Mix CDs that tell a story

Cafe Society
1

When I make a mix CD, I like the songs I select to tell a sort of story. I even make one up as I put the songs in order. For example, this morning I burned one with the following playlist:

  1. Carrick-a-rede – Cathie Ryan
  2. Dulaman – Altan
  3. Cailleach Iiath Ratharsaigh – Mary Jane Lamond
  4. Deora Ar Mo Chroi – Enya
  5. Blood and Gold and the Universal Soldier – Bill Jones
  6. Brokenhearted I’ll Wander – Niamh Parsons
  7. Bal na h-Aibhne Deas – Mary Jane Lamond
  8. Sunny – The Poozies
  9. Black Is the Colour – Niamh Parsons
  10. Newry Boat-songl – Meav
  11. Geography – Heidi Talbot
  12. Rosa – The Poozies
  13. The Dark-Haired Girl – Meav
  14. Blar Inbhir Lochaidh – Mary Jane Lamond
  15. Two Sisters – Niamh Parsons
  16. Oran Luaidh – Mary Jane Lamond
  17. Mist Covered Mountains – Bill Jones
  18. Anna Rose – Vienna Teng
  19. Into the West – Annie Lennox

This is story:

Once upon a time, a boy and girl meet at a dance, and dance a few sets together, then go off and do the things that dancing leads to (tracks 1, 2, 3). Only it’s twu wuv! (track 4) Unfortunately, the young man gets called up in the war (track 5), so they have to part. She is upset, and imagines him dying at war (track 6). He travels (track 7). Along the way, he talks to his fellow soldiers about their loves back home (tracks 8, 9, 10, 11). When someone talks about his wife who has the same name as the young man’s love back home (track 12), the young man goes AWOL and starts to travel home while thinking of his lady’s ahem person (track 13). They reunite and it is both joyous and poignant (track 14). She also had his baby while he was gone – surprise! Unfortunately, his lady-love’s sister’s husband had died in the same war that the young men stood up, so she gets jealous and kills her sister (track 15). It’s very sad (track 16). As his lady-love lays dying, she imagines herself wandering the mountains near their home forever (track 17), which leaves only the young man to care for his bastard daughter (track 18). We close with “Into the West,” because I like to end CDs with it.

The stories aren’t usually so overwrought, but this was basically a collection of traditionally ballads, so it was going to be fairly dramatic.

Am I the only one that does this? Or have I just listened to one too many Broadway cast recordings?