Introducing…The Manly Song Repository!

Did you know that I like music?

Well, under the circumstances, who doesn’t?  The only ones who don’t -- to my knowledge -- are Dr. Robotnik from The Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog and that one evil maestro dictator guy from long-defunct animated series Oscar’s Orchestra (which I remember mostly because it starred a talking piano and had an episode paying homage to The Lord of the Rings.  And again, a talking piano).  So chances are that if you’re a living human being, you’re likely a fan of music in one form or another.  Unless you’re planning on becoming some sort of wig-wearing fascist ruler.

Come to think of it, in a universe full of talking instruments, wouldn’t that effectively make you some sort of genocidal monster?  Was that a sub-textual issue the writers were aware of?  Is it possible that I blocked out the memory of on-screen instrumental murder?  I mean, the opening has the bad guys detonating all music-related paraphernalia in a treble clef-shaped burst of smoke; who’s to say how many lives were lost, or how many panicked, pleading screams were heard?

…Then again, it does have a triangle-man who opened a portal to the past.  So maybe I’m taking the source material too seriously.

At a glance, it DOES lend itself to philosophical discussion.

So I’ll go ahead and switch gears -- and proudly announce a new feature here on Cross-Up.

As I’ve said many times before, I fancy myself a writer.  And in spite of the odd things that I may do in order to realize my stories (acting out my characters’ motions, finding/making theme songs, graphs, Powerpoints, washing dishes -- that one’s surprisingly effective), I’ve found that there’s a commonality between myself and writers both fledgling and established: writing to music.

It makes perfect sense.  In the same way that a song in Jurassic Park can set the tone for a scene, so too can a song playing while writing a scene make all the difference.  It gets you hyped; the connotations and memories associated with the song influence you.  When you hear the right parts of a certain song, you feel the spirit behind each note flowing into you.  And you can put that power to good use, and make your scenes better than ever.  It’s a legitimate practice, if there ever was one -- and it makes YouTube one of the finest creations in the history of humanity.

Most of the time.

I’ve made use of many songs in my quest to be a writing hero, and I’ll inevitably keep on using music.  But if there’s one thing I’ve noticed, it’s this: I like manly songs.  Songs that have a heroic feel to them.  Songs that make me want to stand up and fight.  Songs that make me want to push against the odds.  Songs that make me feel proud.  Songs that get me hyped.  Songs that make me emotional.  Songs that teach me it’s okay to show my feelings -- or even shed a tear.  Songs that make me want to hold my ground, and lay my pride bare.  Songs that make me want to go on a journey.  Songs that make me want to walk around as coolly as possible, be it into, or out of, the inferno.

There are a lot of possible definitions for a “manly song.”  What I might consider to be manly -- metal, generally speaking -- may be something that someone else might not have even registered until I brought it up.  Similarly, someone may be a huge fan of…oh, I don’t know, Jay-Z, and think that one of his songs is manly -- and with a listen and a quick explanation, can easily prove their case.  That’s cool.  And that’s exactly why I’m creating a new space here on the blog to celebrate manly songs.

Here’s how it works.  In the next few days or so, I’ll start by posting a song here -- one that I think is manly -- and give as brief a reasoning as I can explaining why it’s manly.  What makes it work?  Why can it affect me the way it does?  Think of it as a sort of casual, hot-blooded analysis.  And I’ll be sure to post songs every now and then, and analyze those as well.  Eventually, I’ll have come up with enough of a stock -- a repository -- for any visitors to listen, and enjoy, and perhaps create THE MANLIEST PLAYLIST IN THE UNIVERSE.

It'll be so manly, it'll create its own universe.

But it doesn’t end there.  I want to hear what others think qualifies as a manly song.  So whenever you see a “Manly Song” post pop up (including this one), leave a comment naming one of your manly songs, and say as much or as little you like about it.  And then, I’ll listen to it, give my own thoughts, and do a post about it.  (Though in the interest of fairness, a commenter can only have one song queued up on the unofficial post list -- so if Billy posts a song and then posts two more songs, only the first one will count; after Jimmy gets his turn, then Billy gets to post again.)  And of course, anybody with an online presence will most certainly have a link back to their virtual haven.  Sounds pretty cool, right? 

Well, this is a work in progress, so I’ll fine-tune the “rules” as things get going.  But regardless, I’m hoping this is a fun little venture for anyone who comes on down to Cross-Up.  So, without further ado, I declare The Manly Song Repository to be open for submission.  Aaaaaaaand whoever makes the first comment, of course, will have the honor of getting his/her song posted first…after mine, of course.  One would think that the volt-iest of hosts may humbly take the first post, yes?

So what do you say?  Anybody out there feeling MANLY AND COOL?

Feel the power!  Feel it, I say!