#hozier gives me heartbreak and writing ideas

[halcyone-of-the-sea]

Now is it a coincidence that hozier just realized his album that has a song called Abstract (Psychopomp), and you are working in a story called Psychopomp?? Hmm 🤨 ???!!!

Shhhhhh 🤫🤫🤫

[bi-bard]

my predictions for what stories I'll write inspired by maisie peters' second album

**based on titles (and brief clips)

Also, I am not including the three songs that have already been released because those would be spoilers.

If y'all like this one, let me know and I'll make one for my predictions for the next Hozier album because I have thoughts (and I've been hiding my Eat Your Young idea for fucking ages and I need something to keep me from spoiling it).

---------

The Good Witch

I am leaning towards something Doctor Who related. Whether it's the Doctor or a companion is a decision that I haven't made yet. Granted, this whole idea is based on the two lyrics that we got to hear, so that might change.

2. Coming of Age

Maisie described this as being about redefining your own role in your narrative. The snippets did not give much, but the tarot card showed "if it was a first kiss, how come it felt like a snake bite?" For that reason, I am leaning toward some kind of villain/manipulation story with the reader getting revenge. Or the hero getting revenge on the reader??? Maybe??? Just to be quirky??? I'm not sure.

3. Watch

Maisie again gave us much more info with this song. To quote: "I wrote this song about watching someone forget about my existence at lightning speed. I usually try to use my own interpretations without letting the singer's intention interfere too much, but when I don't have a song to interpret, I take what I can get. Personally, something like Daisy Jones & the Six would fit this kind of story really well. Leaning towards Billy because I really wanna slander that man but might go with Graham. One of the two. Or even Daisy, honestly.

4. Want You Back

There are a million and one characters that this could be about. I might take this as a chance to write about a show/movie that I've never written about or haven't written about in a long time. Probably something relating to an Andrew Garfield character. That's my best guess right now.

5. The Band and I

Titans or Legends of Tomorrow or something in that vein. Something about a group holding onto each other for dear life. Grumpiness and love and admiration and badassary. That's what this story will give off... I hope.

6. You're Just a Boy (and I'm Kinda the Man)

I want this to be about a guy that feels larger than life to the point that he gets completely overwhelmed when the person he claimed to love outshines him in every way possible. Again, a couple of ways this could go. Leaning towards Daisy Jones & the Six because- again- I am desperate to humble Billy Dunne.

7. Wendy

I could just go back to my roots and use the Peter Pan-influenced song to write about Peter Pan, but OUAT is a show I kinda swore off of after I left Wattpad. So... I don't know where that leaves me. I do want to lean into the magic idea in a more literal sense though. I have a couple of ideas but nothing super concrete.

8. Run

Maisie described this track as being one for the girls who have quite simply had enough. I'm calling for a story set in some kind of battle. Revenge plotline. Girl gang (with my typical gender-neutral reader). Honestly, probably something like Shadow & Bone.

9. BSC

I'm thinking this will be a story of someone trying to win someone else back and ends up getting the most unhinged rant in response. I don't have a character in mind for it yet, but that story is probably pretty set in stone if this song is what I think it's going to be.

**The last three are really difficult because we have gotten no information about them. None. I'm working off of titles. This post was written on 5.26.2023. I'm just making assumptions.**

10. Therapy

This song is gonna go in one of two ways:

The first is absolutely fucking heartbreaking. Coping with pain or loss or personal issues. And I will make my fucking mission to drag you all down with me.

The second is absolutely pissed and this song being therapy in a angry cathartic sense or being about how a man needs to get therapy. In that case, I will humble somebody. It'll probably be Supernatural or House MD or any other show with a man that I can tear into pieces.

11. There It Goes

Break-up song?? Love song?? I don't know. This song is one of few where I genuinely have no idea what I would write. I don't have a single guess. I'm sorry.

12. History of Man

This feels like either a super angry song, a super empowering song, or both. And the character chosen will depend on that distinction. I personally think it'll be a supervillain origin story or just a really badass hero with men just getting in the damn way. So... probably DC related.

**Love you, Maisie... if you see this... if you're on tumblr. Not gonna lie, that thought kinda scares me.**

[arcanadreams]

OM Brothers as Hozier songs

I am a cottagecore lesbian, therefore this post was inevitable. Anyway here are the Hozier songs I think resonate most with the boys and their relationships to MC! Each will have a little explanation blurb (tho I am writing this before I start so I’ll probably get carried away asjdgkdj)

this is very different from my usual style so feedback would be greatly appreciated!! thanks :D

Lucifer -  As It Was

You are the home Lucifer comes to after losing his first one. He can never go back to the Celestial Realm, the place he was born and raised. But he doesn’t even want to when you are with him. 

You, and all that you are, are home. Being with you makes Lucifer feel a joy like he did before the otherness, the War, came. He never thought he could feel that way again. You are as bright as the lights of the Celestial Realm; a light he thought he would never see again. A light he thought he had dragged both himself and his entire family away from forever. But here you are, in front of him, shining with a light he had almost forgotten despite his best efforts to remember. 

And your love for him is unmoving. You know his past, you know his present, you know the worst sides of him. Hell, he tried to kill you before! And yet...your heart remains unmoved. He will never be able to express his gratitude for the way you waited for him, waited for his pride to subside, waited for him to realize the depth of his feelings for you. You welcomed him with open arms when he finally came home.

The lyrics I think resonate most with him:

Just as it was, baby Before the otherness came And I knew its name The drug, the dark, The light, the flame The highs hit the heights of my baby And its hold had the fight of my baby And the lights were as bright as my baby But your love was unmoved

Tell me if somehow Some of it remains How long you would wait for me How long I've been away The shape that I'm in now Your shape in the doorway Make your good love known to me Or just tell me about your day

Mammon - Sunlight

Your love is sunlight. Pure and simple. Your love is sunlight to Mammon, who has not known a soul like yours since the Celestial Realm. He loves his brothers, and he knows they love him, too, but their love feels conditional. Your love for him is unconditional, and you tell him so every day through the way you look at him.

He still doesn’t know how you put up with his waffling for so long. With the way he ran away from your affections, the way he put up walls between you to protect his aching heart. If your love was like his brothers’, if it required him to change...he didn’t think he ‘d be able to bear it. 

But you were stubborn. Almost as stubborn as him! And when you finally reached a stalemate you confessed. The moment “I love you,” left your lips, Mammon knew he was lost to you. He was lost in this foreign feeling and the only way out was in your arms. And from that moment he knew he would never leave your embrace, never leave your wonderful heart. 

He would sooner die before he let his sunlight be taken away.

The lyrics I think resonate most with him:

Oh, the tale is the same Told before and told again A soul that's born in cold and rain Knows sunlight, sunlight, sunlight At last can grant a name To a buried and a burning flame As love and its decisive pain Oh my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight All that was shown to me, sunlight Was something foreknown to me, sunlight Oh your love is sunlight Oh your love is sunlight But it is sunlight Oh your love is sunlight Oh your love is sunlight But it is sunlight Sunlight

and

Each day you rise with me Know that I would gladly be The Icarus to your certainty Oh my sunlight, sunlight, sunlight Strap the wing to me Death trap clad, happily With wax melted I'd meet the sea Under sunlight, sunlight, sunlight

Leviathan - Like Real People Do

Levi has never cared for the company of others who are real, who are not figments of some grand author’s imagination. All they do is hurt him. He has had too many heartbreaks in his life to let anyone else into his story. He is a lone side character.

But then you came bounding into his book and tore apart every page with self-loathing words written on it. He fought you tooth and nail, but you just kept digging, straight to his heart. You dug yourself in deep, so deep he couldn’t move you even if he wanted to. Which, of course, he can’t even imagine doing now.

You’re real. And so is the love you have given him. With each kiss you prove to him that he is not some side story. He is the protagonist of his own adventure. You are his love interest, written to fit perfectly against his side when snuggling on dark nights. 

It took your arrival for him to realize just how much he longed for the company of real people, for the affection of real people. And I don’t mean in the literal sense of real- I mean people who are real with him. People who are truthful, who won’t hurt him with stinging words, barbs aims right at his psyche. You use your words to guide him without crippling him, and he is so thankful for that.

