This isn’t really part of the catch-up story in the life of Ryan, but i wanted to post this up here anyway. i originally found this on my friend Mellie’s myspace profile and i stole it and made it my own. i’ve since made some CDs (its fits on two) to give to friends in exchange for their life soundtracks.
Opening credits: “Staring at the Sun” by TV On the Radio
Waking up: “The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen
Average day: “Young Pilgrims” by The Shins
Life’s okay: “Catch my Disease” by Ben Lee
Partying: “Can’t Get You Out of My Head” by Kylie Minogue
Happy dance: “Too Young” by Phoenix
Driving: “Carmelina” by Matthew Good Band
Action Scene: “One Arm Scissor” by At the Drive In
Secret Love (also called a crush if you’re 13): “I Met A Girl” by Wheat
First date: “Growing On Me” by The Darkness
Falling in love: “Cant Get Enough of Your Love” by Barry White
Love scene: “With or Without You” by U2
Fight scene: “Fight Song” by Appleseed Cast
Breaking up: “Crimson and Clover” by Tommy James & The Shondells
Getting back together: “Come Pick Me Up” by Ryan Adams
Forbidden love: “Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes” by Chris Staples
Learning a lesson: “Wise Up” by Aimee Mann
Deep thought: “Your Hand in Mine” by Explosions in the Sky
Flashback: “Fix You” by Coldplay
Regreting: “Lose You” Pete Yorn
Long night alone: “Another Lonely Day” by Ben Harper
Death scene: “Untitled 1” by Sigur Ros
Closing Credits: “As Snow” by Courage Riley
and some footnotes…
– i think i could do this again and only use either (a)Coldplay, (b)Death Cab for Cutie or (c)Ryan Adams for the whole thing. maybe i’ll try that too and post those for the interested.
– the hardest songs i had to decide on were the party song, the break up song and the death scene… that’s quite the variety.
– if you want to hear it in its entirety, just let me know and i’ll make you a copy. all you have to do is give me yours.
– i’ve had a few people debate me on my choice of Love Scene song and/or Break Up song. i have plenty of good reasons for choosing those, but here is the brief explanation – “With or Without You” is a very intimate and emotional song, that moves from whispers to peaks and is heartfelt the whole time. That’s how i want my love scene to be. Whether or not the lyrics fit entirely. And “Crimson and Clover” is apparently a happy song about seeing a girl for the first time, but the way that its recorded makes me feel lonely and reflective… kind of how you feel when you break up. there are some subtle echoes on the vocals in parts and on the guitars and some of the other instruments. there are also parts of the song that are pretty sparse and even silent. lyrically, the lines “crimson and clover, over and over” play out to me as rethinking the break up and wondering if there was anything that could have been done differently. “and now i don’t hardly know her”…
not that you cared or wanted to know any of that extra stuff, but i figure if you made it down to read this part you either were bored with life or interested in this. good for you.
ryan sworth | a lull in traffic 
I am going to take this opportunity, mid-newsletter-hell, to offer you a response to your posting. If you hate it, feel free to delete.
[Side Bar :: Do you see how hard it is raining right now? And I see you traded in our All-Ryan-Adams-Thursday for angry music?]
Anyway, back to your soundtrack. Both CDs that contain Your Life By Music, Volume I have found their way into my automobile stereo system, and reside in spot 2 and 3. Out of 6 possible options for CDs, spot 2 and 3 may not seem like a big deal, but let me tell you why it is. Over the time that I have had said vehicle, I have taken note that I change the music in spot 1 and spot 6 the most. spot 4 almost never changes, but spot 5 is always next in line to spot 6. and while spot 2 and spot 3 are not “number #1” (however you may perceive that be) they represent the most consistent musical presence that my truck can provide me. So, feel free to take that horribly silly explanation for what it’s worth.
To your first point, I too could compose my Life Soundtrack again with just Ryan Adams. Or perhaps Jack Johnson. Or Old 97s. Or Saving Jane. And quite honestly, rules are made to be broken, so I say go for it. It can be Volume 2. “Ryan’s Life Soundtrack as Translated Through Ryan Adams” Why not?
The hardest songs for me were Opening Credits and Closing Credits. And in retrospect, although I do like the songs that *I* chose for my own, I have thought of so many songs that I could fill in all the gaps with again a second time around. And, in another year, I’m sure I could do it again. Actually, that would be sort of a neat time capsule idea, no? Every year make a different Volume of your Life Soundtrack, file it away, and in 20 years, take them all out again and listen to them. It will either remind you of good times or make you want to throw a chair through a window.
I also don’t think you need to explain your choice of songs, because as everything that is offered by life, music and art, they are personal. And while I do believe that you can learn a lot about someone by the musical choices they make, you cannot assume anything about that person based on the fact that not everyone gets the same experience from the same song. But, with that said, your explanation for why you *did* pick those two songs in particular, is perfect. And I especially agree with you on the U2.
So there you go. And that is that. See you in the 2 o’clock meeting. Or the next time I turn around in my chair.
Why does it say I posted that at 4:47? Clearly, it’s only 12:53. Although I wish it was the former.