Soundtracks and Inspiration
All I Want is You. (U2, Rattle and Hum)
If Hal and Jakob had a theme song, this would be it. That wailing Bono does in verse two? You’ll get a scene in Book Two of Hal at his father’s bedside, and that’s exactly the sound his heart is making. “All I want is you”, indeed.
Carry No Thing (SYML, Nobody Lives Here)
Did I pick this up from the Maxton Hall soundtrack? Yes, yes I did. But I have no shame, and it’s a gorgeous song and a gorgeous band, and their idea of it being an apocalyptic love song about love transcending global collapse is very 1939. “I will carry no thing but my love for you” is pretty much how Jakob is feeling, walking down the road away from the cottage on his way to war. (Well, nothing but his love for Hal and a very large and shiny order of Chivlary…)
Fire (Lojo Russo, No Scars No Stories)
Lojo Russo is an amazing local folk singer in the Twin Cities that I've been following since I was a teenager working at the Ren Faire and this song - written, she'd want me to point out, by the also amazing Michael Matheny - has been making me ache just as long. The idea of Fire and water was fundamental to how I was thinking about Jakob and Hal's characters as I was working on this book.
World Leader Pretend (REM, Green)
REM’s Automatic For the People came out the summer between middle and high school, and changed my life, so I’ve been a fan for like, forever. When I was trying to get a sense of who Hal was, I kept coming back to snippets of lyrics from this song. Especially the bridge:
This is my world and I am world leader pretend
This is my life and this is my time
I have been given the freedom to do as I see fit
It's high time I razed the walls that I've constructed
That’s like, Hal’s entire story arc – Michael Stipe can do in four lines what it takes me three books and 350,000 words to achieve. That, my friends, is the genius of pop music.
If I were Free (Jesse Winchester, Humor Me)
The gorgeous violin, and his voice when he says “I would chain myself to you, I would never leave this room if I were free.” That’s 100% our poor sweet Prince Hal.
Temporary Love (Ben Platt, Sing to Me Instead)
This one? Is a Jakob song. Specifically, Jakob in the armory, literally every time. Jakob knows before Hal does (at least consciously) that this is forever for him.
WILD (Troye Sivan, Blue Neighborhood)
This song perfectly gets the feelings that both boys are having after their moment at the ball (and in the Hay loft afterwards) but before they have their first serious talk in the armory. I know the artist has said it’s about coming home from meeting someone at the club, but I also feel like you get the same feelings sneaking around and milking your crush’s family cows just for the chance to spend a few quiet minutes together necking in the barn.
Kings & Queens (Ava Max, Heaven & Hell)
Queen Margreta's theme song – this was the fuel for every evil thing she does in all three books. I’d put this song on and like, go for it.
Sanger Fran Forut (GAMMAL, No Album)
One of the greatest gifts of writing this book is my deep love for Swedish pop and this song is my absolute fav. No translation, since the one done by Chotii at LyricsTranslate is awesome. But tell me these lines aren’t exactly about Prince Hal, at the beginning of the book?
he has nothing but he's the king of sand
19 years old with eyes as clear as glass
he carried the galaxy around his neck
Shelter from the Storm (Bob Dylan, Blood on the Tracks)
If Queen Margreta gets a theme song, it seemed only fair that Sarah Eliasberg get one too. This is exactly what she provides, for both our boys. <3 Jewish mamas always know.
Fall for You (Hogland and William Segerdahl, Fall For You)
Our boys spend so little time, especially in the first book, just getting to be happy with one another. But for those moments that they do get, this is the song that captures all those moments of butterflies and infinite possibility.
I will Never Be The Same (Melissa Ethridge, Yes I Am)
This is another song about their last moments together at the end of The Broken Dawn. No, neither one of them will ever be the same. They’ll be better… but they don’t know that yet.
I Won’t Let You Go (James Morrison, The Awakening)
I am pretty sure that if James Morrison released a track that was him singing his grocery list, I’d still listen to it to death. (His, mine, the universe’s… not picky.) His voice gives me all the happy ASMR tingles and makes me smile. And the message of this song is Hal and Jakob, the whole way through.