The lyrics I think resonate most with him:

I will not ask you where you came from I will not ask and neither should you Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips We should just kiss like real people do

Satan - Shrike

Satan had no idea there was any goodness in him. No idea he was capable of anything with a shred of goodness in it. That was, until you came along and showed him just how long his stone heart had only been lying dormant. It was never useless, as he had suspected. It just needed a skilled stonesmith to chip away at it carefully, which is exactly what you did.

Even as he felt you cracking away at his walls, he would not tell you how he felt. He knew from the first tap of your gentle hand on the rough rock of his heart that he was yours. That he always would be. But he could not utter his love. How was he to know if you did this to everyone you met? Was he as special to you as you were to him? Or was he just another sculpted heart in your collection?

He couldn’t hold out for long, though. Not when you were housing him in your heart’s warmth with no mention of reciprocation required. What was your scheme? Why were you showing such goodness to him, and at the same time revealing he was capable of the same? 

But when you whispered words of love to him, it all fell apart. The last chip of stone covering his heart shattered, as did his resolve to hide his love from you. He knows that you two will always be together, even after this lifetime ends. Perhaps the two of you will return, him as a thorn and you as his shrike.

The lyrics I think resonate most with him:

I had no idea on what ground I was founded All of that goodness is going with you now Then when I met you, my virtues uncounted All of my goodness is going with you now

and 

I was housed by your warmth Thus transformed By your grounded and giving And darkening scorn Remember me love when I'm reborn As the shrike to your sharp And glorious thorn

Asmodeus - Nobody

Asmodeus, unlike his brothers, has known love. He has bathed in love, breathed in love, slept in love. He knows love. And yet, in all his years, he has known no love like your love. 

Your love is a wholly new phenomenon to Asmo. So pure, unfiltered, unconditional. Surprise picnic dates you spent all weekend planning, bouquets of flowers waiting for him on his bedspread, hugging him when you’re all sweaty after a jog because you know it bothers him. There is a fondness in your every action, even when you simply pick a nail polish shade for him to use for the week. It is an unfamiliar sensation for Asmo to feel such love through an accidental brush of the fingertips.

Because of this, Asmo never wants you or your relationship to change. Damn everything he has known before, damn the opinions of anyone he knows, damn what he knows of love! Your love is the only love he cares to know, now. Your love and everything that comes with it. 

Asmo has had many adventures and love affairs in his time, and yet you are the only one he never wants to end.

The lyrics I think resonate most with him:

And I think about you though everywhere I go And I've done everything and I've been everywhere, you know I've been fed gold By sweet fools in Abu Dhabi And I danced real slow With Rockettes on dodgy Molly But I've had no love like your love Ooh from nobody I'd be appalled if I saw you ever try to be a saint I wouldn't fall for someone I thought couldn't misbehave But I want you to know that I've had no love like your love

Beelzebub - NFWMB

You are part of Beelzebub’s family. You have been ever since you slept beside him, holding his hand to keep his nightmares at bay. You are his family, and nothing fucks with his family.

Beelzebub’s family is his heart and soul. You are his heart and soul. He would do anything for you. Your little finger is stronger than any arsenal in the Devildom, because you have Beel wrapped around it. But part of the reason you have him in the first place is because he knows you would never use that to your advantage. You do not see Beel as a weapon, or a hungry beast, or a danger, nor even as an annoyance who empties the fridge every two days. No, you see him as Beel. And that’s all he can ask for. That’s all he wants.

Your affection for both him and his brothers is something he cherishes more than anything else. Nothing will harm you as long as he can help it. He has lost his family before, and he will not lose any ever again. The second your fingers interlocked with yours the night you slept at his side, he knew no harm would ever come to you from that moment on. 

Lucifer started a war for the ones he loved once long ago, and now Beelzebub knows that he would do the same.

The lyrics I think resonate most with him:

Nothing fucks with my baby Nothing can get a look in on my baby Nothing fucks with my baby Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing If I was born as a black thorn tree I'd wanna be felled by you, held by you Fuel the pyre of your enemies Ain't it warming you, the world goin' up in flames? Ain't it the life where you you're lighting off the blaze? Ain't it a waste it watch the throwing of the shade?

Belphegor - Would That I

Ever since the death of Lilith, Belphegor feared the fires of love, the fires of feeling, of emotion. He stomped on the embers of his heart and vowed never to light them again. It was easier to feel nothing than it was to feel her loss.

And then you...you and your blinding light, arrived. He hated you at first. He killed you, tried to put out your fire the same way he put out his own. But even death couldn’t douse your flame. You were a wildfire, one that had already spread to all his brothers and rapidly came to set him ablaze too.

It didn’t take you long to light him up. He knew it wouldn’t, but he still tried to fight it at first. The first word you spoke to him in the attic told him that if he were to ever burn bright again, it would be by your hand.

And that’s exactly what you did. Even after he had killed you, you fought to ignite the long-dead pyre of his heart. Your persistence wore him down until his lazy nature decided it would be easier to give in and let you burn him. He expected pain, expected scars, but instead he simply felt warmth. Your warmth. All the years he spent in the cold without even realizing it were suddenly over. He was warm in your arms, and he never wanted to leave again.

The lyrics I think resonate most with him:

With the roar of the fire my heart rose to its feet Like the ashes of ash I saw rise in the heat Settle soft and as pure as snow I fell in love with the fire long ago With each love I cut loose I was never the same Watching still living roots be consumed by the flame I was fixed on your hand of gold Laying waste to my loving long ago But that's not tonight  Where I'm set alight  And I blink in sight  Of your blinding light  And it's not tonight  Where you hold me tight  And the fire bright  Oh, let it blaze, alright, honey 

[spideyspeaches]

Hey! so I’ve been going through a major writer’s block, so I was thinking, to get me back to the rail, I’d conduct an impromptu writing event to boost me into writing. I got this idea from @uglypastels​! go check out her wrap fics!

