I do the Curran POV’s sometimes, and I think people like them because you see and hear what he is thinking. In the books what you get it Kate’s take on the Beast Lord. I was listening to Sting this morning and reading the galleys for Bayou Moon when a song came on and really moved me.
It was “When we Dance” by Sting. It made me think of Curran seeing Kate with Saiman. He was not just mad, he was at first stunned and to be honest, deeply hurt at what he saw as a betrayal. Something along the lines of “I loved you and thought you loved me, how could you be with him?”
The video is stunning, but what got me was the lyrics. At 2:32 he tells her “he won’t love you like I loved you, he won’t care for you this way, he’ll mistreat you if you stay.”
That is pretty much exactly what Curran would have said to Kate, if he could. At least he would try, sadly it would come out more as a roar. I know this is mostly likely not how a lot of you picture Curran, but it is how I see him, or how he is in my head. When Ilona writes the books, she says she sees it in her head like a movie, for me I guess I hear music, probably because I listen to it while writing and editing. Is there a song or video that makes you think of Kate and Curran? Let me know, I am terribly curious how other people see them.
Lovely music. I believe the journey Kate and Curran are on includes a great deal of learning. Learning about jumping to conclusions and not checking with the other to discover what’s going on from the other’s point of view. Learning that there are many viewpoints on any event and many of them may be “right.” Learning that even if two people agree on what they saw and what it means, they may have different responses to that situation.
Curran is used to being treated as if he is always right. Pack members are afraid to stick with a position when Curran appears to oppose it. Kate won’t back down when, in her experience, her approach will work.
When they are kicking ass, Zombie’s “More Human Than Human” pops in my head.
On the softer side, a lot of the songs from Ingrid Michaelson’s Be OK album come to mind. Especially “The way I am,” “The Chain” and “Keep Breathing”.
I love Rob Zombie. His music is great at the gym, I could totally see Kate and Curran listening to while working out or sparing.
Katie Melua’s version of the The Cure’s “Just like heaven”. I see it as Kate’s fantasy of being with Curran despite all the vagaries and strife that they face in wanting to be together.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zg3RM7C6x8
NB, Will we be getting more of Curran’s POV, pretty please with sugar on top?
I love reading the Curran POV because, as you stated, we really only get to see him through Kate’s eyes, with all of her baggage clouding our vision. For example, it wasn’t until this book that I was really able to kick the assumption that he looks down on her because she is/was a mercenary. Reading the Saiman/club scene in the book I did think he was just being territorial and that it was just the animal side of him that was so enraged. Reading the Curran POV made me realize that the human emotional side was engaged as well — it was less about “MINE!” and more like being stood up for a naked dinner.
I don’t have any songs with words in mind yet, but I had a kicking instrumental sound track running through my head in the last few chapters of Magic Strikes. If I did have a song for them in the early parts of Magic Bleeds, it would probably be something about misunderstandings, damaged people, and loving someone who is totally bad for you. There is possibly one for Kate at the end of the book… I’ll have to Google the lyrics and see if it really means what I think it means.
But basically, Curran POVs rock — thank you for taking the time to do them for us!
Ok, I was thinking of “I’ll ome for you” by Nickleback… but the lyrics aren’t exactly right. And after reading the posts above I can’t get “Living Dead Girl” by Rob Zombie out of my head.
Maybe we can get a novella or short story of him? I think I’ve asked before. The building of the pack, things he has to do when Kate’s not around. I loved “Merriweather”.
Those moments when Kate stops, thinks about the worst thing imaginable happening, and then moves forward with life, kicking ass, makes me think of Sara McLachlan’s song Fear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_vVmeUf6QU If you’d like to listen.
Okay, this is very silly, but “Shut Up and Let Me Go” by the Ting Tings makes me think of Kate and Curran’s relationship BEFORE certain events Magic Bleeds. I see Kate yelling at Curran while he just stands there smirking and imagining her dancing to this music in her underwear.
Like I said, silly.
I’m not really a music oriented person, so I can’t really give you a song or video on how I see Kate and Curran. I can, however, give you a brief explanation (I think it will be brief.) They remind me a LOT of Romeo and Juliet at the beginning of their relationship if Romeo came from a whole different country. Like somewhere in Asia maybe. He is speaking this language, and has these customs that she knows nothing about. Their conversations go through interpreters. They both have serious feelings for each other, but communicating is a huge can of worms. Add in her oh so liberated self, and her history that she is hiding from everyone. And his unspoken but so understood implication that things would be perfect if he could just have her barefoot and pregnant at the hold waiting on him hand and paw…. and you have my favorite series of books.
