Songs That Inspire - Under the Bridge and Free Bird

I'm one of those weirdos who will listen to music and either let that inspire how I write or create my characters, or will relate my character to that song in some way:

 Under the Bridge

Under The Bridge by The Red Hot Chili Peppers  is one of those songs that I can listen to all day, every day, on repeat, without ever getting sick and tired of listening to it. I can't say that about too many other songs even from my favorite bands and singers. Maybe it's the fact that I've listened to it so much that it's impacted how I create my characters. In any case, this is a Rosie song, through and through.

I imagine that this is a song that someone either wrote about her or one that she wrote about herself. I think the beauty of this particular song is the fact that it is very personal and sentimental without being whiny or self-pitying. This is a person who is very honest about his loneliness and sadness as a result of his drug use. On the other hand, the song isn't so depressing that you cry every time you listen to it. It's almost empowering and uplifting in a sense, especially towards the end of the song. 

I imagine this is the sort of character Rosie would be: someone who is likable and fun to be with and listen to, but there is a side of her that is very sad and very troubled. While she may be open and honest about those feelings, it never feels like she would be burdening another person with her problems either.  

Another song that reminds me of Rosie is actually something that came right out of a movie. I don't think I've ever listened to Free Bird the same way ever again after watching Forrest Gump:

Free Bird 

 This entire shot is perfection. I love how the suspense builds as the music gets louder and faster, and even when it settles down, that rush still doesn't leave you. Everything from Jenny changing her mind at the last moment and then breaking down in the chair flowed so flawlessly with the music.  

Keep in mind that Rosie is still a character that I am working on. In fact, all of my characters are still going through a series of changes as I write them. At the moment, there is no horrible past experience for Rosie, at least not nearly on the same level as Jenny in this movie. However, hard drugs and alcoholism come with suffering and I feel that this scene is probably something Rosie would feel on the inside. There is something about her behavior and her life that she hates about herself despite how easily she seems to be handling it.