#i am listening to ajr. literally right now.

[celaenaeiln]

12 am anon here. okay so uh we havent talked about it cause i rly dunno how to tell them “yeah i think ur rly cute and i love it when you ramble abt the things you like and sometimes i do wanna kiss u” . anyways what songs do u think are dick grayson coded

personally some that come to mind are surface pressure from encanto, bad idea right and brutal by olivia rodrigo, and nerves by dpr ian. spring day by bts specifically when it comes to donna and wally and all his other dead loved ones

*older post I'm getting to now, 12 am anon and girlfriend are happily together, I just needed time to collate a list*

But that aside, you are literally the cutest. You make me so happy every time ;)

Surface Pressure, Bad Idea Right, and Brutal are all spot on!

I'd never heard Nerves before but now I've listened to it on repeat

Spring Day (eng ver) hadn't even entered my mind but now it won't get out.

Honestly all of Taylor Swift's and Olivia Rorigo's songs match Dick so perfectly

Orange are feel goods/exciting/dramatic story creation types

Blacks are sad/meloncholy/reflection songs about the darker side

I guess this is a Dick Grayson playlist.

Songs-

Come Hang Out by AJR - The Titans with Dick

You're Gonna Go Far Kid by The Offspring - self-explanatory.

Warriors of the Mind

You're on your own kid

This kpop song (anon knows, you might too)

My Version of You by Beth Crowley - reminded me of Tim and Dick's relationship when they fought during Dick's Batman era

Stop you're losing me by Taylor Swift - matches Dick fighting with Bruce

Unstoppable by Sia - reminds me of how the entire Superhero community relies on Dick and how he reacts in response

Let the Games Begin by AJR - is Dick constantly acting and ready for attention. Dick dealing with Gotham high society

Whatever It Takes by Imagine Dragons - embodies him in his entirety. If there's one song that defines him, it's this for me.

Toxic Thoughts by Faith Marie - Him struggling with his insecurities of breaking his own records

Welcome to the Show by Britt Nicole - Robin Dick being a little psycho and taking his team on an adventure

The First One by Astrid S - careful. It's about Nightwing (1996) Issue #134. Not sure if it can be considered canon or not, it's a gray area for me

Leader of the Landslide by The Lumineers - Basically Dick's reaction to Bruce abandoning him with all the kids and him being protective of them. Relates to Gotham War most clearly but always

Fire by Gavin Degraw - Dick's bamfness and journey

Christmas Kids by Roar - Here comes Bruce's messed up attachment issues to Dick

Million to One by Camila Cabello - Dick's perfectionist issues and dreams of being greater

If You Go Down ( I'm Going Down Too) by Kelsea Ballerini - Dick and Donna's ride or die relationship.

Don't Think Just Run by Beth Crowley - Dick, leadership, and the superheroes' reliance on him

Labour - Dick hypothically getting tired of Bruce dumping every single thing on him

Panic Room by Au/Ra - Scarecrow telling Dick in Knight Terrors that his fear may be the scariest fear of them all. I'm just imagining everyone getting trapped in Dick's head and being forced to face his fear. That would be such a fun story to write.

Rise by Katy Perry - Dick will always overcome and thrive.

Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga - Dick with the Titans just as they score a major victory

Human by Christina Perri - Dick asking for a reprieve (in his head)

Human by Krewlla - Same but sadder

Dress by Charlotte Sands - Other people falling in love with Dick

Gold Rush by Taylor Swift - How other people fall in love wiht Dick told through the eyes of Barbara or Kori

Heart of Stone by Six the Musical - Dick's unwavering love for Bruce

Achilles Come Down by Gang of Youths - Dick is Achilles.

Geronimo by Sheppard - Silver Age Teen Titans era except it's all of them.

Circus by Britney Spears - C'mon. He's performer born for the spotlight.

Je vole by Louane - Dick's message to Bruce about him leaving

Je vais t'aimer by Louane - The intensity of Dick's love that sometimes leaves his lovers entralled, breathless, and scared.

Location by AJR - Dick reaching out to someone (not necessarily romantic)

Bird Set Free by Sia - Dick lives for himself and his morals. He lives for peace.

She Sets the City on Fire by Gavin Degraw - Other people's point of view of Dick

Dark Paradise by Lana Del Rey - Dick's grief and mourning for Bruce's passing

Wonderland by Taylor Swift - Roy and Dick's relationship

Head Above the Water by Avril Lavigne - Dick being the superhero community's rock and leadership.

Nightmare by Halsey - Dick's a little wild but that's the reason he's still alive. This is just him going after Blockbuster.

Graveyard by Halsey - Dick literally keeping Bruce from destroying himself

The Phoenix by Fall Out Boy - Just Dick raising super powered team after team and yanking everyone onto their feet

Pompeii by Bastille - Dick's perspective after the bombing of Bludhaven

The entire sour album by Olivia Rodigro - To describe Dick and Bruce after Bruce fired him

Troublemaker by Olly Murs - How literally none of his exes can let him go

Issues by Julia Michaels - Dick and Kori's relationship

See You Again by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth - Dick and the Titans

Monster by Eminem and Rihanna - The amount of times people have told Dick he was crazy and he laughed and did it anyway

Superhero by Simon Curtis - Teen Titans Dick

Thunder by Imagine Dragons - Dick always takes charge of himself and his own destiny

A Million Dreams, the Greatest Showman - It literally sounds like Dick's inner thoughts to make Gotham a better place

Brave by Sara Bareilles - It's reminiscent of Dick's speech to Conner

Secrets and Lies by Death Note the Musical - This is Outsiders Dick Grayson to a T

Playing His Game by Death Note the Musical - This is how Dick solves all his crimes and mysteries

Drinking alone by Carrie Underwood - Ric Grayson

[leemillion]

CALLING ALL PRESTON GOODPLAY LOVERS (aka me)

IM MAKING A PLAYLIST

FOR THE ONE AN ONLY 😌

AND I NEED SONGS THAT REMIND YOU OF HIM. WHETHER THAT BE DIFFERENT STAGES OF HIS LIFE (canon or headcanon) OR YKNOW JUST WHATEVER GIVES YOU THE ✨VIBES✨

I’D LOVE SOME OUTSIDE OPINIONS ON THIS

HERE’S THE SONGS I ALREADY HAVE IN ORDER:

Introduction to the Snow - Miracle Musical (gives me the ✨vibes✨)

Look Who’s Inside Again - Bo Burnham (Think it would describe his childhood. At least a part of it)

Am I Supposed To Apologize? - Maria Mena (It’s %90 percent here because of a few short lyrics that would imply him discovering his love of theater. The other %10 is because I have a headcanon he’s a child of divorce parents.)

My Play - AJR (C’mon man it seems pretty self explanatory if you’ve listened to it. Plus it adds onto the divorced parents theory)

The Main Character - Will Wood (It’s literally him. C’mon man. The vibes. Also you cannot tell me he wouldn’t be a huge Will Wood fan.)

Hard to Be the Bard - Something Rotten! (He’s a writer✨ An artist✨ It can’t possibly be easy 😔)

Soldier, Poet, King - The Oh Hellos (Now this one is more the Performance Trio as a whole but still. Preston is the poet, obviously 😌 while Nerris is the soldier and Harrison is the ruler.)

