Σ (or Myself)

[kihou]

This is my response to Zan's playlist that had a premise I somehow can't find in my email, but was basically about explaining your identity. I made mine my normal length instead of the more restricted thing she had to do, and I guess it sorta ended up being more of a musical scrapbook than the direction hers went.

• Quick, Eddie from Ohio. These first few are for my various canonical alters. This one's for μ. I've actually got a handful for her, but this one felt best.
  
• Mamma, Cut Me Deeper!, Joe Iconis. This one's for Blood. It's not completely right, but can't beat the feel
  
• Longing of the Wind, from CHRONOTORIOUS (based on Chrono Trigger). Naut was hard, and I didn't end up coming up with any options that weren't instrumentals. This one has a good feel and is from a game that both seems relevant and has "Chrono" in the name. (Bonus nostalgia playing Chrono Trigger on the Shinkansen going to visit Mika.)
  
• Live With This, We're About 9. Nonny was also hard, but this one seems good and reasonably positive. Also, I really like it.
  
• When I Was a Boy, Dar Williams. I'm not sure I have any songs that really feel genderqueer the way I am, but this seems closer than the more trans songs I have. You could say it's for Xiomara.
  
• Voices In My Head, Joe Iconis. I like this a lot, even if it's a little plotty for a playlist. You could look at it as for the Committee or as a transition from the first part to "meaningful songs".
  
• Always With Me, from Spirited Away. Even though I canonically say that Nausicaä's my favorite, Spirited Away had more of an impact on me, tied in with Area Studies and also my concept of "gravity"/meaning.
  
• Do You Want To Build A Snowman?, from Frozen. Unsurprisingly.
  
• I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack. Hey, I've still got the sign on my wall. Had a big impact on me from Alpha to Undergrad.
  
• The 59th Street Bridge Song, Simon and Garfunkel. Hey, I played it in Science Olympiad on that thing with Flint. Those quarter note triplets! Also, mindfulness or whatever.
  
• Sea Fever, Kris Delmhorst. Some of these I guess are just my canonical favorites, songs that feel meaningful but it's hard to explain exactly why.
  
• Galileo, Indigo Girls
  
• 天体観測 (Tentai Kansoku), BUMP OF CHICKEN
  
• The Blessings, Dar Williams
  
• Speechless, Girlyman
  
• Who Will Sing Me Lullabies?, Kate Rusby. This one is probably the one I'm least able to explain. My inability to explain this song ties in with a particular memory with Sarah, though. ^_^
  
• When Sheila Dances, Homunculus. Jenny Goldman's death had a pretty big impact on me despite my not knowing her all that well. This song's tangled up on that, but also quite powerful itself.
  
• Only Trees, Natalia Zukerman. I care a lot about trees.
  
• I Choose Me, Kate Klim. I really like songs that subvert listener expectations, and I also like the concept that sometimes it's good to put yourself first.
  
• Code Monkey, Jonathan Coulton. It's clearly descriptive of my day to day life. ^_^ Also, that time I got all emotional explaining to Mom about the Code Monkey Dance.
  

Now, for my next trick, I need to actually figure out the tune for my Sassy Jazz Song.

Comments

[zinnia-zeroth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, without having actually listened to this yet, I feel like your approach is very different from mine. I think both of our posthumous children would be pretty confused by these playlists, but in different ways.

[zinnia-zeroth.livejournal.com]

You are probably not surprised that I am surprised by BOC. I associate a lot of Japanese music with you, but not BOC! This is one of my favorites, though, and it's been a long time since I've actually listened to them.

I really like "Live With This" and I think it might have fit in my interpretation of the human resilience playlist.

[kihou.livejournal.com]

Yeah, funnily enough I think BUMP OF CHICKEN is like, my favorite non-Joe Hisaishi Japanese music. (And, like, I know I don't actually have anything Joe Hisaishi on this list, but I feel like instrumentals are hard to pick between and don't necessarily feel like they have as much meaning even if I really like them.) MONGOL 800… isn't actually that good, really, and the other stuff I have isn't that memorable. And I really like the video for Tentai Kansoku.

[zinnia-zeroth.livejournal.com]

Isn't the one from Spirited Away Hisaishi?
MONGOL 800 is so bad it's good.

Now that I'm back to overthinking mine, I'm sort of thinking about what I would want this posthumous child to know about me. Like, there are songs I identify that I'm not including 'cause either it wouldn't make sense for me in the circumstances that I think would be necessary for me to have a child, or because it's the sort of thing that would be weird for the parent-child but also stranger relationship.

I wish I liked "It Is Pitch Dark" more musically. I guess it would be the B-side to "White and Nerdy" the way that "Thrift Shop" would be the B-side to "Free Money."

[kihou.livejournal.com]

It's not actually. The vocal songs are often by someone else. It's by Youmi Kimura.

[zinnia-zeroth.livejournal.com]

I could have Googled, but I didn't.

I'm also really into the sometimes-necessity of selfishness and I was thinking about "I Choose Me" just now but I think it's another one that would be weird for the kid because it's a breakup song and I'm presuming a relationship with a surviving parent.