When Can We Do This Again? (The Playlist Project Part 5)

The Doctor Who Playlist Project marches on and into the end!

(Part 1 is here)
(Part 2 is here)
(Part 3 is here)
(Part 4 is here)

Track 41: Viva La Vida by Coldplay



I hear Jerusalem bells are ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can't explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

I probably should have put this one in earlier, but I like the historical feel of this song. We don't get much in the way of pure historicals on Doctor Who anymore, but I sort of wish they'd do it again - maybe once or twice just to mix things up a bit. And I like Coldplay. So there's that.

Track 42: Our Velocity by Maximo Park



I've got no one to call
In the middle of the night anymore
I'm just alone
With my thoughts

Never, never try to gauge temperature
When you tend to travel at such speed
It's our velocity

Here’s another song that I was first introduced to via a fan-made video (this comes up a lot, I’ve noticed).

Track 43: Dream Catch Me by Newton Faulkner



There's a place I go when I'm alone
Do anything I want, be anyone I wanna be
But it is us I see and I cannot believe I'm falling
That's where I'm going, where are you going?
Hold it close, won't let this go

Dream, catch me, yeah
Dream, catch me when I fall
Or else I won't come back at all

I’ll just post the lyrics to the chorus and call it good. I can’t put it any better than that.

Track 44: Hello, Goodbye by The Beatles



Since we've been looking back and paying tribute to the past with the 50th Anniversary, I thought it would be fitting to end on some 60s flair.  The more you listen to the lyrics of this song, the more it repeats in your head, and the more you hear the loop of saying hello and goodbye.  Yeah, it's kind of a fun little pop song - but think about the timey-wimey (for lack of a better term) loop that Doctor Who fandom has gone through.  The people who were fans of the show Way Back When are now the ones actually making the show.  There are always new people coming in - whether into the official cast and crew or into the fandom.  Doctor Who sort of creates its own creators - which is really neat. How many other shows can say that?

Track 45: Friends Never Say Goodbye by Elton John



There isn't much I haven't shared
With you along the road
And through it all there'd always be
Tomorrow's episode
Suddenly that isn't true
There's another avenue
Beckoning the great divide
Ask no questions, take no side

Who's to say who's right or wrong
Whose course is braver run
Still we are, have always been
Will ever be as one

What is done has been done for the best
Though the mist in my eyes might suggest
Just a little confusion about what I'll lose
But if I started over I know I would choose
The same joy the same sadness each step of the way
That fought me and taught me that friends never say
Never say goodbye

Enough said.

Track 46: What About Everything? by Carbon Leaf



Another song that I was introduced to via a fan-made video. This comes from the incomparable Babelcolour, who in turn was inspired by this video -



Both are excellent tributes and very much worth your time and positive feedback. Beyond that - the song is just wonderful.

Track 47: Goodnight, Travel Well by The Killers



The unknown distance to the great beyond
Stares back at my grieving frame
To cast my shadow by the holy sun
My spirit moans with a sacred pain
And it's quiet now
The universe is standing still

There's nothing I can say
There's nothing we can do now
There's nothing I can say
There's nothing we can do now

I love the space imagery and the haunting quality of the music in this song.  And it works for the ending of the playlist.

Track 48: Chances by Five for Fighting



Chances are we'll be the combination
Chances come and carry me
Chances are waiting to be taken, and I can see

Chances are the fascinations
Chances won't escape from me
Chances are only what we make them and all I need

This song was included because of a strange little mind-association game I played with myself. This song is on the end-credits of the movie The Blind Side, which is the true story of a young man who lives on the streets who is adopted by a family and given a chance to be something amazing when nobody else would have given him those opportunities. Because of that, this song represents hope and unseen potential that can be reached if the right people and the right circumstances (and a little bit of luck) comes together. Doctor Who wasn’t intended to run for 50 years in all its various incarnations. It was supposed to be this quirky little kids’ show to fill a Saturday tea time slot - nothing else. But then the combination of the right talent and visions came together and it’s possibilities are endless. It could easily run for another 50 years - maybe more - without seeming old or tired.

