Let’s make book playlists a thing, shall we?
I’ll start.
I combed through my humble music collection and tried to find the perfect match for the theme and mood of each chapter from my book, Cure for the Common Universe. I listened to the final product, and it sounded . . . well, not-so smooth. So I trimmed and preened and swapped and replaced, and I think I’ve curated something quite listenable that will complement the book handsome- and/or beautifully.
There’s some St. Vincent in there. There’s also some Andrew Bird, of Montreal, Elvis Presley, Dan Deacon, mr. Gnome, Father John Misty, and of course, of course, a handful of iconic songs from video games.
I’ve made each song theme-appropriate and provided a relatively spoiler-free, Winnie-the-Poohish synopsis for each chapter as well as notable lyrics from each song, in case you’re wondering why in the hell I selected it.
I hope this playlist treats you well. No, wait, more. I hope these songs place your heart in a tiny ship and then sail it high above the clouds, beyond the lightning and the rainbows and the atmospheric pressure, and I hope it wins every battle fought along the way.
“Nah nah . . .”
-CMH
1. ENTER PLAYER NAME
In which Jaxon meets a girl at a car wash
and seriously considers getting waxed
Song: “Katamari Nah-Nah” from the Katamari Damacy soundtrack
Notable lyric: “Nah-nah”
2. LOADING . . .
In which everything hangs on a video game debate
Song: “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt” by Owen Pallett
Notable lyric: “I’m never gonna give it to you.”
3. TUTORIAL
In which Jaxon arrives in the desert
and gains a new name
Song: “Crying in the Chapel” by Elvis Presley
Notable lyric: “I’ve searched and I’ve searched, but I couldn’t find . . . the way to gain a piece of mind.”
4. GUILDS
In which Miles Prower is Guilded
Song: “Katamari on the Rocks” from the Katamari Damacy soundtrack
Notable lyric: “Choo choo choochoo choo choo choochoo choo choo choo choochoo”
5. NPCs
In which Miles meets his hero, his minion, his arch nemesis, his future love interest,
and Zxzord
Song: “Feel the Lightning” – Dan Deacon
Notable lyric: “Can you feel the lightning covering your skin; it’s a nightmare; ’cause you’re on fire.”
6. SAVE POINT
In which Miles learns there’s only one way to escape V-hab
Song: “Good Night” from the Final Fantasy VI soundtrack
Notable lyric: Sleeeeeeeeeeeepy
7. PRESS START
In which the game begins and Miles adopts an egg
Song: “Run for Cover” by mr. Gnome
Notable lyric: “Greed is here. Greed is here.”
8. RAGDOLL PHYSICS
In which . . . sports
Song: “Bit of Tongue” – mr. Gnome
Notable lyric: “Wanna piece? Here’s one; piece, here’s one; Wanna piece? Here’s one; Wanna piece of it”
9. HIT POINTS
In which the Nest grows dark
and Fezzik tells some scary stories
Song: “Heimdalsgate like a Promethean Curse” by of Montreal
Notable lyric: “C’mon, chemicals!”
10. CHEATS
In which Miles takes a shower
and someone very special is smashed to death
Song: “Digital Witness” – St. Vincent
Notable lyric: “People turn the TV on; it looks just like a window; yeah”
11. PUZZLER
In which Miles masters the art of levitation
and Soup tries to remember ALL the swears
Song: “Lights Out” by Angel Olsen
Notable lyric: “Some days all you need is one good thought strong in your mind.”
12. CURAGA
In which Fezzik tries to cure everything
and Aurora tells a story about her toe
Song: “Orpheo Looks Back” – Andrew Bird
Notable lyric: “You must cross the muddy river; where love turns to, love turns to fear.”
13. WORLD MAP
In which Miles learns about astronomy and astrology
and Dr. Mario makes an appearance
Song: “Far Horizons” from the Skyrim soundtrack
Notable lyrics: preeeeeeeetty
14. 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
In which things get fast and ugly
and Miles is visited by the ghost of gaming past
Song: “Rise and Shine” by mr. Gnome
Notable lyric: “We ain’t got much to fear”
15. ACHIEVEMENTS
In which Miles loses his armor
and Soup shows off his handiwork
Song: “Orpheo” – Andrew Bird
Notable lyric: “They say you don’t look; ’cause it’ll probably disappear”
16. LOW HEALTH
In which Miles eats a doughnut in the Fairy Fountain
and Fezzik gets romantic
Song: “Dearly Beloved” by Kingdom Hearts
Notable lyric: Looooooooovelyyyyyyyyyy
17. SIDE QUEST
In which Golden Points become a thing
and Miles gets his love handle pinched
Song: “Petroleum Tinged” – James Blake
Notable lyric: Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerie
18. PvP
In which the Grouchy Burds utilize their shapes
and Aurora dies theatrically
Song: “I Want to be Well” by Sufjan Stevens
Notable lyric: “Endless lights prey upon the lonely, prey upon the lonely”
19. GAME OVER
In which Miles is denied a second high five
and makes a terrible mistake
Song: “An Ideal Husband” by Father John Misty
Notable lyric: “WOULDN’T I MAKE AN IDEAL HUSBAND?!”
20. EVIL ALIGNMENT
In which an epic battle is fought in a circle of chairs
Song: “Come to Your Senses” by Panda Bear
Notable lyric: “Are you mad? Yeah, I’m mad.”
21. CONTINUE?
In which Miles lays in his bunk bed
and feels the universe expand
Song: “No Conclusion” – of Montreal
Notable lyric: “Tonight I feel like I should just destroy myself.”
22. HEART PIECE
In which there is toast and horchata
and Miles comes to an obvious revelation
Song: “Ya Hey” by Vampire Weekend
Notable lyric: “Oh, the motherland don’t love you; the fatherland don’t love you; so why love anything?”
23. EXTRA LIFE
In which Miles gets lucky
but not that lucky
Song: “Lucky 1” by Avey Tare
Notable lyric: “Die in a bed of shade; today you’re like the lucky one.”
24. FALLING THROUGH THE WORLD
In which the Grouchy Burds set off in search of their lost pet
and Miles Prower becomes Jaxon again
Song: “Nascence” from the Journey soundtrack
Notable lyric: Looooooooonely
25. FLIGHT PATH
In which Jaxon traverses the infinite sandbox
Song: “Get Older” by Dan Deacon
Notable lyric: “This is the day; of the expanding man”
26. HARD MODE
In which Jaxon has an unexpected date
and Soup evolves
Song: “The New Saint Jude” Andrew Bird
Notable lyric: “Ever since I gave up hope I’ve been feeling so much better . . .”