I'm sorry, but I can't stop the bleeding.
Crying, and it's all because of you.
One look in the mirror to see,
What's real and fake, Jolee.
These are the lyrics to a song named "Song for Jolee." It was written and performed by one of my favorite bands, Kamelot. I first heard this song during the early process of writing my first novel, If Only for a Moment. I've been a fan of Kamelot since 2005. Their lyrics and melodies as well as the beautifully operatic vocals of their former singer, Roy Khan, have never failed to inspire me. Khan, who shared songwriting duties with the band's guitarist and founder Thomas Youngblood, parted ways with the band in late 2010. But the split did not affect the melodic beauty that many find in Kamelot's music. With their new singer, Tommy Karevik, Kamelot released a new album (Silverthorn) containing "Song for Jolee" as its fifth track. The song, a ballad, is part of a concept album about the tragic death of a little girl named Jolee. But Jolee's story in Silverthorn is not what inspired me. The melody and lyrics of the song as well as the level of intensity Tommy puts into the vocals is what inspired the storyline of one of my main characters, Jolee Haynes. And that rather long explanation leads me to the point of this post.
Music plays an important role in the lives of many. Athletes use it to get themselves pumped at the gym or before a game. Artists use it as a way to free their minds as they paint, sketch or sculpt. Dancers use it to connect mind, body and soul to a beat or rhythm. As a writer, music inspires me to no end. Whether it's a specific song, or whether it's a series of songs, music relaxes and frees me in a way that allows me to focus on the words escaping from the innermost workings of my mind before they take their place onto paper.
Below is a list of songs I listened to while writing If Only for a Moment. Whatever your profession or hobby may be, I invite you to create a playlist of your own. You'd be amazed by how far music can take you.
1. "Mad World" by Adam Lambert
2. "Whatya Want from Me" by Adam Lambert
3. "Don't You Remember" by Adele
4. "Lovesong" by Adele
5. "Set Fire to the Rain" by Adele
6. "Skyfall" by Adele
7. "Someone Like You" by Adele
8. "Take it All" by Adele
9. "Turning Tables" by Adele
10. "13 Horses" by Alexander Rybak
11. "Abandoned" by Alexander Rybak
12. "Стрела Амура" by Alexander Rybak
13. "Dagdrøm" by Alexander Rybak
14. "Disney Girls" by Alexander Rybak
15. "If You Were Gone" by Alexander Rybak
16. "Maria" by Alexander Rybak
17. "Song from a Secret Garden" by Alexander Rybak
18. "Suomi" by Alexander Rybak
19. "Back to Black" by Amy Winehouse
20. "I Miss You" by Blink 182
21. "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars
22. "Fix You" by Coldplay
23. "Paradise" by Coldplay
24. "The Scientist" by Coldplay
25. "Honest Questions" by Daniel Bedingfield
26. "Give Me Love" by Ed Sheeran
27. "Trois Vierges" by Epica feat. Roy Khan
28. "Shake it Out" by Florence + the Machine
29. "How to Save a Life" by The Fray
30. "Anthem" by Kamelot
31. "A Sailorman's Hymn" by Kamelot
32. "Don't You Cry" by Kamelot
33. "On the Coldest Winter Night" by Kamelot
34. "Song for Jolee" by Kamelot
35. "Wander" by Kamelot
36. "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane
37. "She Will be Loved" by Maroon 5
38. "Heartbeat" by Nneka
39. "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol
40. "Don't Regret" by t.A.T.u.
41. "Bittersweet" by Within Temptation
42. "In Perfect Harmony" by Within Temptation
43. "Memories" by Within Temptation
44. "Our Farewell" by Within Temptation
45. "Pale" by Within Temptation
46. "Somewhere" by Within Temptation
47. "Utopia" by Within Temptation
48. "Cough Syrup" by Young the Giant
