“Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails also Johnny Cash

No one ever believes me when I say that one of my books was inspired (at least in part) by a Nine Inch Nails song, but when I wrote Dancing at Midnight, I really wanted to explore John’s feelings of self-loathing and guilt, and this song seemed to capture this perfectly. The emotion is so raw. I heard it on the radio and thought, “That’s him.” Nowadays, I like to listen to the Johnny Cash cover. It literally makes me shiver.

“Bad Reputation” by Freedy Johnston

Another song I listened to when I wanted to get John’s character just right.

“No Myth” by Michael Penn

“What if I was Romeo in black jeans?
What if I was Heathcliff, it’s no myth?”

I had to put this song somewhere. I mean, please. It’s gotta go in my tortured hero song collection.

“This Poem Sucks” by Mike Myers

From the soundtrack to So I Married an Axe Murderer. It’s just too funny.