Rules -

Give me a song from my spotify wrap playlist (under the cut) and-

1. I will be writing for : (all reader inserts. Irondad is VERY welcome!)

Peter Parker 

Tom Holland

Arvin Russell

2. I will take some time lol I forgot how to write T_T

3. Pwease do not spam me T_T

Here is my playlist-

Positions by Ariana Grande 

Super Psycho Love by Simon Curtis 

Flesh by Simon Curtis 

False God by Taylor Swift

Better Man by 5SOS

Angel of Small Death and the codeine scene by Hozier

There’s nothing holding me back by Shawn Mendes 

Style by Taylor Swift

Mad at Disney by Salem Isele

Without Me by Halsey

I’m a mess by Bebe Rexha

Delicate by Taylor Swift

Senorita by Shawn Mendes ft. Camila Cabello

Replay by Zendaya

Queen of broken hearts by Blackbear

I did something bad by Taylor Swift

Imagination by Shawn Mendes 

Teeth by 5SOS

Sour Candy by Blackpink ft. Lady Gaga

Getaway Car by Taylor Swift

Nightmare by Halsey

Mutual by Shawn Mendes 

Sedated by Hozier

I think he knows by Taylor Swift

Animals by Maroon 5 

Treat you better by Shawn Mendes 

Youngblood by 5SOS

Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift 

Kiss and Makeup by Blackpink and Dua Lipa

Bad Reputation by Shawn Mendes 

Crush by David Archuletta 

Gorgeous by Taylor Swift

When I was older by Billie Eilish

In my blood by Shawn Mendes 

Gasoline by Halsey

This is why we can’t have nice things by Taylor Swift 

Quit playing games with my heart by Backstreet boys

Watermelon Sugar by Harry Styles

Finally // Beautiful Stranger by Halsey 

Miss Americana and the heartbreak Prince by Taylor Swift 

Dressin’ up by Katy Perry

Stitches by Shawn Mendes

Take me to Church by Hozier

It’s nice to have a friend by Taylor Swift

Easier by 5SOS and Charlie Puth

Chandelier by Sia

Lights on by Shawn Mendes

End Game by Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Future

Back to you by Selena Gomez

Control by Halsey 

Where were you in the morning by Shawn Mendes 

Bad Blood by Taylor Swift

Attention by Charlie Puth

Lovely by Billie Eilish ft. Khalid

FRIENDS by Marshmallow and Anne Marie

Paper Rings by Taylor Swift

Lost in Japan by Shawn Mendes

Demons by Imagine Dragons

...Baby one more time by Britney Spears

The Archer by Taylor Swift

If I can’t have you by Shawn Mendes

Bellyache by Billie Eilish

Human by Christina Perri

...Ready for it? By Taylor Swift

Bring me to life by Evanescence

I love you by Billie Eilish

Fallin’ all in you by Shawn Mendes

Dress by Taylor Swift

Controlla Anthem by DJ Flex, Kyle Edwards

Diamonds by Rihanna 

Disconnected by 5SOS

Don’t blame me y Taylor Swift

A thousand years by Christina Perri 

Mercy by Shawn Mendes

Hot Mess by Alex Kinsey

 King of my heart by Taylor Swift

Don’t let me down by The Chainsmokers and Daya

Never be alone by Shawn Mendes

Heart Attack by Demi Lovato

So it goes… by Taylor Swift

Mi Gente J Balvin, Willy Wiliam, Beyonce 

Nervous by Shawn Mendes

Fight Song by Rachel Platten 

The Man by Taylor Swift

Party Favour by Billie Eilish

Left Hand free by Alt- J

Disturbia by Rihanna

Look what you made me do by Taylor Swift

When the party’s over by Billie Eilish

Wonder by Shawn Mendes

Bye bye bye by NSYNC

Wildest dreams by Taylor Swift

Gorilla by Bruno Mars

I know what you did last summer by Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello

Fight for your right by Beastie boys

Blank Space by Taylor Swift

Bad guy by Billie Eilish

Kill this love by Blackpink

Heathens by 21 Pilots

Out of the woods by Taylor Swift

[fromthefishbowl]

10 italian songs that are terribly horny

Kind of a sequel of this post I wrote about the three Italian songs every Italian knows without fail, here comes another in the same vein and, as you might guess from the title of the post, they all are horny.

Because there’s absolutely no need to title your fic about Nicky losing his virginity after a Hozier song, when the Italian music scene of the 1970s has already blessed us with Cristiano Malgioglio!

Beware that this list features: threesomes, implied choking, implied masturbation, lengthy descriptions of dicks, and a whole lot of “dying”.

So, if you’re new to the Italian music scene, I bet you now have two questions: who is Malgioglio, and why is that “dying” in between quotes?

Cristiano Malgioglio is an Italian songwriter who has been working in the music industry since the early Seventies. Now known mostly for his flamboyant style and white strand of hair in his otherwise completely black head, he was a close friend of Fabrizio de Andrè, who was actually the one who introduced him to the music world. He has written a lot of songs that are LGBT+ themed and has always been very open about his sexuality, to the point that he has never even felt the need of coming-out. Out of the ten songs here presented, he has written three of them, and one of them is about one of his boyfriends.

As the censorship didn’t allow for song lyrics to be too explicit, songwriters and singers had found a way around it: rather than saying “coming” or “orgasming”, they would go with “dying”, which was a lot more elegant and could be inserted in literally every song without the censors being able to complain. And, trust me, there’s a lot of dying.

Here is the list, from the least horny to the most horny.

Chi Non Lavora (1970), by Adriano Celentano

Link to lyrics and translation here.

Commonly called Autunno Caldo (Hot Autumn), the workers strike that begun in 1969 and dragged itself into the August 1970 greatly influenced this piece (but for all the wrong reasons). Workers were demanding safer working conditions, which had been completely ignored up until that point. As the days went on and the more people joined the protests, the police got more and more violent, to the point that they had begun shooting people on sight. This caused a huge uproar from the protestors, and when the voice that people had been shot and harmed by the law enforcement, even more workers and even students joined the fight. Through a year of strikes, they forced the Italian government to create a new set of laws that would protect both workers and students.

The song mocks this movement: the singer complains about the fact that, since he is on a strike two days out of three, he cannot give his wife enough money and therefore she’s going on a strike too and won’t have sex with him. Basically this song is nothing but the woes of a privileged, extremely wealthy man who thinks that people protesting for the rights of a safe work environment is inopportune and stupid.

The only reason why I included this song is because “Chi non lavora non fa l’amore” (Those who don’t work don’t make love) is still very much used to this day. If you want a piece of media that actually explores the protests and the work environment of the time, I suggest watching La Classe Operaia va in Paradiso (The Working Class goes to Heaven), a movie from 1971.

10 Ragazze per Me (1969), by Lucio Battisti

Link to lyrics and translation here.

Lucio Battisti is a national treasure and if I’ll ever do more of these, he’s surely going to end up in more of them. Whereas De Andrè would write more traditional music and focus on the lyrics, Battisti’s music was a lot more danceable and his lyrics a lot lighter, usually focusing on loneliness and heartbreaks rather than social issues.

In this song, the protagonist is bragging about how he wants ten girls for himself, all for different reasons (one because she knows how to dance, the other because she’s a virgin, that other one because she has been with everybody but him). It is soon revealed, however, that the only reason why he’s doing it is because he’s still thinking about a very specific girl who broke his heart.

Remembering the note above, peep that “And red lips to die upon”.

Gelato al Cioccolato (1979), by Pupo

Link to lyrics and translation here.

First song written by Cristiano Malgioglio and also the one about his ex! And yes, it was sung by another man, but... oh, well. The lyrics are the same.

I feel like the only thing I need to say, about this song, is to quote it directly: “Chocolate ice cream, sweet and a little salty”. And that’s it, because the subtext is right there and it’s impossible to miss what it implies.

What I think should be added is the fact that the singer had absolutely no idea of what the song was about. Like none. It was only in 2007 that Malgioglio told him that he had been inspired to write it after spending a torrid summer in Tunisia, where he had gotten a boyfriend with whom he’d often get ice cream.

Carlo Martello Ritorna dalla Battaglia di Poitiers (1967), by Fabrizio de Andrè

Link to lyrics and translation here.

Translating this song absolutely murdered me: Paolo Villaggio, one of De Andrè’s best friends and an extremely important figure in Italian entertainment history, wrote it to play over Middle Ages sounding music, so the words chosen and the way sentences are structured are reminiscing of that time, and it was incredibly hard to find English words that matched.

This said, it’s possibly one of De Andrè’s most light-hearted songs (probably because he and Villaggio wrote it while their wives were giving birth to their sons), even if it does mention social issues.

King Charles Martel comes home from Poitiers but has lost the key to his wife’s chastity cage, so he doesn’t even go home before looking for another girl that can quench his thirst. He sees a beautiful maiden taking a bath and, seduced, convinces her to have sex with him. It is only when he has finished that she reveals that she’s actually a prostitute and now he has to pay her, but he runs away before doing so (but still after having complained about the rising prices).

The lyrics of this song were censored and fought against by the censorship so much that, even to this day, records with the uncensored version are extremely difficult to find.

Una Carezza in un Pugno (1968), by Adriano Celentano

Lyrics and translation here.

Yes, another Celentano song. I don’t like him either, it’s just that we cannot get rid of him for some reason.

Anyways, here we begin to get into hotter waters, as this song is about a man asking his girlfriend to think of him while she masturbates. Of course, since he cannot be left out of the question, he will think of her while he jerks off too.

Basically, unlike what a first read might make you think, the “fist” he makes while thinking of her is not because he wants to beat her up.

Il Triangolo (1978), by Renato Zero

Lyrics and translation here.

Renato Zero is another extremely flamboyant personality of the Italian music scene, and “Il Triangolo” is one of the songs of his that are best known.

As the title may suggest, this song is about a threesome. The protagonist goes on a date with their boyfriend and finds out that he has brought a second man, with the intention of convincing said protagonist to have a threesome. Although at first they need a little convincing, the protagonist then agrees to it and finds out they enjoy it a lot, to the point of coming to the conclusion that “Geometry is not a crime”!

Kobra (1980), by Donatella Rettore

Lyrics and translation here.

This song is about dicks, there’s no way around it and there’s nothing else to say. The singer sees a certain man and thinks about his dick, getting wet and fantasizing about the many things she could do with said dick. That’s it.

