Musical Monday - Music from Déjà Dead

In yesterday's post I reviewed Déjà Dead by Kathy Reichs. As I read the book, I was delighted by the music that drifted through the main character's thoughts, and I tried to keep a list of all the songs that were mentioned. The way music and lyrics wove their way into the story and Tempe's thought process in the book doesn't seem in keeping with TV Tempe's character, but it is exactly the kind of thing that happens in my head. I loved it! Since the idea didn't come to me until a good way into the book, I'm not sure if I got them all, but I think you'll enjoy those I did manage to jot down.

I'll start the post with what I remember as the last song. It is beautiful in its own way, but not from my favorite genre of music. As a kid, I was taught to eat my vegetables or any other least favorite part of the meal first. This first selection is a little like vegetables (which I'm learning to like) for me. Think of it as your culture vitamin for the day.
Music of the Night

Danny has a second cousin on the Italian side who sang for years in the Broadway production of The Phantom of the Opera. I have never seen it, not even on video, but we did get to hear this cousin sing once in Danny's grandma's basement. That was a lot of voice for such a small space, and he said he was holding back. Opera isn't my favorite, but hearing him sing was an incredible experience. It almost moved me to tears. Perhaps it's something that is better appreciated live.

Did I get sidetracked? I'm sorry.

Summer in the City - Lovin' Spoonful

A classic.

Carolina in My Mind - James Taylor

This song is in my list of soothing songs/adult lullabies. I adore James Taylor.

In the book, the title of the next song isn't named. It's pretty clear that Tempe is thinking song lyrics, and "Busted flat in Baton Rouge" is printed in italics, perhaps with more of the lyrics, but this was all I jotted down. It seemed so familiar, but I couldn't quite place it right away. That line is, of course, the opening line to Me and Bobby McGee.

The version I imagine Tempe singing is the one most people think of, Janis Joplin's number one single from 1971. I remember hearing (though not too long ago) that this song was written by Kris Kristofferson, but I didn't know that it wasn't written for Janis Joplin or that the Bobby in the song was originally meant to be a girl. The first recorded version was done by Roger Miller in 1969, and it sounds quite different from Janis Joplin's.

Kris Kristofferson later sang Me and Bobby McGee on his 1970 debut album, after Kenny Rogers, Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and Gordon Lightfoot each recorded versions. Kristofferson's also has a country twang to it, and in the video below he even says, "If it sounds country, Man, that's what it is. It's a country song."

Me and Bobby McGee was recorded by two other artists before Janis Joplin's 1971 recording, but Joplin's is probably the most widely known version today. It has become known as one of her trademark songs.

Other artists have recorded their own versions of Me and Bobby McGee over the years, including Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Waylon Jennings, The Grateful Dead, Olivia Newton-John, Melissa Etheridge, LeAnn Rimes, Anne Murray, Arlo Guthrie, Dolly Parton, and Pink. Although she's not the most recent singer to record it, I had already heard Pink's version before, and I think her voice is well-suited to the song. It's got a sort of Janis Joplin quality to it.

This isn't the video I'd seen previously, but I had to use it. "Baitin' Rouge?" Seriously? Sounds like something a hooker would wear. But I do like her Pink's voice.

Which of these songs is your favorite? Which version of Me and Bobby McGee do you prefer?