character theme songs

[saffy]

so now that we have a better feel for each character's personality, what song best personifies them? feel free to do this to posts as well!

zevka - your hand in mine, explosions in the sky. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzIK5FaC38w)
very melancholic, but builds up to a sort of climax. multi-melodic. sort of what I imagine her inner mind state to be like.

nyika - breaking down, florence and the machine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8Yf06sU-Hs
All alone
On the edge of sleep
My old familiar friend
Comes and lies down next to me
And I can see you coming from the edge of the room
Smiling in the streetlight
Even with my eyes shut tight
I still see you coming now

poko - numb, marina and the diamonds http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IutcPpb73zA
I feel numb most of the time
The lower I get the higher I'll climb
And I will wonder why
I got dark only to shine

risk - holland 1945, neutral milk hotel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCjpbjCH5L0
And here's where your mother sleeps
And here is the room where your brothers were born
Indentions in the sheets
Where their bodies once moved but don't move anymore
And it's so sad to see the world agree
That they'd rather see their faces fill with flies
All when I'd want to keep white roses in their eyes

yes, this only applies to the subplot of his relationship with poko's mother, but I found that to be very touching.

istvan - all is full of love, bjork, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGSq-dYoZ58
You'll be given love
You'll be taken care of
You'll be given love
You have to trust it

very creepy. very istvan.

goragula - lachrimosa, zbigniew preisner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xacflWZig8c

because every villain needs a classical soundtrack!

gashrock - la mer. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tgNQ4FR6Me8
this one was difficult, but I ended up picking up the song due to its nostalgic qualities. also, she was a searat once, yes? 

noonahootin - do you hear the people sing, les miserables http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMYNfQlf1H8

noble and idealistic.

vanessa - carry on, fun. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7yCLn-O-Y0
Well I woke up to the sound of silence
And cries were cutting like knives in a fist fight
And I found you with a bottle of wine
Your head in the curtains
And heart like the Fourth of July
You swore and said,
"We are not,
We are not shining stars"
This I know,
I never said we are

[Poko]

Aw, I really appreciate this! A good pick for Poko - you are so thoughtful to analyze everyone's personalities into music. It makes me feel like you really care about each one of us!  ^-^

[Balmafula]

Oooh, thank you Saffy! I've been thinking of making something like this :D


Istvan: Pendulum - Propane Nightmares

In the trail of fire I know we will be free again
In the end we will be warm
In the trail of fire I'll burn before you bury me
Set your sights for the sun

Just pretend that the creepy cult leader guy in the video is Istvan, and the two people running away are Zevka and Risk. 


Nyika: Nyika is Nyikaka, mew! :D

Or alternately...

Pendulum - The Other Side

You... You are so precious
A diamond in the rough
And when you try to escape
I'll be holding on

But I can't sleep until this is done
They're in my head they're in my soul


I'll post more when I think of them!

[TNT]

Nyika: Nyika is Nyikaka, mew! :D

WHAT DID I JUST WATCH

HELP

[Rousseau]

WHAT DID I JUST WATCH

HELP

You watched the craziness that is Blazblue.

[foxpen]

Nyika: Nyika is Nyikaka, mew! :D

W..tf did I just watch??

Blaz-wha?!

[Rousseau]

Blazblue, it's a fighting game... with anime influences... and by that I mean just anime. Don't even try to understand it. But yeah, Taokaka is pretty much the greatest character ever.

[TNT]

Oh, Japan. XD

Here's a few from me! Nothing quite as weird as that, though. Quite. XP

Poko - "She's So Strange" - Travis (It even talks about cats sniffing glue! XP)

Vanessa - "Drunken Lullabies" - Flogging Molly (Just because this song could be playing during every bar brawl she has. :P)

Gashrock - "Lightness" - Death Cab For Cutie (The only sewing-related song I have, and Death Cab is awesome, so...)

Nyika - "Kitty" - The Presidents of the United States of America (Because. Just because. WARNING: Some strong language!)

Risk - "Silvio" - Bob Dylan (Mainly for the "Stake my future on a hell of a past" line. :P)

Istvan - "Burn the Witch" - Queens of the Stone Age (Mainly for how Istvan's been treated by the others so far. Also, because. Amazingly awesome song. Love.)

Goragula - "Backslider" - The Toadies (I just like the wickedness in this song. It fits. Plus I just like this song. :P Also this one, for similar reasons.)

Noonahootin - "Searching For Friends" - Nobuo Uematsu (Sorry, it's the only one without words. I was having a little trouble finding something right for Nooners. But this is a very heroic airship song from the greatest video game of all time, so still a good deal. :P)

Zevka - "Fighting in a Sack" - The Shins (Sorry, couldn't find one without a weird video attached. Also, slight language!)