Pensiero Stupendo (1978), by Patty Pravo

Lyrics and translations here.

Second threesome song!

Unlike “Il Triangolo”, this song is a lot more subtle. It’s clear what the singer is talking about, but the lyrics are not as on the nose and leave more to the audience to feel it, rather than hearing it through words.

The song begins with the three people part of the threesome that are already doing it, and are still doing it by the time the song ends. It’s not about the act in and on itself, but more about the sensations it brings.

Ancora ancora ancora (1978), by Mina

Lyrics and translation here.

Second song written by Malgioglio!

Mina is probably one of the best known Italian singers, as her voice is said to be one of the best in recorded history and has an impressive rage of three octaves, so it really says something, the fact that this piece is so difficult that even her voice broke while holding a note (in an incredible way that only gives it character, but still).

The lyrics play with the fact that in Italian the word “ancora” can be translated and understood as “still”, “again”, and “more”. I couldn’t really give it justice in the translation, but it’s as if she was saying “Your hands still”, “Your hands again”, and “More of your hands” at the same time, and this kind of logic is repeated for every “ancora” she sings.

Even if the lyrics are suggestive, what was censored in this case was the video (the one linked with the song), as the close shots of the singer’s face, and especially of her mouth, were considered to be too sensual to be freely aired.

L’importante è Finire (1975), by Mina

Lyrics and translation here.

Third and last piece written by Malgioglio!

The story behind this song is a little nebulous, but I have read that apparently Malgioglio wrote it for Dori Ghezzi, De Andrè’s wife, but that that project never came to life and, in the meantime, he had managed to meet Mina, and had tried to get her to sing it. But... not sure if this story is directly related to the song in question or not.

Anyways, even for this piece it’s impossible to escape it’s meaning, to the point that, even if it didn’t contain any forbidden words, it was censored anyways for weeks, forbidding radios to air it and Mina to sing it on TV. However, people were so eager to listen to it that it still managed to climb the charts and was, eventually, allowed on air.

[thewindsofsong]

get to know me

tagged by @xcziel. Took me a few days, but I finally just sat down at my computer and got to it.

name: my internet name is thewindsofsong. I also go by windy. I don’t give my rl name to anyone i haven’t met irl because I am technically internet old and trust no one with personal information

pronouns: she/her

Break so this isn't super long and annoying to get past

star sign: aries but I don’t really know what that means because I don’t follow astrology at all

height: 5'4"

time: 9:42

birthday: 4/10, but sometimes i say 4/13 because thats two unlucky numbers in one birthday

nationality: american

fave bands/groups/solo artists: Hozier, Florence and the Machine, Mitsuki, Liu Chang are the ones that come to mind right now. There’s more, but those tent to be the artists I come back to a lot. Neutral Milk Hotel is old and gone and only listened to when the mood is right

song stuck in your head: Highland cathedral because of a tiktok atm. A bunch of people sang different notes and layered on top of each other to sound like bagpipes. It was pretty awesome.

last movie you watched:Rurouni Kenshin! The 2012 live action movie!! Currently one of the organizers for a weekly watch party that happens in the dmbj discord server. Its been a lot of fun watching movies with everyone there every week!!!

last show you binged: Does Moonfall Echo count? I technically binged it, but the whole series is also like a hour a most and I watched half of it on my lunch break today

when you created your blog: some time in early 2012 i think?

the last thing you googled:月陨回声 - would it surprise anyone to know that thats the original Chinese title for Moonfall Echo? No? No one? ok….

other blogs: twoscats. I sent all the cute animal things there and then watch them on worse days.

why i chose my url: I was young and knew that i liked music and that my favorite element was air. One day the winds of song came into my head and it has been my online handle ever since.

how many people are you following: 140 which is actually a lot for me. I should go through and do some pruning… I usually keep it down to around 100. I curate my tumblr experience a lot and I credit it to being the reason why its been as positive as it has been.

how many followers do you have: 675, but my blog is also suuuuuper old so the majority of them are probably inactive blogs that are just hanging around.

average hours of sleep:6-7. I’ve tried to sleep more than that but it just doens’t happen easily. I tent to wake up super early and have a hard time falling asleep again

lucky numbers: multiples of 3 and 13

instruments: marimba. Used to play it back in high school and just loved the sound of it. Also have a lot of great memories playing in both marching band and drumline.

what i'm currently wearing: halloween pjs. They’re very comfy and Halloween is great and deserves more than just one month ok?

dream job: housewife/artisanal soap maker. Let me do nothing but focus on keeping a clean house, cooking new foods, occasionally making and selling fantastic handmade soaps! I could binge all the dramas! Write all the fanfics!! DO ALL THE THINGS!!! But alas, I live in a capitalist hellscape and must work to contribute to bills. I think I’m doing close to the next best thing which is working from home atm tho.

dream trip: all expense paid trip across japan during a non busy season. My Japanese is bad and suuupeer informal because I absorbed it all from watching 15ish years of anime, but it's workable.

fave food: right now the first thing that comes to mind is a great breakfast sandwich.

top three fictional universe you'd like to live in: star trek times? Where capitalism has been abolished and things are pretty great? Ummmmm beyond that, maybe Natsume Yuujincho universe because interesting things can happen, but they aren’t world ending. Spirits exist and sometimes they form heartbreaking connections to mortals, but they're still so beautiful! Third might be idk, dmbj world so long as I never enter a tomb? Hearing about Wu Xie’s disastrous adventures could be fun

last song: That wasn’t the tiktok one? Probably Golden Sands sung by Liu Chang

last stream: I watched a bit of Liu Chang’s 4/28 stream that got uploaded to youtube. I do not have a problem, don’t judge me.

currently reading: Cats Paw by Merinnan & xantissa for like the 16th time. I don’t really read books and i’ve never really taken the time to examine why, but with fics like theirs, I never really saw a reason to try and go into reading random books that I don’t know or characters that I don’t already have a connection to.

currently watching: Moonfall Echo. I’ll probably be rewatching it a few times because I can. Its so weird. I don’t understand how they’re actually making this work with everything else? And apparently A Chinese Ghost Story is a part of this somehow?

what is antipoetry to you: Absolutely no idea. I had to analyse a bunch of poetry back in high school, but that was a long time ago. Is antipoetry just prose?

currently craving: takoyaki lowkey allllllllll the damn time. I actually have a takoyaki pan, but making takoyaki takes so much work. I usually just make pancake balls and drench them in syrup.

[itsybitsylemonsqueezy]

how do you feel about angsty KazuMaji? cause I'm dealing myself psychic damage listening to a sad country song and fixating on them for it (He Stopped Loving Her Today for reference) feel free to ignore if ur not into angst but "she" is Kiryu and "he" is Majima

Oh, woof. Woof, my good friend. Country songs pull at the old heartstrings like no one else. There’s a lot to feel angsty about for KazuMaji, for sure. I keep meaning to make a proper KazuMaji playlist, but some songs I’ve been grooving on for them: 

“Running Up That Hill” - Meg Myers “Somewhere Only We Know” - Lily Allen   “With or Without You” - U2  “Stay” - Rihanna feat. Mikky Ekko “Draggin’ Me Down” - Travis Love Benson & Yo! The Moon  “It Will Come Back” - Hozier  “Set Fire to the Third Bar” - Snow Patrol 

Been feeling a Lot of “With or Without You” recently ^^; An oldie, but a goodie. Although CANNOT rec “Draggin’ Me Down” hard enough, like just... please listen, just trust me. Man, I gotta put this playlist together some day... 

So, safe to say, I’m a fan of angsty KazuMaji as much as fluffy, cute KazuMaji. I often find fluff hard to stomach on its own without some angst behind it. Happy endings gotta be earned, y’know? And there’s PLENTY to angst about in this ship, Kiryu going to prison, the entre Shangri-La fight, ALL of game 3... 

But if you REALLY want angst, there’s an absolutely punishing post-game 6 fic I should write some day. There’s a lot of post-6 ideas I have, really, but the punishing one is the idea of Kiryu coming back, after all this bullshit. And now finally. FINALLY. Courting Majima. 

Except... Majima isn’t interested. 

