Noah Kahan's album, "Stick Season," has been on loop for the past week. One of my favorite things to do is connect songs to my favorite characters, and "Stick Season" just happened to be the perfect album for that! While not all of the songs match the characteristics or story arcs perfectly, there are lines and the overall musicality that connect the two.
Without further ado, here are 8 characters paired with 8 songs off the album.
#1 New Perspective - Connell Waldron from Normal People
The relationship between Connell and Marianne is complex. Scared of losing his friends for dating the school's oddball, Connell insists they keep their relationship a secret while in the small fictional Irish town, Carricklea. It's not ideal for either of them, but the reader sees that out of the two, Connell receives a "better deal" as he practically controls the minute details of the relationship. It isn't until they leave for college at Trinity University that the roles are reversed.
It's evident that Marianne has always been far bigger than her suffocating town. When she starts over at Trinity, she's finally allowed to be unapologetically herself. This doesn't come without hardships and traumas of its own, but for the first time in the book, she holds the reigns of hers and Connell's relationship. She's changed, gaining a new perspective about the world and life and love while Connell, who also attends the university, struggles to balance his new world with the old.
Besides the lines included above, there's another one that perfectly sums up how Connell is feeling:
"Gave me your word and now I can't pronounce it."
Where he once felt superior, Connell now feels inferior to Marianne and the progress she's made. On the one hand, he's glad to see her flourish. But he's also insecure and knows they continue to be from different worlds, even if it's now reversed.
#2 Everything, Everywhere - Laurie Lawrence from Little Women
Ah yes, the famous and widely debated relationship between Laurie and Jo. Some say they should've ended up together, others are adamant, like Jo, that they'd never work. When I was younger, I was appalled he wound up going for Amy but the more I've a.) read why Alcott chose to do so and b.) examined the story, the more I realize they never would've worked. Laurie's love for Jo was nothing short of authentic, but I do think to some extent, he was more in love with the idea of her than reality.
Laurie and Jo are foil characters. Jo, the woman, takes on traditional masculine qualities while Laurie, the man, takes on the feminine traits. In theory, this means they should balance each other. But, it also means that by marrying each other, they'll lose their identities and be forced to fill the intended societal roles – Jo a feminine housewife and Laurie a masculine breadwinner. It's a scenario that doesn't work for either of them and makes understanding why they don't belong together simpler.
But that doesn't mean the proposal scene isn't utterly gut-wrenching. This song transports me to that scene, where Laurie is promising to love Jo until the end of time. She denies him, something he isn't truly prepared for, and their entire childhood collapses in front of them. The memories and deep relationship from their younger years is now tainted by the reality of growing up.
#3 Strawberry Wine - Camilla Macaulay from The Secret History
When I said not all the songs fit perfectly, I didn't mean this one. "Strawberry Wine" is quite literally the embodiment of Camilla's complex feelings towards Henry. It's no secret that the Secret History is one of my all-time favorite books, but it's messy and chock-full of unlikable characters with horrible morals. Camilla, despite being a victim herself, is no exception. Although, I think it's safe to say that Henry is the most deranged of them all. Camilla's relationship with him only solidifies the novel's satirical meaning – there's a morbid longing for the picturesque at all costs.
"If I could lose you, I would; We buried your bones in plywood."
SPOILERS: This selection of lyrics in particular demonstrates Camilla's unhealthy love for Henry. She refuses to let go of him, even after his death. While this is a normal human emotion, it's the extreme in which it's taken that continues to emphasize the otherness of this friend group (*cough cult*). Because it doesn't matter that Henry is the cold, calculated mastermind behind Bunny's murder (and the farmer's, and Charles' decline to some extent, and Richard's disposable nature); she is so in love with the beauty of his façade, she's willing to excuse it all.
#4 Northern Attitude - Todd Anderson from Dead Poets Society
When I tell you Dead Poets Society is my favorite film of all-time, you'll probably realize I have a thing for Dark Academia. This movie is a punch to the gut every single time I think about it; it doesn't matter that I've seen it more times than I can count, I will cry without fail at the ending. It's just so tragic and unfair!
Noah Kahan's "Northern Attitude" is about growing up in Vermont and the isolation of it. Seeing as Todd Anderson grew up in Vermont (and its the location of Welton, their boarding school), this song is exceptional at expressing his own seclusion from others. At the beginning of the film, Todd is painfully shy and keeps to himself. At one point, Neil asks him if Keating (the beloved teacher played by Robin Williams) has had any impact on him because as far as Neil can tell, Todd is the same, unchanged boy he was before.
