Letter #8: Literary and Myth Themed Music
There’s more of it than you might think.
I’ve compiled another song list! Because of course.
These are songs that seem to allude to classical mythology or literary figures. They might not have been intended to point towards these stories, but I always felt that they did. Also, these are all songs I personally love. I’m sure there are plenty of other songs involving literary allusions, but these are the ones I could think of immediately or had in my playlists/liked songs!
Feel free to add more in the comments; I’m sure I missed a ton and I’d love to know more!
Please note: I’ve included a link to each song if you want to give them a listen, or you can look them up based on the title and artist I’ve provided. Whatever floats your boat!
August 28, 2021 Update:
As per the request of Tyrone B. (the writer behind The Morning Owl), I’ve compiled all these songs into a playlist:
Feel free to check back, as I’ll likely add more songs as I find them!
Give The Morning Owl a read here:
So, without further ado, here are some (possibly) literary-themed songs I happen to love!
Peter Pan Inspired:
“Lost Boy” by Ruth B
This song got super popular when it released in 2015, if I remember correctly. Her voice is lovely and the song feels like a great coffee shop song. Hmm, I guess I could’ve put this on last week’s post!
The 4-song Lost at Sea EP from the artist fin.
I’m pretty sure the artist’s name used to be listed as Steffan Argus, so it might still be listed under that artist’s name some places still. The songs include: “Ship in a Bottle,” “Abandon Ship,” “Leaving London,” and “Lost.” They’re PHENOMENAL and I’ve listened to them far more times than I can count. Powerful storytelling, great voice, all around just wonderful songs! If I had to pick favorites, they’d be “Ship in a Bottle” and “Lost.”
“A New Brain” by I Fight Dragons
A spin on Dorothy returning from Oz and thinking she’s gone crazy. I literally didn’t realize this until about the fifth time I heard the song and my brain actually registered the lyrics. Also, I Fight Dragons has such fun, dorky music. I really love “Disaster Hearts,” “The Devil You Know,” “The Geeks Will Inherit the Earth,” and “Oh the Places You’ll Go (see below).
Okay, this might be cheating buuut… the entire Wicked musical soundtrack
You probably could see this one coming. I haven’t read the book yet, but the musical is really a classic. I know “Defying Gravity” is the big song of this musical, but I really appreciate “What Is This Feeling?” and “Dancing Through Life.” I sing “Popular” when I wash dishes or laundry for whatever reason. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
“Oh the Places You’ll Go” by I Fight Dragons
A super sweet song that makes me think of graduations and father-daughter/mother-son dances.
“Oh Raven (Sing Me A Happy Song)” by Unlike Pluto
Lots of allusions to “The Raven” and it’s glorious. I love so much of Unlike Pluto’s work. This was the first song I heard of his, and it’s still one of my favorites.
Good Omens Inspired:
I’m quite sure these were not written with the book (or show, for that matter) in mind, but they made me think of both. I will never pass up an opportunity to nerd out about the book or show. They’re both so wonderfully quirky and charming I just can’t even. Also, I’ve listed the show’s soundtrack for good measure. The opening and ending credits make me absurdly happy! Just listen to those instrumentals!
“Hellfire” by Chxrlotte
Chxrlotte is another artist I absolutely love! From what I’ve seen, she hasn’t put out much music, but every song is fantastic. her voice is absolutely lovely and I love her lyrics. The production is so perfect and she’s so versatile.
“Come With Me” by Chxrlotte
This was my first Chxrlotte song and possibly still my favorite? I dunno? It’s very hard to pick between this and her other music. But this feels almost spot-on for our peculiar and precious angel and demon dynamic duo.
“Good Omens Opening Title” and “End Titles- The Song That Got Left in the Car” by David Arnold
I recently stumbled very happily upon an interview with (the amazing!) David Tennant and (the wonderful!) Michael Sheen, in which David Tennant described the theme as being “one of the great theme tunes of all time.” Michael Sheen also stated: “When you first hear it, you think, ‘well, I’ve known that all my life.’” I couldn’t agree more. The opening and ending titles (along with the kooky, papercraft-styled credits) is just iconic, cheery, and charming.
