Songs about Time Travel
Jul. 2nd, 2011 04:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
alias_sqbrInspired by various fanmixes(*) I made Kids and Fun, a Homestuck fanmix. Going through iTunes and thinking about fannish interpretations of songs was SO MUCH FUN and is way easier than vidding :)
A recent post by twtd suggested To Who it May Concern as a Doctor/River vid, and that got me thinking about other songs that can be read as being (or are explicitly) about time travel.
After thinking about this for a while myself I thought to google, Time Travel & Alternate History
Music Videos at Andy's Anachronisms was the most useful site and has some nice discussion.
First, songs that actually tell their own little time travel story:
The Felt Album is a bunch of instrumental songs about the Felt, time travelling characters from Homestuck. Even without the context there's a lot of interesting time effects (most of which go over my head but I saw an explanation once :))
Songs that are plausibly about time travel but are vague or seem metaphorical:
Songs that aren't explicitly about time travel but can be read that way, and some fannish interpretations (until I got bored of doing them):
Any others I missed? I was going to rec some good time travel vids, but none of the ones I could find for fandoms like Doctor Who stood out as focussing on the time travel related aspects of the story. A Day in the Life is about being able to see the future, which is close.
(*)Especially Shellebie, it was only after making mine that I realised she also had a rather darker fanmix called "kids and fun" too.
A recent post by twtd suggested To Who it May Concern as a Doctor/River vid, and that got me thinking about other songs that can be read as being (or are explicitly) about time travel.
After thinking about this for a while myself I thought to google, Time Travel & Alternate History
Music Videos at Andy's Anachronisms was the most useful site and has some nice discussion.
First, songs that actually tell their own little time travel story:
- Everything you know is wrong: Weird Al Yankovic A bunch of random stuff happens including some time travel and alternate universes. Remarkably suited to Homestuck, I think I may have seen it used in a vid.
- Time Machine by Don't Mind The Gap An ignored physicist goes to the future and everyone is in bliss machines letting robots do all the work.
- If I Had A Time Machine That Would Be Fresh MC Lars Lars goes through time fixing everything with his friend's time machine.
- Iron Man: Black Sabbath Iron Man is turned into a robot, comes back from the future and kills everyone.
- The Year 3000 by the Jonas Brothers A Jonas brother goes to the year 3000, everyone lives underwater and listens to their music.
The Felt Album is a bunch of instrumental songs about the Felt, time travelling characters from Homestuck. Even without the context there's a lot of interesting time effects (most of which go over my head but I saw an explanation once :))
Songs that are plausibly about time travel but are vague or seem metaphorical:
- Back in Time This was written for Back to the Future but suits any story about going back in time.
- 39 by Queen Colonists finding a new Earth return home many years later and thanks to time dilation haven't aged.
- Time Warp: Rocky Horror Picture Show Instructions for time travel :)
- Barenaked Ladies - It's All Been Done A couple meet during historical periods from Roman times to the future.
- Amanda Abizaid - A Place In Time A woman remembers a previous life but her partner doesn't, tries to find a place in time for them.
Songs that aren't explicitly about time travel but can be read that way, and some fannish interpretations (until I got bored of doing them):
- To Who it May Concern and I miss you: Anyone that meets their love interest out of order. Doctor/River (Doctor Who), also maybe Karkat/John (Homestuck) and Homura/Madoka (Puella Magi Madoka Magica).
- Conversations with my thirteen year old self: Timetravellers who meet their angsty 13 year old selves. Hello Dave and Aradia from Homestuck :) Also Homura (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) and River (Doctor Who. She hasn't really met her younger self yet, but it's plausibly going to happen and kid!River had a pretty messed up childhood).
- History repeating Anything with time loops or attempts to change the past which don't make a huge difference: Homestuck, Puella Magi Madoka Magica, 12 Monkeys etc. Mostly Homestuck since it's a bit cheery for the others.
- Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life) by Green Day Lots of lyrics about time directing your life.
- Talking Heads - "Once In A Lifetime" Unexpectedly finding yourself in alternate universes eg Back to the Future.
- Spinning Plates: Radiohead The lyrics aren't very time travelly, but it's played backwards which has an interesting feel.
- The Scientist Coldplay About science and going back to the start, clip involves rewinding. I actually have a Doctor Who vid to this but it doesn't seem to be online any more.
- Cher - If I Could Turn Back Time Heehee, sorry :)
Any others I missed? I was going to rec some good time travel vids, but none of the ones I could find for fandoms like Doctor Who stood out as focussing on the time travel related aspects of the story. A Day in the Life is about being able to see the future, which is close.
(*)Especially Shellebie, it was only after making mine that I realised she also had a rather darker fanmix called "kids and fun" too.
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Date: 2011-07-02 09:59 am (UTC)!
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Date: 2011-07-02 10:17 am (UTC)I already linked to the second one though :P
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Date: 2011-07-02 10:22 am (UTC)There's also the Aqua song Turn Back Time (from the Sliding Doors film) .
I'm surprised that Jonathon Coulton doesn't have a song about time travel. All the ones I thought of are just about the future, not going there, though.
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Date: 2011-07-08 12:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-15 04:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-20 01:17 pm (UTC)