Y’see, funny thing happens if someone spends years and years and years pining after you and, not only do you never give them the time of day, but you just up and move your whole life on without them. Sometimes people get the message that you’re not interested and... move the fuck on. So Kiryu comes back and tries to properly court Majima for once and Majima just looks at him blankly and goes “...that’s cute, but I’m done.” And Kiryu gets to live with the fact that he well and truly missed out. He gets to cope with the heartbreak, for once, and the loneliness and the rejection. 

Only... Majima never got over him. Oh, he’s kept living, sure. He has other things going on in his life, but he... never got over Kiryu. There’s never been anyone else, not really. He has to say no to Kiryu now, for his own self-respect, for his own survival. After all that’s happened, he can’t afford to chase that fool’s dream one more time. And he’s not stupid enough to believe Kiryu now. Not after a lifetime of chances. 

So it’s a slow, painstaking, heartbreaking courtship. Happy ending, of course! I’m not a monster! ^^; But... if I’m gonna treat Game 6 like it’s canon, which I Viscerally Hate Doing, this is what it would mean. This is how it would be. 

Nah, if you want angst, I’ve got angst ^^; You just come calling when you need c:

[daisylincs]

ur secret santa accidentally got a bit too secret this week as i finished up my finals but now i am free!! throw all ur fav fitzsimmons @ hogwarts headcanons my way, big or small, relevant to the prompt or not, i'd love to hear them! and just for fun (& for me to listen to while i work on ur gift), any song(s) that remind u of our fitzsimmons? cant believe we're this close to the end :)

Oh my gosh, hello, Santa! 💜💜 No worries about the secrecy thing, I've been a touch less active myself here, too, and spending my days being spectacularly lazy 😝 Ah, breaks are the BEST, and I'm so glad you've got one now too!

So, hmmm, Fitzsimmons at Hogwarts headcanons, let me see.

Well, first of all, I think that they're both Ravenclaws, with very little question about that? Fitz could maybe be a Gryffindor, maybe, but ultimately I'd say they're both classic Ravenclaw. They'd also both be those Hermione-esque students who are naturally brilliant at magic, and get all the spells right through a combination of homework (high five, Jemma 🤣) and talent.

I also think that Jemma would be made a prefect pretty much as soon as she was old enough - because, come on, she's literally perfect for it. Responsible but still compassionate, and more than smart enough to keep up with her school duties despite having other responsibilities - yup. Fits the bill perfectly!

Fitz, I think, would be more of a wild card prefect-wise, because he's a little shyer and less natural with people, and also if we have Daisy in the story, he's bound to get into some kind of shenanigans with her 🤣😝

Thirdly, and I don't know how relevant this is at all, lol, I'm literally just spamming you with my Hogwarts-y thoughts and ideas here - but I've always thought that, in pretty much any Hogwarts AU, Coulson would make the most PERFECT Dumbledore, and May the best McGonagall. I mean, just. 😍😍😍😍😍

Ohhh, my gosh, and the last thing I LOVE to headcanon is that Fitzsimmons is That Couple who the entire school ships, and wants to get together - best friends, or maybe enemies (! 👀), but either way very much into each other, and very much mutually oblivious about it.

Hmmmhhhmm, that's all I can think of at 8am this morning, and without a cup of tea, no less 🤣😱🤦‍♀️ But if you'd like any more hcs about this, ask again anytime and I'd love to share them! We still have a few days left 😍😍🤣 And, you know, in general - I'd love to talk to you a bit more once this is all over.

Before I go, though, you asked me for some Fitzsimmons songs - and I'll let you in on a secret here, I absolutely can't listen to anything while trying to write, because my musical brain gets distracted with the harmonies and analysis of the song, or... I just start singing along, lmaoo. Case in point: no writing gets done.

So while I don't have a convenient writing playlist to pick from, after having a bit of a think, I've managed to pull together a list of songs that give me the best FS feels. 🥰

You Were Never Gone from Teen Wolf - this song is, and probably always will be, my number one Fitzsimmons song. Even if the lyrics weren't positively perfectly suited to them (which they are) I also saw an AMAZING Fitzsimmons edit on it once, and that now lives rent-free in my head, along with the stirring and fantastic song itself.

Perfect by Ed Sheeran - this song is probably the most romantic love song I've ever heard, and nothing short of perfect (😝) for any OTP.

Birds by Imagine Dragons - getting angstier here, but this song captures the pain of everything Fitz and Jemma have gone through exquisitely well, and how they still keep hoping they'll find each other again.

Work Song by Hozier - c'mon, you can't have a halfway decent playlist without a Hozier song on it, and this one, especially the part where he sings about how no grave can hold him back from his love, just seems very Fitzsimmons to me.

Please Don't Say You Love Me by Gabrielle Aplin - this is one of those songs that make me think of a very specific time period in FS's history; namely, in season 2, when Fitz had confessed his feelings to Jemma, but she isn't sure how she feels yet, and just doesn't want things to change. Also, Iain de Caestecker is in the music video, and, come on, you don't get much better for FS feels than that! 😝😍

No Light, No Light by Florence + the Machine - another time-specific one, and another SUPER angsty one. To me, there's no song that captures post-Framework Fitzsimmons better, especially the part where she sings about no light in his bright blue eyes. 💔

The Scientist by Coldplay - the last one on my list, and maaaaybe a bit of an obvious choice, lmao, but still one that I think fits them regardless. It's full of heartbreak ("no-one ever said it would be this hard") and also the haunting, sincere wish to "Oh, take me back to the start // I was just guessing at numbers and figures // Pulling the puzzles apart // Questions of science, science and progress // Do not speak as loud as my heart." And I'm just like... damn. Everything about it - lyrics, title, tune - just SCREAMS Fitzsimmons, and I love it.

Right, my dear Secret Santa, I hope you liked this somewhat long and rambly, but hopefully very Fitzsimmons-y and wonderful answer! I, too, cannot believe we're this close to the end (and more than a little pleased to meet a fellow procrastinator writing-wise 🤣✋). With a couple more days to go (AHHHHHHHHHHHHH, indeed) HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! 🥰🥰🥰

[an-abstract]

Albums of the Year

This is the first post of this series that I intend on extending for 365 days. I will be listening to a minimum of 1 New Album (or new to me at least) a day. It is my plan to give an opinion on the album as a whole and each song. Please follow along with me if you wish and feel free to leave me any albums you think I should listen to.

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Our first entry stall be Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent by Lewis Capaldi

As a whole, I love this album. I had never listened to Lewis Capaldi outside of anything that I heard on TikTok or on the radio so for my first listen I was pleasantly surprised. I would like to begin by saying, this is a great album, however I would also like to know who hurt Lewis? All of these song are on the more sad side. And not sad in the way that middle school me who thought I was emo was sad but in a longing and yearning way. This make me feel like I have been in love and that I have lost that love and would do anything to get it back. It is the best pain I have felt all year. 

Also I would like to acknowledge that this is not the extended version of the album. I thought about doing the extended version but decided against it as I got tired and wanted to get this over with. 

Grace - Something about Lewis’ voice that he being out on “your mistakes” and “going to waste” is everything. Its like a crackling strain and I can not get enough of it. This is also so prevalent at the end of the bridge and when I tell you that the scream he does on “don’t take it away” will hurt your heart, I mean it. This is a nice an gentle way to start an album that is about to tear my heart in two.

Bruises - The beginning of this song is so soft and it exsentuates Lewis’ lower range, then that softness is juxtaposed directly with the chorus and I love it so much. This song is so heart breaking and yet I can’t not listen to it. From beginning to end the pain is so focused. I do not even know how to experience this emotion fully. From the middle of the second to last chorus and into the last chorus my heart breaks, the screams, the way the instruments cut out, the isolated vocals, everything. This might be my favorite song on the album.

Hold Me While You Wait - First off, this song directly after bruises. Mr. Capaldi, no sir. How could you? I am already emotionally vaunerable and this is how you treat me? Second of all, I will never get of the way that this man can write so many songs of love and loss it is amazing. One again the desire I can feel in the screams and belting is unmatachable. And while we are here, this man can write hard hitting bridges that I can not get over. Also that final line of “won’t you stay a while?” while everything cuts out is everything to me. 

