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simon-egg · 5 years

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Gary King - Playlist

I have created a spotify playlist of songs that particularly resonate with The World's End's main man - Gary King. Gary is an incredibly complex and deeply emotional character, a cool (or at least he tries to be) but broken man. In a strange way, watchers of the film may kind of want to be like him but at the same time would hate to become him. He's an asshole but it is understood why he does what he does. Yes, some of his actions are inexcusable but despite that, most of us can not help wanting him to find some form of happiness. In the end he ultimately finds and deserves happiness. When it comes down to it I love Gary King and here is my playlist of songs that particularly apply to him and his story.

The playlist - spotify link

Below the bar, I have listed the songs on the playlist and my reasoning for including them on the list. Some of these songs appeared in the movie (bigger text), the rest really resonate with the story and would fit on the soundtrack. This took me a while.

Firstly I have to point out that I have chosen these songs in a particular order - an order of which kind of follows the emotions and events in the film. That and music tastes are opinionated, although I love these songs, they are all of a similar style and vibe that fits Gary, whether you like them or not is up to you - mostly punk, ska, goth, new wave and alternative rock. I wanted to choose iconic artists too such as The Doors, Ramones, New Order, Sisters of Mercy, Queen, Joy Division and The Rolling Stones.

Any relevant lyrics I will include in my explanations in italics.

Loaded - Primal Scream

The World’s End begins with this song so it seems fitting that the playlist should do so too. Not only that but it is a fantastic song, of which Edgar and Simon have said that this is a song which Gary particularly takes the lyrics to heart.

we wanna be free, we wanna be free to do what we wanna do And we wanna get loaded and we wanna have a good time And that's what we're gonna do

- and that is something that Gary Precisely sets out to do.

I Want To Break Free - Queen

… I had to include a Queen song on this list and more than anything at the beginning of the film, Gary wants to break free and do whatever he wants, regardless of the consequences.

I’m Free - Mono - The Rolling Stones

Once Gary is out of the psych ward/ hospital and has managed to convince his friends to come with him on his wild adventure he plays this song in his car in the film.

The first free songs on this playlist follow a theme

(loaded) - he realises that he wants to be free

(I want To Break Free) - He knows that he needs to be free

(I’m Free) - He becomes free.

I'm free to do what I want any old time

Friday Night - Saturday Morning - The Specials

A song with a really cool vibe about a man going out drinking with his friends and getting really really drunk... sound familiar? Also The events of The World’s End occur on a Friday Night/ Saturday Morning.

I go out on Friday night and I come home on Saturday morning...

Too Much Too Young - The Specials

Another song by The Specials, now this one really applies to Gary. It’s a song about a man who doesn’t want to grow up and is mocking his friends for doing so. All of Gary’s friends have grown up - wives, kids, jobs e.c.t, Gary doesn’t seem to grasp why his friends have done this, even mocking them for doing so.

You done too much much too young You're married with a kid when you could be having fun with me You done too much much too young Now you're married with a son when you should be having fun with me

So Young - Suede

Continuing with the young theme, Gary is utterly desperate to return to his teenage self and this a song about being young, reckless and free.

Alabama Song (Whisky Bar) - The Doors

Absolutely fantastic song! This song is used in the film just after the gang find out about the aliens and carry on the pub crawl, so not to look suspicious. The scene in question is really well choreographed in time with the music and has to be one of my favourite scenes of the film.

The song has a really cool, sinister vibe and really applies to the story. Well, it’s a song that involves the compulsive need to go to multiple different bars in one night. If the person/ people in the song don’t make it to the next whisky bar they ‘must die’. In he case of those in the World’s End, not continuing the crawl could mean literal death or metaphorical in Gary’s case as he is so desperate to complete the crawl.

Oh, show me the way to the next whiskey bar Oh, don't ask why, no, don't ask why For we must find the next whiskey

Or if we don't find the next whiskey bar I tell you we must die, I tell you we must die I tell you, I tell you, I tell you we must die

Blue Monday - New Order

Okay I love this song, it’s an absolute banger and the vibe it has is so atmospheric! That and the lyrics do remind me of Gary.

Those who came before me lived through their vocations From the past until completion, they'll turn away no more And still I find it so hard to say what I need to say But I'm quite sure that you'll tell me just how I should feel today

...

Tell me, how do I feel

Tell me now, how should I feel

...

Tell me how does it feel, when your heart grows cold, grows cold, cold

More - Sisters of Mercy

Gary’s favourite band is Sisters of Mercy, I had to include something from them, that and this is a good song...