I/Me/Myself - Will Wood (Because he's just so ✨gender✨ Plus if you headcanon him as gender-fluid it makes this even better.)

Oh No! - Marina & The Diamonds (A desire to succeed. To make it big in this world. He knows what he wants and he won’t stop at nothing to get it. He definitely has a fear of failure. And who’s to say he doesn’t feel like he’s the worst? He already acts like he’s the best. Who’s to say that’s not a cover up?)

Everybody Loves Me - OneRepublic (Consider this the beginning of Preston Goodplay’s Good Play. He finally has a performance piece that people seem to like. He’s finally getting the love and attention he so deserves 😌 But at what cost?)

Non-Stop - Hamilton (Turns out his new performance is the only thing people seem to want. So why not just keep writing up new ideas for it? Sure he’ll eventually run out. But right now’s not eventually! He’ll just have to keep coming up with new ideas for it! Thing is it’s getting a lot more stressful than he intended.)

Left Brain, Right Brain - Bo Burnham (Oh Y’know just that one scene where he’s arguing with his own fucking reflection. Unsure whether he should sell out and give the people what they want, or follow what he wants with the risk that no one would like it.)

Show & Tell - Melanie Martínez (Ok this is getting ridiculous. They’ve started showing up to his practices and commenting on HIS writing process. It’s overwhelming. But what can he do about it? They’re his target audience. Well his only audience but still-)

Everyone is Dumb - Mazie x Everybody Likes You - Lemon Demon (Seems self explanatory. Everyone actually pays attention to him now. They’re excited for his performances. Everyone likes him. But they’re also stupid. It’s a stupidly simple performance that’s virtually the same every time. Yet they never get tired of it. Yes they like him, but is it worth it if this is the reason they like him.)

Shine A Light (Reprise) - Heathers (Oh y’know just the silly little nightmare he has :,D And then the hallucinations of his own reflection laughing at him. Plus him pulling out that prop knife uh- was he just being dramatic or??? Like he did have a bit of a psychotic break, man’s was hallucinating. How do we know he didn’t think the knife was real? Like was he actually trying to- y’know? Seriously is he ok-??)

Are You Satisfied - Marina & The Diamonds (He talks to David for a bit. And something’s called to question. Is he satisfied with this? He’s worried about his future yes, but then again what’s the point of making art if he doesn’t actually like it himself. It’s pointless. And he realizes no one else should get a say in what he wants to create. It’s his problem. No one else’s.)

Drama Club - Melanie Martinez (Honestly just doesn’t give a shit about anyone’s opinions anymore and that’s kind of a good thing. Even if they hate it. “Any reaction, positive or negative, is still a reaction :D” As tomatoes are pelted towards him. Honestly a healthier mentality than he had before. And I think that’s the end of the Preston Goodplay’s Good Play section of the playlist!)

Recess - Melanie Martinez (I’m here for Preston’s grandmother raising him and teaching him everything she knows 🗣️🗣️🗣️ Stg every lyric fucking fits. Also I think this could apply to his new mentality of “Fuck you it’s my art not yours I do what I want.” A nice little summary to the fiasco that is Preston Goodplay’s Good play.)

Mirror Man - Jack Stauber’s Opal (Mostly just gives me Preston vibes. His desire to become famous and what not.)

Art Is Dead - Bo Burnham (Vibesss man. “I am an artist, please god forgive me. I am an artist, please don't revere me. I am an artist, please don't respect me I am an artist, you're free to correct me. A self-centered artist. Self-obsessed artist. I am an artist. I am an artist. But I'm just a kid. I'm just a kid. I'm just a kid, kid. And maybe I'II grow out of it”)

Finale (Can’t Wait To See What You Do Next) - AJR (Honestly just thought it’d be cool to have the last song in the playlist be called Finale 💀 But I think it’s a nice little summary of his character. A final bow if you will 😌)

Anyways that’s about it. If anyone else has suggestions or input on the songs already here feel free to! Hell if you happen to disagree with anything feel free to. I love discussions about things I like :D Also feel free to suggest songs that you think I should add 😌 Gonna go pass out now baiiii

[mikeysbride]

Welcome Back to Trench

When our kids introduced us to the world of the twenty one pilots fandom a couple of years ago, we were initially full of corny parent jokes:

Why are they called twenty one pilots when there are only two of them?

That's way too many pilots.

They're gonna need a bigger cockpit.

Why, for the love of God, don't they capitalize their name!?

That's not to say we don't still say those things sometimes (thank goodness our teens generally find us amusing), but it's also wild to see how big a part of our family dynamic this duo has become over these couple of years...so much so that I've even suggested that when we finally get a dog, he should be named Clancy. [T.O.P. fans will understand.] They are in regular rotation in our home and in our cars. Last year, they were one of my top 5 most listened to artists on Spotify! And last night, at last, we all went to see them perform live on the aptly-named Clancy Tour. It was the first time seeing them for all 5 of us - our family of 4, along with my 16yo's...um, favorite boy, we'll call him. I don't think she's been quite this happy since maybe when we first surprised her with AJR tickets. But as much as she loves AJR (we all do now!), twenty one pilots is HER band as Living Colour is mine, and Genesis is her dad's. Now we are all along for the ride.

And last night, much of Orlando was also along for that ride, having sold out the Kia Center pretty much immediately when the tickets went on sale months ago. I had a feeling their show would be high energy and that the crowd would be super hyped, and I was not wrong about that. But after being as impressed as I was by AJR (twice!) this year, I wasn't 100% sure what to expect. Tyler and Josh did not disappoint, though, and I have to say I am also quite impressed with THEM...not that I didn't think I would be. We've watched enough of their music videos and live performance clips (full concerts, even) on YouTube for me to know this, too, wasn't going to be just an ordinary concert.

To the point, Tyler and Josh have a way of immersing themselves into the crowd (literally) that makes them feel like they are right there with you - because they are - spending quite a bit of time out amongst their fans instead of on the stage. They are seemingly everywhere at once, making it feel like an intimate performance even with thousands of people in the audience. And the fire. There was a lot of fire, which I rather appreciated because, being prone to being cold, I was chilly in the arena, and it was nice to sometimes be able to feel a bit of warmth from the flames, all the way up our cushy club level seats!

We heard so many favorite songs of theirs last night, including my newest favorite from them, the super catchy "Lavish," but I have not stopped playfully pouting yet that they didn't do my O.G. favorite of theirs - the one that really stuck out to me when I first heard them, and that is "Lane Boy." I love that one so much that I have a bit of a reputation for it at this point. With a catalog as extensive as theirs is, they can't be expected to play everything, but man, hearing that one live would've made the night absolutely, undeniably perfect for me. Here's hoping they'll add it back in on a future tour.

Also on the subject of their music, I couldn't help but giggle thinking that Tyler doesn't really even need to know his own lyrics because that arena full of fans was more than happy to sing every line for him. From the first notes of every song, they were READY. If anyone knows the assignment, it's T.O.P. fans. Apparently, my kids aren't the only ones who can recite their songs like the Pledge of Allegiance. This is a thing I know now.

