The Spellkeeper Flight Unofficial Playlist
It’s been a long, wild ride bringing the Spellkeeper Flight books to life, ever since the opening High Road scene that I knew I couldn’t use. And one thing it’s made me think of is… music.
So here are my thoughts on the songs that I think connect to different sides of the series. A few things to keep in mind:
None of these songs are approved or licensed by the artists, or within my budget. Dangit.
No “angel” songs allowed. I realized a while ago that much of the Buffy storyline could be captured with different variations on that theme, and there are just too many of them. (No matter how fitting “How Do You Talk To An Angel?” starts to get.)
I’m no expert in indie music, so there may be any number of songs that fit better than my picks. If there are, I’d love to hear about them in the comments.
And, this all started with with the obvious Tom Petty observation:
for The High Road: “Learning to Fly” (Tom Petty)
Simple as that, the obvious choice for Book One and for Mark’s position in it. But wait, there’s more.
for Freefall: “Free Falling” (Tom Petty)
Hmm…
for Grounded: “I Won’t Back Down” (Tom Petty)
Definitely. Tom (may he rest in peace) deserves his place as the lead artist for this series. Note also, it’s a complete coincidence that its male lead is Mark Petrie–I gave him that name mainly because his enemies’ surveillance has him living life almost in a lab’s petrie dish. (And alright, because he thinks he’s a small “petty” person.)
Trouble is, this means I can’t name Mark’s father Tom Petrie, and the name would have been just about tough enough for him… oops. Pretend I didn’t say that.
for Angie: “Whatever It Takes” (Imagine Dragons)
An easy choice–Angie’s never been good at being ordinary. “Danger Zone” would be the more obvious pick, but I think Dragons gave us a better song. And it’s good to have Avengers Endgame featuring her theme.
(Oddly, Angie’s actual motto is “There’s always a way.” “Whatever it takes” is becoming more of Mark’s motto.)
for Mark and Angie: “She’s So High” (Tal Bachman)
One more nod to the obvious. But that really is how Mark’s always seen her, even though Angie’s never been any more “high society” than he is. (Maybe if Kate had stuck around.) Actually, Patrick Swayze’s “She’s Like The Wind” is a lot closer to his feelings, but using that song would mean rewriting Olivia Nolan’s form of magic to keep things straight.
–And Angie’s response? In The High Road she told Mark “Do you really want to know?” and it’s probably best to let her actions speak for her.
for Rafe: “Bad To The Bone” (George Thorogood & the Destroyers)
A bit one-dimensional, but Rafe likes presenting himself as Just That Tough even though his persona is only another tool in his life. (See Freefall for more about what he’s really after.)
for Kate: “Don’t Cry Out Loud” (Melissa Manchester)
This pick looks better and better the more I think about it, at least compared to different moments in Kate’s life. She’s had her time “flying high and proud,” but she’s also seen them “pull the big top down” and seen her “Baby” had “took up with some clown” (that would be Mark, at first sight anyway). She doesn’t fly these days, but she’s every bit as unflappable–um, so to speak.
for possession magic: “Who Are You” (the Who)
Of course. Another option would be Genesis’s “Invisible Touch,” but that’s clearly about a “she”–would that be Sasha’s song some day? Or someone else?
Characters I don’t have yet are Joe Dennard (always so hard to read), Olivia Nolan (I suggested “Let It Go,” but she’s more than just a cold shoulder), Henry and Christa, Sasha, and various others.
(And if James gets his hands on any more of the family’s antigravity, he’d use “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother.”)
One thing I know: none of them, even Sasha, stays very long with “Holding Out For a Hero.”
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