There are so many…
I have a playlist for the books, in fact ^^. Among all, there is “I don’t want to miss a thing”, by Aerosmith, “You and Me”, by Lifehouse, Neutron Star Collision (Love is Forever), by Muse, Careless Whispers, by George Michaels, Pale, by Within Temptation and Desperate, by Fireflight.
I stop here because there is almost 5O songs…
This is so funny I was thinking about this just the other day! Probably my favourite part of Magic Bleeds in when they both take a leap of faith despite all of the misunderstandings that have happened between them and finally admit what they feel. I thought it was very symbolic for Curran to stand naked before Kate and offer her his neck, and we know exactly what is going on in Kate’s head and how much he hurt her before – they both left themselves open for the other to do their worst whilst trusting that they wouldn’t.
Anyway, I very rarely have MTV on the tv, but I was cleaning the other day and had it on in the background when RUSSIAN ROULETTE by Rihanna came on and I just thought it really suited this scene.
LOL – it was nothing to do with having ‘russian’ in the title, honestly!
thanks a lot for that – I absolutely love the Curran POV.
as I am not really a music oriented person I dont’t have any songs for the Kate-Curran dynamic but another one:
For me Nightwish (I don’t know if you have ever heard of them) is the perfect background or the musical description of the fighting scene in the end of Magic Burns – especially the songs “Bless the Child” and “end of all hope”
Please let me know if you feel the same.
U2′s “Walk On” makes me think of Kate & Curran:
“Love is not the easy thing.
The only baggage you can bring
is all that you can’t leave behind.”
And they’re toting a lot of baggage!!!
Acapella by Kelis makes me think of Kate an Curran from her POV
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm4q9NCBVkY
I always think of “Hysteria” by Muse, from Curran’s POV during the three week interval after the aborted dinner where he is extremely cranky…
Runrig’s “News from Heaven” is my Kate theme.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJLFS76UwKY
Great people come, take the stage
Famous moments vanish without trace
Trees grow tall, fields grow wheat
Woman grows older, man grows weak
But now you’re here
I feel no fear
I don’t have a particular soundtrack playing in my mind *while* I’m reading a book, but it kinda develops later when digesting it and listening to ipod/radio. Here’s some that I’ve come up with:
Heaven Beside You — Alice In Chains, could apply with a lot of characters
Galvanize — The Chemical Brothers, fight scenes and sparring particularly @ Midnight Games
I Will Possess Your Heart — Deathcab for Cutie, Curran esp. when doing a little B&E
Indestructible — Disturbed, Kate when pissed and determined
Great post, Gordon! Gotta love a guy who can get away with changing his name to “Sting” and no one blinks…but the man can make Music (capital “M”), can’t he?
Music/videos for Kate & Curran, huh? Let’s see. I’m not really much for connecting videos to Kate and Curran but music – yes, that I can do!
I like Rob Duggan’s “Furious Angels” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eINS3yYQ2aU&feature=related) for Kate or Curran during those times when they were tortured by each other.
I also like VNV Nation’s “Standing” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsFlzhzxTlA&feature=related). That one’s totally from Curran’s POV in my head.
Sometimes I hear Kate’s voice when I listen to Röyksopp’s “What Else Is There?” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLpkXtM-VI8). Not so much lately, of course.
And I see Kate and Curran teaming up to take down the baddies when I listen to VNV Nation’s “Kingdom” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXjyCUiDWXI&feature=related).
OMG Standing! Yes yes yes!!
Probably my favorite song of all time, and definitely fits the Kate/Curran vibe in my opinion too.
I think music adds a whole other side to writing/reading. It really helps me to hook into the emotional content of a situation. What most jumped out for me in Magic Bleeds (at the beginning) is Kate’s yearning for someone who gets her, and gets all her weirdness. Kate thought she had it, then lost it while her and Curran danced around each other. They are both one of a kind, both lonely, but can fill that gap in each other because of who they are: a song for yearning – Pixie Lott’s acoustic cover of Use Somebody (originally Kings of Leon)… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5o8L-Or0O4
A few more:
A Girl Like You — Edwyn Collins, Curran
Sleep to Dream — Fiona Apple, Kate re: Saiman
Virtual Insanity — Jamiroquai, the lyrics don’t really fit, but this always reminds me of the boudas
Oh, and Silversun Pickups “The Royal We” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOH9lIQ1FDQ) runs through my head for Kate and Curran now when they are out and fighting. They make an excellent team – very much a “we” (royal or otherwise).
