Bricu: Dirty Old Town
By Bricu | July 7, 2009
For reference, here’s the track:
In any discussion of music and character, I always default to this song being perfect for Bricu–my trickster in paladin plate–and today I’m going to spell out why.
First, I have a confession. I came to the conculsion that Dirty Old Town was Bricu’s song while I was visiting people in Boston, at a Ted Leo Show. Ted’s encore was Dirty Old Town. As he introduced the song he said, “Those people don’t care about you, they only care about their money and their power and their appearance. This song is for you!” This is the version that jumpkicked the Pogues version (it starts at about 0:47).
Here are the lyrics:
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I Kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Clouds are drifting across the moon
Cats are prowling on their beat
Spring’s a girl from the streets at night
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I Heard a siren from the docks
Saw a train set the night on fire
I Smelled the spring on the smoky wind
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I’m gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I’ll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Now, Bricu and Threnn met in Old Town. It is not as sooty as the Dwarven District, but Old Town is the dirtiest part of Stormwind by far. SI:7, cut throat alley and the Seven Poisons make it clear that Old Town is the capital for thieves and ne’er do wells. Furthermore, Bricu’s formative RP begins with Prestor/Onyxia corrupting the nobles and landed gentry of Storwmind, making the human kingdom an ineffective and ineffectual government. Given Bricu’s background–Northman, Soldier–it leads to one conclusion: A big sharp axe to tear the entire city down.
The lyrics are only part of this choice. Shane McGowan’s rough, barely musical voice are the perfect compliment to the gruff, deep voiced and grumpy paladin. Given the Wildfire Riders construction of the north–a land of various celtic influences–the punk and folk traditions of the Pogues make them a natural choice for an anthem. People from Lordaeron do have a number of concerns to complain about. Finally, Bricu and Shane have something in common: Booze. Bricu was an alcoholic and Shane is a (barely) functional alcoholic.
There may be other songs that are part of Bricu’s musical history in the future, but Dirty Old Town, after four years of game play, is still the song of choice.
Please fill us in on your toon’s anthems and songs. Go into detail and link the music! This way we have something to listen to while we read our submission for our first contest.
5 Comments
Hammaryn on July 7, 2009 at 7:55 pm.
Ghosts by the Jam reminds me of Hammaryn.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAX2cWkKylA
Why are you frightened – can’t you see that it’s you
That ain’t no ghost – it’s a reflection of you
Why do you turn away – keep it out of sight
Oh – don’t live up to your given roles
There’s more inside you that you won’t show
But you keep it hidden just like everyone
You’re scared to show you care – it’ll make you vulnerable
So you wear that ghost around you for disguise
But there’s no need just ‘cos it’s all we’ve known
There’s more inside you that you haven’t shown
So keep on moving, moving, moving your feet
Keep on shuf-shuf-shuffling to this ghost dance beat
Just keep on walking down never ending streets
One day you’ll walk right out of this life
And then you’ll wonder why you didn’t try
To spread some loving all around
Old fashioned causes like that still stand
Gotta rid this prejudice that ties you down
How do you feel at the end of the day
Just like you’ve walked over your own grave
So why are you frightened – can’t you see that it’s you
At the moment there’s nothing – so there’s nothing to lose
Lift up your lonely heart and walk right on through
Bricu on July 7, 2009 at 7:58 pm.
But why does it remind you of Hammaryn?
Hammaryn on July 7, 2009 at 8:51 pm.
Hammaryn is rather broken, emotionally. She’s still haunted by her past and the invasion of Quel’thalas by the Scourge. In response she’s created this very thorny, tough exterior to keep people out. Inside she still feels like a scared girl, and she hates it.
Destril on July 8, 2009 at 12:30 am.
Sadly, the one song I associate most with Phileas I can’t find a YouTube link for. It’s a hornpipe called “Queen of the West,” by a very talented harpist named Sunita Staneslow. As to why that particular arrangement? To me it sounds a little like mischief and a little bit rural. It’s an awfully “up” song for a Northron, but there you go.
As a secondary, there is, of course, “Darrowshire,” since Philly’s from there and finally got to finish the danged quest chain once Wrath hit.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dTxcHulFBI
Dandill really hasn’t much claimed a song as “his” yet in my mind, only snatches of songs, most notably two from Repo! The Genetic Opera. Both of which, I might add, tend to speak of the darker side of him. Thanks to these two songs, Anthony Stewart Head is indelibly the way Dandill sounds.
“Legal Assassin” – “I’m the monster, I’m the villain. What perfection – what precision!” Though he may weave the illusion for himself of “normalcy,” when it comes down to it, Dandy has very few misconceptions about what he really is. Plus the whispers at the beginning of the song are very much something he lives with from time to time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lk0bSPcXpU
“Let the Monster Rise” – Dandill is very protective of Dorri’tow and Keltyr. He feels almost paternal towards them, as he taught them both when he was alive. A recent plotline led him to feel that he’d failed to protect them and spurred his desire for vengeance on the guilty parties, which is where this song comes in…”have I failed my daughter? Then let the father die – and let the monster rise.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mH0XlEehE-k
That’s all I have for now, I think.
Sarai on July 8, 2009 at 6:45 pm.
For Arvoss- “Micah” by Russian Circles
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gBPTK59YTE
I had the idea behind Arvoss for awhile before I actually created him. When I did, I was running him through the DK starting quests, and listening to my iTunes in the background. When this song came on, I thought “That’s Arvoss!” I’m not even sure why it fits him exactly, but this song seems really powerful to me, and with Arvoss’ backstory (paladin, killed while doing something he didn’t want to do while following a prince he was beginning to lose faith in, then being raised and serving said prince after he became the Lich King, then finally his redemption and attempt to find his place in the world while dealing with the fact that he is now basically a servant of darkness rather than Light), it matches pretty well. It also sounds rather sad at parts, and some of Arvoss’ history is sad. I’m not sure how to explain it better, but hopefully you get the gist of it.
Haven’t tried thinking of a song for Shaurria yet.