Playlists

Popping my head briefly out of the Editing Cave to talk a bit about playlists. Now, when I was writing The Untied Kingdom, music became almost like a character in its own right. Eve is constantly singing, playing the guitar and the piano to entertain the others and communicate her feelings, and her repertoire goes from Beethoven to Sheryl Crow.

In Run Rabbit Run, there aren't any musicians, but music still plays a part. Sophie has musical tastes and references just like anyone else, and like most people she plays music to reflect her mood and emotions. Referenced in the book are Crowded House, Dire Straits, and Skunk Anansie, but my own playlist for the book is considerably longer. Until I work out how to link to my Spotify playlist for Run Rabbit Run, I'll give you the edited highlights.

Run Rabbit Run: the sleeve notes

The Research: When You Get Home
Starting with something so left-field it's practically in the parking lot, this is what I imagine for the opening credits of the movie (allow me my fantasies, all right?). "Yesterday I was in shock, today I'm solid as a rock." The Research have a sound you can only describe as quirky, but it really grows on you.

Sheryl Crow: Safe and Sound
"I don't want to be lonely, I don't want to be scared," pretty much sums up Sophie's attitude in this book. But wanting and getting are two different things.

Train: About to Come Alive
"Don't give up on me, I'm about to come alive." Originally I thought this was Sophie's song, with the line, "No one thought I was good enough for you, except for you." But it's not, it's Luke's song. He's the one who's about to come alive, thanks to Sophie.

KT Tunstall: Other Side of the World
Luke and Sophie seem to spend a lot of time on different continents, and both constantly worry "Can you still love me when you can't see me any more?" This song also soundtracked a deleted scene at the end of Still Waters, when Sophie sees Luke off at the airport. This actually happened to me, when I said goodbye to a good friend who lives on the other side of the world, and when I got back in the car, this song was playing. Not ashamed to say I cried a bit!

Nerina Pallot: If I Know You
There's a line in this song which epitomises how Luke feels about Sophie, and how he's always felt about her even before he falls in love: "If I know you, you'll swim; you could never drown if someone pushed you in," followed by the so-Sophie-it's-unreal: "And if I know you, there'll be something that you'll do nobody else would even contemplate, it's true." That's our Sophie.

Razorlight: America
A large chunk of this book takes place in America and in fact I wrote some of the final scenes to this song. "There's panic in America, she's lost in America," which is really Luke's view of a situation he can't control or help.

Dire Straits: On Every Street
I indulged myself with a Noir-ish pastiche in this book, which is actually soundtracked (via the jukebox in the bar where Sophie's feeling sorry for herself) by Dire Straits' Brothers In Arms album. This is the title track from a later album, but it fits the mood perfectly with its depiction of a not-quite-so blameless ladykiller: "Says, 'What can I tell you as I'm standing next to you? She threw herself under my wheels. It's a dangerous road, and a hazardous load...'"

There are other songs that fit in, such as The Fray's How To Save A Life and Crowded House's Into Temptation, but if I gave you the notes on those I'd be guilty of spoilers, sweetie.

Do you write to a soundtrack? What would you consider Sophie's theme tune to be?