This song also has the lyric ‘And I need all the love I can get’ repeated, Gary certainly needs all the love he can get.

Too Drunk to Fuck - Dead Kennedys

The title says it all... too drunk to fuck...

As I mentioned, I wanted the songs to follow in a particular order - how the film goes. 9 songs out of 15 in and at this point the gang are absolutely hammered. Probably represents the gang in The Mermaid.

I Wanna Be Sedated - Ramones

Great and classic Ramones tune. Giving off Gary vibes again - the feeling of not wanting to be conscious or wanting to be so out of it and numb is a feeling that Gary sadly seems to want to feel.

Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain Oh no oh oh oh oh

Disorder - Joy Division

When thinking of how this song relates to The World’s end, think of the scene towards the end when Andy is desperately trying to stop Gary from drinking that final pint. Andy notices the bandages and hospital tag around his wrist and Gary breaks down. As a song, disorder is energetic, slowly building up to a big emotional conclusion, like a breakdown, just like in the scene.

i’ve got the spirit, but lose the feeling, I've got the spirit, but lose the feeling, Feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling, feeling.

Fall Back Down - Rancid

The next three songs are more about the interesting relationship between Gary and Andy. I feel like this song is appropriate at the end, when the three remaining Musketeers are arguing with the network and Andy is sticking up for Gary even after all they have been through.

Andy: ‘he is a bit of a cock, but he's my cock!’

Okay now, the lyrics to this song really apply to Gary and especially Gary and Andy.

Don't worry about me I'm gonna make it alright Got my enemies cross-haired and in my sight I take a bitter situation gonna make it right In the shadows of darkness I stand in the light Ya see it's our style to keep it true I had a bad year, a lot I've gone through I've been knocked out, beat down, black and blue

If I fall back down You're gonna help me back up again If I fall back down You're gonna be my friend

Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn’t’ve)? - The Buzzcocks

An iconic and energetic punk tune. When it comes down to it Gary loves Andy and Andy loves Gary. Look, love can mean a lot of things, when I say they love each other that kind of love is up to your interpretation... aka it doesn’t necessarily mean they must romantically love each other. If you interpret it as romantic love, that’s fine too. I do certainly think that Andy must somewhat know that his love for Gary spells bad news.

(Gary talking about Andy): ‘I loved him and I'm not being funny, he loved me too.’...

You spurn my natural emotions You make me feel like dirt and I'm hurt And if I start a commotion I run the risk of losing you and that's worse

Outlaws - Green Day

This is the most modern song on the playlist by far (though it still carries the same vibe) but dudes, it is such a relevant song to Gary and Andy.

It is about two childhood friends who were rebels that did everything together, they were young and free and wild. Then they grew up. The person the song was about (in this case, Gary) changed/ never changed when they should have and is now a lost individual.

Life after youth Faded in twilight The dawn of a criminal in bloom First love First forgiveness We were delinquents Freaks of a faded memory

Outlaws, when we were forever young When we were outlaws We're outlaws of redemption, baby Hooligans We destroyed suburbia When we were outlaws Outlaws of forever

I found a knife by the railroad track You took a train and you can't go back

Forever now, forever now you'll roam...

Yes the song finishes with the lyric ‘forever now you’ll roam’ and the film finishes with Gary essentially roaming indefinitely. Neat.

Electricity - Orchestral Manoeuvres in the dark (OMD)

As the aliens leave so do all the technological advancements they brought with them, sending earth back to the ‘dark ages’. This song is about electricity, our reliance on it and loosing power.

Are Friends Electric? - Gary Numan/ Tubeway Army

By the end of film Gary is left with his only friends being the blanks. These are not human and it’s questionable whether they’re even alive or capable of being emotional, free-thinking or intelligent. Although he’s happy in a sad kind of way he’s still alone.

Also the lyric ‘there’s a man outside in a gray hat, long coat, smoking a cigarette’ sounds like Gary when he turned up at The Rising Sun (the pub at the end). Other than smoking, he was wearing a long coat and a gray hat.

This Corrosion - Sisters Of Mercy

This was the last song that was featured in The World’s End, over the wonderful scene when Gary and the blanks arrive at the pub, asking for 5 waters and starting a fight. It's an optimistic song because who wants to end on a sad note, right? That and it’s Sisters of Mercy again, Gary’s favourite band.... and it’s a fantastically powerful song.

#let me know what you think of the post/ playlist please #the world's end #the cornetto trilogy #gary king #simon pegg #Andrew knightly #my pegg post

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