Track 49: Stars Align by Lindsey Stirling



Going on from the theme of the previous song - everything that I’ve heard or read about the history of Doctor Who leads me to believe that this show has had tons of luck on its side. The one that I am continually floored by is the transition from Season 6 to Season 7 - how the show was going to be cancelled because the ratings weren’t so hot and everyone was leaving, but simply because the BBC didn’t have anything else to replace it with, it was given a one-year reprieve while they came up with something new. And in many ways, Doctor Who became a totally new show. Its popularity increased and the entire franchise was rejuvenated, paving the way for what many consider to be the Golden Age of Doctor Who. There are many other similar stories, but the point is that the stars aligned for this franchise time and again. Who knows what’s coming around the next era - and how wonderful it is, even just as a fan, to be a part of it.

Track 50: When Can I See You Again? by Owl City



Switch on the sky and the stars glow for you
Go see the world 'cause it's all so brand new
Don't close your eyes 'cause your future's ready to shine
It's just a matter of time, before we learn how to fly
Welcome to the rhythm of the night
There's something in the air you can't deny

It's been fun but now I've got to go
Life is way too short to take it slow
But before I go and hit the road
I gotta know, 'til then,
when can we do this again?

I do have a story with this one. The first time I saw the movie Wreck-It Ralph and this song started playing over the end credits, my immediate thought was “This is a song for Doctor Who.” Because (more often than not) I can’t wait to have another adventure with Team TARDIS. I love this show and these stories and characters and it’s just tons of fun. I very nearly made an Eleventh Doctor tribute video to this song when it was announced that Matt Smith was leaving, but crappy video-making software prevented me from doing so (if anyone with the means and the time would like to take up that challenge, they’re welcome to it). It’s a fun, upbeat, and peppy song and a fitting song to close out this playlist. Because, no matter how many stories are told or how many eras “end” for Doctor Who, there will always be someone standing there saying “I want to do this again.” And the Doctor will be there tomorrow to hit the ground running.

So - when can we do this again?


Music of Time by ~ladyyatexel on deviantART

***
Well, that's the end of my 50th Anniversary Playlist Tribute. I hope you enjoyed the music (and maybe some of my analysis - I admit, some of it was a bit lacking. I'm just not a very good music critic). I've got one more big project planned in the run-up to November 23, so keep watching this space!

I've Got To Doubleback (The Playlist Project - Part 4)

Part 4 - we're getting down to the end!

Fifty Years Running - The Doctor Who Playlist Project

(Part 1 is here)
(Part 2 is here)
(Part 3 is here)

Track 31: Beethoven’s 5 Secrets by The Piano Guys feat. the Lyceum Philharmonic



Another Piano Guys entry. I just like this version of OneRepublic’s song and I wanted an instrumental song to serve as a transition between the next stage of the playlist. I wonder if the Doctor has ever met Beethoven.

Track 32: Double Vision by Foreigner



A lot of weird stuff happens to the Doctor. And this song is kind of weird (but still good). Plus, I used this song in my Librarian in the TARDIS review of “The Android Invasion,” and I loved how it fit in with that story. Then, I remembered how many stories there have been, not just with the Doctor meeting past incarnations of himself but also stories where the Doctor has met some kind of doppleganger - whether that’s the Abbot of Amboise in “The Massacre” or Ramon Salamander in “The Enemy of the World” or Handy!Doctor in “Journey’s End” or the Flesh!Doctor in that one two-parter from Series 6 that I hate with the burning fury of a thousand suns, but Matt Smith is fantastic in it anyway.

Track 33: Doubleback by ZZ Top



I got shot through a space not long ago,
I thought I knew the place so well.
It wasn't the same, now it goes to show,
Sometime you never can tell.

Another entry from the Back to the Future movies. It's fitting, seeing as how that movie trilogy was what first taught me everything I know about time-travel fiction.  My parents took me to see the first movie at the drive-in theater when I was merely five months old and it was all downhill from there.

Track 34: The Captain by Biffy Clyro



This song was in this Fifth Doctor tribute video and I liked it so much that I watched it a lot, which meant I started to like the song and associate it with my dear Fivey.  It was a total personal-preference-thing, so it went on the playlist. Nothing to it more than that.

