I was bored silly on a 24 hour flight, layover schedule. You know. You can only watch so many movies. I had my iPod with me and decided, just for fun, to create a rock opera for the Outlander books. A typical Broadway play has 20 songs. I’m not going there. But this could be really fun. Some really good music with Highlanders twirling around in kilts. If it were on Broadway, I’d definitely get in rows 1-4:)) Yes, some of the lyrics would have to change but, hey, this is for fun. And, yes, I know Jamie can’t sing because Dougal hit him on the head. But if they can make a show about Alex Hamilton with an all black cast singing rap, well, then, Jamie can just as well sing. So, here we go. Ready:
Songs for Jamie: I think Jamie’s main song would be Aerosmith’s I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing. Why? Because Jamie is always staring at Claire when she’s sleeping. I could just see Sam belt out the final lyrics…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ss0kFNUP4P4.
How about Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love for when Jamie is falling for Claire? Sam could really get his inner romantic burning…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOK83_0FMB0.
I definitely would include Lynyrd Skynyrd’s I Know a Little. Picture this…Angus, Rupert, Ned and Murtagh as back up singers and dancing. They’d sing the night before Jamie and Claire get married…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMT72lXLv-g.
Then when Jamie and Claire are in Paris and he has to go out with Bonnie Prince Charlie to whore houses, he could sing Andy Grammer’s Honey, I’m Good. Lots of les filles dancing and swooning over Jamie…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ejF8Qv6VZk.
And when he is alone, so very, very alone, he could sing The Band’s It Makes No Difference…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTVNez4kdKI. I particularly like the reference to “stampeding cattle.”
Songs for Claire: She’s a lot harder to do this for. She’s mostly troubled in the first and second books and then tries desperately to find Jamie in the 3rd. So, for her I’d select her song to be Moody Blues’ I Know You’re Out There Somewhere. This could also be for Frank but, nah, it’s all about Jamie…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-bgC1Yip6c.
As with Jamie being lonely, so very, very lonely, Claire tells him the same thing. So, let’s do another Elvis with I’m So Lonely I Could Cry…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7vWxgHbI98.
There is one scene in books 4 or 5 or 6 when Claire says to Jamie I know I don’t say I love you often enough. He asks, why not? She responds that if she starts she may never stop or something along those lines. So I’d have her sing Van Morrison’s Have I Told You Lately…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMW5c1GPoPs.
I could throw in some other sad, longing songs like Christina Perri’s The Words…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO7rjn4Cz2w. This could be sung right after Claire returns to find Jamie as a printer. I like “all of the hell I had to walk through.” Or Grace Potter’s Stars…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZYrUX2SwPQ.
How about some Claire and Jamie duets? Fun fun fun! Their theme would be Phantom of the Opera’s All I Ask of You…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4gGCUIkxUY.
A really fun one would be LeAnne Rimes’ Gasoline and Matches…Jamie asks Claire if their sexual attraction is normal among couples. W
ell, Jamie, no it’s not. Lots of dancing, like Dancing With the Stars type dancing…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUHEhgtOtco.
Jamie and Claire spend a WHOLE LOT of time making love in the wide open spaces. This list would not be complete if Van Morrison’s Moondance weren’t in it. ..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo3JznMhpWc.
And, finally a list for a few other characters:
Laoghaire…Nina Simone’s I Put a Spell on You…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDprYZ-tgiA. A really sexy, gravelly throated Laoghaire.
Geillis Duncan: Sung by Dougal with Angus, Rupert, Ned and Murtagh as chorus The Eagles’ Witchy Woman. Yes, I had to go there…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLpMME4_RiY. I know. Geillis has red hair but this is for fun, right?
I don’t know why I think Kansas’ Dust in the Wind is perfect for Roger. I guess because in the books there are debates about predestination. Plus Roger is a great bodhran player and singer…https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12DeNdF0KPA.
And our dear French orphan, Fergus Claudel Fraser. The best I could come up with is: A Good Carrot up the Ass, http://chatlibre.blog.lemonde.fr/files/2006/11/les-mules-une-bonne-carotte.mp3
And, finally, where to go with Black Jack. This is impossible. So, I’d go with one of Hitler’s favorites, Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries. Simply have Tobias Menzies walk across the stage doing his best Black Jack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AlEvy0fJto
Hope you had as much fun as I did…
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