Who Gave John Irving the AUX? - Some (mostly period-accurate?) karaoke songs I think John Irving would’ve liked, arranged in order of how wasted he’d have to be to sing them. Motivations + me being insane under the cut!
Nearer My God To Thee - Jirving and his bros on the HMS Edinburgh were called the “Holy Ghost Boys”, you KNOW he’s breaking out this bad boy after two (2) glasses of wine.
The Holly and the Ivy - A perfectly nice Christmas song that, much like Irving, never misses a moment to bring up Jesus. I like to think he’d bust this one out halfway through his third glass of port at a Terror Christmas celebration.
The Mermaid - This gives me Hampstead is the Place to Ruralize vibes, I like to imagine it could’ve been a Jirv Carnivale song if there’d been a little less arson.
The Lincolnshire Poacher - Irving pulls this one out to convince himself that he’s not that drunk actually, because he can still get the words/rhythm right. (Note: he cannot.)
Over the Hills and Far Away - Idk I like to imagine all the Lieuts singing this one. The lyrics are a bit bawdy depending on which version you’re looking at so maybe Irving is coaxed by someone. (Maybe Dundy? Probably Dundy.)
Click Goes The Shears - Fun fact: A couple years before the signing up for the Franklin Expedition, Irving and his brother emigrated to Australia to make a living raising sheep. They had a pretty Bad Time™️ overall and moved back four years later (and then John went off to uhh go die in the Arctic whoops), but I like to imagine he’d keep this song in mind anyways. :-)
Soldier Boy For Me - Jirv can have a little gender, as a treat. Does he perhaps take a few scarce glances at a certain marine sergeant while singing this? Who’s to say ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Bonnee Dundee - Oh that boy is drunk drunk. Best results if you imagine Jirv singing this with a fake (or, depending on how historical your interpretation of Irving is, real) Scottish accent.
During the first Terror Tracks event in 2022, I said that all Neko Case songs were actually about Apsley Cherry-Garrard. Since then, I've tried to think of another polar explorer/single artist combo that is equally potent, and I can't do it. Neko and Cherry are both too good at expressing the entire spectrum of human emotion. These songs all have themes of longing, alienation, deep affection, loss, and all the other things that Cherry talks about so beautifully in Worst Journey. Neko is easily my favorite artist and Cherry is in my top 5 favorite polar guys, so maybe this fits so well because of my unique brain chemistry and nobody else will get it. If not, at least I've introduced you to some music and a new guy. But if you get it, you get it.
Set Out Running
Want to get it all behind me
You know everything reminds me
I can't be myself without you
Want to crawl down deep inside
The springs inside the mattress
Where I cry my dirty secrets
'Cause I just can't shake this feeling
That I'm nothing in your eyes
2. Dirty Knife
So suddenly
The madness came
With its whiskered wolven ether pangs
He locked the door
And shut the blinds
He laid down on the floor
And he slept like iron
While the dirty knife
Worked deep into his spine
3. Porchlight
It hangs in my hair and the hems of my clothes
I thought in the madness my arms could not hold
I can't tell you why 'cause I long to be forgiven
4. Last Lion of Albion
Last lion of Albion
They'll use you for centuries to come
Your wound is the main road into London
You'll feel extinction
When you see your face on their money
5. Red Tide
There's a smell here of gravel and cigarettes lit
When the match made them sweet
When the engine turned over and beat up our street
Oh, that was the day
To remember
6. Favorite
Last night I dreamt
That I hit a deer with my car
Blood from his heart
Spilled out onto my dress and was warm
He begged me to follow
But legions of sorrow defied me
7. Hold On, Hold On
Compared to some, I've been around
But I really tried so hard
That echo chorus lied to me with its
Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on
8. Blacklisted
Do the trees bend down
Fold their limbs round you
Welcome home, faithful one
We forgive you
(I wasn't on Tumblr during the last Terror Tracks event, so here's a link to my 2022 Neko/Cherry playlist THAT I THINK IS ACTUALLY BETTER as a treat for reading this far!)