Track 35: Fire and Rain by James Taylor



Just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone
Susanne the plans they made put an end to you
I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to

I've seen fire and I've seen rain
I've seen sunny days that I thought would never end
I've seen lonely times when I could not find a friend
But I always thought that I'd see you again

Sort of a much more contemplative song. I can imagine the Doctor, alone in the console room either tinkering around with some component or staring at the center column, thinking of everything he's seen and everything he's done - hoping that he can still keep up the pace and keep living his lifestyle. Because that's all he's known for hundreds of years.

Track 36: Spaceman by The Killers



And you know I might
Have just flown too far from the floor this time
Cause they're calling me by my name
And the zipping white light beams
Disregards the bombs and satellites

That was the turning point
That was one lonely night

The star maker says, "It ain't so bad"
The dream maker's gonna make you mad
The spaceman says, "Everybody look down
It's all in your mind"

Another Killers tune and another fan-video inspired addition (and another Fifth Doctor vid - I regret nothing!)  I just love this song and if you think I'm going to do anything except give preferential treatment to my dear, sweet Fivey - you go another think coming :)

(Note: This version of Spaceman is missing the bridge part that says "the Nile used to run from east to west" - which made me think of Erimem, the Egyptian girl who almost became Pharoah but instead travels with the Fifth Doctor in Big Finish. Just - listen to those stories. They're wonderful!)

Track 37: Ordinary by Train



And when the world is on its knees with me its fine
And when I come to the rescue I get nothing but left behind
Everybody seems to be getting what they need where's mine
‘Cause your what I need so very but I'm anything but ordinary

Another song to a video that I made back in the day (be gentle - this was the very first one I ever made). This one illustrated the “Human Nature” two-parter in Series 3 for me and actually made that story work for me.  It kind of bugged me that the Doctor would have chosen to have a normal human life when he could travel all over the universe and all through history and I had a hard time with that story when I first saw it (besides - how was Martha supposed to get home?)  But then I had this song come up on my iTunes shuffle and - I started to understand.  It's easy for me and my normal, everyday life to say "I want to go on an adventure!"  But for a character that has that all the time - I guess normal, everyday would be a treat.  But the Doctor (at least) would never get more than a taste of it because it's not in his nature.  He's not normal and he's not everyday.  And that's why we love him so much.

Track 38: All These Things That I’ve Done by The Killers



When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on
I want to stand up, I want to let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I want to shine on in the hearts of men
I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand

There are so many different lyrics I could have chosen to highlight from this song because - it's just a great song! And it's a great illustration of the Doctor, especially the post-Time War. Someone out there in Internet Land posited that this was the perfect song for the Tenth Doctor (almost the theme of "The Waters of Mars" - see the line "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier) and I think I agree (I wish I could remember who that person was and give them credit - if that was you or you know who it was, drop me a line).

Track 39: Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve



'Cause it's a bittersweet symphony, this life
Try to make ends meet
You're a slave to money then you die
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
You know the one that takes you to the places
where all the veins meet yeah,

No change, I can change
I can change, I can change
But I'm here in my mold
I am here in my mold
But I'm a million different people
from one day to the next
I can't change my mold
No, no, no, no, no

So, we've come to the point where I have no idea why I picked these songs other than a few random lyrics and that I think they sound good. I guess line like "I'm a million different people," put me in mind of regeneration and that's something I would have highlighted if I made a video with this song. I just have a lot of random ideas, but not a lot of time or resources to put them all together (but feel free to do it yourself if any of this inspires you)

Track 40: Bring Him Home by The Piano Guys

Ending out this section with another slow instrumental to transition to the final ten. The Doctor may have his moments of doubt, but his companions (and fans, let's be honest here) keep pulling him through.

You know what? We are pretty good :)

The World I Live In (The Playlist Project - Part 3)

Continuing on with Fifty Years Running - The Doctor Who Playlist Project. Here are Tracks 21-30

(Part 1 is here)
(Part 2 is here)

Track 21: No Rain by Blind Melon



And I don't understand why I sleep all day
And I start to complain that there's no rain
And all I can do is read a book to stay awake
And it rips my life away, but it's a great escape

I guess if I had to characterize myself right before I discovered Doctor Who, it would be sheer and utter boredom. I’ve told the story extensively, so I won’t go into it too much here, but I sometimes wonder if that’s where the seeds of fandom are sown - you’re looking for something remarkable in your life and it never materializes, so instead you look for something remarkable in fiction and you integrate it into your life. You obsess over it, you become a scholar of it, you annoy your family and friends with it - but it was just always there for you.  I suppose this isn't unique to Doctor Who fans, but it's where I found my outlet, so this song represents that aspect of fandom for me.

