Actives Inactive/Actives Reactive: Two Dollhouse Fanmixes

[tablesaw]

Another whedonland challenge. This time, it's a fanmix. Which, for me, became two fanmixes:



I had an idea to create a set of list of songs that not only related to Dollhouse, but sounded like something that would be played in the Dollhouse. So I started coming through my mellow, relaxing, sleepy music to create Actives Inactive: Songs for the Tabula Rasa.

1. Phantom Planet, "Our House" (YouTube)

   Our House is a very, very, very fine house
   Life used to be so hard;
   Now everything is easy 'cause of you.

2. DJ Shadow, "What Does Your Soul Look Like?" (YouTube)

   And why should we
   Want to go back where we were how many years?
   And why should we
   Want to live a life that's past and nevermore?

3. Cibo Matto, "Moonchild" (Lala)

   Sometimes I feel you're smiling at me
   And telling me your memories.
   Tide always moves fast;
   Can you tell me how to
   Find words inside a shell?

4. Juana Molina, "Rara"

   Paso horas mirando
   Por la ventana.
   El tiempo va pasando y yo no hago nada.
   Nada.
   
   [I spend hours looking
   Out the window.
   The time is passing by, and I do nothing.
   Nothing.]

5. Fiona Apple, "I Know" (YouTube)

   And you can use my skin to bury secrets in,
   And I will settle you down.
   And at my own suggestion,
   I will ask no questions,
   While I do my thing in the background.

6. Jim White, "Objects in Motion" (Lala)

   Objects in motion tend to stay that way.
   You can't waste the whole damn day loving what you need to cast away.
   For from the flame of love comes the cinder of regret.
   Sometimes the thing you cling to most is the thing you'd best forget.

7. Yo La Tengo, "Tears Are in Your Eyes" (YouTube)

   Although you don't believe me, you are strong;
   Darkness always turns into the dawn;
   And you won't even remember this for long,
   When it ends all right.

8. Beck, "It's All in Your Mind" (Imeem)

   Well it's all in your mind
   Well it's all in your mind
   Yeah it's all in your mind
   Well it's all in your mind

But while I was setting it up, I found a number of songs that had the same kind of sound and related to Dollhouse, but in a way that probably would get them banned from the Dollhouse. Songs that suggest that forgetting might not be a good thing and that, perhaps, a person should do something to fight it. The kind of music that post-composite Echo plays to herself when she's pretending to be in the Tabula Rasa. And that turned into Actives Reactive: Songs for Rejecting the Tabula Rasa.

1. K.D. Lang, "Theme from Valley of the Dolls" (Imeem)

   Gotta get off, gonna get—
   Have to get off from this ride.
   Gotta get hold, gonna get—
   Need to get hold of my pride.
   When did I get, where did I—
   How was I caught in this game?
   When will I know, where will I—
   How will I think of my name?
   When did I stop feeling sure, feeling safe
   And start wondering why, wondering why?
   Is this a dream? Am I here? Where are you?
   What's in back of the sky? Why do we cry?
   Gotta get off, gonna get
   Off of this merry-go-round.
   Gotta get off, gonna get—
   Need to get on where I'm bound
   When did I get, where did I—
   Why am I lost as a lamb?
   When will I know, where will I—
   How will I learn who I am?
   Is this a dream? Am I here? Where are you?
   Tell me, when will I know? How will I know?
   When will I know why?
   When will I know why?

2. Ricki Lee Jones, "Matters"

   What you wish for, what you think,
   The photographs you carry around,
   What whispers to yourself when you're finally gone,
   What you take when you go.
   If you're sorry or if you're sure,
   Who you are is who you were.
   Who you were matters.

3. Gillian Welch, "Revelator" (YouTube)

   Darling remember, when you come to me,
   That I’m the pretender,
   I’m not what I’m supposed to be.
   But who could know if I’m a traitor?
   Time's the Revelator.
   Queen of fakes and imitators,
   Time's the Revelator.

4. Stew, "Lazy Emergency"

   Somebody's got a voodoo doll
   That looks a lot like you.
   And somebody's making that voodoo doll
   Do things you'd never do.
   Outer forces got the password to your troubled mind.
   Scrubbed your brain, then showed you some strange contracts that you've signed.
   
   Now do you feel a curse?
   Can you sense a demon?
   What is even worse—
   Your whispers sound like screaming.

5. Portishead, "Roads" (YouTube)

   Oh, can't anybody see.
   We've got a war to fight,
   Never found our way,
   Regardless of what they say.
   
   How can it feel, this wrong?
   From this moment, how can it feel, this wrong?
   
   Storm in the morning light.
   I feel,
   No more can I say,
   Frozen to myself.
   
   I got nobody on my side,
   And surely that ain't right.
   Surely that ain't right.

6. Alexi Murdoch, "Breathe" (YouTube)

   And all the suffering that you've witnessed,
   And the hand prints on the wall,
   They remind you how it's endless,
   How endlessly you fall.
   
   And the answer that you're seeking
   For the question that you found
   Drives you further to confusion
   As you lose your sense of ground.
   
   But don't forget to breathe;
   Don't forget to breathe.
   You know you are here
   But you'll find you'll want to leave.
   So don't forget to breathe.

7. Oh Susanna, "Unknown Land" (Lala)

   In an unknown land upon which you shall stand
   You'll forge a path that is your own
   Don't be afraid to fail, to be weak or to be frail
   And know your heart is always home
   Girl, my girl, rest before the dawn begins to break
   Girl, my girl, you will be the one to find your way

8. Alexi Murdoch, "Shine" (YouTube)

   You spend your days watching the door.
   Yeah you spend your whole life waiting,
   But you don't know what for.
   You have everything you need right here.
   Still you want more.
   
   Well I didn't come here looking for a soul.
   And I'm tired of watching dust collecting on a bowl.
   I'm a spirit trying to be human.
   I'm just a spirit trying to be human.
   
   This is how we are fighting.
   This is how we are fighting.
   Time.
   Time.
   
   You hold on to yourself.
   You're afraid that you might get left behind.
   And so you hide your eyes.
   You're afraid that the light will make you blind.
   
   But it's time,
   It's time to shine.
   Yes, it's time to believe in what you know.
   And you don't need strength to be strong.

Comments

[inanna1130.livejournal.com]

um, this is AWESOME.

I love the concept, and the cover art is great. also creepy, in the case of 'inactive'