the movie.
"Though I've tried before to tell her
Of the feelings I have for her in my heart
Every time that I come near her
I just lose my nerve, As I've done from the start."
Wedding:
Air - Adam Again
Great tune. A little dark for a wedding.
"All my friends are coming over"
Birth of Child:
House of Love - LSU
A little bit of a wacky song for a life changing scene like this one.
"Ooh I'm in the house of love, in the house of love, in the house of love!"
Final Battle:
The Stand - The Alarm
This one seems quite appropriate. Wicked song from a band that was extremely under-rated in their time.
"Come on down and meet your maker
Come on down and make the stand
Come on down, come on down,
Come on down and make the stand."
Death Scene:
Last Night I Dreamed You Didnt Love Me - The Hip
Not really the weepy tear jerker i was hoping for. But it could work.
"Last night I dreamed, last night I dreamed darkly nurtured dreams, None of them were quite as frightening
oh Canada emptied, there was me, featureless and freezing, Last night I dreamed you didn’t love me"
Funeral Song:
I'm a Legend Tonight - Kiss
This is where things get comical, though i have pretty much decided this might be the greatest funeral song ever, and i hereby request that when i die, this song be cranked up to 11 as i rock out in the casket.
"I don't know what happens when the race is run
I don't know what tells me if I've lost or won
But I know that I'll make it through the day alright
And girl, you're gonna find out
I'm a legend tonight, legend"
Closing Credits:
Manifest - The Weakerthans
After starting with a 10 minute song for the opening credits, it only seems appropriate that things end with a track that clocks in at under two minutes.
"So tell me nothing matters less or more,
Say whatever we think actions are,
We'll never know what anything was for,
If near is just as far away as far,
And I'm permitted one act I can save,
I choose to sit here next to you and wave."
With the way this turned out, I think more movie producers should use the random function on Itunes to create movie soundtracks.
Actually, I'd put money on the table that this is the way Zach Braff puts his soundtracks together.