When Curran missed the dinner and Kate was going crazy it made me think of
Katy Perry’s Hot N Cold.
oh let’s see…
during fight scenes
AC/DC: shoot to thrill
drowning pool: bodies (remix version, XXX soundtrack)
excess: tricky
megadeth: sweating bullets
when being “compatible/contented times:
testament: return to serenity
foo fighters: everlong
jet: are you gonna be my girl
live: i walk the line (johnny cash remake)
kate thinking about roland
anthrax: potter’s field
VAST: dirty hole
I love music, and listen to it constantly. I could name songs that I think of for the characters separately but I still haven’t found a perfect fit for them together. For instance I think of I Walk Alone by Saliva for Kate. Every time I hear Psycho by Puddle of Mudd I instantly think of Curran.
Have you seen our ‘songs’ thread on the forum? Maybe you have, I know there are a LOOOOOT of songs on there that have been posted because they remind you one way or another of Kate and Curran.
Atm, my favourite are:
~The Only Exception by Paramore (Kate’s mind about Curran)
~The Scientist by Coldplay (Kate about her life and her reaction to Curran not showing up)
~Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith (CurranxKate)
~Slow Dancing in a Burning Room by John Mayer (CurranxKate before everything was resolved)
There are more but my brain is not thinking too well atm.
not big with music but spot on with sting song as currans feeling it give new depth.
And thank u so much of all the curran PVO i love them all its great to get in to his head and view point as im sure every one agrees .
Ok, I’m French but I listen
Time is Running Out by Muse!
Hmm ok, this one is a bit different from all the other suggestions, but when Kate thinks about how much she wants that someone to come home to and for that someone to be Curran, it reminds me of the song “Feels like Home”, particularly the Chantal kreviazuk version.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-ouxPhYy7Y
Also thanks for putting up the Sting song. I like the Curran POVs, the insight they give to Curran and listening to the lyrics seem like a POV for Curran’s heartbreak and pain at the thought of Kate choosing Saiman. Also, this song has never really registered on my radar before and I like it, so thanks for that.
For me the song that represent the best kate and Curran before they reach a certain understanding is this one: “A ma place”. it’s in French (because I’m French) and it talks about how two people who actually love each other doesn’t get the other.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IB-HdMudR3o
It(s quite dark and thge lyrics is about how the other sometimes doesn’t understand you.
for info, the chorus is :
” I don’t expect you from you to understand me,
i don’t expect from you to be the same as me
Just to love me as I am”
And in the lyrics from the girls you have at one moment “je veux bien être reine mais pas l’ombre du roi” which means that the girl accepts to be queen but doesn’t want to merely be a shadow of the king.
In the lyrics from the guy you have “Vivre l’enfer, mourir au combat, faut il pour lui plaire aller jusque là?” which means “live through hell, die fighting, does I have to do it to please her.”
That’s how I see their relationship when they have doubts about how each other see other at the beginning of magic bleeds.
Oh, at one time there is a moment when the guy says “The silence is dead and your silence freezes me” For freezes me, I’d more translate it in scares the shit out of me.
So what do you think?
During the seen where Curran walked in and seen Kate with Saiman I always connected Curran’s reaction/feelings with Godsmack’s Awake….
“Wait another minute
Can’t you see what this pain has %&#!@ done to me
I’m alive and still kicking
What you see I can’t see and maybe
You’ll think before you speak”
Then he chases after them to Kate’s apartment.
The pain and the betrayal just fit I think….
Florence and The Machines has a song with the lyrics, “A kiss with a fist is better than no kiss at all”, I can’t remember the song title but it reminded me of Curran and Kate’s pre-love relationship moments. In fact, a lot of that CD by Florence and the Machines reminds me of the series.
Crash and Burn by Savage Garden for Curran to Kate
It is easy to see that Ilona and Gordon have done a tremendous job with Kate and Curran when all you folks can come up with songs to fit their “moments”. That’s the truly remarkable thing books and their characters — they can take on a life of their own.
For Kate and Curran at the end of MAGIC BLEEDS:
Never-Ending Road (Amhran Duit) by Loreena McKennitt
I don’t usually think of music when I’m reading a book. I get very engrossed in the characters and the story. I think that I’m more like Ilona in the respect that I am visuiliziing the scenes in my head and there’s no musical sound track. I suppose, if I racked my brain, I could come up with a song.
But if you want to know how I see Curran and Kate, I was actually kind of amazed at how emotionally vulnerable Curran showed himself to be towards Kate. In front of all the alpha shapeshifters at the restaurant, too, as he couldn’t control the impact it made on him to see her with another man. I had to laugh when Saiman said, “Kiss me Kate. I think it will drive him over the edge”. Truer words were never spoken.
