We Have Always Lived In The Castle Soundtrack

Blog Option #2

We Have Always Lived in the Castle is a novel written by Shirley Jackson that tells the story of the Blackwood family. Merricat, who tells the story, is the troubled younger sister of Constance, who was accused of murdering several of her family members by poisoning them. We later find out that it was in face Merricat who poisoned the family members. Their lives after the murders are very sheltered and closed off to the outside world and I have created a playlist of songs that I think are relevant to their lives and some of the ways the characters feel in the story.

1.       Goo Goo Dolls- Iris

Some of the lyrics to this song are “…and I don’t want the world to see me, ‘cause I don’t think that they’d understand.” I feel like this may describe the way that Constance feels because for some part of the story she is afraid to be around others from the outside world since they think she is a murderer and they would all be cruel to her.

2.       Bette Midler- I Put A Spell On You

“I put a spell on you and now you're gone. (gone gone gone so long!)” In the story, Merricat isn’t very fond of their cousin Charles who comes to visit because he likes to pick on her and her uncle Julian. A few different times in the story she comes up with different little spells that she thinks will get rid of Charles so I felt like this song reflects some of Merricats actions in the novel.

3.       Bloodhound Gang- The Roof Is On Fire

The main lyrics in the chorus of this song are “The roof the roof the roof is on fire…” I feel like this song fits really well because it reminds me of the scene where cousin Charles pipe catches the house on fire and some of the house, including the roof burns.

4.       Adele- Set Fire To The Rain

“'Cause there's a side to you that I never knew, never knew, all the things you'd say, they were never true, never true…” although this is a song about love, it makes me think about cousin Charles and Constance’s relationship because Constance starts to develop a close relationship with Charles but then once the fire starts, we see Charles’ real motives for coming to visit when he tries to get money from the family. Once Constance realizes that, she no longer likes Charles and their relationship is basically over after that.

5.       Linkin Park- Somewhere I Belong

The lyrics “Looking everywhere only to find, that it’s not the way I had imagined it all in my mind (so what am I), what do I have but negativity? ’cause I can’t justify the way, everyone is looking at me…” describe in my opinion the way that Constance feels because of how everyone treats her in the town. Everyone talks about her because they think she is a murderer so she feels alone and isolated from everyone besides her family.  

Jackson, Shirley. We Have Always Lived In The Castle. New York: Viking, 1962. 100. Print.