This isn't strictly true, though. As the watcher of the movie, we see Todd's individual turmoil about wanting to break through his protective shield, but he's unsure how to do so. Only when Keating and Todd have this famous scene does he achieve this.
SPOILERS & T.W.: Like the other boys, everything Todd worked towards falls apart at the climax of the film when Neil commits suicide. Unlike the positive character arc that ends in a hero changed for the better, Todd takes on that of the tragic hero where, despite all the impactful events, he reverts to his original self, completely isolated and alone.
#5 The View Between Villages - Remus Lupin from Harry Potter
Remus Lupin is one of the most tragic characters in modern writing and no, I won't be taking questions. He remains one of my favorites ever. While it's never explored as in-depth as I would like, the Marauders' friendship is multifaceted. It's reflective of the Golden Trio's and how true friendship is worth fighting for, but also has a price. Through Snape's memories, we learn that although they have character flaws, each Marauder is fiercely loyal to his friends, seemingly unafraid of anything. We're also told they fought in the First Wizarding War right out of Hogwarts, meaning they were only 18 when they were faced with death and the dark realities of life. Talk about loss of innocence.
Because of the films, it's easy to forget that Lily and James Potter were just 21 when they were killed by Voldemort. Which means, Sirius was 21 when he was locked in Azkaban and Remus was 21 when he lost the life he'd become secure in. It isn't hard to imagine the difficulties he faced over the next 12 years as a poor, lonely and discriminated against werewolf. And don't get me started on his meeting Harry on the Hogwarts Express – he should've been Uncle Remus but instead, he was Professor Lupin, a name Harry calls him the rest of the series even though he calls Sirius by his first name. It makes my heart ache just thinking about it.
#6 Come Over - Arthur Weasley from Harry Potter
This is the second entry from Harry Potter on this list and maybe out of all the characters, it's a little surprising. But I'm a big fan of Arthur Weasley and think his and Molly's relationship is underrated. The first time I heard "Come Over," all I could picture was the Burrow. It's a dilapidated house meant to convey the poorness of the Weasley's due to Arthur pursuing a career of passion rather than practicality. This song explores someone begging another to love them, despite their societal status.
"Don't you know there's a coffin buried under the garden? It was there when we got here, will be there when we leave."
If you're going to try and tell me Molly and Arthur won't be buried at the Burrow, don't. It's symbolic of the life they've built and the family values they hold high above money and other's opinions. It's bittersweet, but I truly believe they're both proud and more than happy with their decision of putting their values above everything else.
#8 Orange Juice - Peeta Mellark from the Hunger Games
My sister and I were talking the other day about how we've noticed a resurgence in the Hunger Games fandom recently. And you know what? I'm not upset about it in the slightest. It's a harrowing tale that explores the harsh realities of what our society has the ability to become. I've been a diehard Peeta girl since 2012, and when I heard "Orange Juice", I was brought right back to that time. Perhaps it has to do with his favorite color being orange, but even before I listened to the song completely, I knew it belonged to him.
This one doesn't necessarily fit the characters – it's about caring for an alcoholic and offering them orange juice when they come over because you're just glad they're there trying (except that Katniss does turn to alcohol at one point, so it's not unbelievable that she wouldn't have periods throughout life where she still does). For me, the lyrics reminded me of Peeta and Katniss in the sense of coming to terms with her trauma from the games. Now all I can picture when I listen to "Orange Juice" is their District 12 mansion where Peeta stays at home with the kids while Katniss is in the woods cleaning her head, re-living horrors, and when she comes back to him, it's the most relieved/thankful he's ever been.
#7 She Calls Me Back - Kaz Brekker from Six of Crows
Six of Crows is a fantastic YA duology that gives off gritty Ocean Eleven vibes. It's a personal favorite (I've said that about all of these books, haven't I?) because the action and character development are perfectly balanced. The gang's ringleader, Kaz Brekker, is as tough as they come; he's even referred to as the "Bastard of the Barrel," the results of the seedy section of their city. He's ruthless, greedy, and violent. At least, that's what's displayed on the outside. However, he's also extremely traumatized, loyal, and a total romantic. I mean, I've never read this powerful of a declaration of love in any romance novel before:
"I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together – knives drawn, pistols blazing."
Or how about that time he casually mentioned:
She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him.
You get the point. At the heart of it, these two are nothing if not made for each other. As "She Calls Me Back" says, they are two parallel lines because despite all this, they never fully meet, always inhibited by one thing or another (or do they? Guess you'll have to read to find out). It's wonderful to watch, just like it is listening to their new anthem.
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