Confused-Shoes

The songs to play on the five nights of my wake, and the one to be played on the funeral itself:

1st night: Jason Mraz’s You and I Both - the song that best shows my hopelessly romantic attitude towards love in general, plus a good welcoming song to mourners because of the killer lines - ’see im all about them words.’ You could all even sing along to the song when Mraz cries his heart out in the final chorus.

2nd night: Eraserheads’ Hard to Believe, which, for me, is the best-written English song by a Filipino band. Though the harmony may not be too textured and unlayered, it, however boasts of a killer guitar solo that highlights the conflict of sadness/hopefulness embodied in the song. Easily the most intelligent love song made in the Philippines. ‘Please don’t take it all away/With you heaven is still close enough to touch’ simply breaks my heart.

3rd Day: Led Zeppelin’s All My Love - a most lovely love song that is nowhere cheesy, sentimental, or soft. It speaks of a failed love with the lover remaining unconquered - all the while promising more. The other side of my take on falling love - as a direct opposite to You and I Both. Killer line - ‘ sometimes I get a bit lonely’, which is so damn true. But he fights back with a Nietzschean concept of the superman, and, ultimately triumphs. And even if I don’t, I’d still be okay.

4th night - The Verve’s Bittersweet Symphony. This is rock taking a look at society, the rockstar lamenting not the silliness of love affairs but the demise of man in society in general. ‘I need to hear some songs that recognize the pain in me, yeah/ I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, i feel free now’ best describes my affinity for music, and my reasons for music. This is quite possibly the saddest song in the world. It speaks of poverty, pollution, resistance, stubborn-ness, change, personality, and music. Music. Oh and yes, it speaks of death. Perfect for the wake.

Last night: Oasis’ Live Forever/Coldplay’s Live Forever cover - the only hopeful song to be played in the wake; this song must be played like a double single, the Oasis original first - carefree, happy, youthful, then the Coldplay cover - and see how they turn this song about living forever so quickly damn depressing. ‘Maybe I just don’t believe’ speaks of who I am 40& of the time. Perfect for the huling lamay - which is when most of the mourners (or the well-wishers) come - and this might just possibly be the only inspiring song in the repertoire.

On the way to the funeral - play a medley of Bic Runga’s Sway (my desperate plea to my lovers not to go), Damien Rice’s The Blower’s Daughter (again, of depression about being left), Coldplay’s The Scientist (if only for the lines about questions of science and progress not speaking as loud as my heart), Bloc Party’s This Modern Love (for all those relationships of mine that didn’t work out), D’Sound’s Tattooed on my Mind (an ode to infatuations, for I am perpetually infatuated), Natalie Imbruglia’s Wrong Impression and Identify (the former, for those whom I loved but didn’t understand, the latter, my own ode to my false view of myself), The Killers’ All These Things That I’ve Done (a grand way to apologize to everyone), Texas’ Say What You Want (for all those who have something left to blame me for), New Radicals’ Someday We’ll Know (if only for the song i love most to sing along to) and finally, just as the coffin is being taken out of the hearse and prepared for the funeral, let them play The Beatles’ I’m Only Sleeping. Go figure why. (leave me where I am/I’m only sleeping).

And the song to be played over and over during the ceremony and as the coffin is being lowered into the grave: Radiohead’s No Surprises. Marx’s Alienation made to music. The saddest sounds, most depressing lyrics, no refuge, no salvation. It offers no let-up, no respite. Sheer sadness from a voice crying out for his ‘final fit, final bellyache’. This is pure sadness.

Do fulfill my wishes. Have these songs played and extend your condolences on the day i die.