#SHEA Ultimate S.O.S. Playlist, Volume 6 (Tracks 26-30)

For this edition of the Playlist, I guess I see it as following Shaun’s side of the #Shea journey—with the songs more or less progressing from the earliest days to where they ended up a few months ago. I think I’ve got these songs in an order that makes the most sense, but Your Mileage May Vary as they say. Debate it in the comments if you like!

And remember, I’m still adding new contributions whenever they come my way! Just check out the original call for submissions to find out how…

SONG: “Friend Like You” by Joshua Radin

Songwriter: Joshua Radin (from the 2008 album Simple Times)

Submitted by: Amy Danko

Comments from Amy:

“(To me) this one fits S1/S2 #Shea. I've been listening to Joshua Radin for years, and this song struck me when I was listening to the CD shortly after I learned that Paige Spara was returning and would be a regular going forward. I would say it's about Shaun, and although it wasn't written for the show, it's a good summary of his early journey.”

Comments from Me: What I like about this song is the fluidity of the POV from one verse to another—at times it sounds like Shaun talking to himself, at other times Lea talking to herself… sometimes it could be either of them… I can even picture Shaun’s brother Steve’s POV in the 2^nd verse, as you see below.

SAMPLE LYRICS

I like the way you're not afraid
You got the world planned in your mind
People say you cannot do well
They don't know a friend like you

The girl you love has gone away
Still too young to know her heart
She'll return her love renewed
'Cause she'll never find a friend like you

When I had no one to call
All the world had shut me down
I showed up at your door so blue
Thank god I had a friend like you

HEAR IT HERE 

--

SONG: “Crazy for This Girl” by Evan and Jaron

Songwriters: Jaron Lowenstein, Jeff Cohen

Submitted by: Tony Payne

Comments from Tony:

“One thing I appreciate greatly about the Shea journey is its natural, gradual build. We got to see Shaun’s feelings for Lea develop over the three seasons. Even so, it became clear very quickly that there was just something special about Lea.

“This is an up-tempo pop song from 2000 that touches on a lot of the things we’ve gotten to see throughout the Shea development!

“The first verse begins with a very key Shaun and Lea moment - driving:

She rolls the window down
And she talks over the sound
Of the cars that pass us by
And I don't know why, but she's changed my mind

“Considering that Shaun told Glassman in Season 1 that he didn’t even WANT love, I’d say that the driving and the ‘she’s changed my mind’ lines are very apropos.

“Then we get into the second verse, which reminds me of the ‘Friends and Family’ ending all over again:

She was the one to hold me
The night the sky fell down
And what was I thinking when
The world didn't end, why didn't I know what I know now

“And between the verses, a fun chorus that gives us the opportunity to recall their ‘looks’ over the years:”

Would you look at her, she looks at me
She's got me thinking about her constantly
But she don't know how I feel
And as she carries on without a doubt
I wonder if she's figured out
I'm crazy for this girl
Yeah, I'm crazy for this girl

HEAR IT HERE 

--

SONG: “Forget About You” by Graham Colton

Songwriter: Graham Colton (from 2008’s Here Right Now)

Submitted by: Faghost

Comments from Faghost:

“~ Lea’s POV, from s02 to s03…
But—the lyrics below could easily apply to Shaun when Jake was in the picture:"


Every night I stayed up, thinking, my mind’s made up
Every memory I hold onto.
If I could only have a minute, I know I’d spend it saying everything I feel for you
I feel for you.

Comments from Me: Forgive me Faghost, but I’m leaning strong into your secondary explanation this time!

SAMPLE LYRICS (continues from the verse above)

I am useless young and stupid for thinking I'll get over you
There's no excuses cause the truth is
There's nothing left for me to do
I can't forget about you

HEAR IT HERE

 --

SONG: “Time After Time” by Mark Williams & Tara Morice

Songwriters: Cyndi Lauper, Rob Hyman

Submitted by: Andreas

Comments from Andreas:

“This version is part of the soundtrack of the quirky Australian movie Strictly Ballroom, in which the hotshot ballroom dancer Scott struggles to establish his personal style that does not conform to ballroom rules.

“Meeting the introvert Fran, Scott learns to tame his cockiness while Fran leaves her comfort zone for the first time. For becoming dancing partners and ultimately lovers, they have to confront not only their own shortcomings, but overbearing parents, ignorant friends and the dancing federation, all who try to separate them.

“While the plot seems very different, the motives and themes used to tell the story are very similar to what we have come to love with #Shea, although applied in a different mix, up to the point where the couples express their special bond in an act of music, here with ballroom dancing, there with karaoke.

“The lyrics of ‘Time After Time’ speak of the inner struggle of two very different characters, that have way to adjust to each other (for which dancing is a good metaphor just as singing a [karaoke] duet).

“In the context of #Shea, I like to think that especially episodes 316/317 or the arc of becoming roommates resonate with verses like:

I’m walking too far ahead/
You're calling to me, I can't hear/
What you've said/
Then you say, "go slow"/
And I fall behind/
The second hand unwinds/

“More generally the lyrics describe a ‘delicate dance’ of alternating distance and proximity without ever letting go completely – just as Shaun and Lea danced around each other since season 1.”

Comments from Me: “Time After Time” has been covered by over 100 artists since its 1983 release, and I think the elasticity of the lyrics is a large part of its popularity. So many relationships can be seen in those words! Shaun and Lea are no exception.

I’ve heard of Strictly Ballroom but never seen it, so this version of Lauper’s song is new to me! Thanks, Andreas! Here it is if you’d like to give it a listen.

As for a lyric video, I’m linking to P!nk’s acoustic (“live”) cover of the song… which borrows heavily from the Eva Cassidy version (one of my personal favorites).

HEAR IT HERE

--

SONG: “Secret Garden” by Bruce Springsteen

Songwriter: Bruce Springsteen

Submitted by: Sonya (and Sonya knows of other #Shea fans who have mentioned this song)

Comments from Me: I’m not the Springsteen aficionado in my family—that would be my oldest brother—but I’ve long enjoyed the subdued shades of this mid-90s track that got a big boost from its inclusion on the soundtrack to the Tom Cruise/Renee Zellweger film Jerry Maguire. When Sonya suggested it to me as a song that, essentially, can be used to describe what Lea has become to Shaun over time, I re-studied the lyrics with a lot of fascination: so many She’ll let you in… variations that can apply directly to #Shea, with the titular Secret Garden always being what has eluded him,  until…

She'll lead you down a path
There'll be tenderness in the air
She'll let you come just far enough
So you know she's really there

Which kinda feels like the vibe of the final minutes of the S3 Finale, right? Except…

Then she'll look at you and smile
And her eyes will say
She's got a secret garden
Where everything you want
Where everything you need
Will always stay
A million miles away

I initially felt sad about this part, but there’s a reality to it that shouldn’t be denied—that in any relationship, the individuals involved may well have untouchable, unreachable parts. And, generally speaking, THAT’S OK. (In the case of #Shea, I can see Lea eventually becoming more aware of a “secret garden” within Shaun as well. Maybe more so.)

HEAR IT HERE