Someone You Loved - This is his most popular song and that is great for him. Personally I do not love this song in the way that I think I should. Its a great song but something about it being so popular that I heard a vampire parody on tiktok just throws me off of this vibe. But while we are here the song is very similar to Hold Me While You Wait and Bruises and I think that emphasises how much pain that this relationship he was in put him through. 

Maybe - This song has a more upbeat feel to it. Its in a happier key and feels like something that would be played in a coming of age movie that tries to be more deep than it actually is. This feels like a summer breakup song. The idea of wanting to be sad but also being too in the moment to care. I also like the backing vocals in the second half of the song, they feel very natural.

Forever - This song feels like it would play in the background of a season finale of a tv show. Like this is not the end forever but you're emotionally vaunerable and this is all you're getting for a while but it still has a nice sound.

One - I have listened to this song several times at this point. I do like it so don’t hear what I am not saying but I have absolutely no clue who this song is being sung about/for/to and for that reason it is my least favorite song on the ablum so sorry Lewis but this hurts my brain when I try to reason whats happening. 

Don’t Get Me Wrong - So I do understand that this whole album seems to focus on heartbreak and loneliness but this feels like it was not written with the same relationship in mind as all of the other songs. I do love this song, I spoke too soon when listening to bruises, because this is infact my favorite song, with the choir in the back and the nice high notes. This song feels like it was written in a different era and it also feels like it would pair nicely with Hoziers Discography. Lewis this is my most favorite song please release a music video asap!

Hollywood - How Hollywood did not get the same recognition as someone you loved? I do not know. This is an end of a relationship song, it gives me very much musical vibes. If I heard this song in the middle of a musical I would not question it at all. This feels like a car ride song that you blare through the speakers after a shitty breakup.

Lost On You - I feel like I can not appreciate this song to its fullest extent. Perhaps it is that I have never felt this way about anyone or maybe its just that I am getting towards the end of the album and I am getting the same vibes from all of the songs, but it just does not hit the same as all of the other songs. It just doesn't live up to the expectations that the others songs gave me. I feel like this would have broken up the first three songs well but did not need to be after Hollywood. 

Fade - This has the same vibes as Hollywood. It should be in a production as the final declaration of love. However, I can only imagine this song being performed on Glee and it would have to be sung by Finn about Rachel or by Puck about Quinn. The drums really stuck out to me in this song, I think that that is because most of this song only have piano or a bit of guitar but its a nice change. Also, I really like the high bit at the end followed by a bit of screaming. 

Headspace - This song is the exact way I would expect this album to end. A little bit of religious trauma, a sprinkle of fighting, some existentialism, and a teaspoon of self discovery. This song is coming out of the pain of a breakup ad having time to think about everything that you have gone through. 

[scrunchie-face]

My ranking of TS8 based on absolutely nothing but my personal opinion

From least to most favorite:

peace: this is the only song on the album i really don’t like. her accent/cadence sounds a little affected to me and there aren’t any lyrics or musical moments that really resonate.

invisible string: i feel like i might get some pushback on this since so many people seemed to LOVE this one but hear me out. This one is clearly about Joe and their relationship and for me, there is not a single song about him that she has written that has been as good as “Call It What You Want” and “New Year’s Day.” Every other song she has written since then about being happily in a relationship with Joe has fallen flat for me. Also, I’m not gonna lie, the more cynical and less romantic side of me finds the whole concept of the “invisible string” to be a bit trite and saccharine. “Isn’t it just so pretty?” To me, yes, it is a pretty thought and that’s all it is.

mirrorball: this song is pretty, and reminds me very strongly of the Speak Now era, but with the complexity and maturity that she’s obviously acquired since then. That being said, to me the metaphor feels like it’s trying to go in two different directions at once and neither one quite gets there, leaving a song that feels somewhat unfinished. It’s either a very pretty love song or a darker reflection on identity, but it never feels like it commits to either.

august: this is where we really start to get into “there’s nothing really wrong with it, I just like other tracks better” territory. Lyrically, I think it’s very poignant, with its reflections on love, time, and memory. Unfortunately, I think the whole “Teenage Love Triangle” hint actually does this song a disservice by indicating that the speaker is the “other woman.” Since the bent of the other two songs (”cardigan” and “betty”) seems to indicate that those two singers/speakers are the couple that is “meant to be” it gives the poor unnamed “august” singer a bit of an uphill battle for sympathy in context. That’s not to say I don’t have any sympathy for her; I have by far the least sympathy for James. Unfortunately, James gets a catchier song (more on that when i get to “betty”). Which brings me to the real reason for this low-ish ranking: I just don’t find the song as musically compelling as most of the others on the album.

this is me trying: as I suggested in the previous paragraph, a lot of the way I rank songs personally is by how much the music resonates with me. I can forgive a lot lyrically if the way the music moves gives me goosebumps. With “this is me trying,” there are several lyrics that I love. The repeated “I have a lot of regrets about that”? PERFECTION. Musically, however, the song as a whole doesn’t really impress itself upon me, making all but the couple lyrics I really love forgettable to me.

mad woman: this song, and the two on either side of it, were ranked somewhat arbitrarily. higher than “this is me trying” for having a little more edge and a more engaging tune, lower than “hoax” because I generally prefer sadness and angst to anger. This is by far the most vindictive track on the album, and while I understand it and think it’s executed very well, the tone isn’t totally appealing to me personally.

hoax: this song, to me, has a very strong Hozier vibe that I enjoy very much. As i said in my blurb about “mad woman” I connect more emotionally with the sadness and turmoil here, hence its higher ranking. “stood on the cliffside screaming ‘give me a reason’“?! Gorgeous, and if you’ve ever felt that way, the line resonates in your bones. “the only hoax I believe in” is such a complex line that I could probably write paragraphs about it; it’s got psychological, emotional, and even religious elements to it that I think are part of what makes such a sad and personal song still feel universally relatable. It asks you, what are your hoaxes? Which ones do you believe? Is it because you want to? Because you have to? betty: ranking this song was difficult, because i find the character of James to be incredibly irritating. Unfortunately, the questionable nature of James’ behavior and attitude towards Betty and the unnamed girl is not enough to condemn the song to a lower ranking because the tune is just so catchy and fun. It’s got one of the best hooks on the album: the rhyming of “Inez” and “she says” just delights me every time. The “--most times--” caveat is amusing and very in character for a teenager trying to explain himself. And then “the worst thing that I ever did was what I did to you.” It sounds super trite, yes, but it would’ve probably gotten my forgiveness when I was seventeen. Also I love “will you kiss me on the porch in front of all your stupid friends?” Bold words for someone in James’ position but I love the bravado and the way it pairs with the music. The triumph here may be premature but it’s SUPER contagious. epiphany: so this one is perhaps the most arbitrarily placed because I realized when I got the the end of my list that I had forgotten  it.... BUT that being said, I really like this song. It seems to be one of the more divisive on the album; people either love it or think it’s boring. I like it a lot. When we talk about big events--wars, pandemics--it’s very easy to distance ourselves from them and forget that those more affected than we are are people too. This song gently rehumanizes the people we see in books and newspapers and tv reports, reminding us that they are suffering, they are trying, and reminding them that they are seen and loved. It’s extremely beautiful and moving.

the 1: based on my previous claims that the music is  my most important factor in song ranking, this one may seem unfairly high. Like with “peace” I find the accent/modulation of her voice in this song to be somewhat affected and irritating. The tune, while fun and catchy, doesn’t really have much power behind it. But I enjoy it just enough that, paired with some absolutely spot-on lyrics, this becomes a song I was deeply attached to from the first listen. Anyone who has ever had an important relationship that came to nothing will recognize the brief emotional rollercoaster of “I thought I saw you at the bus stop, I didn’t though,” and feel absolutely convicted by the bridge. “persist and resist the temptation to ask you/ if one thing had been different/ would everything be different today?” If you’ve lost a friend or a lover, you’ve tormented yourself with that question, I guarantee it. Even off her musical A-game, she absolutely nails the emotions here, and I love it.