[Nyika]

Has no one posted this yet?

Goragula: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzkUriqXvs

[Rousseau]

I don't know who you truly are, Nyika, but I think I'm in love with you. First you make a Final Fantasy 6 reference in your first post, and now you're posting up Chrono Trigger music. 

Unfortunately, I don't know many songs that fit the contestants right now, though if I find something, I'll be sure to put it up.

[Nyika]

Ahaha, Frozen Flame was a Chrono Cross reference, actually. I liked the title and thought it fitting, as Nyika is a frozen flame, frozen from the ice water but still hot enough to burn. I'll admit the actual song may not fit as well as the title does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Lv2A6G128

For those that might have missed it:

Death on the Snowfield

A Dream is a Wish (Obvious, but I just like this version a lot.)

[Balmafula]

Just posting these from a friend who's been reading and lurking around the forum.


I began by going through VNV Nation's entire discography, reading the lyrics to see if anything jumped out at me. I admit I did not give enough time to thoroughly digest and interpret the meanings of songs and size them up for each and every character, so there are no doubt a few that I missed, or there are songs that don't actually fit the character in question.

Most assuredly I've made mistakes with Istvan's songs, because we are not fully aware, I feel, of his deepest feelings?or it is that these feelings are going to change over the course of the story and some things will no longer be true. I confess I very little understand Istvan and have been a little brainwashed myself into writing him off as "that religious nut"; I know there is far more to him, but with the cast so diverse, my interests currently lie elsewhere. The more time spent with him will lead to deeper understanding and appreciation of his nuances, and I am a little excited for when that begins for me. In any case, VNV Nation sure have a lot of songs about religion and belief! There were like ten others that could "fit" Istvan just because of the subject matter. I tried to narrow it down.

   Istvan
Afterfire - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/38810/
Solitary - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/38804/
Nemesis - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858653178/

VNV Nation's songs do not really condone Goragula's morality in any way at all, except to decry greed and other such evil things. So I had to look elsewhere. I am a little embarrassed that these songs are more silly and not quite as deep?that is to say, the songs were written to mean other things than what I'm applying them to here. "Swamp" being most likely about nuclear war and corrupt leaders, and "They Know Me" painting a picture of a rather more jolly, well-liked rogue than the toad in Goragula's app. People just don't write many songs about conniving money lenders, I suppose.

   Goragula
They Know Me - Voltaire  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/79006/
Swamp - Talking Heads (please imagine Goragula singing this version - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILwr13cwuLk)

I am rather proud of the two I picked for Nyika. The first one does not quite entirely fit, I don't think, but there are lines in it that just make me think of her. The second one is much more appropriate, if applied to Nyika helping the dead pass away peacefully. I really wish I could have found more songs, as I'm sure there are a lot that can apply to other facets of her character. If I had only more time to spend on this project...

   Nyika
Holding On - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/66485/
Forever - Bruderschaft/ VNV Nation/ Apoptygma Berzerk  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858552216/

I'm not terribly certain about the first choice here for Risk. I picture all of these songs in some way involve his relationship with Nyika and the guilt he feels about leaving her. "Darkangel" is something of a tale of revenge, fitting for his death; "From My Hands" is a little more generic guilt. "Goodnight Deamonslayer" is a funny and brilliant little song that makes me wish Risk had actually raised Nyika?how different would she be? "Soldier of Fortune" I actually was about to attribute to Zevka, or even Vanessa, until I remembered the line about "growing older"; again, another somewhat generic song, but a classic.

   Risk
Darkangel - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/38576/
From My Hands - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858783216/
Goodnight Daemonslayer - Voltaire (for to sing to Nyika)  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858535315/
Soldier of Fortune - Deep Purple  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/103565/

Zevka was tricky at first, but in the end I think I found a few songs that work. She strikes me as a character who is level-headed enough to be a realist, but not a pessimest. She's a hordebeast who can think (maybe too much sometimes), and sees the foolishness of her leaders, while wanting to rouse those around her to better themselves and their lives. "Farthest Star" reflects that somewhat; I picture her singing it as a sort of hopeful speech she'll give in some dark time... "Illusion" on the other hand, is more of a Poko/Zevka song, being a plea to shrug off the pains of the world and carry on being who you are?plus it has one of Zevka's little snarky asides to Istvan in it. :D Lastly, "Memoirs..." is a neat story, Part I of which has some of her Academy flavour to it. Just reverse the genders and take out the love-song-ness of it all and the rest of it could feasibly connect to Mekad as well!

