If you’ve ever wondered what your favorite literary characters might be listening to while they save the world/contemplate existence/get into trouble, or hallucinated a soundtrack to go along with your favorite novels, well, us too. But wonder no more! Welcome to the first installment of a new feature on Flavorwire, where we sneak a look at the hypothetical iPods of some of literature’s most interesting characters. What would be on the personal playlists of Holden Caulfield or Elizabeth Bennett, Huck Finn or Harry Potter, Tintin or Humbert Humbert? Something revealing, we bet. Or at least something danceable. Read on for a cozy reading soundtrack, character study, or yet another way to emulate your favorite literary hero.
Holden Caulfield is the king of all disillusioned youth, an angst-ridden teenager slouching from dorm room to city street to dance hall with general indifference and a real lousy attitude. There are about a million songs about him, which are pretty well documented, but what would the fellow listen to himself? He would surely think pop music is completely phony, and probably wouldn’t be interested in anything anyone he knew liked, but he’s an asocial, introspective depressive, so we’re pretty sure he’d get a kick out of some of the same songs that got us through our teenage years – if he’d like anything at all, that is.
Disclaimer: We have made little to no effort to remain true to time period. After all, Holden Caulfield didn’t even have an iPod, obviously. Try and suspend your disbelief.
“Mad World” (Tears for Fears Cover) – Gary Jules
Worn out places and dreams of dying? Holden finds it all pretty hard to take, too.
“E is for Estranged” – Owen Pallett
“Pathos is born/ born out of bullshit in formal attire”
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” – The Smiths
It is Holden Morris(s)ey Caulfield, after all.
“Between the Bars” – Elliott Smith
Both metaphorically and literally.
“Sing, Sing, Sing” – Benny Goodman & His Orchestra
Holden sure does appreciate a girl who can dance the jitterbug, even if she’s completely dopey.
“I Hate My Friends” – Sebastien Grainger
Stradlater and Ackley kid? Who wouldn’t?
“I’m So Depressed” – Abner Jay
Abner goes straight from joking and ogling women to singing about his depression. It’s important to cover your bases.
“Three Cool Cats” – The Coasters
Those phonies would just kill him.
“The State I Am In” – Belle & Sebastian
Some state or other. Not to be confused with Le Pastie de la Bourgeoise, which name drops the book.
“Something Vague” – Bright Eyes
Because if Holden Caulfield doesn’t listen to Bright Eyes, we don’t know who does.
“Cars & Telephones” – Arcade Fire
That’s just about all there is, isn’t it?
“She Sends Kisses” – The Wrens
Always waiting on the idea of a certain girl can take a toll on a guy.
“One Man Guy” – Rufus Wainwright
“Don’t ever tell anybody anything. If you do, you start missing everybody.”
“The Only Living Boy in New York” – Simon & Garfunkel
And barely, at that.
Anything we missed that you think Holden would have on repeat? Let us know in the comments!
Comments (29)
Great list. I’d add “How Do You Fight Loneliness” by Wilco.
isn’t this a blatant reproduction of the blog textbook.tumblr.com? a+ for concept but f for originality.
I’d love to get in on something like this.
Flavorwire, how do I get in on something like this?!
“Caulfield” by Runaway Dorothy. It IS named after Holden, after all.
Ditto on Ryan’s comment. I’d also add “Vicious Traditions” by The Veils.
The Cure – “A Forest” – “The girl is never there/it’s always the same/i’m running towards nothing/again and again and again…”
Um… how can you NOT include Too Much Joy’s “William Holden Caulfield??”
Because, Maureen, Holden would have to know he’s a fictional character to listen to a song about him… and then things would get wayyy too meta/Truman Show/Stranger than Fiction….
No punk? I am sure Holden would have liked a few songs like;
The Adverts – “One Chord Wonders”
The Avengers – “The American in Me”
Agent Orange – “Bloodstains”
X – “I must not think bad thoughts”
Richard Hell and Voids – “Blank Generation”
Last Resort – “Violence in their minds”
I can see him listening to Perfume Genius too.
This place is a Prison- Postal Service
I think there should be some Radiohead somewhere in the mix.
isn’t ‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ the MTV generation’s (its published by MTV books) version of ‘Catcher in the Rye’?..
cause they drop a load of band names.. non of which i can think of right now..in there..
nice work anyways.. although Boo on the lack of Modest Mouse.
Listen to Two Cow Garage’s “Sweet Saint Me”….multiple Caulfield-esque songs on their…including one written from his perspective.
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This is such an awesome idea.
Thanks for making this!!
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Needle in the Hay by Elliot Smith…. Duh…
Holden needs more progressive/post-hardcore/indie songs for sure.
GlassJaw (worship and tribute)
Circa Survive (Juturna)
Spoon (A Series of Sneaks/Gimme Fiction)
Saves The Day (In Reverie/Sound The Alarm)
Misery — Soul Asylum
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Possibly Happy Kid by Nada Surf? Some Nada Surf could have been put in this playlist, for sure.
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