And finally, a huge thank you to Tyler for actually telling those of us in reserved seats to sit and rest for a few songs. Not to be the old lady in the room, but I'm long past the age of wanting to stand for an entire show, in most cases preferring to sit and truly hear the music and watch what is happening on the stage - or in this case (also) in the middle of the crowd somewhere. It was a bit of a reprieve when he said that.

Eh, so maybe I'll let that "Lane Boy" thing slide after all.

[natureismynature]

if you had to assign at least 10 qsmp characters songs that fits them. what qsmp characters would you choose and which songs would it be.

(and feel free to explain your reasoning behind the choices, but you don't have to)

OOHHH FUN ASK! Thank you Anon! Now, sorry if this takes me really fuckin long to answer because I am gonna be thinking about my answers very deeply-

Foolish - Parachute by Liel Bar-Z ("I did it, I did, I jumped, I walked right off that cliff without a parachute" is SUCH a banger way to describe how qFoolish lives his life. He would just jump into situations and make brash decisions without a fallout plan JUST because he's curious about what would happen.)

Badboyhalo - Momento Mori by Fish in a Birdcage ("Momento Mori, leaves a debt. You haven't paid it yet. I never wanted to sleep" HELLO?? "My suit stayed the same, can't remember my own name, inside a timeless cage" need I explain myself???)

Jaiden - Who Am I by Besomorph ("You've given us everything and nothing at all, so why do you build us up to crumble and fall?" "I'm falling apart at the seams, I can't deny, I'm losing grip of what I knew" Just thinking about how terrible it must have felt for her when she realized she used to be part of the organization that is causing so much pain to her and her friends, yet she's still powerless... GHHH)

Baghera - Rät by Penelope Scott ("I came from scientists and atheists and white men who kill god, they make technology high quality complex physiological, experiments and sacrilege in the name of public good, they taught me everything, just like a daddy should" Thinking about Baghera thinking the Federation's her only family now... AUGHHH"

Forever - Give a Little by LeGrand ("Everyone projecting all their dreams on me, a million life plans of what they want me to be" Dude, listening to this song while thinking about Forever's story ever since he became the president? It hurts. "Just give a little, give a little, give a little, until you disintegrate")

Pac - Ship in a Bottle by fin ("You set sail alone, there is no crew. No one on deck who can help you, this is all your own battle to win, this is your ship and you are the captain" His whole story during the Happy Pills arc!! He was alone at that moment, driving his own boat, trying to save his friend and himself and everyone who could potentially be affected.)

Cellbit - Stronger by The Score ("I write truths and never fiction, my disease is what you fed, I can't stop with my ambition, like a missle on a mission, I'm a force that you will dread" Cellbit's way of dealing with the Federation, so unrelenting, never ending. They keep pushing him down and he always comes back)

Tubbo - Middle Finger by Bohnes ("So I put my middle finger up, I'm done being your slave. My generation's had enough and you should be afraid" His beef with the Federation will always be famous <3)

Roier - Pretender by AJR ("I'm a good pretender, won't you come see my show? I've got lots of problems, well, good thing nobody knows" IT'S LITERALLY HIM "Don't you think I'm clever? We laugh at all the same jokes")

Etoiles - Do What I Gotta by Naethan Apollo ("Imma do what I gotta. This city got issues, lucky for us, though, I'm a one-man armada" I don't even know enough words to express how ETOILES this song is. Just- just listen to it idgsjs)

[nevermore-selfship]

Top five songs go

OHOKAYFUCKUH-

Take me back to Eden by Sleep Token

Bullet by Hollywood Undead

Happier by Marshmello

Inertia by AJR

Welcome to the Black Parade by MCR (I WISH I could say I was joking about this one but I am LITERALLY LISTENING TO IT RIGHT NOW I'M EDGY AND EMO LEAVE ME ALONE)

[ghosts-and-blue-sweaters]

June and July? :>

favourite book

Dang I have gotten a lot of asks for this question :0 Good news is that I love books/stories so yippee!!!

The Road by Cormac McCarthy (!!! Dude. This is a hard book to read, but it’s so so good; the format, the lack of “chapters”, the way the character’s names are never revealed, the pain so real it seeps through the pages right into your soul… dang. Highly recommend)

And two fanfics :)

Apartment 238 by Snekkyfics (okayokay I’ve already talked about this one but akdgsksgkwg it is ONE OF MY VERY FAVORITES SO I WILL TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN AAAAAAAAH it’s just. Ough. Ough. Best fic best fic. BEST FICCCC!!! Literally everything about it I just love on an unbelievable level. It’s like, perfect. BEST FIC!!!)

Bummerland by Snekkyfics (IT IS SET IN THE SAME UNIVERSE AS APARTMENT 238 AAAAAAAAH HAPPINESS!!! SO MUCH HAPPINESS!!! It brought me so much joy to beta-read this and so much joy to read it on A03 and it made me smile and laugh—I actually laughed out loud that doesn’t usually happen when I read aksvaksgaj—and it made me do this face 🥺 and AAAAAAAAAH!!! Literally just- oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I love)

favourite song/band

EEEEEEEEE I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED THIS EEEEEEEE YES

Alrighty, so I have three favorite bands—I like a lot of other bands/artists but these are the Core Three—and they are, in order of when I discovered them…

1. AJR

2. Emma Hamel

3. Lovejoy

I found AJR right around the time OK Orchestra came out!! They’re just YES!!! I love their style and the things they write about and how unique they are and here are some of my favorite songs of theirs :D

Christmas in June

Wow, I’m Not Crazy

Turning Out

IN ADDITION, last year I was in the top 1% of their listeners on Spotify heck yesssssss

I discovered Emma Hamel in August-ish of 2021, and I am SO happy I did!! She’s a very small artist, but her songs are beautiful and nearly every one of them is relatable to me 😭

I’m Not Here For You was the first song I’d ever listened to that like… described anxiety in a way that felt real. I felt like this song was talking about the exact kind of anxiety I experienced (still experience at times) and it was INSANE!!! I left a long ramble-y comment and EMMA REPLIED!!! YOOOOOOO!!!

Actually, she replies to most of the comments :D She’s liked a bunch of mine!! So neat :D :D

LOVEJOYYYYYY HEYYYYYYY

I remember trying to listen to them last year, and just… not having it lol. I didn’t like the style or the way it sounded and it was very meh in my eyes.

BUT THEN!!! I listened to The Fall!!! And oh boy!!!

I very slowly started listening to more of their music, one song at a time, and well… they started to grow on me. I’m not the kind of person who enjoys/listens to rock shsgsjsgja so the fact that I like them at all is surprising XD

And now I literally like every single one of their songs 😭 Like… just all of them. What the heck.

I HAVE LISTENED TO THEM SO MUCH DUDE THEY’RE DEFINITELY GONNA BE ONE OF MY TOP ARTISTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR

Portrait of a Blank Slate is leaps and bounds their best song, in my humble opinion! My mouth dropped when I first heard it lol

I also really like Warsaw, Concrete, Perfume, You’ll Understand When You’re Older, Oh Yeah You Gonna Cry, and of course, The Fall :)

[midwesternvibes]

hi, random question, do you create playlists for specific moods or for specific genres/fictional characters etc or do you listen to music on shuffle/without any organization?

sorry this is so late to answer, I am. So low on spoons lately.