   Zevka
Farthest Star - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858653177/
Illusion - VNV Nation (for to sing to Poko)  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858655601/
Memoirs of an Officer and a Gentleman - Emmerson, Lake, and Palmer (Part I)  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858780025/

Going through my music, it saddened me that I don't have songs about bratty children growing up in hardships. Or if I do, they're not blunt enough to have popped out at me. "Carry You" is a bit of a stretch, but it reminded me of how almost everyone is trying to help Poko through her loss?the universe is conspiring to keep her going, by using beasts like Zevka to fill in the gaps. "Hello Cruel World" is another silly Voltaire song, with a stronger message at the end that I really hope fits Poko. It's her saying: You're not going to crush this litte ferret that easily!

   Poko
Carry You - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858655602/
Hello Nyika Cruel World - Voltaire  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/132576/

The next three were very difficult for me. I thought of a few things why this is: Either VNV Nation's songs are too deep, and these characters too simple to have such things apply to them (or I just haven't been paying enough attention to their posts to truly understand their desires/beliefs enough)... or the characters are deep, and the songs too simple! A third problem is that VNV Nation have a rather narrow range of topics when you get right down to it, while still appearing as though they're tackling a vast array of ideas (as I mentioned by Istvan, they have way too many songs about religion and belief and some of them tend to tread the same ground.) 

I also must admit that I have not read the Week 2 posts in full, and may (most likely) be missing key components needed in understanding these characters for this project.

So for Vanessa, I found myself getting caught up in her Yew Guard life, without really knowing for sure how she feels about it. "Honour" is... I don't really know, the song feels all over the place, too vague and yet too specific to truly fit a character. It feels like cheating to say it fits Vanessa?that will have to be up to her author to decide. I wanted to avoid songs about drinking and revelry, because I know there is more to her than that. I have just not been attentive enough to say what. Sorry, Vanessa. "Crusade" is a good song, though, with a message at the end that I feel a good woodlander father would teach his son (or daughter), to empathise with the enemy (vermin) even though you may still have to fight them... which Vanessa seems to do, being friends with Zevka! Nice!

   Vanessa
Honour - VNV Nation  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/38799/
Crusade - Voltaire  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858516516/

Gashrock was especially difficult, because, while she is currently my favourite character, I don't honestly know that much about her. She is very simple?not stupid! Just content with her lot in life. I love her posts everything she does, but beyond that there is not a whole lot. I don't see any strong sense of purpose or desire from her, apart to just relax and do her own thing. I think, in my song search, I failed her, because I was not looking for "let's relax" songs, and I know I have a TON because that is why I listen to music. But at the same time, just listing off such songs would be cheating, because the purpose of this is to find music that invigorates and compliments a character's beliefs, motivations, and relationships. It's sort of a Catch-22 I suppose, or maybe not. In any case: "The Happy Song"... yeah, I don't know what to make of this. XD Hopefully there's something that works there. "Ship of Fools" is another somewhat silly one, sort of a story song... Gashrock is the last of the Players (adult-aged anyway), the sole survivor of that Cart of Fools... Eh, it's a longshot.

In short, the three things I think could be the issue for lack of good songs for Gashrock are:
My own misunderstanding of the character (chance rate: 90%)
The notion of putting songs to certain characters types is just too silly (chance rate: 60%)
Gashrock hasn't included enough of her hopes and dreams in her posts for me to understand her enough to find better fitting songs (chance rate: barbecue%)

   Gashrock
The Happy Song - Voltaire  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858810378/
Ship of Fools - Bob Seger  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858643117/

Like Gashrock, this was really hard, again because I'm not sure myself of Noonahootin's hopes and dreams. What I've gathered is that he is a kind leader who cares for those under his command; he is a loving father who tends to bore others talking about his kids; and he thinks dying in battle would be super glorious. Problem #1: I just don't have music that tackles these subjects! I don't have much more to say that I haven't said in Vanessa and Gashrock's sections, so just apply whatever you think applies to Noonahootin from there. Meanwhile, some pretty rocking songs: "Falcon in the Dive" is a must, even for an owl. Is Noonahootin as resolute and angry as the dude in the song? I don't really know. But it's too good of a song to leave out. "A Hero's Return" is a sympathetic look at a war veteran trying to live a normal life again, something I think Noonahootin must have experienced at some point, even if it was just a long bout of peacetime. Haunted by battles long past, perhaps unable to connect with his wife about the things he's done in the line of duty, and in his old age, kind of dismissive and snarking on about Kids These Days? Maybe!

   Noonahootin
Falcon in the Dive - The Scarlet Pimpernel  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858503883/
The Hero's Return - Pink Floyd  http://songmeanings.com/songs/view/2886/