Track 22: The Sounds of Silence by Simon & Garfunkel



"This was exactly you. All this, all of it. You make them so afraid. When you began, all those years ago, sailing off to see the universe, did you ever think you'd become this? The man who can turn an army around at the mention of his name? Doctor: the word for healer and wise man throughout the universe. We get that word from you, you know. But if you carry on the way you are, what might that word come to mean?" - River Song, from "A Good Man Goes to War"

These next two songs represent some of the darker stories Doctor Who has told and, indeed, some of the darker aspects of the Doctor himself. Especially a post-Time War Doctor, but also to remember that the Doctor is not generally a nice person.  Even going back to the very beginning, he's pretty much the antagonist of the first episode of "An Unearthly Child" (though, I suppose, we can forgive his actions since he was protecting his granddaughter and his ship - more on that in a future post).  And this dark side of the Doctor isn't relegated to long before we knew him - it surfaces throughout all his lives. From contemplating genocide in "Genesis of the Daleks," to breaking Ace's faith in him in "The Curse of Fenric," to the gloomy Eighth Doctor stranded in the Divergent Universe stories of Big Finish all the way through to New Who and those terribly scary moments that lie beneath his silly, eccentric exterior. So, it's fitting that I fit in a song that has a distinct '60s sound, yet isn't the happy-pop-bubblegum type of music, but a very somber and shadowy piece that is still considered a classic.

Track 23: Mercy by OneRepublic



Before just the daylight
Come and I stand by
Waiting to catch the quickest plane
Fly me to nowhere
it's better than somewhere
That's where I've been and nothing's changed
***
Angel of Mercy
How did you find me?
How did you pick me up again?
Angel of Mercy
How did you move me?
Why am I on my feet again?
And I see you


Okay, this one gets a little schmaltzy, but I like it.  I said that this and The Sounds of Silence represent the darker aspects of Doctor Who stories.  I likened Silence to the darker parts of the Doctor himself, but this song could be for the sadness in him as well.  All the losses and failures - of which there have been many (probably as many as his successes, I would guess).  He's made many mistakes and had many regrets - yet he's still a symbol of hope for so many people.  Maybe not a symbol of hope, but a symbol of a friend - of someone who can make things be all right again. That things will get better because the Doctor's out there in the universe doing amazing things and inspiring people to be better.  And even when he does screw up, he still listens to his friends and comes back down from the edge. Because they need him and he needs them.

Track 24: Perfect Time of Day by Howie Day



I love this song because it sort of feels like you’re coming out of a bad place and into something good. Like you've turned a corner and things are going to be better. That fairly well sums up my relationship with Doctor Who. Even though there still are bad times, they are made less-bad because I have something that I enjoy in my life (hey, I don’t have a boyfriend - something's gotta be there for me in my life ^_^)

Track 25: Me and My Cello (Happy Together) by Steven Sharp Nelson of The Piano Guys



Well, we've been serious - time to have some fun! What better way than with a video that shows a guy having the time of his life - with the most important non-human object in his life? THe only this video could have been better is if the Doctor and the TARDIS were skydiving right along with Steven and his cello (man, now I want a fanart of the Doctor and Idris at the disco. Any of you artist-types feeling inspired?)

Track 26: The Remedy (I Won’t Worry) by Jason Mraz



Non-sequitur, silliness, the drunk giraffe dancing at a wedding - sometimes, you just need to relax with a big bowl of fish fingers and custard and let the universe take care of itself. In the mean time - you've got a swimming pool to find in the TARDIS library.

Track 27: Starlight by Muse




One of the first things that really piqued my interest in Doctor Who was actually a fan-made video to this song. Oh, I’d seen various mentions of Doctor Who on LiveJournal and such, but one of my LJ friends posted this video and I gave it a watch. I really don’t know why I did. I don’t have any real attachment to Muse or anything like that. And it turns out - I’m not really into the Doctor/Rose ship (though I don’t hate it and I don’t begrudge the people who do like it. It’s just not something I get overly excited about). Still, this video intrigued me enough to want to start watching Doctor Who. And it is a really good song, so it fits in the playlist.

