*bump*
Good thread, let's explore and add a little...Ooops, adding a bit too much, I'll sort for what's good and what's less so.
Great for Fallout:
The Inkspots - I don't want to set the world on fire
Fallout's original intended intro song actually starts with exactly the same guitar tune as Maybe. The song, however, is a lot less sad and melodic and is very obviously a love song in its lyrics.
"I don't want to set the world on fire,
I just want to start a flame in your heart.
In my heart I have but one desire,
And that one is you
No other will do"
The Inkspots - Whispering Grass
Another Inkspots classic that might work:
"Why do you whisper, green grass?
Why tell the trees what ain't so?
Whispering grass, the trees don't have to know, no, no
Why tell them all the old things?
They're buried under the snow
Whispering grass, don't tell the trees
'cause the trees don't need to know"
Vera Lynn - We'll meet again
A good, sad song, if a bit well known and already used in Dr. Strangelove. Interesting fact is that the Inkspots also did this song, Vera's song is just a cover
"We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when
But I'm sure we'll meet again some sunny day
Keep smiling through, just the way you used to do
Till the blue skies chase the dark clouds far away"
Vera Lynn - From the time you say goodbye
A sad song very similar to We'll meet again, though this one is mostly vocals with little musical accompaniment. Not as well-known as We'll meet again, but very apropos in lyrics too.
"From the time you say goodbye,
From the time you say cheerio,
Will you take a handshake too
For your journey has begun.
Leave a prayer within your heart,
That the time will surely fly,
To the day when we shall meet again
From the time you say goodbye."
Judy Garland - Somewhere over the rainbow
Louis Armstrong - Somewhere over the rainbow
Two versions of one great song. Judy Garland's version is probably better in a lot of ways, but that could well be because it brings back a lot of memories for a lot of people. Louis sing it on a slightly less sad note.
"Somewhere over the rainbow way up high
There's a land that I've heard of once in a lullaby
Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true"
Louis Armstrong - What a wonderful world
Overdone, perhaps, but this song would work magnificently for Fallout. Its happy lyrics would get a kind of ironic feel as its haunting tone is overlaid with images of a world destroyed.
"I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom for me and you
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world
I see skies of blue and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself, what a wonderful world"
Louis Armstrong - As time goes by
Another Louis Armstrong classic. Would work really well, even if its lyrics aren't too directly applicable.
"You must remember this
A kiss is just a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by
And when two lovers woo
They still say I love you
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by"
Kay Starr - I cry by night
This beautiful Jazz singer would surely work well. Her songs have those nice sad notes and lyrics.
"I laugh by day
And I cry by night,
I pretend to each friend
That my world is alright.
They know you're gone
And they see
How I feel deep inside."
The Four Aces - Tell my why
A sad song with good lyrics. Excellent piece of work for Fallout. Not to be confused with the Beatles song.
"Tell me why, though I try to forget
Tell me why, why I think of you yet
I know I'll never be free
What has happened to me
Tell me why, when we danced until three
Tell me why, why my heart couldn't see
I never dreamed of romance
Never gave it a chance"
Connie Francis - Dream a Little Dream of me
Dean Martin - Dream a Little Dream of Me
Doris Day - Dream a little dream of me
Lous Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald - Dream a little dream of me
Though I'm not sure anymore whether or not it's 50's, it sure sounds 50's and makes for a great song to use. Dean Martin's version is slower, but perhaps too slow. Louis' version is probably least useable.
"Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in a sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me.
Say "Nightie-night" and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me."
Frank Sinatra - Somewhere beyond the sea
A great song fully using Sinatra's melodic voice. Would fit really well
"Somewhere beyond the sea
Somewhere waitin' for me
My lover stands on golden sand
And watches the ships that go sailin'
Somewhere beyond the sea
She's there watchin' for me
If I could fly like birds on high
Then straight to her arms I'd go sailin'
It's far beyond the star
It's near beyond the moon
I know beyond a doubt
My heart will lead me there soon
We'll meet beyond the shore
We'll kiss just as before
Happy we'll be, beyond the sea
And never again I'll go sailin'"
What might work:
Buddy Holly - Earth Angel
It'd be very hard to go over the 50's with running into Buddy. The trouble being that Buddy Holly's style was very different from what we're used to from Fallout-esque 50's, as Buddy was the founder of rock and roll, rather than the "Traditional pop music" of the Inkspots and Louis Armstrong.
"Earth Angel, Earth Angel, the one I adore,
Love you forever and evermore
I'm just a fool, a fool in love with you.