This turned into a really long ramble so read under the cut if you're interested (includes character playlists, musicals, lore drops and more!

Anyways yes! I have so many playlists, and by that I literally mean I have 64 playlists (I wish I was kidding or exaggerating). I make playlists for a lot of things, but my favorite it to make character and fic playlists! I have playlists for every character I've kinned over the past 5 years as well as any fic that's resonated with me (so basically anything by @remedyturtles)

I do them in order and on shuffle, but if I'm not listening to one if my own 64 playlists (jfc) the two artists I really love are AJR (my friends don't let me pick the music if I'm in an AJR mood) and Sleeping At Last (currently in that kick rn I love them so much)

Otherwise I am a HUGE musical theatre nerd and got Spotify premium specifically to listen to musical soundtracks in order. My absolute favorite musical is Hadestown (I get to see it on Broadway soon I'm so excited!!!) But others that often make the rounds are Falsettos (seriously it's so good everyone should listen to it and there's really good bootlegs online), Percy Jackson and the Lightning Theif (again if you haven't heard it yet, what are you even doing???), Come From Away, Beetlejuice, Six, Epic (yes I consider it a full musical already, fight me), and a bunch more! (Literally anyone talk to me about musical theatre combined with any of my Fandoms, I will go feral on you

Anyways that turned into a huge ramble lol, I am such a music nerd and I am actually working on a musical right now! (I will talk about it if asked (someone please ask))

Thanks for the ask!

[angela-feelstoomuch]

I’m a bit late, but @spruceoutoffive tagged me! (Thaaaaaanks!) Share five songs I have on repeat right now.

Full disclosure, I’m not really one to listen to a lot of music and I usually just listen to the same thing for months till i get tired or a new song appears. So, this is just 5 random songs that I remember in this precise moment of time. Also, I’m a sad bitch, so all of them are probably gonna be sad. And you def need to go listen to them all because I don't listen to much but I have excellent taste.

1) The loneliest by Maneskin.

My fav song. Nothing else to say. So pretty, so sad, so heartbreaking. Knowning that Damiano wrote it thinking about what would be left of him when he dies… Chef kiss. I love this song with all my heart.

2) Eat your young by Hozier.

It’s him. Just… him. Also TikTok.

3) Estopa (group). Any song.

They are my fav Spanish group and I literally know every single song they have. They are the soundtrack of my life and I enjoy everything they do.

4) Hellevator by Stray Kids.

Yes, I was a kpop fan. Yes, I still am sometimes. I love Stray Kids and I specially love this song. It was the first (recently turned like 5 years, I feel old) and it’s wonderful.

5) Unsaid Emily, OST from Julie and the Phantoms.

Go see the show. See the episode. Then come back and tell me how much you cried during the song. Your’re welcome.

(Also some other songs that I enjoy without any reason: 100 bad days by AJR, the entire OST of The greatest showman, Maneskin whole discography, 21 guns by Green Day)

So there’s that. Tagging: @suckerforpsychos and @big-time-schmidtster <3

[allthecastlesonclouds]

frankly i'm scared of clowns

get togethers get me down

but when you talk it's like,

wow! i'm not crazy

AJR: Wow, I'm Not Crazy 

i've just been thinking about how only jimmy, katherine, and joel are left in the empires- joel is most likely staying in mezalea, but katherine and jimmy fled knowing they'll probably not see anyone else ever again. (but what if they found each other??)

[three-gulons-in-a-trenchcoat]

We Gon' Burn The Whole House Down

words: 1.4k

[Notes: ahhhh it's finally completed! this was actually a prompt I started first, forgot about it, lost motivation, and eventually came back too heh. I am proud of this one though]

Also: I would recommend listening to this song while reading this since it's what the story, as well as the title, is based on. For mobile users, or if the link isn't working, listen to Burn the House Down by AJR thanks!

*This Story Contains Spoilers For Unlocked*

“Keefe was right, you really haven’t decorated your room much.” Sophie glanced up from where she was rubbing Iggy's belly, the small (now blue and green) fluffball letting out a whine of dissatisfaction at her retreating fingers. “I guess I’ve just never had much time to decorate,” she sighed. Tam shrugged,” I guess I can’t complain, my room at Teirgans isn’t that decorated either.” He stared at the papers framed around the room, Keefe had gotten into the habit of giving his friends old pages from his sketchbooks, insisting that they were useless to him in his quest to find memories about his mom. His gaze lingered on a drawing of Luna and Silveny, curled up in the grass together. The mama alicorns head rested on top of her baby’s, both of their eyes closed as they dozed. Currently, the two alicorns were playing in the pastures with his sister. He was sure Wynn and Greyfell were there too.

Faint chatter echoed downstairs. The collective had gathered in Havenfield for another meeting. They've been having a lot of them lately.

Ever since Keefe left.

Sophie cleared her throat, looking away from the pictures. Her body felt heavy.

Tam seemed to notice her discomfort, and he turned to her, his eyes softening, “I’m sure he's alright.” He murmured.

Sophie resumed her scratching, Iggy's grumbling purrs filling the room, “I hope so.” she whispered.

The silence stretched on for a moment before Tam cleared his throat,“ This is a bit awkward isn't it?” he asked.

Sophie looked up, “What do you mean?”

Tam huffed slightly, and Sophie noticed how he shifted in the same spot, so she patted the bed. He hesitated for a moment before sitting down.

“I mean, I know we’re friends, but….” He trailed off.

Sophie understood, “I guess I haven’t been the best at including you and Linh huh?” she said.

It felt weird, she knew Tam, and she knew they both considered each other friends but, they barely talked to each other outside of Blackswan stuff, or when all of them were hanging out together.

Tam was only up here because he asked to see Keefe's artwork.

Tam nodded, “It’s partially my fault,” he grimaced, “If I hadn't joined with the Neverse-”

“Don’t say that.” Sophie said firmly, her eyes meeting his, “We all know it wasn’t your fault.”

Sophie knew he didn’t believe her. His eyes betrayed him. Unfortunately, she knew that guilt all too well.

The silence was back, and thicker than it was before.

“Have you ever listened to music?” Sophie found herself blurting. Her face ran hot, wishing she could take the words back. Of course, he could you idiot, her mind reprimanded, his family literally does that for a living.

Tam opened his mouth.

“Human music,” Sophie added quickly.

Tams mouth closed, “No, I haven't.”

“Do you want to?” Sophie offered.

Tam cocked his head, his eyes skittered around the room, “How?” he asked dumbly.

Sophie sat up, walking over to her dresser. She crouched down, reaching into the bottom drawer. It's not like it was illegal to have human items, In fact, the collective and Councilor Terik knew she had kept some human things with her when she came to the Lost Cities, but you could never be too sure.

She withdrew, holding her iPod and some earphones, “With these.”

Tam blinked as she walked back over, sitting down and plugging the earphones into the jack. He stared at the iPod curiously as Sophie turned it on.

