Top Ten: Fandom Songs I Can’t Listen To in the Car

My friends IRL know that I’m a crier. I cry not just at sad movies but at their movie trailers before the sad movies are even out.

There are also some fandom songs I cannot listen to without at least tearing up. I learned the hard way that I had to uncheck these songs in iTunes at work (I’ve had coworkers walk in on me as I was bawling) and I cannot listen to them while driving (twice I’ve had to pull over to the side of the road because I was crying too hard to drive/see). But these are also songs I love so very dearly. In fact, it was easy to come up with this list in just a few minutes because some of these are among my favorite fandom songs ever written. I just… can’t listen to them while driving.

Note: There’s a MoM song that belongs on this list, but given the recent… yeah… I’m choosing to leave that song off. That’s all right. There are enough Snidget songs to make up the difference 😉

Additional Note/Warning: Massive spoilers for Harry Potter, Supernatural through season 7, His Dark Materials series, Torchwood Children of Earth, and the first Hunger Games novel/movie

Top Ten Fandom Songs I Can’t Listen To in the Car Because They Make Me Cry All the Tears

1. The Ballad of Sirius Black by Marked as His Equal– Oh Sirius. Apart from a few books in my childhood, the ending of book 5 hit me harder than any other character death ever had. And this song brings all that back. Sirius had a freakin’ tough lot in life. But this song goes further to rip my heart out because it’s Sirius as a godfather, telling Harry about James. So it’s a double-whammy of pain.
   “But I swear this to you: I will be by your side forevermore
   My wand and back are yours to take
   I’ll fight for you, and I’ll fight for your father
   Because to make sure you’re not hurt I would gladly give my life away”

    

2. Lee Scoresby’s Last Stand by Armoured Bearcub– The mix of upbeat triumph and bittersweet tragedy here, especially at the bridge, gets me every time. I love the concept of daemons in the His Dark Materials series and the bond between a person and his daemon is illustrated so beautifully here. It does a great job of capturing a powerful moment from the books.
   “Hester, I love you the most.
   So just keep watching and stay close.
   And even if they render me a ghost,
   At least I held onto my post.”

    

3. I Lose Myself by the Blibbering Humdingers– I don’t even have children and this song gets me every time. (I imagine that if I did have children, I’d never even make it through this song in concert). But, more than the beginning, this song is a perfect embodiment of what it is to make a connection to a book. I am beyond thrilled every time they play this at a concert. The best was their forced “impromptu” session in the hallway late at night at Infinitus. Sorry for being one of those criers you can’t look at while performing, Scott & Kristen! I don’t know how you guys make it through the acoustic section. What a powerful song.
   “And I lose myself in the pages of your story.
   Yes, I lose myself to the spaces in-between.
   Though I lose myself searching for a happy ending,
   Somewhere on the journey I find me.”

    

4. I’m Okay by Elizabeth Smart– I freakin lose it at the Ellen & Jo line every time and then uncontrollable sobbing at the very end when they lose Cas and Bobby. But it’s such an awesome description of Sam that I can’t leave it off any time I burn a CD of SPRock for myself in the car… and when I get to this song I shriek and curse myself and have to skip over it.
   “And I was raised on the trigger of a gun
   Taught to do my job, cut my ties, and run
   But I know I could have been a more grateful son
   But it’s my life, it’s my life

   And I lost so much during that bloody war
   Even now I can’t stand the fighting anymore
   But other people’ve got it worse
   So what am I crying for?
   It’s my life, it’s my life”

    

5. On My Way by Snidget– My friends pass me tissues automatically every time Snidget does a concert, and this song gets me more than any other song of hers. It is one of the most beautiful things ever created in this world, capturing that moment where Harry chooses to walk into the forest to die and save everyone he loves.
   “So I march onward
   Proud like my father
   Strong like my mother
   I walk into this fray.

   I can feel them beside me
   Their courage reminds me
   What is right is not easy
   But it’s always worth the fight”

    

6. My Thanks by Jared TWG– This is a beautiful tribute from Katniss to two of the people who made it possible for her to live through the Hunger Games. Oh, Rue!
   “I hear her in the mockingjays that sing in the trees
   I feel I knew her and she’ll always be with me
   In Rue I had my sister Prim
   So thank you so much for both your children
   I could not have lived without their compassion
   My thank you to the people of District 11”

    

7. A Pensieve Full of Unrequited Love by the Mudbloods– This is a song I love quoting because there are so many accessible lines. But behind those, it’s a terribly bittersweet, tragic song about Snape loving Lily. The bit about looking into Harry’s eyes kills me every time without exception.
   “I wish you peace and love and happiness in everything you do.
   Afraid that everywhere you go someone will be in love with you.
   And I know that if you’d stay within these loving arms of mine,
   That every single one of these dreams would come true.”

    

8. Running in the Dark, Alone by the Vashta Nerada– This song is Captain Jack post- CoE, so it’s not the happiest. But there are lovely references not just to Ianto but Series 1-3 of Doctor Who. It’s not easy to be immortal when all your friends are dying in order to save the world. Knowing how much I love this song, she played it for me at a concert. Which was thrilling but made me cry all the more!
   “Doctor, some days are fantastic
   Some days, everybody lives
   But how do you live with yourself
   On the days you watch them all die?”

    

9. Lullaby for My Luna-Love by Snidget– This is such a sweet lullaby… but it kills me because it’s so sweet and I know she dies. I love the idea of Luna’s mother filling her with this kind of independence and love and Luna having this to hold onto after she loses her mum.
   “The things that you think
   Will all become true
   When you allow the whispers
   Of your loved ones to guide you”

    

10. For Jo by RiddleTM– This song comes straight out of the hearts of many of us in the HP fandom. And it’s beyond beautiful.
    “So Ms Rowling
    Here is a song I wrote for you
    ‘Cause I’m grateful for all that you’ve taught me
    And inspired me to do.
    You showed me good triumphs over evil
    And you taught the whole world how to read
    So thank you Ms JK Rowling
    Thank you so much for Harry.”

Is there a fanmade song that makes you tear up that I left off this list? Post & let me know! (FYI, there are a few SHRock ones that get me damn close.)