my tears ricochet: this song actually started out pretty close to the bottom and slowly made its way up. Honestly, the reason for its low ranking was that I still can’t quite figure out what it means. Taylor occasionally writes songs that are very hard to tease out into any sort of linear narrative or neat metaphor; you feel them more than you understand them. And for that reason it usually takes me a little more time to get to a point where I appreciate them. The relationship here is tangled; it’s not the simple bad guy/good girl that we would’ve seen in the Speak Now era, and I would argue that at times it’s unclear which party is even the speaker. Once my analytical mind got past that hurdle, I remembered that this is one of the most musically powerful songs on the album. The bridge? GOOSE.BUMPS. The way the music builds and pounds at “just not home... in your bones.” Shivers. Even if I don’t totally understand what the song means, i can feel the conviction and emotion in the words and music and that is what makes it such a pleasure to listen to.

cardigan: this song is simply beautiful. just lovely. sad and nostalgic and hopeful and it just hits on some stuff that is absolutely true. “when you are young they assume you know nothing./ But I knew you.” I recently had a conversation with my husband about this very concept. This idea that adults look down on young people simply because they don’t have “perspective.” But the truth is that young people know something very important: what it is like to be young and to experience things AS A YOUNG PERSON. Not as an adult looking back on being young, but as a person to whom these experiences are fresh and real and important. “cardigan” takes that whole concept: the struggle between youthful experience and adult perspective, and absolutely NAILS IT. Add in a touch of the sentiments from “the 1″: “i knew you’d haunt all of my what ifs.... i knew i’d curse you for the longest time,” and combine it with a melody that rises and falls and slows down and speeds up and you just have this gorgeous tribute to youth and life and love.

illicit affairs: i love this song so so much. I’ve never been in an “illicit affair,” but the regret and the confusion and the attachment and the love and the hate and the feeling of being trapped are all so raw and visceral that even if you’ve never felt anything like this before in your life you can feel it now. Underneath the fairly simple melody of “don’t call me kid, don’t call me baby,” you can hear the screaming anger and heartbreak. “look at this idiotic fool that you made me!” Gah. I can’t even. It’s just so real. So there. This is a song that you both understand AND feel and it’s so powerful it’s almost overwhelming. Taylor and her killer bridges absolutely ending me every time.

the last great american dynasty: this song is so fun. The story is funny and sad except the indomitable Rebecca doesn’t for a moment let you feel sorry for her. As soon as you see her pacing the rocks looking out over the ocean--a wistful, often angst-ridden position--the song turns right around and informs you that she stole a neighbor’s dog and dyed it green. And then, “and then it was bought by me.” The story has been so definitively about someone ELSE this time until suddenly SURPRISE! The twist at the end is delightful; every story we tell, every story we love, we tell it and love it because it’s about us too. And like i said, there is a quiet undercurrent of sadness and loneliness that never becomes the focal point of the song but is there giving it depth and something more to think about that facts and funny anecdotes. This song is a unique one in Taylor’s discography, and it stands up very well to that status.

exile: is my love for this song partially colored by the fact that Justin Vernon’s voice makes me swoon? Probably. The duet between him and Taylor is hair-raisingly beautiful and heartachingly melancholy. But that aside, I think the thing that first caught my attention was Taylor’s verse. The “staring honey/understudy/knuckles bloody” rhyme drives me absolutely WILD. It’s SO GOOD. It flows perfectly and poetically and honestly i transcend my body and scream with delight into the ether at those three lines every time. That is not an exaggeration. Also, “I’m not your problem anymore, so who am I offending now?” And of course the juxtaposition between “never gave a warning sign (i gave so many signs)” is this perfect description of how, to quote another, much older, lyric “miscommunication leads to fallout.” This song reminds me very much of “Story of Us.” In case you couldn’t tell from previous comments, this whole album, for me, recalls Speak Now, very strongly in many ways. I see her revisiting a lot of similar themes and stories with a more mature perspective and a different sound. Red  as well, actually, but I digress.

seven: i knew from very early on that this would be my favorite song on the album. Taylor’s voice goes places I have NEVER heard before, evoking something elemental and primal. “Before I learned civility/ I used to scream ferociously/ any time I wanted.” Her forays into actual childhood in her songwriting are periodic but relatively rare, and this is unquestionably the best of the lot. Here we see children, almost too young to remember exactly what happened, but marked forever by their experiences of nature and relationships. “I can’t recall your face/ I’ve still got love for you.” This song evokes all the things that dance around the edge of your memory: faces from long ago, the feeling of flying, the fear of falling, the irresistible impulse to plant yourself on the ground and fling your existence out into the world with your voice. The need to feel safe. The references to a friend’s troubled home life are oblique: “your dad is always mad... you won’t have to cry or hide in the closet,” and the solutions are childlike: “come live with me...and be pirates,” “move to India forever.” The song is an immersive experience, charged with feelings you can’t quite express, but that you know and remember, although they are perhaps faded a bit around the edges.

[terracottasunrise]

My Life’s Playlist

Alright so this is a weird one. I’m going to break form for a minute and do something sorta fun (yup only 20% misery here a new low). Granted this is coming around because I created a playlist and then suddenly felt the urge to defend every song on it to the person it was made for. Then like most things said fuck it no one reads this anyway and this is easier than sending a massive text of “this is why I picked this, and this is why I picked this” ect. So yeah this is less for the world and more for the one person this was made for. However I’m an open book so fuck it may as well let the world see this soul expressed in music, at least in the year of 2021. No particular order by the way, just going to hit play and write as songs pop up and explain what they mean to me.

It’s Alright by Mother Mother-

It was between this and “Bottom is a Rock”. But I got to be honest “It’s Alright” is such a good representation of what I need to hear when I’m going through mental spiral. Cause when I spiral it’s a rough thing, a problem with writing everything I feel is I remember it so much more vividly after putting it on paper. So when I start getting into that mindset I basically go through a mental slideshow of my failures bringing up every reason why I wasn’t good enough a lot of times reaching back years to find ammunition against myself. This song eases that a bit. Just that helpful reminder “You’re alright, you’re ok.”

Dear McCracken by Bug Hunter-

This is one of those awkward love songs that I love so much. A guy looking for love watching someone else losing it. The thing resonates with me on a personal level is I have 100% been that person sitting in an airport or on a plane/train writing trying to craft a way to express something. I can only think of how many people read some truly depressing shit over my shoulder without me knowing. The line “There’s a heart balanced on how her words are perceived.” Gets me every time. Because that’s my medium and that for sure is the truth.

Mr. Loverman by Ricky Montgomery-

This song. This song serves as a perfect reflection of the months leading after a heartbreak. It’s every relationship ending, every hopeful romance lost, every failure. But it’s real, and there is that twang in the music that is sad but bouncy at the same time. It makes me think of every time I’ve had a relationship end and that anxiety of being alone and desire to just drown it. It’s looking at the past and future at one point or another, love lost or love found and lost.

Peanut Butter Waffles by Ryan Caraveo-

I’ll be honest this is the only song I know from Ryan Caraveo. But it reflects my place in life almost perfectly. A guy who takes too much about how he feels, a guy who tries not to disappoint anyone. Someone who revels in verbal admiration because he’s not used to it. A guy that had to grow up way too fast and is unable to figure out how to cope with the world and is just finally trying to find some of that childhood joy. A few lines in this song hit me in the feels“I can hear my thoughts clear”  just makes me think, I never don’t have something going. I can’t handle silence, as soon as I do I start thinking and overthinking I need that left brain distraction to keep me happy.  It feels like in the last 10 years I have never had time to relax, and then when I did I was literally “Making life decisions in the time it took to brush my teeth” yeah this is me. A guy trying to find his home, a place to belong and someone to belong to.

Would That I by Hozier-

When I first heard this song I listened to it on repeat. I want to say for days but let’s be honest it was hours but it gave me everything I ever wanted for the melancholy mood I was in. It reminds me of probably my biggest heartbreak and how I stopped letting it define me and judging everyone off that one person. For years I was hung up and miserable and convinced that I was never going to find someone and wouldn’t let myself. Now god forbid if someone is good to me because her kindness will consume my wooden heart like a flame to tinder. It’s the idea that for me infatuation is a fire that will consume me and I need to embrace that side of myself. I stopped looking back because “That’s not tonight”

Typical Story by Hobo Johnson-

I hated this song when I first heard. But something about the beat just works to get me riled up and fired up. I think the main reason I came around was because the lyrics just make me think of myself and that little voice I’m at war with that constantly tells me to bail and give up but the song gets me mad at myself for thinking that way. I will not be the Typical Story.