Track 28: Back in Time by Huey Lewis and the News



Tell me, Doctor, where are we going this time?
Is this the '50s or 1999?
All I wanted to do - was play my guitar and sing

So take me away, I don't mind
But you better promise me, I'll be back in time
Gotta get back in time

An unusual example of a song that’s straight-up about time-travel. It’s from the Back to the Future soundtrack, so that’s not surprising (and *cough* it's something I made, so I have to put it up, don't it? ^_^) The lyrics almost feel tailor-made to Doctor Who (and there is many a fan-video out there with this song), which makes it a prime candidate for inclusion on this playlist

Track 29: The World We Live In by The Killers



I had a dream that I was falling down
There's no next time, alone
A storm wastes its water on me
But my heart was free

I guess it's the world that we live in
It's not too late for that
This is the world that we live in
And no, we can't go back


You know, some of these songs I've been all deep and analytic about. And for others... I just like the song and I think it fits, though I have no hard-and-fast reason for it. This is one of those times (and hey, it's The Killers! I've got to have at least... three... of their songs on any of my playlists). This song just has overtones of living in the real world, yet still allowing adventure and imagination have a prominent place.  And, I guess, that's what Doctor Who is for me. I live in the real world and do what's expected of me there, but I like to escape somewhere else through stories - which is something I've done since I was a little kid and I've never grown out of it.  It's really the best thing in the world.

Track 30: Wheel in the Sky by Journey



I've been trying to make it home
Got to make it before too long
I can't take this very much longer
I'm stranded in the sleet and rain
Don't think I'm ever gonna make it home again
The mornin' sun is risin'
It's kissing the day

Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'
I don't know where I'll be tomorrow
Wheel in the sky keeps on turnin'

Here are my '70s classic rock roots showing again! (my brother will be annoyed that I used this one because it's one of his favorites and he doesn't like Doctor Who and he takes every opportunity to give me crap about it.  But that's okay because I can turn around and give it right back. Which may explain why I enjoy this game of "Poke the Grumpy Fanboy Bear" so much).

Two thing influenced this choice: the title “The Wheel in Space” and the lyric “I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow.” If that doesn't sum up the Doctor’s inability to steer the TARDIS (or the TARDIS’s determination to get the Doctor and company into places where they never mean to go - take your pick), I don’t know what does.  And it's just a great song, so there's that.

***
And with that sort of lackluster ending, that's it for this section - I'll have the next up soon. Ten more days until the 23rd!

My Funny Friend and Me (The Playlist Project - Part 2)

Soldiering onward with Fifty Years Running - The Doctor Who Playlist Project. Here's the next section -

(Part 1 is here)

Track 11: Life in Technicolor ii by Coldplay



Time came a-creeping, oh, and time's a loaded gun
Every road is a ray of light
It goes on, time only can lead you on
Still, it's such a beautiful night

Oh love, don't let me go
Won't you take me where the street lights glow?
I can hear rain coming like a serenade of sound
Now my feet won't touch the ground

I love this song's otherworldly quality and sense of the unknown, which I think really works well for Doctor Who. Something that's really drawn me into these stories is the curious nature of the characters and how much they all (with a few exceptions) want to explore the universe and the wonder that comes with that.

Track 12: Home by Phillip Phillips



Hold on, to me as we go
As we roll down this unfamiliar road
And although this wave is stringing us along
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Settle down, it'll all be clear
Don't pay no mind to the demons
They fill you with fear
The trouble it might drag you down
If you get lost, you can always be found
Just know you’re not alone
Cause I’m going to make this place your home

Okay, so I haven't seen "Planet of the Spiders" yet, but I do know that right before the Third Doctor regenerates, he lands at UNIT headquarters and says "The TARDIS brought me home" or something along those lines. And then, in "Journey's End," Sarah Jane tells the Doctor that he shouldn't act like such a lonely man because he's got the biggest family on Earth - indeed, it's that home and that family that he keeps coming back to.  He even seemed to create his own little family unit after he regenerated into the Eleventh Doctor with the Ponds and River Song (though it more or less happened by accident). Point to any Team TARDIS, you can certainly find a sense of family and belonging, which I think this song illustrates nicely.

