Blog 7 - Haunted

      We are all used to seeing soundtracks to movies, but this is the first time I've come across a soundtrack to a book. Add to it that the book is House of Leaves and the soundtrack artist is Poe, a unique band blending popular genres into it's own flavor, who also happens to be fronted by Daneilewski's sister. To say that I was intrigued and interested in what this composition would sound like is an understatement. Although the soundtrack is not what I was expecting, I enjoyed the song “Haunted” and I believe it establishes a back and forth between the novel and the soundtrack based on the relationship of Will and Karen.

      The first thing that struck me about the album is that though it does begin in a suitably creepy manner with “Exploration B” the beat and style of the remainder of the album is not what I was expecting. Poe is obviously influenced by more than one genre of music. The bass line of “Haunted” is a blend of light blues and soft rock and has a slightly upbeat tempo that caught me off guard. However, the bass line is evened out by the use of a mix of Gothic style choral bursts and dark, haunted-house style echoes of the lyrics, ghastly laughing, and slamming doors. The tone of the singer is sad and remorseful and complimented by piano, guitar, and even some Electronica. The whole cacophony, when described like this, does not seem like it would work, but it blends to a unique sound that I'm still trying to decide if I like and still trying to decide if it fits with my overall “feeling” of the book.

      I immediately dove into the lyrics to see what part of the book this song is supposed to relate to. What I found is a sort of synopsis of the relationship between Will and Karen throughout their time in the house. Even though, at this point in the reading it isn't made explicit, it is clear by this song that the subject relationship is over and a source of remorse.

By the lives that I have loved
And actions I have hated
I'm haunted
By the lives that wove the web
Inside my haunted head

      This is the state of affairs when we join Will and Karen in the House. At first, it seems that this has more to do with Karen and her infidelities. However, there is no reason we can't use this as a light on Will as well. He is, certainly, haunted by Karen's actions as well.

Don't cry,
There's always a way
Here in November in this house of leaves
We'll pray
Please, I know it's hard to believe
To see a perfect forest
Through so many splintered trees
You and me
And these shadows keep on changing

      This is the verse that got my brain churning the most. First of all, “We'll pray” has been bugging me since I first heard the song. I'm aware that lyrically it fits but what part of the book has ever had anything to do with prayer? I think this is where the lens can be turned back on the song rather than vice versa. In fact, I am fairly certain that the person who is supposedly presenting this to us, Zampano, killed off his feline companions as he approached the end of his life. Prayer just does not seem to fit into the book in any way.

      The next part of this verse is obviously speaking to the nature of the relationship but just the way it is stated made me think of connections between the shifting house, the shifting relationship, and the nature of the changes. The connection between trees and leaves is not lost, but the house can also be seen as being built of splintered trees (what else is a 2x4?) Furthermore, the house's constant changing seems to ring with splintered and thrown right in the middle is “You and me.” This pushed my thinking towards the ever changing, widening, and growing hallway as a metaphor for Will and Karen's relationship. Then it dawned on me that we have no information regarding the house prior to “The Navidson Record.” Could it be possible that the house changes its nature based on the occupants? Not only is the growing vast emptiness between two points a metaphor for their failing relationship, is it possible that the house chose this for a reason? If the house is truly malicious in that way, it would make perfect sense for it choose a vast cavern that Will would not be able to resist exploring, thus destroying his relationship with Karen.

           

I'm haunted
By the promises I've made
And others I have broken

            At this point, both Will and Karen have broken promises to each other. In fact, they both continue to do so without the other knowing. Will went on “Exploration A” without Karen's knowledge and Karen kissed Wax without Will's knowledge. I think it is interesting to note that although Will thinks he is doing right by his promise, bringing other people in to explore for him, the result is still the same, minus the inherent danger of actually entering the space, he is pulled away from her and from his kids, focusing entirely on the explorations.

Hallways... always

I'll always want you

I'll always need you
I'll always love you

And I will always miss you

      Here again we see that always present importance of echoes, always being the return echo of hallways. It still hasn't been made explicit to us yet, but if we take the song as encompassing the entire novel, then it is clear that the relationship will not last. We get even more evidence of this in the following verse:

Come here
No I won't say please

One more look at the ghost
Before I'm gonna make it leave
Come here
I've got the pieces here
Time to gather up the splinters
Build a casket for my tears

      I'm not sure if the one last look at the “ghost” is referring to the current rescue mission or if this will happen after, but it is quite clear that Will puts his foot down and goes into the hallway. He did this on the current rescue mission but it is possible that Karen understands his reasoning. Whenever it is, it is clear this is the end.

I'm haunted
By the hallways in this tiny room
The echoes there of me and you
The voices that are carrying this tune

      Of course, hallways in a tiny room could only make sense to someone who has read House of Leaves. In the context of the novel, this could be a literal or a figurative tiny room with hallways. The room that the explorers end up in while Holloway is on his rampage is at the end of a vast hallway full of doors. This could also be telling us what to expect of Will after Karen finally leaves him. Does he literally go to one of the rooms in grief or is it more a symbol of his state of mind at that time?

      Finally, at the very end of the track, we get perhaps the creepiest audio complete with a deranged music box ditty and haunting laughter of a young girl.

You think I'll cry? I won't cry!
My heart will break before I cry!
I will go mad.

      This is another reminder that the soundtrack makes more sense in the context of the book. This is clearly Karen's mindset. She is beyond crying, it is more likely that her heart will simply break and she will go mad.

      This is only one track on the album, but it gives us a good lens to use on Will and Karen's relationship. Every track on the album can be used to gain some insight or perhaps another way of looking at the novel.

Haunted - Poe

Ba da pa pa ba da pa pa...
Come here
Pretty please
Can you tell me where I am
You, won't you say something
I need to get my bearings
I'm lost
And the shadows keep on changing

And I'm haunted
By the lives that I have loved
And actions I have hated
I'm haunted
By the lives that wove the web
Inside my haunted head

Ba da pa pa ba da pa pa...

Don't cry,
There's always a way
Here in November in this house of leaves
We'll pray
Please, I know it's hard to believe
To see a perfect forest
Through so many splintered trees
You and me
And these shadows keep on changing

And I'm haunted
By the lives that I have loved
And actions I have hated
I'm haunted
By the promises I've made
And others I have broken
I'm haunted
By the lives that wove the web
Inside my haunted head

Hallways... always

I'll always want you

I'll always need you
I'll always love you

And I will always miss you

Ba da pa pa ba da pa pa...

Come here
No I won't say please
One more look at the ghost
Before I'm gonna make it leave
Come here
I've got the pieces here
Time to gather up the splinters
Build a casket for my tears

I'm haunted
(By the lives that I have loved)
I'm haunted
(By the promises I've made)
I'm haunted
By the hallways in this tiny room
The echoes there of me and you
The voices that are carrying this tune

Ba da pa pa...

Father :
What is it Annie?

Daughter :
You think I'll cry? I won't cry!
My heart will break before I cry!
I will go mad.