Existence Is Futile Playlist af Scott Andrews

Jeg udfordrede Scott Andrews om han kunne generere en spilleliste der matchede hans bog "Existence is Futile", hvilket, jeg må tilstå han klarede elefantastisk flot. 

I was invited by Poul to try and create a playlist to go with my novel ‘Existence Is Futile’.  The idea struck me as fascinating for a number of reasons.  I had no idea just how difficult it would prove to be. 

I wanted the playlist to be more than a set of songs that loosely fit some events in the book.  I really wanted to not only find songs that truly represent both the sentiment and action in the book, but also I tried to imagine the how these songs would work if they were really the soundtrack to a film.  I had one or two issues with Spotify, as they don’t have two of my first choices.  Before I present my playlist I would like to point out that the following text contains a number of spoilers.

The first track is Sheep by Pink Floyd.  It matches the sentiment of the prologue to Professor Henry Tomlinson’s book ‘The Futility of Sheep’ wonderfully.  It’s atmospheric, it’s quirky and it sets the scene.  

The second track is Losing My Religion by REM.  It fits the setup to the book perfectly.  The lyrics could have been written about what happened to Henry in the television studio.  There isn’t a more perfect line than ‘Oh no I’ve said too much, I haven’t said enough’.

Track 3 was a particularly tough choice.  I wanted to find a song which could represent the moment when Henry loses his wife.  It didn’t prove to be so easy for a number of reasons.  In the end I settled on one of the saddest voices in contemporary music.  A Falling Through by Ray LaMontagne.  Despite being a relatively short song, it expresses the sense of abandonment one can feel when somebody passes away. 

Track 4 was one of the easiest topics.  In the book Henry falls into a cycle of depression.  I had a number of choices for this, and have chosen Help Me Please by Hard Fi.  It is almost a contradiction to the ears, as the melody is completely at odds with the words.  A song about a subject so miserable should not make you want to sing along.

I intentionally scattered flashbacks throughout the book to try and represent Henry’s consciousness.   The most important of the early flashbacks regards how Henry met his wife-to-be whilst he was at university.  I wanted a song which not only represents their imperfect romance, but has the vitality of such young new love.  So I chose Kill The Director by the Wombats.  From the refreshing honesty in regards to attraction, and the fantastic refrain ‘This is no Bridget Jones!  This is no Bridget Jones!’ it’s a positive slightly poppy song which always makes me smile.  

The next song chose itself.  Frankly, there aren’t many choices which adequately represent the assault which takes place in Henry’s home.  Kung-Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas.  What made it an even easier choice is that it is the only song which is directly referred to in the entire book.  Although not until much later in the story. 

Track 7 is meant to represent Henry’s weariness when he enters hospital.  He is tired, in pain, feeling his age, depressed, confused and worried that he may well be losing his mind.  It’s almost as if he has given up.  Which is why Don’t Need This Body by John Mellencamp is a perfect fit. ‘Well, I can’t see much like I used to, And I can’t run like the wind, I don’t sleep more than a few hours, I can’t remember where I’ve been’. 

Track 8 represents a key moment in the story.  The moment when Henry decides to stop sitting on his hands and take action.  He escapes from hospital and hurries away by foot along some country lanes in the rain.  It is his first real moment of liberation.  For this I have chosen Runaway Train by Soul Asylum. Oddly, there are a number of elements in the lyrics to the song which refer to Henry’s situation.  From the phone call, the helplessness, going the wrong way, the tiredness,  the rain and the laughter. 

In ‘Existence Is Futile’ Henry returns home where he makes a discovery which jars another memory.  For a short time he wallows within his misery before finally deciding to man up and take action.  For this reason I’m Not Down by The Clash fits remarkably well.  It’s a song about resilience in the face of a number of unpleasant things, several which Henry personally experiences on his journey. 

Track 10 represents the final flashback in the story.  Henry’s memory of walking through the streets of Oxford with Julie.  It’s a song about the desperation love brings out in people.  About how attraction turns to dedication.  It’s immature whilst still being more romantic that the vast majority of love songs for the simple reason that it possesses a depth which stems from honesty.  Under This Lamppost Light by The King Blues. 

The last scene in the main body of the story depicts Henry sneaking through the streets of Oxford, with a new found sense of direction.  It was whilst trawling the internet looking at some novelty songs featuring ninjas I stumbled across solid gold.  Inner Ninja by Classified ft. David Myles.  Despite the fact the song is at heart, a silly song, the chorus is sheer perfection, as it fits Henry’s new found mind-set beautifully. 

The final song on my ‘Existence Is Futile’ playlist is a song which captures exactly what Henry tries to spell out in the epilogue to ‘The Futility of Sheep’.  That song is Glory Hallelujah by Frank Turner.

Track 1 - Sheep - Pink Floyd

Track 2 - Losing My Religion - REM

Track 3 - A Falling Through - Ray LaMontagne

Track 4 - Help Me Please - Hard Fi

Track 5 - Kill The Director - The Wombats

Track 6 - Kung Fu Fighting - Carl Douglas

Track 7 - Don’t Need This Body - John Mellencamp

Track 8 - Runaway Train - Soul Asylum 

Track 9 - I’m Not Down - The Clash

Track 10 - Under This Lamppost Light - The King Blues 

Track 11 - Inner Ninja - Classified ft. David Myles

Track 12 - Glory Hallelujah - Frank Turner

Link til playlisten på Tidal