“It’s human obviously,” Sophie explained, tapping the screen and opening her music. She smiled softly, it had been so long since she had listened to any of her songs.

“Are they human artists?” Tam asked, peering over her shoulder to look at the screen.

Sophie nodded, “A lot of human music is stored in this app so that people can listen to it from anywhere.”

Tam's eyes flashed with understanding, and Sophie handed him an earbud. He stared at it.

Sophie giggled slightly, pointing to her ear, “In here.”

The tips of his ears turned slightly red, and he looked down, “Right.” he mumbled sheepishly, placing the earbud in his ear slowly.

Sophie scrolled to her most recent playlist (recent meaning a couple of years Ago) and clicked on her most recent play.

She had only found this band when she was bored and homesick, scrolling through her recommended.

The song started almost immediately, and Tam’s brow furrowed, trying to understand the language.

Used to keep it cool

Used to be a fool

All about the bounce in my step

“It's in a human language,” Sophie explained.

Watch it on the news

Whatcha gonna do?

I could hit refresh and forget

Trumpets started in the background, following the beat of the song, and Tam relaxed slightly, “That kinda sounds like one of the instruments my mother uses.”

Granted, Sophie could understand the lyrics just fine, but she knew Tam couldn't. Even so, he seemed to like the beat as the song progressed, and she smiled lightly when she saw his head bobbing along with the music.

She noticed the song fading slightly, and her mood lightened, she had always been a fan of beat drops in songs, especially these ones.

…..Is that right?

The trumpets sang faster as the tempo picked up, and Tam's eyebrows raised slightly.

Lose

My

Mind

The beat dropped, and Tam's mouth gaped slightly. Sophie laughed softly at his expression. She had to admit when she had first listened to it, she had a pretty similar reaction. There was something about the distant drums and the background bass that really tied the whole song together.

We gon' burn the whole house down

Tam smiled, glancing up at Sophie, “What are they saying?” He asked, and Sophie noticed his foot tapping her carpet to the rhythm as well.

Sophie quoted the lyrics as they faded out, “We gon' burn the whole house down.”

Tam snickered, “Are humans a bunch of arsonists or something?”

Sophie laughed, “Some maybe, but these lyrics have a different meaning I think.”

Tam glanced down at the iPod, which was flashing lyrics, but not in a language he could understand.

Sophie was no singer, but she did want Tam to understand the song, so without meaning too, she began to quote the song as it continued.

“…Gawking at the tricks up your sleeve,” She said it quietly, and Tam looked up

“Are those the lyrics?” He asked.

Sophie nodded, continuing, “Too good to be true, But I'm in a room, Full of entertainers and thieves, Used to let it go.”

The trumpets picked up again, and Tam must have realized that the beat was about to drop again because he followed Sophie’s words slowly.

“Woah no,” Sophie smiled, moving her head in time with the lyrics as Tam copied her.

The two had turned to face each other, with Tam slowly mouthing the lyrics (A little bit off time-wise, but Sophie didn't blame him) And Sophie nodding along.

“Way up way up we go, been up and down that road, way up way up oh no,-” Sophie started.

“We gon' burn the whole house down.” A large grin broke out on Tam’s face, and Sophie found herself smiling with him. She had never heard him sing before, and it sounded nice. His voice was smooth and drifted slowly, almost like he was whispering the words instead of singing them.

They finished the song like that, with Tam slowly learning the repeating lyrics and timing and Sophie helping him out occasionally.

The song finished loudly, with the beat dropping one last time as the riff slowly faded out.

The grin stayed on Tam's face as he glanced back at the iPod.

“That was…nice.” He murmured, and Sophie gazed at him.

“I listen to human music sometimes, when I want to remember my old home.” Sophie said, looking down at the iPod, “Dex fixed it up so it's powered by sunlight too,”

Tam nodded, and he glanced back up, looking sheepish, “Are there maybe..more songs by them?”

“AJR?” Sophie questioned.

“Is that what they're called?” Tam asked, then nodded quickly, “Yeah, them.”

Sophie smiled, clicking right below the song and opening up the band's full list, her eyes widened slightly, “There are more since I last listened to them.” She said.

“How many?” Tam asked, leaning over.

“About 60.” She murmured.

Tam shrugged, and then he smirked, “Can we listen to all of them?”

Sophie smiled back, laughing slightly, “Sure.”

[staylavendertea]

young avengers characters and relationships as songs

billy kaplan : season of the witch by donovan and mr. sandman cover by joe p, it’s fun, there’s that groove, it’s witches and it’s dreams; a total billy kaplan jamming out in his room in his boyfriends too big shirt 10 at night moment with that magical and just like ,, witchy billy vibe i can’t explain through words that i love dearly, it also just gives me a connection between him and wanda i really love, the family witches between soul mother and soul son and that bass in mr sandman for some reason screams billy

teddy altman : space girl by frances forever need i say more, that song screams smiling golden tall boy theodore in overalls and sweaters, prince charming of space deserves the song space girl, the song is soft like teddy is, all hugs and kisses, that is until “stupid boyfriend putting himself into stupid danger all the stupid time” and “why do i try he never listens” “i heard that” “sure now he listens” then it becomes all hugs, kisses, bickering with the boyfriend, and threats of mauling people, but that’s for childrens crusade and family matters arc to tell

tommy shepherd : rebels by call me karizma but also steady, as she goes by the raconteurs mostly just for that guitar and music, i heavily head canon billy as the pianist and tommy as the guitar and bass player all the way and steady, as she goes screams tommy’s kind of music, the song rebels because that boy is the biggest rebel around and i wouldn’t be surprised if he was an arsonist

eli bradley : i just wanna shine by fitz and the tantrums i honestly had a bit of a hard time finding a song that really perfectly fit eli, but i think this one really hits the spot - eli is totally the boy that’s just trying his best and live up to his and everyone else’s expectations, i think he’s actually a softie and repressed nerd that believes heavily in doing what is right and i think that this song encompasses that, i really miss eli bradley thank you for coming to my tedtalk

cassie lang : blackbird by the beatles (cover by dodie) cassie gives me total adorable and soft but such a cool person dodie vibes, but i think the song blackbird fits cassie on so many levels, especially the lyrics as growing up after losing her dad, getting and learning to control her powers, and growing as a super hero she knows her dad would be so proud of, i love every single one of the young avengers but mygod cassie

nate richards : run boy run by woodkid and something better by hidinin i feel for nate, that poor kid literally is running away and trying to kill his future because he knows it’s a bad road and honestly he’s so brave for that and it’s all thanks to nate that we got all the young avengers in the first place so credit will be payed where credit is due, nate is really just a clumsy teenager thats a total nutcase and a bit clueless without that common sense sometimes that will think a pack sour troll gummies and a bottle of gateorade is a well rounded training diet but he’s also a descendent of sue and reed richards and what’s there to expect from child geniuses