Track 13: My Funny Friend and Me by Sting



You see the patterns in the big sky
Those constellations look like you and I
Just like the patterns in the big sky
We could be lost we could refuse to try
But we made it through in the dark night
Would those lucky guys turn out to be
But that unusual blend of my funny friend and me

"Have you met Miss Smith? She's my best friend." - The Fourth Doctor, from "The Seeds of Doom"

Stars, friends, unlikely relationships, learning life lessons - if that isn't Doctor Who, I don’t know what is.

Track 14: Below My Feet by Mumford and Sons



Keep the earth below my feet
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak
Let me learn from where I have been
Oh keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn
Oh keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn

I like the sound of this song more than anything, but it does serve to remind us of the companions who stopped traveling because it wasn't fun anymore (hi, Tegan!) or even the companions who turned down the Doctor's invitation to travel (Rory's dad, Brian) or companions that never were, but would have been great (Dr. Todd from "Kinda").  Someone's got to stay and water the plants.

Track 15: One Engine by The Decemberists



I chose this to represent the darker, grimmer stories Doctor Who has given us that I enjoy when I'm in the right frame of mind for that kind of storytelling - whether it's the gothic horror of "Pyramids of Mars" or the bleakness of "The Caves of Androzani" or the sheer terror of "Midnight" and "The Edge of Destruction."

Track 16: Long Long Way From Home by Foreigner



I was inside looking outside
The millions of faces
But still I'm alone
Waiting, hours of waiting
Paying a penance
I was longing for home

I'm looking out for the two of us
I hope we'll be here when they're through with us

My classic rock roots are showing with this one (long drives on the farm with my Dad and his '70s rock tapes to listen to will do that - thanks Dad!)  But yeah, going over some of these titles - how could I not choose this song to go on this playlist?

Track 17: Ordinary World by Duran Duran



But I won't cry for yesterday
There's an ordinary world
Somehow I have to find
And as I try to make my way
To the ordinary world
I will learn to survive

Another one where I just love the otherworldly sound of the song and I think it fits in that vein of Doctor Who.

Track 18: Paradise by Coldplay



When she was just a girl
She expected the world
But it flew away from her reach
So she ran away in her sleep
Dreamed of para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Para- para- paradise
Every time she closed her eyes


Speaking of otherworldly... here's another entry from Coldplay!  A little girl running away in her dreams - that's got Amy Pond written all over it! And Donna. And... well... sure - Rose, Martha, and Clara fit that description to some degree or another.

Track 19: Gravity by Alison Krauss and Union Station



And the people who love me still ask me
When are you coming back to town?
And I answer, quite frankly,
When they stop building roads
And all God needs is gravity to hold me down

"Our destiny lies in the stars. So let's go and search for it!" - The First Doctor, "The Reign of Terror"

Again - traveling, leaving home, adventure, curiosity, learning to find yourself. All great themes of Doctor Who. Plus, Alison Krauss has one of the most gorgeous voices in music anywhere.

Track 20: Just the Way You Are by Jon Schmidt



Yeah, I know the original Bruno Mars version is really lovey-dovey and crap, which is why I picked the lyric-less version from Jon Schmidt of The Piano Guys. What rang true in this choice was the line from the Eleventh Doctor “In 900 years of time and space, I never met anyone who wasn’t important.” While that isn’t exactly what this song goes for, I think it’s close enough and merits a place on the playlist.

Turning Myth Into Truth (The Playlist Project - Part 1)

I really have to find something more productive to do with my time. Or get my brain to shut up for, like, a week (after the 23rd, dear).

Something I love doing is creating iTunes playlists/soundtracks from music that I love to go along with shows or movies or even books that I also love. I thought it fitting to create a tribute playlist for Doctor Who, choosing fifty songs that I think best illustrate the show and its characters (meaning these are songs I would love to make a fan-music-video to, if I had time and working software).  My only rule is this: I don't use any music from official soundtracks because that's just cheating :)

Now, this playlist is 100% down to my tastes and my experiences. I don’t expect everyone to totally agree with me. In fact, I would be surprised if anyone totally loved all my choices. But I will explain myself and leave it up to you, Dear Reader, to agree or disagree as appropriate (and question my tastes in music).