I was left with the feeling that all Curran wanted was for Kate to commit to him and love him back. That the uncertainty truly was literally driving him out of his mind. And last but not least, I think that Curran would do anything and give up everything just to be with Kate because he loved her so much. You could read it in his actions even though we have yet to hear him actually say it in person.
Hold On by Sister Hazel
EXCERPT: “Breathe in
Be safe with me for a while
Lay here and take some time
I see you’re tired and wasted so
Hold on to every little piece of my love
Just hold on to every little piece of my love
Hold on”
For Current and Kate in love, pure romance:
All I Want is You (U2)
Crash into Me (Dave Matthews Band)
I always think of the song “Ordinary” by Train. The whole song fits, really, but especially the last verse.
“I think I’m trying to save the world for you.
You’ve been saving me too.
We could just stay in and save each other.”
Staind – ” Believe”
When Kate was standing beside Curran while he was in a coma – would not leave his side.
Wow, love that Sting song and it’s cool to think of Curran being moved that way.
The song I think of is a little odd, but I think of the song Dare by Gorillaz. The song seems to get across the concept of “want/need” to me. The video is really odd and isn’t representative of the music to me, it’s the mood of the song that gets me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUhWq8u-B9s
On the angrier side of things, the song The Red, by Chevelle kind of of speaks of need to me, too. The video is not representative.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onqa6aRHDC4
I could definitely picture Curran singing “You Got Lucky” by Tom Petty.
I always think of Lifehouse’s “Broken”.
I can’t really think of any songs, but I would love to see more of Curran POVs. They just make my day.
Whitney Houston in The Bodyguard singing Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You” , “I Have Nothing” or “Run to You”. All three of these songs work on different levels and from different perspectives. I need to replace my cd.
Oh, I am gonna sound so bubblegum, but…
In the first chapter of Magic Bleeds, when Kate is drawing the glyphs to contain the plague, I imagine her crawling around on the concrete, with the rock in her chest, to Elbow’s The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver.
And for me, the lyrics to Ok Go’s There’s a fire, is very Kate and Curran when they are being playful.
Bjork’s Come to me, and just for fun, Its Oh So Quiet.
My songs for the way Kate sees the world would be:
“Say (All I need)” by OneRepublic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRSZpV6WIuU
“Don’t Belong” By Cold
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDn4BR78utQ
Curran songs for the ay he feels about Kate throughout the entire series.
“A Beautiful Lie” & “Battle of One” by 30 seconds to Mars
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yr3XJQyUiJI&feature=fvst
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHNJEluF0wc
“Gone Away” by Cold.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE3Ukne22SE
…just my thoughts. More about the way the song sounds than the actual lyrics sometimes. Thanks Gordon for the glimpse into Curran’s POV!
Actually, I have a entire playlist named “Magic bleeds” on my iTunes. I only remember three songs, however. Careful and The only exception by Paramore for Kate and Life without you by Stanfour for Curran.
There have to be more ( I know I suggested a new song about a month ago on the forum), but damn me if I know what song it was.
I have a few songs that remind me of Kate and Curran.
The first one is because of how Kate can’t be vulnerable – Breathe Me by Sia
The second one is just pure beast lord – Closer by Nine Inch Nails
and one that reminds me of them together – Posession by Sarah McLachlan
When I read about Kate’s day to day life I hear “Her Morning Elegance” by Oren Lavie.
And She fights for her life
As she puts on her coat
And she fights for her life on the train
She looks at the rain
As it pours
And she fights for her life
As she goes in a store
With a thought she has caught
By a thread
She pays for the bread
And She goes…
Nobody knows
The video is an amazing piece of stop motion photography as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_HXUhShhmY&feature=email
Iris- Goo Goo Dolls
Turn- Lovex for the time between the missed meal and before they make up
Dangerous Kind- The Rasmus because Kate is the Dangerous kind and gets inside Curran’s head so bad he can’t get her out…
The Fight by The Rasmus
She’s always a woman to me by Fyfe Dangerfield [url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yATtdheYPzg[/url] fits my image of Kate’s mum.
hmm, I don’t know how to put up a link.
I know it is a might obvious but these 2 songs make me think about Curran-
Mumford & Sons ‘ Little Lion Man’ (Sigh No More )
The Tallest Man on Earth ‘ A Lion’s Heart ‘ ( The Wild Hunt )
Actually both delicious albums by these chaps are the soundtrack to my days at the moment.
Also while I’m here I really loved Kate 4 , thanks so much for not doing the lazy stuff in any of your books.