Scully1888
09-27-2003, 02:37 PM
(DONNIE DARKO SPOILERS - YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)
I know many of you will have probably come to this conclusion already and as a result this isn't big news, but I thought I'd mention how genius it was that the songs played throughout Donnie Darko were there for reasons other than being 80's tracks and soudning cool, but they also told the story. Didn't know this? Then let me list you the songs that played and why they're important:
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN - "THE KILLING MOON"
(Played at the start of the film as Donnie rides his bike home)
The name of the band alone suggests what is to come... time is going to echo itself and repeat itself. "Bunnymen" is pretty obvious. As for the title of the song, the moon heralds the end of each day, and in 28 days' time, the moon will herald the end of Donnie's last day in which he dies, hence "The Killing Moon". It also contains the lyrics:
"Under blue moon I saw you/So soon you'll take me/Up in your arms/Too late to beg you or cancel it/Though I know it must be/killing time/Unwillingly mine/Fate/Up against your will/Through the thick and thin/He will wait until/You give yourself to him"
TEARS FOR FEARS - "HEAD OVER HEELS"
(Played during the school montage where we meet all the key characters)
Donnie's world is turned head over heels at the end of the film. The school montage takes place on the day that Gretchen will enter the class and become a part of Donnie's life. As a result, the lyrics sort of describe Donnie and Gretchen's future relationship:
"You keep your distance with a system of touch/And gentle persuasion/I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much/Oh, you're wasting my time/You're just, just, just wasting time/Something happens and I'm head over heels/I never find out till I'm head over heels/Something happens and I'm head over heels/Ah don't take my heart/Don't break my heart/Don't, don't, don't throw it away". The song ends with the words "one little boy walking by/It's funny how time flies".
Pretty obvious indication of what's to come.
DURAN DURAN - "NOTORIOUS"
(Played while Sparkle Motion dances and Donnie burns down Jim Cunningham's house)
This at first gives the impression that Donnie's actions (having flooded the school and now setting fire to Jim's house) are notorious. After the scene however, it becomes apparent that it is in fact Jim Cunningham himself who is notorious (a notorious paedophile in this case).
JOY DIVISION - "LOVE WILL TEAR US APART"
(Played at the party when Donnie answers the doorbell to find Gretchen)
Pretty self-explanatory.
THE CHURCH - "UNDER THE MILKY WAY"
(Played at the party, just before Donnie and his friends go to Roberta Sparrow's house)
The lyrics possibly describe either those watery tubes Donnie sees coming out of people's stomach, or (more likely) the vortex he is about to go through to go back in time (think about the vortex when it appears on the cinema screen):
"And it's something quite peculiar/Something shimmering and white/Leads you here despite your destination/Under the Milky Way tonight/Wish I knew what you were looking for/Might have known what you would find/Wish I knew what you were looking for/Might have known what you would find"
GARY JULES - "MAD WORLD"
(Played during the final montage, showing the characters in bed reacting in various ways)
A number of various lyrics in this song could suggest what has been going on (some random ones including "no tomorrow, no tomorrow" and "went to school and I was very nervous, no one knew me, no one knew me" (possibly relating to Gretchen)). The chorus pretty much sums up Donnie's thoughts and feelings throughout the film and (as the script was originally going to have Donnie's psychiatrist telling him that his pills were actually harmless placebos and that he was never mad) could be suggesting that if Donnie was mad, then only because the whole world is:
"And I find it kinda funny/I find it kinda sad/The dreams in which I'm dying/Are the best I've ever had/I find it hard to tell you/I find it hard to take/When people run in circles/It's a very very/Mad world/Mad world".
Incidentally, the line "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" may explain why many people's interpretation of the film was that it was all a dream.
And that's about it. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but that's the conclusion I've come to.
Incidentally, I've never listened to the commentary tracks on the DVD so if they discuss this on those then I apologise for wasting your time. :)
I know many of you will have probably come to this conclusion already and as a result this isn't big news, but I thought I'd mention how genius it was that the songs played throughout Donnie Darko were there for reasons other than being 80's tracks and soudning cool, but they also told the story. Didn't know this? Then let me list you the songs that played and why they're important:
ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN - "THE KILLING MOON"
(Played at the start of the film as Donnie rides his bike home)
The name of the band alone suggests what is to come... time is going to echo itself and repeat itself. "Bunnymen" is pretty obvious. As for the title of the song, the moon heralds the end of each day, and in 28 days' time, the moon will herald the end of Donnie's last day in which he dies, hence "The Killing Moon". It also contains the lyrics:
"Under blue moon I saw you/So soon you'll take me/Up in your arms/Too late to beg you or cancel it/Though I know it must be/killing time/Unwillingly mine/Fate/Up against your will/Through the thick and thin/He will wait until/You give yourself to him"
TEARS FOR FEARS - "HEAD OVER HEELS"
(Played during the school montage where we meet all the key characters)
Donnie's world is turned head over heels at the end of the film. The school montage takes place on the day that Gretchen will enter the class and become a part of Donnie's life. As a result, the lyrics sort of describe Donnie and Gretchen's future relationship:
"You keep your distance with a system of touch/And gentle persuasion/I'm lost in admiration could I need you this much/Oh, you're wasting my time/You're just, just, just wasting time/Something happens and I'm head over heels/I never find out till I'm head over heels/Something happens and I'm head over heels/Ah don't take my heart/Don't break my heart/Don't, don't, don't throw it away". The song ends with the words "one little boy walking by/It's funny how time flies".
Pretty obvious indication of what's to come.
DURAN DURAN - "NOTORIOUS"
(Played while Sparkle Motion dances and Donnie burns down Jim Cunningham's house)
This at first gives the impression that Donnie's actions (having flooded the school and now setting fire to Jim's house) are notorious. After the scene however, it becomes apparent that it is in fact Jim Cunningham himself who is notorious (a notorious paedophile in this case).
JOY DIVISION - "LOVE WILL TEAR US APART"
(Played at the party when Donnie answers the doorbell to find Gretchen)
Pretty self-explanatory.
THE CHURCH - "UNDER THE MILKY WAY"
(Played at the party, just before Donnie and his friends go to Roberta Sparrow's house)
The lyrics possibly describe either those watery tubes Donnie sees coming out of people's stomach, or (more likely) the vortex he is about to go through to go back in time (think about the vortex when it appears on the cinema screen):
"And it's something quite peculiar/Something shimmering and white/Leads you here despite your destination/Under the Milky Way tonight/Wish I knew what you were looking for/Might have known what you would find/Wish I knew what you were looking for/Might have known what you would find"
GARY JULES - "MAD WORLD"
(Played during the final montage, showing the characters in bed reacting in various ways)
A number of various lyrics in this song could suggest what has been going on (some random ones including "no tomorrow, no tomorrow" and "went to school and I was very nervous, no one knew me, no one knew me" (possibly relating to Gretchen)). The chorus pretty much sums up Donnie's thoughts and feelings throughout the film and (as the script was originally going to have Donnie's psychiatrist telling him that his pills were actually harmless placebos and that he was never mad) could be suggesting that if Donnie was mad, then only because the whole world is:
"And I find it kinda funny/I find it kinda sad/The dreams in which I'm dying/Are the best I've ever had/I find it hard to tell you/I find it hard to take/When people run in circles/It's a very very/Mad world/Mad world".
Incidentally, the line "The dreams in which I'm dying are the best I've ever had" may explain why many people's interpretation of the film was that it was all a dream.
And that's about it. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but that's the conclusion I've come to.
Incidentally, I've never listened to the commentary tracks on the DVD so if they discuss this on those then I apologise for wasting your time. :)