Working in the Devil's Playground

[tablesaw]

The second of three fanmixes for whedonland. This one is for Angel's evil law firm Wolfram & Hart. Links go to MP3s where freely available, and to streaming versions for everything else.



I was listening to the radio one evening, and I heads two of the songs on this mix: "Working for the Man" and "Living in the Devil's Playground," and I thought about how they both fit for Lilah, and the women of W&H. These songs, all with female vocalists, are dark and dangerous, sinister and cynical, and soulful about their soullessness. The mix starts with uptempo mundanities of corporate and ciminal-defense law, and proceeds down the rabbit hole into twisted morality, isolation, self-loathing, rebellion, and possibly redemption.

(In this respect, it is also the story of most non-supernatural big-law firms.)

Gram Rabbit, "Devil's Playground" (Youtube)

It's so hard when you're living in the devil's playground.

Fiona Apple, "Criminal" (Youtube)

What I need is a good defense.

Nouvelle Vague, "Sweet and Tender Hooligan" (Youtube)

Don't blame the sweet and tender hooligan, hooligan
'Cause he said that he'd never, never, never, never do it again
(Not until the next time)

Portishead, "Western Eyes" (Youtube)

Faithless greed's consolidating,
Holding down sweet charity.
With western eyes and serpent's breath,
We lay our own conscience to rest.

PJ Harvey, "Working for the Man" (Youtube)

Don't you know yet who I am?
Working harder for the man.

Ruby, "Bud" (Youtube)

This is where the evil grows.

Belly, "Low Red Moon" (Youtube)

So what, you think this is usual?

Jennifer Terran, "LA 101" (Lyrics at artist's website)

All your life you were told to trust no one,
not even yourself or your loved ones.

Janelle Monae, "Cold War" (Youtube)

So you think I'm alone?
But being alone's the only way to be.

Bitter:Sweet, "Moody"

Who's that lady in the dark? I think she's lost her way (Was it me?)
Who's that standing all alone looking for someone to take her soul?

Oh Susanna, "All that Remains" (Lyrics at artist's website)

Now you can't be no saint, no sinner, no lamb
When the devil himself says you ain't worth a damn

That Dog, "She"

She is given such pain. She is faced with the evil strain.
She is given no choice. She conquers and can't rejoice.

And she is beautiful.