So I hope that everyone liked my playlist for Cutting Through. (BTW, I have figured out how to get the links to work so if you didn't get to listen to it before, go back and do it!) As I said before most of the songs were obvious once you heard them and they were songs that were "given" to Janie from Jake. The songs on this playlist are a little bit different. Some of them were just songs that I liked that went with the 70's/80's theme of Maggie's Mom's love for that music. Those songs lyrics aren't really what drew me to them, so I'm not going to add the links to them.
Here is a list of those songs:
"Maggie May" by Rod Stewart
Well this one was obvious as it is the main characters name. She reveals to Drew that she was apparently conceived while this song was playing. Drew tries to help her change her perception of the song by playing it on the jukebox and making her dance with him.
"Pour Some Sugar On Me" by Def Leppard
"Nothin' But A Good Time" by Poison
You can't have 80's music without the hair bands. They are essential!
"We Got The Beat" by The GoGo's
I love The GoGo's, so......
Some other songs that were mentioned but had no real affect on me were:
"So What" by Pink
This is a kick ass song. It was mentioned when Maggie was remembering a time when she and her girlfriends had a night out.
"Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond
Being Red Sox fans, this song is a staple!
"The Sound of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel
This is an awesome song. It is very somber and that was definitely the tone in the beginning of the book.
And now to the songs with the lyrics that got me. These songs either helped inspire a train of thought or made me think about the characters when I heard them playing on the radio.
"Drive" by The Cars
One of the themes in the book was that Maggie's mom would send her messages, either through the songs that she listened to or through dreams. This song popped up the night she stayed at Tommy's. It was her mother's way of saying that she needed to figure out what she was doing. Almost as if her mother was telling her that Tommy was not going to be the one that helped her and that she needed to stop pretending that she was ok.
"Signs" by Five Man Electrical Band
I was introduced to this song by Tesla (the band) and loved it. But I wanted to stay with the 70's/80's theme and went with the original version. The song is about actual signs within our surroundings, but I thought it was fitting for the scene. It came on the radio after a visit to her mom's grave site. It was her mom telling here that she needed to open her eyes to the not so obvious sign that she is given, for example, her mother playing songs or being in her dreams.
"Broken" by Lifehouse
This one is a double whammy for me. When I hear this song I think about when Maggie visits her mother grave site. She is "broken" from her mother's death and she may still be alive but she has a"broken heart that's still beating." This song brought me to that grave site with her and made my heart hurt for her.
The second verse brings me to Drew, after Maggie left. Maggie was the only one that could get inside of his heart and after she left he was "broken."
"When I See You Smile" by Bad English
Another sign that Maggie's mother was still with her. In a dream, Maggie's mother was letting her know that she wanted her to go to Maine and move on. Before she was awoken from the dream, her mother smiled at her. To help calm her down when she woke up, she hit play on her mother's playlist and this song came on. This is technically a love song, but in this case I felt like it still worked as a love story between Maggie and her mom. Well, to a certain point. LOL!
"Won't Give In" by Scott Porter
Maggie is starting to feel optimistic about starting a new chapter in Maine. I hear this song playing in the background when I play the movie version of my book in my head. She has the windows down and she's driving on the highway, radio on with the wind blowing through her hair.
"Barely Breathing" by Scott Porter
This one is another song that makes me think of both of them. The first verse is Drew talking to Maggie and the second verse is vice versa.
"Pain" by Three Days Grace
This is one of my favorite bands so of course I found a song that fit. This was the song that was playing in my head when Maggie walked into the house and Drew's stereo was blarring. It's a fitting song for both of them since they are both pretty numb from what they have both lost. They both look for some kind of connection with someone without getting too close, just so they can still feel. Case in point, Maggie allows Tommy to take the lead in bed with her because it's easier for her to follow his direction than to actual think for herself. The same goes for Drew in a way, he sleeps with women but doesn't stick around long enough to find out their names. And if that means a slap in the face, he'll take it.
"Save Me" by Elenowen
The first verse is definitely Drew to Maggie and the second vice versa. They need each other more than they realize and don't see how they are saving each other from their grief.
"Cripple Me" by Elenowen
This is totally Drew's song. He is so scared to let anyone else in to his heart, afraid that Maggie will lie to him like everyone else. He fights with his feeling for her because of his fear. Having her there for the summer has made him realize that maybe finding out the truth about his parents will be what heals him.
"Not A Bad Thing" by Justin Timberlake
At first I imagined them dancing in the bar to this song, but changed my mind as the story changed. This was the night they both realized that there was something more between them and that they should see what happens. And that maybe falling for each other wasn't a bad thing.
"Safe" by The Icarus Account
I picture Maggie and Drew holding each other in bed when I hear this song.
"Say Something" by Great Big World ft. Christina Aguilera
When Maggie goes to Drew in the church to talk to him, she is waiting for him to say something to her that will move them back to each other. She is silently pleading with him to say something but he is hurt by her deception and grief stricken by his loss that instead he pushes her away. She knows that the only thing she can do at that point is to let him go.
"Endless Summer Nights" by Richard Marx
First off, I LOVE RICHARD MARX AND THIS SONG! Now, this is the song that plays in my head when Drew walks/runs along the beach towards the end of the book. He's actually playing the Justin Timberlake song in his earbuds, but I'm hearing Richard. Drew is thinking back to the when Maggie was there.
That is all folks. I hope you enjoy the music as much as I do.
