This one also comes with a playlist. I kept track of the relevant songs and everything. These are also organized by chapter especially for you, because I like you, and I’m just that kind of a stand-up guy. Though I’d prefer to remain seated.
Spotify has announced that they will allow AI remixes of songs, which means I will not be providing a Spotify playlist.
Do note that this may contain spoilers.
One:
This time, we’re not starting with a Judas Priest song, because we have a new character, and she’s not named after a Judas Priest song.
Okay, all right. She’s kinda named after a Judas Priest song, but don’t tell Rosalie.
Also, I know this one was in the Herringwood Messiah playlist, but it’s the fucking Painkiller. One playlist simply cannot contain it.
And then we start playing the name game. There are a bunch of names in the list, and a whole lot more that aren’t, but the one that gets the punchline is…
Eddie takes delivery of a bunch of boxes from a girl in a brown uniform. Then a few lines later, Rosalie comes home in her police uniform, and Eddie decides he has a thing for women in uniform.
I wanted to go with the Iron Maiden cover, but I just found out Steve Harris doesn’t care much for the song—there’s a whole wiki entry about it—so I’ll link you to the original by the Skyhooks.
Okay, one more for Chapter One. This one is a bit of a detour, as it isn’t mentioned at all. What is mentioned is the Bensonhoist Lesbian Choir. That’s the name of a Type O Negative all-girl coverband in the book, but in reality it’s personal to Type O Negative. I tried getting in touch with the band to ask if I could use that name, but they’re not returning my calls, so I went with it anyway. If somebody calls to complain, I’ll know they read my book, which is cool.
Anyway, the alternative name I had for the band in the book was “Pyretta Blaze,” which is a Type O song. I’ll prove it. Here:
Two:
Asphyxia mentions she has a crown for sale at Betty’s Thrift Emporium. You could really end a Queen concert with it, according to her.
Here’s how Queen ended their ‘86 Wembley show.
Four:
Things are going well for Lilith, because it’s still early in the story. We can rest assured that she is in good company, too.
I shoehorned it into the playlist for Of Witches And Cows already, but I’m doing it again, because it suits so much better. The song even mentions a redhead.
But no matter how good the company, it was a bit of a rollercoaster for Lilith to wrap her head around that good company.
Originally by the Ohio Players, I’m gonna send you to the Chili Peppers version, because it’s got Beavis & Butt-Head. I miss Beavis & Butt-Head.
Seven:
Okay, so the book-context for this one is entirely different from the original Tenacious D context, but I stole a lyric from it anyway. Lilith states she’s the Devil, she can do what she wants, and thusly, we are now here, I do declare.
Incidentally, it’s also why I called Gina’s special sauce “Rocket Sauce.”
Eight:
There’s a part where I write that “Vernon used to be like a rock, standing straight like an arrow.” It’s grammatically questionable. One of the beta readers even corrected it, but I kept it because it’s a lyric, and one you really feel when you get old.
Nine:
Eddie calls Rooney “Alanis” after Rooney finds something ironic. Look, I’m not a fan of the song, because literally nothing in that song is ironic, but it’s an ironically iconic song.
So, I guess… Oh, wait! Leo Moracchioli to the rescue!
Eleven:
Scar checks a pocket watch that doesn’t work. Of course it’s stopped at two minutes to midnight.
More Type O Negative! And we’re doing a cover of a cover, because Kayleigh references this one specifically. Amusingly, Peter sings about sending his baby to heaven, which is kinda what sparked Kayleigh’s argument about the D-train— Know what, just listen to the song and read the book. It’ll make sense at some point.
Twelve:
Okay, look, “Bat Out Of Hell” is a track that will keep popping up a lot, because it’s a fucking masterpiece, and it pops up that much more when you write about people racing out of Hell. I used it before, so I’ll take this opportunity to present you with a cover. Not because it’s better, because, come on, but because… Okay, so this is Meat Loaf’s backing band, The Neverland Express, laying down a quite reasonable version.
Seventeen:
If anybody hadn’t picked up on it yet, Lilith’s car is the Reasonably Priced Car from Top Gear’s Star In A Reasonably Priced Car. This seems like as good a time as any to remind you of “Jessica.”
When somebody is dead, but not quite behaving as such, there’s bound to be Ghost references. And if there’s Ghost references, there will be Righteous Brothers references.
I’m referencing it now.
Eighteen:
Eddie is being told how everything is his fault, and in true Sterling-fashion, he disagrees. He is sticking to his plan, come hell or high water.
Cue Poison.
Helen makes several innuendos to Rosalie, starting in this chapter, and it only gets worse. It seems we missed a couple of very spicy scenes, and now it’s once again time for a Type O Negative track.
Twenty-One:
There’s a stand-off going on at R&D, so obviously…
And in that stand-off is involved one particularly Scottish scientist with a claymore. I’ve been looking through my Grave Digger albums for something that would work here, but that’s not really music for a dinky scientist with too big a sword.
This, however, is:
Twenty-Two:
Eddie makes one more, final deal with the Devil, so I’ve got one more Runnin’ With The Devil for you.
Twenty-Three:
The living and the briefly not-living, plus some deities, all come together at the humble crossroads near the Herringwood city limits.
One of those deities arrives late, and is hellbent for revenge. One could say they’re screaming for vengeance. Even if one doesn’t say that, I know a couple of guys from Birmingham who do, and they are right.
Now there’s a new problem that needs addressing, and with Eddie out of commission, Lilith offers someone else’s assistance.
Twenty-Six:
Look, there’s a lot of Mommy-issues happening in this chapter. Mother and daughter are caught up in a bad situation because of remarks about several bikers’ mothers, which was instigated by the ex-Prince of Darkness, who is heading home at that very moment.
Is there any other song I can link to at this point?
Twenty-Eight:
Fate has brought all pieces together, and it’s judgment day.
Epilogue:
This is what it sounds like when a car makes fun of you.
Logically speaking, this song isn’t very accurate. At this point in time, everybody in the Underworld knows exactly what Eddie will be without Rosalie. But now, finally, after what seemed like forever, he can go back to being what he is with Rosalie.
Doubt that’s actually the “official music video,” by the way. They weren’t doing a lot of 21×9 HD telecom-commercial lookalike clips around the time this song came out.