The following songs are either mentioned in the book or I was listening to them and they inspired me while writing. Some of them seem odd choices even to me, but they are/were current hits while I was writing and some of them would more than likely be performed at the karaoke bar in the book. If Crush were a flick (I wish) these are the songs I can imagine playing during certain scenes. Just click on each link to listen...or if that doesn't work, right click on each link and choose "Open in new window."
* (indicates song actually appears in the book)
+ (indicates song is in wma format. Windows Media Player required)
Pop/Rock/R&B/Hiphop Current Hits 2000-present
Flugufrelsarinn by Sigur Ros
Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People
Motivation by Kelly Rowland
Sex Room by Ludacris and Trey Songz
Find Your Love by Drake
Baby by Devendra Banhart
Agaetis Byrjun by Sigur Ros
Unthinkable (I'm Ready) by Alicia Keyes
Red Vines by Aimee Mann
+Jeckyll & Hyde by Plumb
Sola Sistim by Underworld
+Chapter 32 by Hopscotch
Caught By The Light by The Boxer Rebellion
Sure Thing by Miguel
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New Wave from the 1980s
*The Warrior by Patty Smyth & Scandal
Send Me An Angel by Real Life
*+How Soon Is Now by The Smiths
The Model by Snakefinger
+Only When I Lose Myself by Depeche Mode
Making Plans For Nigel by XTC
Bad Boys Get Spanked by The Pretenders
Spellbound by Siouxie and the Banshees
Always by China Crisis
+Stripped by Depeche Mode
Alice by Cocteau Twins
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Jammin' Oldies (R&B and soul from the 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s)
*I Only Have Eyes For You by The Flamingos
Wey U by Chante Moore
Twisted by Keith Sweat & Cut Close
I Didn't Mean To Turn You On by Cherelle While someone sings this song at the End, Jamie is approached by a cute guy, but he's not interested...Yes, Robert Palmer remade this song in the mid-eighties and I like that one too
*Deja Vu by Dionne Warwick
Juicy Fruit by James Mtume
+Flowers by The Emotions
*I Call Your Name by Switch
*+Our Day Will Come by Ruby & The Romantics --------
Classic Rock/Rock/Pop 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s
+Pale September by Fiona Apple
+Rock Me by Great White
+Down In A Hole by Alice In Chains
*Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley
Touch Me by The Doors
H. by Tool --------
Instrumental/Trance/Urban (2000 to present)
+Auto Pilot by Lusine
Dark Deeds by Softhands/Warstream Music
+Sun Catcher/Ocean Drum by Stephen Scott In the frozen orange grove, Jamie is hovering between life and death and talking to Lloyd after he is beaten...I stumbled upon this beautiful stuff on 88.1 FM Berkeley while writing the orange grove scene
+Licorice by MF Doom
+Broke by Temmy
Also, you can check out my Crush Dream Soundtrack video playlist at Youtube!
Lloyd's funeral/Jamie falls apart...wonderful song
Jamie and Stacy argue about Jamie's reaction to Lloyd's death and how he's handling his life
Another current song that a patron would sing at The End at one time or another
I can see this being performed at the karaoke bar by a patron...The End lets high school kids in every Thursday for a karaoke contest...beware, very explicit lyrics!!!
Someone performs this song at The End when Tammy walks up to Jamie and Stacy's table after they performed "How Soon Is Now?"
Tammy and Jamie laugh about Uncle Price's antics at the hospital
Check out the cutely weird video for "Baby" by Devendra Banhart on YouTube!
Tammy and Jamie talk about Peggy's blood clot; holding hands in the elevator; could repeat during the love scene in the laundry room...
Tammy and Jamie drive home from the End after the Christmas party, and Jamie agonizes about trusting Tammy...
Stacy and Jamie drive to work, Jamie reveals his fear of abandonment after he's given himself to Tammy
Jamie cries at home when Tammy doesn't return his phone calls
Jamie reveals his childhood horror to Tammy in its entirety for the first time...This song has been featured in episodes of both CSI Miami and Queer As Folk
Tammy and Jamie comfort each other after Jamie tells all...This song is profoundly beautiful!
This beautiful song, which was featured on the Season 8 finale of NCIS, would play during Jamie's coma in the hospital and his revisitation of the day he met Tammy in the supermarket
This would be a great song for the scenes outside the courthouse after the trial
Jamie and Stacy perform this song at The End and Tammy is captivated
Jamie and Lloyd listen to this on Tammy's show one night
Jamie performs this with Stacy at The End...This song has been in a million other shows/movies, including Queer As Folk, The Wedding Singer, The Craft (actually a remake of the Smiths' original) and of course, Charmed (also uses the remake)
Tammy asks for Jamie's number outside the hospital cafeteria
Christmas morning (the morning after)
Jamie is driven to the hospital with hypoglycemia
The "kitty style" scene
Tammy watches the video and is sickened
The Flight to Vancouver
Tammy tries to talk Jamie into letting him give him a special "gift" for their honeymoon...A dark, yearning, candid song
Honeymoon night/Jamie bursts out the bathroom/the "gift"...Yes this song appeared in 2 films: Stealing Beauty and The Lovely Bones...it's absolutely sublime, ethereal, sexy
Youtube video of "Alice" by Cocteau Twins
Tammy performs this song at The End and is secretly singing to Jamie instead of his girlfriend Yvette
The first kiss at Ray's house...This song was in Waiting To Exhale
Jamie thinks of Tammy when he hears this song on the Jammin' Oldies station after Tammy leaves town
This song is playing overhead at the grocery store where Jamie sees Tammy for the first time in 16 years
The phone call where Jamie and Tammy ask each other, "Why do you like me?"
YouTube video of "Juicy Fruit" by Mtume
Tammy gives Jamie an angel for Christmas and then they...
Ah, the masterpiece! This song always had a place in the story. Jamie and Stacy perform this at The End when Jamie believes Tammy is avoiding him...
Tammy and Stacy perform this during Jamie's first visit to The End since the attack
Tammy meets Jamie in church, they hold hands during prayer; repeats the first time they make love...I've always thought of this as Jamie's "opening up and letting Tammy in" song, my all time favorite Fiona song
Tammy and Jamie make out outside Jamie's window...was it all just a dream? Well, I don't have to say how sexy this song is, do I?
YouTube of "Don't Talk (Put Your Head On My Shoulder)" by Linda Ronstadt
Tammy has his very erotic dream about Jamie in his room; later the song would repeat when Tammy and Jamie kiss for the first time in 16 years...This is the absolutely sexiest song ever recorded. Yes, the Beach Boys did it originally, but Linda Ronstadt's bewitching voice can't be touched.
Tammy feels guilty about leaving Jamie, and about his life in general...My very favorite Alice in Chains tune
Tammy, Jamie and Stacy perform this at the End's Christmas party
Someone performs this at the End while Tammy and Jamie have their mistletoe makeout session in the alley...One of my fave Doors songs, beautifully executed in every way
Tammy and Jamie have their long talk about the past, God, love and death...I've heard this song was about kicking heroin, then I've heard it's about childbirth and a father's joy. Oh well, either way it's a beautiful, darkly tender song and the lyrics are perfect for this song to be Tammy's "confessional" song. Maynard has a gorgeous, haunting voice.
Yvette pulls Tammy aside and tells him she sent him the video of Jamie being abused by his parents; Tammy drives Jamie home...This song was on an episode in Season 3 of CSI Miami
The kidnapping scene
Tammy is interrogated by the police
YouTube of "Licorice" by MF Doom (instrumental)
Tammy shops for Jamie and the "kids" at WalMart after adopting the 3 new cats in L.A.