So, without further ado, I present -

Fifty Years Running: The Doctor Who Playlist Project

(Part 1: Tracks 1-10)

Track 1: Blue by Eiffel 65



Yo listen up here's a story
About a little guy that lives in a blue world
And all day and all night and everything he sees
Is just blue like him inside and outside
Blue is his house with a blue little window
And a blue corvette
And everything is blue for him and himself
And everybody around
'cause he ain't got nobody to listen to

I’m blaming Iron Man 3 for this one. I had a whole bunch of songs that I thought would go along with Doctor Who, but I didn’t have anything that I thought would serve as a good opening for the playlist. Then I saw Iron Man 3 in theaters and this song started the movie. And I thought “I wonder if I own that song.” And I did, so that made my mind up for me. Between the opening lines and the title and the fun atmosphere of the song (and some of the lyrics, because that’s vitally important too), I decided that I had hit gold. Didn't hurt that the Doctor basically lives in a blue house (more or less).

So, listen up - here’s the story!

Track 2: Falling For the First Time by Barenaked Ladies

Anyone perfect must be lying, anything easy has its cost
Anyone plain can be lovely, anyone loved can be lost
What if I lost my direction? What if I lost sense of time?
What if I nursed this infection? Maybe the worst is behind
It feels just like I'm falling for the first time

Shameless Self-Promotion Time!  Back when I had working video-making software, I created this video tribute to Donna Noble to this song, thinking that it illustrated perfectly the journey she took with her travels in the TARDIS. There was never any question of if I would include this song in this playlist, but now I see that it could apply to the Doctor’s attitude about the universe at large - and quite likely why he ran off from Gallifrey in the first place.  Which is why it comes in at number 2 on the countdown (like that really matters in the grand scheme of things...)

Track 3: The Trail We Blaze by Elton John



Look out new world here we come
Brave, intrepid and then some
Pioneers of maximum
Audacity whose resumes
Show that we are just the team
To live where others merely dream
Building up a head of steam
On the trail we blaze

Changing legend into fact
We shall ride into history
Turning myth into truth
We shall surely gaze
On the sweet unfolding
Of an antique mystery
All will be revealed
On the trail we blaze

I really love The Road to El Dorado soundtrack and this song I think is the most about having an adventure and discovering new things that you never thought possible and the type of person who would undertake such a journey (either wittingly or unwittingly - but everyone still becomes friends eventually).

To me, this song could be applied to any number of the pure historical stories - and not just the ones from the First Doctor’s era (though I could see a fan video made of clips from “The Aztecs” to this song). One of the audio stories I reviewed for Librarian in the TARDIS was the Big Finish Audio “The Kingmaker,” which dealt with the mystery of what King Richard III did to his young nephews - did he kill them in order to secure the throne for himself or did he hide them away for his own safety (or where there any princes to begin with?) It’s the fun of “changing legend into fact” that endears so many of these historical stories to me and I sometimes wish there were more, especially in New Who (not a whole lot, mind you - just enough to spice things up a little bit).

Track 4: Ticket to Ride by The Beatles



"The gamers say we're 'retro.' Which, I think means 'old, but cool.'” - Wreck-It Ralph

This one is a bit of a cheat, but since it was only an insert of a segment of “Top of the Pops” into “The Chase” and not actually performed specifically for the filming of the story - I’m gonna let it stand. And not because the lyrics really “fit” with Doctor Who (because they don't), but mostly as a way to get the “flavor” of the 1960s. Even in all the discussion of how the show is 50 years old, sometimes it’s easy to forget what exactly that means. I mean, my parents were toddlers in 1963 (just to put that into perspective for myself, my niece just turned two this past summer). It’s also a testament that even these earliest stories feel timeless - in spite of being filmed in black and white and early television effects and things like that. Honestly, I don’t think Doctor Who starts really becoming a product of its time until “The War Machines,” with the whole “Swingin’ Sixties” theme. And even then, that aspect didn't last very long (that may be an odd statement and some of the more snobby elite academic critics in fandom would give me a harsh side-eye on that, but when I have I ever sought their approval?)

Truly, the strength of Doctor Who - especially the Classic Series - is that it avoids becoming dated in its storytelling. If The Powers That Be chose to do so, a story like “An Unearthly Child” could easily be retold using today’s modern filmmaking techniques (that being said, I don’t want it remade. I’m just saying that it could be done).

