Classics

Franzen Comes Alive: A Playlist for MOBY-DICK

Liberty Hardy

Senior Contributing Editor

Liberty Hardy is an unrepentant velocireader, writer, bitey mad lady, and tattoo canvas. Turn-ons include books, books and books. Her favorite exclamation is “Holy cats!” Liberty reads more than should be legal, sleeps very little, frequently writes on her belly with Sharpie markers, and when she dies, she’s leaving her body to library science. Until then, she lives with her three cats, Millay, Farrokh, and Zevon, in Maine. She is also right behind you. Just kidding! She’s too busy reading. Twitter: @MissLiberty

Franzen Comes Alive is a series of book-related playlists.

My reading resolution this year is to finally read Moby-Dick. And in getting psyched up for it, I created this playlist of songs about whales, sailing, water and… um… you know. (Sometimes I have the mental maturity of an eight-year-old boy. But it makes me giggle.)

WARNING: As usual, this playlist is in NO WAY safe for work.

I’d love to hear what songs you’d put on a Moby-Dick playlist – please chime in!

“Singapore” by Tom Waits Arrrrrrrrrrr.

“Shipwrecked” by The Gothic Archies The Gothic Archies are comprised of one member: Stephen Merritt from The Magnetic Fields.

“What the Water Gave Me” by Florence + the Machine

“The Mariner’s Revenge Song” by The Decemberists Every Decemberists song seems like it’s taken from a novel.

“Stove By a Whale” by Scissorfight 603 represent!

“Come Sail Away” by Styx You know. The song Cartman sings on South Park.

“Starving in the Belly of a Whale” by Tom Waits Yeah, I’m really into Tom Waits.

“Sailing to Nowhere” by Broken Bells

“Moby Dick” by Vitamin String Quartet The VSQ cover the Led Zeppelin classic. Sorry, no video available.

“Sail” by AWOLNATION

“I Used To Be a Sailor” by Tracy Chapman

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpin3NYm0-k

“Sailing” by Christopher Cross

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7khQNR7s1Ho

“Waving My Dick In the Wind” by Ween I told you I’m immature. I originally was going to go with “My Dick” by Mickey Avalon, but it might kill people who have delicate constitutions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-54wAE7nJI

You can subscribe to the Moby-Dick playlist on Spotify.