Hell and You by Amigo and the Devil-

This is one of those songs that I like but I flip it every time I hear it because it makes me think a bit too much about who I am when I am deep in a relationship. It’s a song about utter loyalty, especially that line “I’d crawl in bed with you, even on someone else’s blood, on top of someone else’s love” saying that no matter who else falls in love with him, or sacrifices themselves for him, he will always fall asleep alongside his lover. That feeling, of caring so much nothing else matters besides the one you care for, is a terribly wonderful feeling.

Blood in the Cut by K.Flay-

I’ve always liked this song, even before I was living the gender swapped version of it. Almost like a self-fulfilling prophecy. But it’s that self-deprecation and really the need for noise that gets me singing it. I don’t like the quiet. I need some form of simulation something that distracts my left brain and lets the right brain run rampart. If I can’t distract myself I start freaking out and over analyzing, which is a character flaw to be sure but it’s real. Even when I go to sleep I run something to keep my brain distracted otherwise I lay in bed overthinking everything. Guess the teachers were right when they said I had an over-active imagination.

Fast Talk by Dawn Golden, Houses-

I grew up in the country, just let’s get that straight real quick. But this song, it reminds me of another on this list. Especially when I go home. Things are just simpler. This is probably one of the more well-known  songs on this list but it’s about appreciating the simple things. Seeing the threads of fate in the little things that could have worked out so much worse. I can think of many times where I should have gotten in more trouble than I did and this song reminds me of that. No many how many breaks I don’t catch, I’ve caught a few.

  Firebreather by Macklemore-

Most famous person on this list for sure but this song is not as well known. I love this song. This is my pump up song. The song that makes me feel invincible. Had to throw it on here because it would be a lie to not mention that before big things, this song gets played. With that said the, the chorus and that beat are really what gin me up. The buildup gets me ramped up and ready to tackle whatever gets thrown at me.

No Home by New Vega-

This is the mentality. “you are always alone and you want to go home” This past year this whole pandemic life has made me just alone. All the time. Just living out of a hotel, no one checking up on me no one caring about how I am, just me fighting to find purpose. Trying to find some sort of relatable person. That’s why I got a cat. That little shit is a pain in the ass but the most comforting provider of serotonin I’ve had in years. Love ya Cataban

Cannonball By Watsky-

Watsky gets two, but this is a great song…. Not really a song more of a word jam that captures that feeling of starting to fall in in a kind of love that you know heals something in you a little bit. Late love, when you get past the heart happy bullshit and hit the real shit and are just still somehow happy because you have each other. It’s that idea of forgiving yourself and your situation because you are with someone that makes all the nonsense worth it.

Sloppy seconds by Watsky-

This is so real to me. In a world of music and stories where everyone is perfect and wonderful this song celebrates the perfection of imperfection. Nothing exquisite has been born out of anything but tragedy. I’ve made the mistake of dating someone that never had a day of adversity in her life and let me tell you, not my kinda person. I fall for people that have some baggage. You have to. If you don’t it means you haven’t done anything.

Disaster Hearts by I Fight Dragons-

Definitely was one of those songs that I just sat down and said yeah, at this age we all have disaster hearts. We all figure shit out and say we won’t be hurt again and then guess what it happens again. That calloused muscle that has been rebuilt to survive nuclear fallout is completely susceptible to the infatuation of one person. No construction of wall or barrier will stop it. But disaster is necessary it molds you.

The Mask by Matt Maeson-

This is one hits me close to my heart every time I hear it. It’s something we all do to an extent, blocking out the emotions that hurt so much and just crafting a mask that make everyone think things are going alright. Crafting that mask of mirth and nonchalance that makes everyone think you are ok. In my case my mask is my writing. I write things out and never look back. “I settle my grievance by crafting a mask”

 Oh My Dear Lord by The Unlikely Candidates

Life in the fast lane. Man this was me for years. “I was a good guy, but I was the worst type/ Give me an inch man, and I’ll take a mile” That was me. Fuck still is me. It’s a self-destructive advancement I can’t get away from. I found myself in the last few years not even climbing the ladder, just getting recognized and successfully driving my life forward, and it’s like getting whiplash finding that all that success is not at all what I wanted. I’m over my head.

Castle on the hill by Ed Sherran-

Well sorry Macklemore, Ed Sherran might be the most famous, even more than Fast Talk this reminds me of home. Every time I drive home this is the song that plays in my head. The images of a bunch of children with a thirty of beer sitting on a hill watching fireworks on the 4th of july. Damn there was such an innocence back then. That bit on the tail end where he lists what happens to everyone, that’s almost a one for one snapshot of my childhood friends. I don’t know how I was the one to make it out. But I did. Kicking and clawing but here I am.

Tubthumping by Chumbawumba-

Very little to be said but in any soul discussing playlist Tubthumping needs to be involved. Every conflict in my life. Don’t know how I pull it off but I stand up every time.

Wait for it-by Leslie Odom Jr. Hamilton

I had to pick something from Hamilton. This song… It’s the bad guy. It’s Burr. The play paints him as such a relatable character. And the line that fucking line. “Love doesn’t discriminate, it takes and it takes and it takes” Yup. I wish I could choose who I fall for. I would be such a happier person. But I can’t I fall for the complicated, the unreturning the ambivalent. That’s who I will love. It’s a sick disease the likes I would never wish on a single person.

As the Rush Comes by Motorcycle-

Chills, every time I hear this song. It’s hard to capture the feeling this invokes. It’s the wanderer, the scoundrel, the Romani in me. Drifting through life loving and moving through life as if I was water diffusing through gravel. It’s a song that illicit highs and lows in my body and I would love to just lay next to a bass speaker listening to it on repeat.

[rcsethcrn-archive-blog]

Ship that you have as an OTP: 🌹. Ship that you're indifferent to: 😑. Ship that makes you sad: 💔. Ship that you find disgusting: 💩. Ship that you find cute but don't ship: ✌. Ship that you secretly like: ��. Ship that you used to have as an OTP: 💙. Ship that you find most sexy: 👅

ASK ME ABOUT SHIPS | @astatheloner

[ most of these will be in regards to marg but there are some ships i just really need to talk about okay ]

🌹 – Sansaery

the purest and the best; sansa is marg’s first real love, in canon and modern verses. this ship gives me life tbh 

😑 – Margaery/Tommen

at best, i see it more as a cute friendship/little brother-older sister relationship. i generally don’t incorporate d&d’s portrayal of their ‘marriage’ into my writing/hcs so i’m not even gonna touch that. 

💔 – Jon/Ygritte

everything about this relationship is lovely but heartbreaking. (also, every time i listen to hozier’s ‘jackie and wilson’ i think of them

💩 Sansa/Littlefinger

look, i’m all for shipping what you want but this one really disgusts me. there is nothing remotely healthy or even attractive about a gross, manipulative old man creeping on the daughter of the woman he was in love with. plus, he is basically the root of all her troubles. i know it’s a popular ship with sansa but i care about her as a character too much to be okay with her in a relationship with littlefinger. she deserves so much better.

✌ Margaery/Brienne

i think the idea is cute but i like the idea of their friendship more than anything.

💚 Margaery/Jaime

i can thank @aureatehand for that one bc it def has the potential to be interesting (and kind of hot, when you think about it )

💙 Robbaery

i think this was my first ship on marg when i first started writing as her but sansaery came along quickly after to take the crown

👅 Sansaery or Robbaery

in terms of pure sex appeal, it is a tie between the two. basically, lets just say that marg really likes the starks.

[ i based this purely off of canon got/asoiaf characters and didn’t include relationships with ocs bc i feel like some of these questions just wouldn’t apply. my favorite ocs that marg loves on are ambrosia ( @bardolctry ), marcus ( @epistocracy ) , shennen ( @liittlehound ) , and steffon ( @stagblooded ) . just thought i needed to give those ships a shout-out bc i love them ]