kate bishop : love club by lorde and ribs by lorde i kinda just stumbled upon these honestly forgotten songs in my playlist and was pleasantly surprised how perfectly kate bishop these songs are, the lyrics most likely mean something else but i see the love club as the young avengers and “go get punched for the love club” just sounds like a kate bishop thing to say, these songs give me vibes of kate bishop in a rolled sleeves black and purple flannel and black jean shorts with scuffs and bandaids on her elbows and knees, probably also a developing black eye and bloody nose but lookin badass per usual

david alleyne : karma by ajr i picked this one for david because the second i heard it david was immediately the person i thought of when listening to it, i haven’t read many comics with david in them, i’m searching tho, but i am reading the current x factor and david just goes through a lot poor dude just wants to learn and help with what he can and i love him every moment for it

america chavez : a good song never dies by saint motel and dead girl in the pool by girl in red i honestly don’t know much about america besides some basic background stuff and some her character and personality since i haven’t been able to get my hands on some ya v2 issues besides what i’ve seen online but what i have seen of her i already love her and know she is so badass and a bit chaotic but in the best way possible from the little i do know about america’s character i think these songs just fits both the vibes of how she presents and holds herself but also her personality, america is a good song that just never dies are vibes i will happily live with

loki : run the world!!! by dayglow i haven’t really read much of loki in the comics, the versions of them i know the best being the actual norse myth god and movie loki and i know how the movies can be with their comic book characters, but from what ive heard about kid and teenager loki is that they’re a little punk and this song seems to just fit that perfectly

jonas : growing pains by coin i honestly didn’t know that there was more to jonas besides ya v1 and childrens crusade but now i’m intrigued, but this song just speaks jonas to me who i was also calling judas for like ten minutes without realizing i had a totally wrong name, but from what i read and his whole thing with cass, i think growing pains very much fits a mr. jonas

now for the relationships/ships - this post is so long i am so sorry for all the reading but i’m having fun -

david and tommy : affection by between friends im not even sure completely why but the music just screams david and tommy’s vibes, especially how tommy is usually head canonized in relationships, *chiefs kiss* of a song

nate and cassie and jonas : in the middle by dodie this song is literally the three of them, like perfectly, the lyrics fit to a t and it’s literal perfection for them

billy and teddy : pleaser by wallows for how much i love them i surprisingly had a hard time finding a song for them, i know at one time i heard and had a song that was perfect but i can’t remember it all, but i think pleaser fits just as nice, it fits their personalities and the music itself is the vibe they give off to me : imma make an edit from this post previously cause i’ve been thinking about and i would like to add the song leaves by joe p cause it just fits too well, especially when looking at billyteddy fan art whilst listening to it, it’s too good : HI THIS ANOTHER EDIT IMSORRY but it literally took weeks to remember but now i remember what the original song for them i had picked - electric love by borns - it also gives me billy lightning powers vibes and i do adore some billy lightning powers, i think it would be so cool to see them mixed in with his reality warping ones

eli and nate : talk too much by coin honestly it’s them, it’s a vibe they both argue and to each other, talk way too much, i’m calling it they kissed like at least once just to see how that would go - probably arguing who was the better boyfriend when they were both single

eli and kate : falling for u by peachy! and mxmtoon this song is very eli and kate for me, especially the beginning of their relationship not relationship, was that ever really established what was happening there ?? but this song fits perfectly amongst the bickering and racking numbers of how many times they’ve saved each other’s asses

kate and america : given it all by hayley kiyoko and midnight love by girl in red i love this ship and i have no idea if there was ever a thing happening between them or if it was pure fandom but it’s amazing and i love it, hayley kiyoko and girl in red is an of course and i think these songs speak them

- now just the young avengers as a group -

leaves by joe p a song that is totally just a hang out and drive all around all night as teenagers without a care in the world song and can totally see the gang jamming out to it

hey barbara by IV of spades this song literally speaks “hey did you watch that one beach episode” sunny and everyone vibing and hanging out, i can totally imagine tommy trying to get david to dance this and the attempts made is hilarious

teenagers and na na na by my chemical romance now last but certainly not least mcr because of course mcr, these kids can definitely be punks when they wanna be, especially when they’re mutant/alien/super hero teenagers that will literally do what they see fit, all in good manners of course

whhoooopp this was a lot longer than what i was initially expecting to make but after a few hours of song surfing and trying to make tumblr typing fonts work with me we’re finally here, this was just something fun for me since i associate music with everyone, but if you’ve read this far and wanna mention a song you think fits, totally put it out there, share the music !!

[medium-kat07]

okay back with another

Break My Face by AJR for Quackity? :)) just the vibes

I am incapable of listening to it, but I LOVE AJR, and I looked up the lyrics

"What doesn't kill you makes you ugly; Life gives you lemons, at least it gave you something" "Your tongue fell out, It's right there on the ground. But now, you'll never drown. You can't, you got no mouth." "Are your eyes okay? They rolled away, right down the interstate. But at least you can't cry today, so it ain't all bad now"

Okay yes. Quackity vibes. The whole theme of the song is some morbid mix of the ideas "Cherish life while it's here," and "Life is useless." It's like he's saying that Life is going to spit in your face, but spit can't hurt you, so just keep moving and endure. Which is SUCH a c!quackity thing. He's been through a lot, and he doesn't expect a break any time soon, but that isn't going to stop him from fighting others, and it definitely won't make him change himself.

The chorus, "So if I break my face, and I don't look so great, My face is just my face. Okay! So if I break my face, it ain't my darkest day, My face is just my face. I'm okay." Reminds me a bit of the fact that Techno ripped up quackity's face with a pickaxe after Techno escaped execution. Quackity has a scar across his eye and down to the edge of his lip from this. He always carries that scar with him, and it probably reminds him of his failure to trap a man who was significantly less geared up. (Although it wasn't his fault, Techno is literally the blood god, Quackity couldn't have beat him in any situation.) It's not his worst failure, or his worst memory, but he still might get anger from it, since it's just a symbol of his inability to carry himself correctly (Which ISN'T TRUE, that's just how he SEES IT.) This entire idea is also reflected in the line "What doesn't kill you makes you ugly." Which is true in a physical AND metaphorical sense. When a man dies in battle, people respect his name. If he comes out alive but still the loser of the fight, they call him a coward and a loser. (Or that is how quackity understands it.) If a fight doesn't kill you, but you still lose, people see you as metaphorically Ugly. A coward, someone who couldn't just finish a fight. (Which is just an awful idea, nobody should ever be forced to die if they have a chance to live, nobody is a coward for valuing life over honor.)

Lumi forgot to sign it, but this was an amazing ask from Lumineer Anon!! My favorite and only anon!!

[creative-oasis]

So like I know this has been a upcoming thing but I wondered if anyone else considered or coined this before.