Anyway - the point of including this song (other than to have a good-natured laugh at Ian’s embarrassing “dad-dancing” - here, have a link to a gif of the whole scene because it is GLORIOUS to behold) is just to reflect the show’s place in history. And just how cool the Beatles were involved. Because the Beatles, like Doctor Who, are still very cool.

Track 5: Come Sail Away by Styx



From the 60s into the 70s! Does this even need explaining? It was a key component of Tenth Doctor: The Musical, so that oughta say something.

Track 6: Good Life by OneRepublic



To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Colorado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can't jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We've got our stories, but please tell me
What there is to complain about?

This one has a bit of a story behind it. This one, more than any of these (so far), I most associate with two particular characters. A few months ago, I watched “The Chase.” I stinking LOVE “The Chase.” I know it’s got a bit of goofy silliness to it, but at it’s core it’s about the First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, and Vicki having settled into their lives of adventure as this little cohesive family unit and you think that this is how it’s always going to be - because why wouldn’t it?

Just when you think that all is well and Team TARDIS is going to go off on their merry way - they’re left with the Daleks’ time ship. And Ian and Barbara slowly realize (and we the audience do too) that they could get back home in this time ship.

When I realized Ian and Barbara were on the way out (like, five minutes before they actually left - I had no idea that “The Chase” was their last story. Way to avoid 40+ year-old spoilers, Me!), I had two reactions. The first was: “You can’t go!!” The second was: “Aww... they’ll finally get to go home!” And I was happy for both of them. Personally, I’m really glad that the ending of “The Chase” plays out the way that it does. In my mind, Ian and Barbara got the best companion departure in all of Doctor Who (yes, even better than Jo Grant - and I’ll fight whoever on that point). Sure it’s sad that they’re leaving, but you also get to see their complete and utter joy at finally being home in their own time (more or less). It’s a fitting send-off for two characters that helped the Doctor become less of the grumpy old curmudgeon (on a good day) and planted in his heart a love of humans and the Earth. And, thanks to “those old fusspots,” the Doctor’s travels will never be the same.

That’s all fine and good, but what does that have to do with this song? Well, the last time I watched “The Chase,” I had to go to work right afterward and I was kind of feeling some bittersweet euphoria at the ending. As I am wont to do, I put my iPod on shuffle and, thanks to the wonders of serendipity, this song came on and it just fit with how I was feeling after watching this story. Thus, it went on the playlist and it will be forever associated (in my mind) with Ian and Barbara and their happy ending (that’s how my mind works).

Track 7: Galaxies by Owl City



Following on from the high note of Good Life, I had to put Galaxies in here (and this, frankly, amazing fan-made video tribute to the Tenth Doctor).

This song was chosen for it’s outer space motif (obviously) and the sentiment of someone saving the day. Of course, the original song has religious/spiritual themes to it, which I connect with on a different level. But it’s also the wild ride of time-and-space travel that makes this a great song to be included on this playlist (and I love Owl City, so there’s that).

Track 8: Don't You (Forget About Me) by Simple Minds



Time for some 80s music! With all the goodbyes the Doctor has said (whether to one-off characters or to companions who’ve also become his best friends), one thing he never does is forget about those companions. And it’s unlikely that they ever forget him (let’s just leave the endings of “The War Games” and “Journey’s End” aside for a little while). With a history and a canon as long and involved as Doctor Who has, memory has been a key theme in every era and incarnation of the show.

Track 9: Gone in the Morning by Newton Faulkner



Really, I picked this one because I love this video and now the song makes me think of the Doctor and his companions. Kind of in the same vein of memory and remembering each other.  The lyrics don't exactly fit the overall story, but the video's good.  So, there you go.

Track 10: Over the Rainbow/Simple Gifts by The Piano Guys



This will not be the last time you see The Piano Guys on this playlist, I assure you.  If nothing else, Somewhere Over the Rainbow is about dreaming and wishing to see something new and exciting.  That's a huge part of Doctor Who, making this a very fitting song for this tribute playlist.  And this video is just plain gorgeous. The Doctor needs to visit Hawaii (if he hasn't already - I'm sure he has).