Volume 4 of the Playlist is another installment of “general”
Shaun and Lea songs… but if you contrast and compare it with the “general” songs
from Volume 1, it’s a pretty cool testament to the variety of material
generated when multiple like-minded folks come together from different corners
of the world!
Take a look/listen…
SONG: “Hey There Delilah” by Plain White T’s
Songwriter: Tom Higgenson
Submitted by: CosmicLightning113
Endorsed by: Angelica
Comments from CosmicLightning113: "I'm
the author of a Shea FanFic on AO3 called 'It's What You Do To Me,'
which as the title implies takes inspiration from the song 'Hey There Delilah'
by the Plain White Ts. Not only do I just like this song, but I feel it fits
very well to Shaun and Lea's situation. The lyrics and melody tell a very
bittersweet story about two people who are loyal to each other despite being
separated by life and circumstances…the heartbreak of not being able to be
together, but still hanging onto that love because of this glimmer of hope that
it can still be realized one day.
“'Hey There Delilah' is romantic, but not very sexual, which I think is really
important for Shea since their relationship goes much deeper than just physical
attraction. The chorus 'It's What You Do To Me' is an allegory for
the crux of Shaun and Lea's relationship, that they make each other more. They
love each other because of what they do to each other, make one another the
best versions of themselves, and by the time they've said and done everything
they wanted to each other 'the world will never ever be the same.'
It's a little overdramatic, but Shaun and Lea both are. ;)"
Comment from Me: All I have to add is… CosmicLighting113,
please feel free to include a link to your fanfic (or other directions to
access it) in the comments!
Wait, I do have something else: It gets trickier when lyrics
seem very specific… referencing a proper name (that isn’t “Lea”) here; also
both this track and “I Like Me Better” (from Volume 1 of the Playlist)
referenced New York City. But the simple fact that “Hey There…” made it to the
top of Billboard Hot 100 back in 2007 is a testament to its mass appeal.
SAMPLE LYRIC:
Our friends would all make fun of us
and we'll just laugh along because we know
That none of them have felt this way
Delilah I can promise you
That by the time we get through
The world will never ever be the same
And you're to blame
HEAR IT HERE
--
SONG: “Power of Love” by Huey Lewis & The
News
(Popularized in the Back to the Future films)
Songwriter: Huey Lewis, Chris Hayes, Johnny Colla
Submitted by: Tony
Comments from Tony: "It’s a great up-tempo love song
that serves Shea well…in it, the singer describes the emotional highs and lows,
and the inherent fears and joys that come with love. The second verse goes:
First time you feel it might make you sad
Next time you feel it might make you mad
But you'll be glad, baby, when you've found
That's the power that makes the world go 'round
"The chorus ends with:
It’s strong and it’s sudden, it can be cruel sometimes
But it might just save your life
That’s the power of love!
"Lea and Shaun have DEFINITELY enjoyed the great highs, endured the lows, and
are overcoming the fears. And we all get to share in the great joy for these
two as we head into Season 4!"
HEAR IT HERE
--
SONG: “Perpetuum Mobile” by Penguin Cafe Orchestra
Composer: Simon Jeffes
Submitted by: Andreas
Comment from Me: Here is the second (so far) instrumental
contribution to the Playlist! I’ll let Andreas explain…
Andreas: "The 2009 stop motion animation Mary and Max is a film
about a girl in Australia becoming pen pals with an autistic man in New York
for 20 years. The film opens with a long montage depicting daily life in the
suburbs. The accompanying instrumental is 'Perpetuum Mobile' by Penguin Cafe
Orchestra…
"The piece opens with wind section solemn and slow, then a
playful, lively piano kicks in with the strings; the wind section answers and a
dialogue ensues, the melody grows into something that is vitalizing and long-lasting,
while it never gets out of control.
"I like to think that the solemn wind section is representing Shaun and his new
life in San Jose with strict routines and hard work at the start of season 1,
and Lea as the sassy piano that knocks on his door and instantly they resonate
with each other.
"Over time, they learn to communicate better, as the melody unfolds and gets
more and more animated, they grow on each other – they make each other more.
"I also like 'Perpetuum Mobile' for Shea because it has no 'grand gestures' in it
but flows in a measured pace, just as Shea has been a slow burn with small
gestures. (Who would ever have thought that the hanging of TP and alphabetized
canned good could carry a deeper meaning through 2 entire seasons?!?)"
HEAR IT HERE
--
SONG: “I Love” by Official Higeotoko dism, or Officialé«ç”·dism
Songwriter: Satoshi Fujiwara
Submitted by: Faghost
Comments from Faghost: “This is a Japanese rock song. If you
turn on the CC, you'll see the translated lyrics. I just think that the meaning
of the song really fits how Shaun and Lea think/feel about each other.
“I guess one would need to understand Japanese, because how
they phrase the words originally and the translation would have different
sense/feels. For me, this part--(using the translation provided in the CC subtitles)
I wouldn’t have even noticed
These vivid colors if I was alone
You feigned ignorance, said it’s normal
So let me finish what I started saying to you—“I Love…”
-- really speaks from Lea's perspective of Shaun.
Like Shaun was okay, he didn't understand love before, but he somehow always
knew he loves Lea… but Lea, she needs Shaun and things or people around her to
really snap it into her self-esteem that she does love Shaun and can love Shaun
and will always continue to love Shaun.. because the fact is they changed each
other's world, for the better, for the more.”
Comment from Me: I’m just thrilled to have a non-English
language song on the Playlist! (And of course, I’m open to hearing more if any
readers have them!)
HEAR IT HERE
--
SONG: “At the Beginning” by Donna Lewis &
Richard Marx
Songwriter: Richard Marx, Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens
Submitted by: Kelli, but it was really Amy Danko’s idea…
Comment from Me: OK, here's what happened... Amy and I were trading notes shortly after the season finale about how S4 will finally be the official launch of #Shea, and Amy-- who as you might know, comes up with many a great Shea-song-- started talking about the Richard Marx duet from Anastasia (an animated film from 1997) that seemed to fit the moment. I knew which one she was talking about, but it took us a few minutes to come up with the title and the female voice on the duet. So while "At the Beginning"'s inclusion was inspired by the most recent #Shea events, I'm putting it in this general collection because the lyrics really encompass their whole story to date.
SAMPLE LYRIC:
(Lewis' part) We were strangers, starting out on a journey
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you
(Marx's part) No one told me I was going to find you
Unexpected, what you did to my heart
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me
This is the start
Remember, this project is a work in progress… if you’ve
got a #Shea-suitable song (or songs) to suggest, check out this post to find out how to do it!