Recently AJR came out with their new album "Ok Orchestra" and let me tell you it is a-mazing. But I had a thought, there has been a surge of things I like to call "existential pop" this included artists like AJR, Melanie Martinez, Jon Bellion just to name a few. (I could be totally wrong but) The reason I started noticing this is because these artists tackle topics that aren't just oh yah know "relationships, sex, drugs, and being rich" and a lot of the common tropes of a lot of pop songs. Now don't get me wrong, they are definitely mentioned but its done in a way that flips the script. For example Melainie Matienez covers relationships in her song "Highschool Sweetheart" but it isn't about "oh yes I have to follow all these gender defined roles in a relationship" its a song about her having standards for what she wants from a relationship and how she wants certain things ou t of that relationship and she's not going to just settle (which is what, honestly, a lot off people all over the gender spectrum are forced to do because they don't think they have a choice to do anything else.) Now a lot of people thought she was being demanding and unfair, but when you think of it all people are entitled to want specific things out of a relationship and to have their needs met while also being equals. Now Melanie Martinez since she started making content has broken a lot of preconceived song rules, from talking about tough topics of life in school in k-12 to talking about dysfunction in families and relationship in Crybaby. But thats a tangent. What i wanted to talk about was AJR because I can't help but think that this trend of basically having an existential crisis in song form is what AJR is now being immortalized as. In my opinion.

First off, the entire album is a massive hit and people can fight me on that (though I don't see anyone fighting) Second I wanted to mention a a handful of songs that just stand out and those songs are (but who am I kidding the whole album is fanstatic). I'll go in order of the album

"3 o'clock Things" by AJR is a this sort of collage of thoughts and questions that people realize that they have to keep hidden to stay in favor with the people around them from the bullshit of capitalism, to the truth that not everyone is great at sex and how thats a standard people are judged on so people fabricate or omit things to stay "positively veiwed" to the hot button idea that the American government is rigged and how people and artists are forced to keep quiet about their beliefs because of their ratings whether it be about race, religion, sexuality etc. (Those last two are not mentioned but implied as they are factors that can change someone's idea of you). The chorus "would you go running if you saw the real me. Maybe you'd love him , yeah, maybe you'd feel me. But I'll never ask you cause that super scary. Sorry to bail its already 3 o'clock, its too hard to tell if anything real or not" Sums up the gist of the feelings behind the song

"The Trick" by AJR, this song i relate to so much, the idea of lying to make yourself something you aren't ashamed of and to maybe start knew or just impress or relate to others. The idea that as the song states that one can't have full access to the life or emotional well being of the other because someone has set up their own pitfalls by trying to be authentic and how "oh my god [we're] screwed". I love how its realistic and understandable make song about the fact that you can lie about your life to find relationships but the truth is its not going to come without traps.

"Humpty Dumpty" by AJR, and entire song about repressing emotions and hiding true feelings because we want to give people "the best me" and how that only makes things more fragile and broken. Depression and numbness only be BROKEN up by panic attacks and anger or at least intense emotions. as any therapist will tell you repressing emotions just makes it so much worse in the long run. There isn't a full resolution at the end. I mean part the chorus is literally "humpty dumpy went downn He said screw it imma smile right through it and scream when no ones around" if that tells you anything.

"World's Smallest Violin" by AJR. (Not gonna lie this song is the whole reason I wanted to make this post.) I mean a song about comparing the past struggles of people in your life to yourself and how you as a person feel like utter shit that other people have "worse problems" and that we as people just want to feel validated and are looking for people to make us feel normal. Also its catchy as fuck so yeah!

And of course,

"Way Less Sad" by AJR which came out a little before the album came out but became a huge favorite, its kinda really similar and almost a follow up to "World's Smallest Violin " and happens to be right after, but the whole idea of settling for way less sad because your sadness isn't as bad as what it used to be and setting your bar lower and lower is....a big fucking mood but honestly if you relate to the line "but I'm not dead yet so I guess I'll be alright" then definitely check it out

To be honest I side tracked from what I originally made this post about essentially I think artists should be bold and break the mold of music and if like...."existential pop" is a fair name to call these artist or if you think it should be called something else then let me know because I'd love to know what to fucking call it.

Was a this a shameless attempt to get people to listen to AJR? Yes. Do I want people to listen to AJR? Yes. Am I looking for more existential pop artist? Yes.

So uh......yeah

[bookwyrminspiration]

Hi, so anyway you are good at fleshing out things, so could you explain how the record player song fits sophie?

oh, thank you so much! I do try to be thorough in all the asks I answer, mostly to overcompensate because I often think I've not properly explained myself, but that's very nice of you to say ahh <33

there are currently two version of the record player song out that I know of, both the original from 2014 and the one that was recently released in collaboration with AJR in august of this year, so i'll focus mainly on the original one but i'll likely touch on the AJR one a little too!

original:

so we start of this song and one of the very first lyrics that jumps out to me is "i pretend I scraped them climbing in the trees," and specifically the use of the word pretend. The whole vibe of that line is this sense of disbelief and creating a life more interesting and full of life than your own, instead of having the smooth skin you have now, you are marked with the tales of your adventures and the mistakes you've made and this event that you have experienced because you're the kind of person who would climb about messily in the trees. relating this to sophie, it reminds me of her childhood filled with books just like ours, the ways she probably imagined herself just like those characters, leading a life much bigger and more grandiose than the one where she couldn't control anything and everyday hurt.

this next line follows immediately after: "sometimes all I think i'm ever doing is / trying to convince myself I'm alive," but despite it's placement I find it to connect best to a much later point in her life, when her parents had been taken. she went through a kind of numb period, not reacting to things and moving through life like a zombie. she needed to convince everyone else around her she was fine (she was not), but she also needed to convince herself that things would be okay and to get herself out of that rut and come back into her own body, to come back to life in a sense. we could also relate this to a more pervasive theme of not belonging to herself, not really being her own person. being someone else's creation gives her life meaning to them, but she needs to learn for herself and remind herself that she's a person outside of them and that she can make her own choices.

and then all of verse two gives me sophie vibes, so I'll try to be brief about this and just highlight a few lines. "someone look me up and define me" feels like her relationship to the Black Swan, how there was always a label with a meaning that she never fully knows. she knows that people have expectations for her, like a definition of who they want her to be, but she doesn't know what that is. there's a set path for her, whether she chooses to follow it or not won't change the fact it exists. then "I'm always winning the wrong game" feels like her attitude towards their fight with the Neverseen, how their victories always feel like they've lost more than they gained, that their enemies are still just a step too far ahead of them. she never seems satisfied with their progress aside from a brief relief that everyone is alive (for now), just thinking of the next thing to do to try and find that right game to end things. there are more lines like "I don't remember my real name" and "please remind me who I'm supposed to be around you" that I can also relate to her, but i don't want this to get too long and I haven't gotten to the other song yet so!! moving on!!

Collaboration with AJR:

this song has a lot of the original lyrics, but a few new verses that i'll draw from. the line "I spent forever with my feet on the ground / but not now" reminds me of her shift in Unlocked, which I think I've discussed at least a little before. the way she's taking off and taking back her individuality, at least partially. she's been stuck staring at these goals way above her head (defeating the neverseen) and finally changed her approach and her feet are leaving the ground, finally bringing her closer. this isn't the exact context of the original song, but the words themselves I've reinterpreted their meaning in a way that better fits her.

the line "guess I gotta go and get famous for doing nothin'" reminds me of the thing I talked about with her not being satisfied with her progress. she's so well known, literally across the entire elven world and in exiliium, yet her goal hasn't been achieved. she hasn't done what she wanted yet. all this attention and nothing has even happened in her eyes. there's that resigned attitude too, just this acceptance that this is how things are right now so she has to deal with it as she works towards that thing she wants.

i'll round this off with "can you see it in my eyes? am I finally awake?" which I also relate to the ending of Unlocked. in the way she has taken off, she has also woken up. she saw a lot of people she trusted in a new light very suddenly, leaving her questioning those people and their relations and their dedication. for a lot of us I know it was like a breath of fresh air to see her stand up for herself like that, like she was finally coming into herself and taking control of her actions and her life, like she was finally awake.

there are so many more lines I could relate to her, these are just a few that stood out the most!! both versions of the song fit her so well, so thank you for the suggestion!! it was also nice to get to read through the lyrics because I've listened to the songs countless times and somehow still didn't know what they said

I am running out of time but!! excellent song choice!!