This is also the interview in which both David Tennant and Michael Sheen nerd out about Neil Gaiman and how important the book feels, which also makes me very happy. Check the interview out here for more:
Greek Myth Inspired:
Featuring pretty much the entire Pantheon and more:
Again cheating, but the entire The Lightning Thief musical soundtrack
Oh my gosh, this musical is so fun. It comes across just the way I’d hoped a Percy Jackson musical would—yes, yes, there is a musical for Percy Jackson and it is a JAM—kooky, heartwarming, slightly off-kilter. As someone who is very particular about book adaptations, I give this musical a thumbs up. I love the whole musical, but my favorites would be “Good Kid,” “Killer Quest!,” “Lost!,” “My Grand Plan,” “Drive,” and “The Tree on the Hill.” I know that’s a lot of favorites, but like I said, I love the whole shebang here.
Also, in the original Broadway soundtrack, George Salazar plays Grover, and that makes me absurdly happy. Grover was one of my favorite characters from the original books, plus I love George Salazar’s voice and he has that sweet but kinda awkward feel that is perfect for Grover. I will nerd out about musicals here quite often, it seems.
Featuring Orpheus, Eurydice, Hades, Persephone, Hermes, the Fates:
Okay, I know this may be cheating again buuuuttt… the entire Hadestown musical soundtrack
It’s just too good and very obviously about the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Its small but prominent cast include Hades, Persephone, Hermes, and the Fates. Absolutely stunning musical.
Pretty much the entire Pantheon again:
Hades by Darren Korb
Okay, so this is the game Hades, but it has music. Beautiful, glorious music. Super Giant’s games all have fantastic music and Hades is no exception, so it’s making the list. Here, just have a listen to the soundtrack, especially the main title track. It’s brilliant. Darren Korb’s music is stunning, plus he voices our main man Zagreus! Also, just everything about their art style, the characters, the voices, the music make the game so compelling, even when you’re as bad at it as I am :P
Hades and Persephone:
“Pomegranate Seeds” by Julian Moon
I absolutely love all of her music so much. This was her first song I heard and it’s still one of my favorites. As per my last post, “Loser,” “One Penny,” and “Cup of Coffee” are up there for my other favorites.
“Devil Town” by Cavetown
This makes me think of Hades and Persephone’s child(ren) going back and forth between realms in a divorce-like situation. It’s a really interesting song. Plus, it’s Cavetown, so I can’t not talk about him. Cavetown. C’mon.
“Icarus” by Emma Blackery
Another of my favorite artists. She changes her style up a lot and pulls it off amazingly. This song comes off my favorite of her albums, Villains. It’s a great album for driving!
“Icarus” by Bastille
This is off the same album as the uber popular “Pompeii” back in 2015 or so. “Pompeii” is great too, but “Icarus” is my favorite Bastille song.
Dionysus and the Maenads:
“The Cult of Dionysus” by The Orion Experience
The Orion Experience has some very odd, very good music. Very disco-y, bright, and fun. They definitely live up to their name!
“Dear Fellow Traveller” by Sea Wolf
This song makes me think of Odysseus and his men on the sea, of sea shanties, of Gravity Falls (what a treasure). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve put this song on repeat for hours. It’s just so hard to turn off. I get to the end of the song and go, “Wait, I need to play that again.” And again. And again.
“Achilles Come Down” by Gang of Youths
I got vibes somewhere in between modern Achilles and Madeline Miller’s book The Song of Achilles. (Also, that’s a heart wrenching but beautiful book, as expected.) Very interesting, haunting song.
Assorted Myth Inspired:
“Appalachian Wine” by eleventyseven
This is a sweet song completely different from all of eleventyseven’s usual fun, quirky, diso-y type music. Very pretty with a bit of a bluegrass feel.
“Cryptid (Mothman)” by Ratwyfe
Kooky, very odd song, but I liked the spooky cryptid vibes.
Have any other suggestions for literary-themed songs? Love any of these artists too? Feel free to share in the comments! I’d love to hear about some new music, especially if it has a literary feel to it!
Thanks so much for stopping by!
As always, happy reading 😊
Works Cited (MLA 8th):
Aslanian, Emily. “Michael Sheen & David Tennant Talk Good Omens | TV Insider.” TV Insider, 30 May 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vkvlWg6Xqg&t=1s. Accessed 1 Aug. 2021.