It’s been a loooooong time since Christmas, huh? Even amidst the buzz about Doctor Who‘s eighth season and the anticipation surrounding Twelfth Doctor Peter Capaldi, we all still have a very tender soft spot for Matt Smith, the best Eleventh Doctor there ever was. But, before we officially say goodbye to Number 11 by saying hello to Number 12, how about a nice swan song? Eleven swan songs, to be exact (yeah, I’m that predictable); a playlist of music for and inspired by the exploits of the Doctor affectionately called “Chinny.”
For this mix, I went with a lot of ’60s and ’70s music because the Eleventh Doctor’s style and demeanor, of looking young but acting old, seemed best served by this bygone but classic era of music. Some of the songs are directly taken from the series itself; some are references to things that happen, and some are just funny to me because the title relates to things in the show.
“Baba O’Riley” by The Who is a good place to start, because, well, the band is called “The Who,” (a song by The Guess Who could just as easily have been chosen) but also because that stately, well composed keyboard riff just feels right for the Eleventh Doctor. David Bowie’s “Starman” is self-explanatory, as is Pink Floyd’s “Time”. The Doctor’s name and alien nature are fundamental parts of all three of his series which is why the Sting and Jim Croce songs were chosen. “Hungry Like the Wolf” was actually in the episode “Cold War,” plus Smith’s hair definitely looks a bit Le Bon-ish most of the time.
Because of his interactions with the ladies, I included both “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” by Marilyn Monroe (because he almost/kinda married her that one Christmas), and the Talking Heads’ “Take Me to the River” for his other “wife.” The Eleventh Doctor could get pretty dark and actually allowed some foes to get destroyed, so “No More Mr. Nice Guy” seemed the perfect choice for that, and he was ever-plagued by the Silence, so of course Simon & Garfunkel had the perfect tune. And finally, “Two Hearts” because it sounds nice. Oh, and also because of the title.
I hope you enjoy the playlist made to commemorate my favorite Doctor! What songs would you put in your own Farewell Eleven playlist? Let us know below and on twitter!
Image: BBC
I’m replacing the Ryan Addams Two Hearts with Chris Isaak’s lol
The most appropriate song, the best song for Matt is Bowie’s Starman. It feels like it was written for his version of the Doctor. Oh goodness, I’m gonna start crying! I’ll miss him!
I know Kyle ‘splained the genre selection as, “For this mix, I went with a lot of ’60s and ’70s music because the Eleventh Doctor’s style and demeanor, of looking young but acting old, seemed best served by this bygone but classic era of music.” But I can’t help but look at that list and think, “Somebody wrote this down on the ride home after seeing ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’.”
Pink Floyd’s “One of these days” has a deliberate musical reference to the Doctor Who theme at abour 2:40ish.
“Amie” – Don’t you think the time is right for us to find
All the things we thought weren’t proper
Could be right in time? And can you see
Which way we should turn together or alone?
One song that comes to mind when I think of him is “No Dice” by Beirut.
“Blue Box” By My Name Is Ellipsis. Go dig it.
for being so 70s heavy, surprising you didn’t choose uriah heep’s “traveller in time.”
Is “Doctorin’ the Tardis” by The Timelords too spot-on?
I would add Damien Rice’s “Amie” and Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name”.