"War for the Oaks" Critical Thinking Question: What songs would you use if the book were written in 2010? *Spoiler?*

[Cindy]

There's a lot of lyrics and songs brought up in War of the Oaks. If you were writing it in 2010 what songs/artists would you use?

If you don't wanna be in the spot of the writer, which songs would you want to see as a reader?

[[deleted user]]

Guano Apes - Open Your Eyes.

Partly because I think they'd be able to rock it, partly because it might fit in with the whole transition from "real" world to a world with the Fey in it. But, mostly, because I just like the song.

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

This is a cool question. I can think of a few, but I want to ponder it some more. In the meantime (in case it helps anyone else), here's a list of songs the band played, not counting originals:

Prince, "When You Were Mine"
Bram Tchaikovsky, "I'm A Believer" (cover)
Kim Carnes, "Thrill of the Grill"
David Bowie, "Suffragette City"
?, "Let's Go Crazy"
Beatles, "I'm Just Happy to Dance With You" (Ramones style)
Rue Nouveau, "I'm Not Done Yet"
Richard Thompson, "Valerie"
Nate Bucklin, "She's Getting Desperate"
Hank Williams, "C'est La Vie"
?, "Hey Good Lookin'"
?, "Jambalaya"
Peter Gabriel, "In Your Eyes"

I don't guarantee that I didn't miss some. Also, I deliberately left out songs that only a couple of the band members were playing/singing. (For example, when Willy sings "True Thomas" and when Hedge sings "The Newry Highwayman.")

[Snail in Danger (Sid)]

There's a traditional song called "The Gypsy"; Gaelic Storm performed it as "Go Home Girl" recently. I think it could fit in there somewhere. Marillion did a version of the traditional song "Lavender's Blue" called "Lavender." I think this could also work. (Though it turns out that "Lavender" is also from the 80s.)

My favorite band's Rush, and I think "Presto" and "Middletown Dreams" could be interesting thematically. And also "Workin' Them Angels," which is a more recent song by them.

Vanessa Carlton's cover of the Stones' "Paint It Black" was pretty cool. So was Tia Carrere's cover of "Ballroom Blitz," though that's from the 90s. Nightwish did a this-decade cover of "Over the Hills and Far Away." (It's originally from the 80s.)

I think "Protect and Survive" by Runrig is also thematically appropriate, but it's also from the 80s.

Stuff I think could also work, though you might have to crank up the rock on some of them: "When You Were Young" by the Killers, almost anything from the Sounds' Dying to Say This to You album, "Left Behind" and maybe "Air Painter" by CSS, "Lights Out" by Santigold, and "Ready to Roll" by Jet Black Stare.

Honestly I'm not sure if you could write this book in 2010 without it seeming cheesy.

[Sandi]

I don't even know the titles and artists for 99% of the songs my son listens to or that I hear on the radio. Part of why the book worked for me is that I knew the songs that the band sang. I will have to question the fact that the heroine had a thing for Prince though. I always thought he was a bit to much of a girly-man to be sexy.

Now, for current songs, there's one that I think is by Usher that keeps repeating "oh my god" that would work with the story. And, I like Katy Perry's songs, very upbeat and happy. Maybe the one about tight jeans and teenage dreams. (If someone could help me out with the titles, I'd appreciate it. I don't want to embarrass myself by asking my son.) For a harder edge, maybe something by Muse or Dragonforce, they're kind of fantasy oriented.