[katierosefun]

Helloo friend!! I was wondering do you have any song recs that made you cry or come close to tears whether because of the lyrics or melody or something else?? Bonus points if it's platonic 👀🥰

helllloo, ann! funny you ask, because why yes, i do have some songs that make me cry / come close to tears because of the lyrics / melody! so a brief list of some songs that have been really hitting hard for some reason:

we made it. by david hugo: 

tbh this could be romantic or platonic or like? also in some interpretations, i can almost see this as a letter to oneself. but anyways, the refrain just makes me happy / gives me coming-of-age movie vibes, and just....god, the lyrics “you thought that you’d never be enough / thank god that he didn’t take you / it’s hard, but each breath’s a breakthrough” just makes me :’)) (and then “time heals if you let it / feel pain and then forget it / it’ll get easier”....no shut up i’ve been crying about this song for the last few weeks now.) 

my play by ajr: 

i’ve been listening to this song......a lot these days for.....a fic i’m writing, but anyways, it’s just one of those songs where you’re like “huh this is odd, how specific to sing about putting on a play for your parents when you’re a kid” to “oh god oh no i’m crying oh no”. it’s such a gut-wrencher, and i think ajr just went super raw with this song? you realize quickly that this song is mostly about divorce and also like. this desperate feeling of just. wanting your life to be the same and also not being too trusting of love because “if love dies, why do we fucking bother?”, and all of it just......stems from everything’s complicated and love is complicated and from a child’s point of view, you just. want your parents to be together. my own parents aren’t divorced, but i think this song can really, really speak to anyone who has ever felt desperate in trying to hold people together / being scared of love / etc. it’s just. god. such a gut-puncher. 

find something good in iowa to believe in by anton sanko [from the half of it movie soundtrack]:

this piece doesn’t have any lyrics--it’s just instrumental, but i feel both so full and so empty whenever i’m listening to it, if that makes sense? maybe because i’m just thinking of the movie and the scene that plays with this piece. it’s just a lovely piece in general. really gentle. will remind you of new beginnings and the autumn wind and leaving your hometown for a new chapter. 

sparkle by radwimp [from your name movie soundtrack]: so this song is mostly just piano, but also japanese lyrics. now, i don’t know japanese, but i watched this movie, and it’s beautiful, but also? also i just love this piece because i actually heard it before watching the movie. the movie’s rather romantic, but like. anyways. the melody alone will fill you with hope and just. :’))) it’s nine minutes long, but it’s a wonderful nine minutes. 

this is kind of a wild card, but the second star to the right by jonatha brooke [from peter pan: return to neverland movie soundtrack]: has been a song that i’ve been listening to a bit. lol so when i was little, i actually watched the second peter pan movie before the first one, so that’s probably why this movie is closer to my heart, and like. this song just. is very nostalgic, but i think more than that, i think it just. makes me come super close to tears because the whole premise of this movie is about a girl who’s trying to grow up really fast, but like. you know. she’s still a kid, and stories about fairies shouldn’t be something she feels like she needs to leave behind. lol i wonder why this song hits so hard! :D

remember your smile by haze moon: haha. ha. you want to cry? this song will make you cry because there’s literally someone crying in this song. tbh, this could kind of be seen as a romantic or platonic song, because it’s just. it’s just about missing someone a lot. also, the sound of rain plays over this song, so it’s like. one of those songs that you listen to while curled up in bed at 2 am because suddenly you really miss someone you hadn’t thought about in a while. 

sky in the sea by haze moon, isowys: bro. i’ve been thinking about this song a lot lately. it’s mostly just about like. getting better and healing after something that really hurt you and it’s just. bro. you know that scene in any book / movie / tv show where the protagonist slowly gets up from the floor / the ground, and they’ve been beaten over and over and over again and they might be exhausted and tired, but like. they still get up? and they look at their antagonist / villain and the music swells because look at the beauty in standing up and marching forward and refusing to kneel over again? bro. this is the song that i think you’d want playing in the background as a character marches forward just because there’s this rhythm to this song that both makes you feel here and not, and it’s so beautiful. 

anyways lol sorry for the long list, but....yes, as you can tell........there are many songs. that have been making me almost cry / actually cry because they’re so. good.

[clumsyclifford]

7, 11, 15, 30, & 40 for your music asks? -megs 💙

hiiii we should really both go to bed huh

7. a song you love in a time signature that isn’t 4/4: livin' on love by ajr, which switches between 4/4 and 3/4 very seamlessly, san francisco by the driver era which switches between 4/4 and 7/4, which is arguably even sexier. lastly ill say our time to go by state champs which is in 6/8 i believe? and is just a fuckin tune.

11. a song with a tasty guitar solo: mmm i shouldve known you would ask me this. fun fact, i don't actually have a playlist for this! partially because i think i misjudge what actually counts as a guitar solo. for that reason i am going to play it safe and go with jasey rae by all time low, which i know you know, but which undeniably has a SEXY guitar solo. looking at your playlist for it and you don't have jasey rae on there which is unfortunate however you do have carry on wayward son which would be a great answer to both this question and the next one but it's also a cop out answer so i'm not giving it but just know that i fucking love that song

15. a song from the 80s: damn this has made me realize fields of gold isn't actually an 80s song. feels like it should be. at any rate i'll say i'm on fire by bruce springsteen. one time i was driving with my mom and we found the born in the usa CD in our car and so we listened to the whole thing and i'm on fire was the only song that stuck with me it was so pretty. one more: it's still rock and roll to me by billy joel just for a song that completely slaps

30. a song for when you hate men: well right now i really just wanna say soulmate by lizzo! omg wait i have another one because i was singing it earlier and i couldn't remember how it goes: gaslighter by the chicks.

40. a song you just really wanna talk about: damn yall are gonna wring me out!! ok well my next answer is EVERYBODYDIES by the band camino from their brand spankin' new self-titled debut album. one of those songs that sunk its teeth in on my first listen which is always a good feeling. there is literally not a single lyric that doesn't resonate with me. "damned if i win, damned if i choke" ???!?!?! "blame it on me, blame it on god" fuck!!! THE WHOLE CHORUS?? "i don't know how many more i got but i'll be waiting for forever if i'm waiting for a better day" HELLO!!! who is writing this shit!!!!!!!!! and the fucking song metaphor in the second verse!!!! yeah i need to be having words with mr. band camino because he can't just be dropping that shit for me to listen to without warning

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