imagineblog

I had an idea about In Shining Armor as I was listening to the playlist I’ve constructed to get my mind right for the story. Chris is the narrator of Mike’s adventures, and Chris is a musician. I thought it might make a nice little “frame” if Chris broke the story up into movements like a symphony, you know, thinking like a composer. So at the beginning of each “movement” in the story, I/he would include a brief musical reference that captures the theme or mood of that part of the story. Here’s what I have in mind.

First Movement (Mike’s training and DIA career)

You had no idea just what was waiting out there

You never thought you’d carry the weight of the world

On your pretty blond hair…

— Don Henley, “Shangri-La”

Second Movement (Mike’s freelance life after learning the truth behind his “accident”)

My shadow’s the only one that walks beside me

My shallow heart’s the only thing that’s beating

Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me

‘Til then I walk alone…

– Green Day “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”

Interlude (Simpson’s decision to track Mike down and kill the “rogue agent”)

Now no-one saw what you looked like, what you looked like

Like a stranger you came out of the night, out of the night

‘Cause someone put the word on you, and I hope my aim is true.

‘Cause I got a name, and I got a number, I gotta line on you

I got a name, and I got a number, I’m coming after you…

– Genesis, “Just a Job To Do”

Third Movement (Mike meets Amanda, who shows him life is worth living before Simpson kills her)

And freedom, oh freedom well, that’s just some people talkin’

Your prison is walking through this world all alone…

It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you

You better let somebody love you, before it’s too late

– The Eagles, “Desperado”

Or

Wake me up inside
Call my name and save me from the dark
Bid my blood to run
Before I come undone
Save me from the nothing I’ve become

– Evanescence, “Bring Me To Life”

Second Interlude (Mike goes back to Chris for help)

Tough, you think you’ve got the stuff
You’re telling me and anyone
You’re hard enough
You don’t have to put up a fight
You don’t have to always be right
Let me take some of the punches
For you tonight
Listen to me now
I need to let you know
You don’t have to go it alone

– U2, “You Don’t Have To Make It On Your Own”

Fourth Movement (Mike and Simpson’s final showdown)

But I know the reason why you keep your silence up, no you don’t fool me

The hurt doesn’t show; but the pain still grows

It’s no stranger to you or me

And I can feel it coming in the air tonight…

– Phil Collins, “In The Air Tonight”

I’ve run this past my writer’s critique group, and the consistent comment was that the quotes are too on the nose, too obvious. But is that really a problem? They set the mood for each movement and I want bold quotes that really capture the feel of the piece. Let me know.

(The other comment was that Chris is a jazzman, so they quotes should be jazz-related. The problem with that is that the best jazz (in my opinion) is lyric-less, so there’s nothing to quote. Plus, I know Chris listens to the bands quoted above. So there.)