Soundtracks - Page 4 of 4 - Julia Quinn

Soundtracks

Some songs remind me of characters, some of plots. Some are the melodies I had on repeat while writing. Every book has a soundtrack...

Soundtrack for Everything and the Moon

Soundtrack for Brighter than the Sun

Soundtrack for Splendid

Soundtrack for Dancing at Midnight

  • “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.

Soundtrack for Minx

  • “Coming Around Again” by Carly Simon

    The image of the family at the breakfast table, completely unable to communicate, makes me think of the end of Minx, where Henry and Dunford have so much to say but don’t know how. My favorite version of this song is on her live album (recorded on Martha’s Vineyard) when she segues into “Itsy Bitsy Spider.”

  • “Hammer and a Nail” by Indigo Girls

    I adore the Indigo Girls. (“Galileo” is a personal favorite, but I couldn’t figure out how reincarnation worked with any of my books.) This song is all about the satisfaction or working with one’s hands and it always makes me think about the beginning of Minx, when Henry puts Dunford through the paces at the farm.

  • “One Step Ahead” Split Enz

    One of my favorites from the 80s, this song always reminds me of this book. Henry and Dunford are always trying to stay one step ahead of each other…

  • “In My Life” by the Beatles

    Such a sweetly romantic (and nostalgic) song. It’s almost a lullaby.

Soundtrack for Where’s My Hero

The books and the shows come together here.