I fell for you and I know
The vision of your love's loveliness
I hope and I pray that some day
I'll be the vision of your happiness"
Buddy Holly - Not fade away
Probably not, ey? Still...
"I'm gonna tell you how its gonna be
You're gonna give your love to me
A love to last more than one day
A love that's love not fade away
A love that's love not fade away"
The Notting Hillbillies - Weapons of Prayer
Almost purely vocal, this song has that old "Working on the railroad" song which would work well on Fallout. The central idea being a parrallel on the original exploration of the US and the re-exploration of it after the war. It'd be something new, though, since this is not exactly Traditional Rock either
"In that land across the sea there's a job for you and me
Though our presence there may not be found
We must stay standing there on the battle lines and pray
We must never lay our weapons down
We don't have to be a soldier in a uniform
To be of service over there
While the boys so bravely stand with the weapons made by hand
Let us trust and use the weapon of prayer"
Jo Stafford - You belong to me
Jo's got the kind of haunting voice any Fallout could use, though again this is a song that's kind of hard to apply lyric-wise
"Fly the ocean in a silver plane
Watch the jungle when it's wet with rain
Just remember till you're home again
You belong to me"
Jo Stafford - Out of this world
Maybe this would work better?
"Was more enchanted by a Lore-Lei than I,
After waiting so long for the right time,
After reaching so long for a star,
All at once, from the long and lonely night time
And despite time, here you are.
I'd cry out of this world
If you said you were through.
So let me fly out of this world
And spend the next eternity or two with you."
Bing Crosby, Doris Day and Andrew Sisters - Anything you can do I can do better
This song fits the whole Cold War arms-race so well its spooky. It's not a very sad song and wouldn't work as a Fallout intro song, but it'd be cool to reference to.
"Anything you can do I can do better than you can do
I can do
We can do
I can do
Much much better than you
Anything you can do I can do better
I can do anything better than you
No you can't
Yes I can
No you can't
Yes I can
Anything you can be
I can be greater
Sooner or later I'll be greater than you"
Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill
Would it work? This song lacks a haunting feel and has more of a rhytmic pop thing going on, but the vocals are great.
"Though we're apart
You're part of me still
For you were my thrill
On Blueberry Hill"
Perry Como - Do you see what I see? or Do you hear what I hear?
Como's strong vocals are kind of hard to work around, I think this'd be a great song of his to use. It is, of course, a Christian song, but the thematics'd be easy enough to ignore
"Said the night wind to the little lamb
do you see what I see? ( do you see what I see? )
Way up in the sky, little lamb
do you see what I see ( do you see what I see? )"
Doris Day - Perhaps perhaps perhaps
Not really super-fitting, but worth a note anyway. the music is slightly wrong for Fallout, though and the lyrics don't work perfectly either
"You won't admit you love me
And so how am I ever to know?
You always tell me
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps
A million times I've asked you,
And then I ask you over again
You only answer
Perhaps, perhaps, perhaps"
Doris Day and Bing Crosby - Baby its cold outside
Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn - Baby its cold outside
An interesting, soft duet. While it's obviously a love song, it has interesting lyrics for the Fallout setting and the music fits fairly well. Ella's version is the inferior one.
"I really can't stay - Baby it's cold outside
I've got to go away - Baby it's cold outside
This evening has been - Been hoping that you'd drop in
So very nice - I'll hold your hands, they're just like ice
My mother will start to worry - Beautiful, what's your hurry
My father will be pacing the floor - Listen to the fireplace roar
So really I'd better scurry - Beautiful, please don't hurry
well Maybe just a half a drink more - Put some music on while I pour"
Connie Francis - Where the boys are
Alternatively there's this little diddie about love and loss.
"Where the boys are, someone waits for me
A smilin' face, a warm embrace, two arms to hold me tenderly
Where the boys are, my true love will be
He's walkin' down some street in town and I know he's lookin' there for me"
Patsy Cline - Who's sorry now
Not my favourite, but definitely in the options list, especially because of its lyrics
"Who's sorry now, who's sorry now?
Whose heart is achin' for breakin' each vow?
Who's sad and blue, who's cryin', too,
Just like I cried over you?
Right to the end, just like a friend,
I tried to warn you somehow;
You had your way, now you must pay;
I'm glad that you're sorry now."
Ella Fitzgerald - Cry me a river
Pretty haunting, jazzy, with some great lyrics. Might be too jazzy for Fallout, though
"Now you say you're lonely
You cried the long night through
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
I cried river over you
Now you say you're sorry
For being so untrue
Well, you can cry me a river
Cry me a river
Cause i cried, i cried, i cried a river over you"
