The Otherfolk Official Playlist
- Mar 23
- 10 min read
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, THE OTHERFOLK!!!!!
To celebrate, a couple of friends and I compiled a playlist based on The Otherfolk. There is one song on the playlist for each chapter. You can find the playlist on Spotify! And here, you can find a list of all the songs, plus explanations on why we chose them.
And at the end, a special bonus song you won't see on the playlist. Just for the fun of it.
Song titles link to YouTube. I have not seen and do not endorse all music videos.
WARNING: SPOILERS FROM THE OTHERFOLK IN SONG NOTES
THE OTHERFOLK OFFICIAL PLAYLIST
CHAPTER ONE
Matilda has always felt like Anna's song to me. It may not be in the manuscript as much as it's in my head, but I think Anna really has the deep desire for her family to love her. Matilda encapsulates a little of everyone else's feelings towards her family: In other words, I know it won't hurt you anymore as long as you can let them go. What better way to start the book?
CHAPTER TWO
This one speaks for itself. They're both so tired, and at this point all they're trying to do is get away - but they're still determined to stay together.
CHAPTER THREE
I love how this one speaks to Anna's constant stress about everything. She's always thinking about what's going to happen, her parents, there's even a little of her anxiety about Charles still lingering. She's silently saying, can someone carry me? through this whole chapter.
CHAPTER FOUR
I don't know what to say about this one. Don't you wait to try it. Are you scared to find it? This is the chapter where Peter makes the pivotal decision to jump over the wall. He's terrified, and realizing this is getting a little out of hand. And will you ever heal from all these scars? And did you have to take it all so far? But he still has the vision in his head of the two of them, finally safe, and that's what gets him over the feat. Let's lay in the dead grass, stare at the stars... Then there's just plain foreshadowing in it, too. And if there's wrong, let's make it right, and if you leave, just give me one more night. Seriously, what more can I say?
CHAPTER FIVE
This one was a last-minute addition when I happened to hear it at just the right time. First of all, I don't even need to explain I packed my things and ran, far away from all the trouble... through the woods we ran. Then there's alone we traveled, armed, with nothing but a shadow. I mean, they've got nothing but each other and Shadow. And as they meet the Merfolk woman, the second verse is practically playing in the background. Some had scars and some had scratches, it made me wonder about their past. And as I looked around, I began to notice that we were nothing like the rest.
CHAPTER SIX
This one makes my heart hurt. As soon as the chapter starts, Peter is navigating his head. (But isn't he always?) He's already feeling alone, but when she reaches out, he responds. He hears her. And then... he ends up poisoned. Disassociate... don't know how long it's been since I responded to your question. If you really want to know what I'm thinking, kind of feels like everybody leaves. Feeling the reality that everybody leaves... and now I'm trying to hold onto you, 'cause everybody leaves. He tries so hard to hold onto her in this one... and barely does.
CHAPTER SEVEN
This song is a work of art, first of all. I don't pretend to understand all of its meaning, but I know it's there. It tells the story of an oppressed group of birds calling for help from furry creatures to rescue them from the bees, who think they should get the sky to themselves. This is the chapter where they get a rudimentary, Eli-ized version of Beyond's history, and they'll get the full story in chapter eight. And Beyond's story is that of an oppressed group of creatures fighting back and rescuing themselves from the humans, who think they should get the island to themselves.
CHAPTER EIGHT
In this one, we see the full history of Beyond, which of course relates to Dirty Paws. But it's from Peter's POV, and we also see him overcompensating for everything. He apologizes for everything, even overcompensating for things like where he sits and who he looks at. The poison is at its height right now - he doesn't understand it yet, but also, he hasn't given in. Overtake your formal self.
CHAPTER NINE
I didn't actually know this one before it got recommended for this chapter. This song is Peverley and Eli's story in song form. As Peter and Anna listen to Peverley tell them about the broken system of Outcastments, you can practically map this song onto their conversation. I've been spending time alone, I've been feeling kind of low... had to grow up on my own... I lost my innocence... they get a step ahead at my expense. And both of them, each in their own way, are saying I wish this world knew how to hold me.
CHAPTER TEN
Here we see Anna go full-on rebel mode. She's ready to take on the world. But there's a few other instances of the same thing: from Peverley ready to get Philip the blueberry on the top branch to Peter finding Peverley's necklace, you can see everyone's whatever it takes attitude here.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
This song is about the government. Enough said.
Okay, I'll say some more. All of them are on board now, planning to blatantly go against Beyond's corrupt system and find out what's behind the fires. They ask questions like why cure disease of confusion when you're the treatment facility? and conclude that they're trying hard to weaponize you and I - we'll never take it!
CHAPTER TWELVE
I didn't know this one, either, but it's so perfect for this chapter. Peter has created this mask for himself, and Anna is calling to him this whole chapter: leave your weapons where they are. You've been hiding, but I know your wounded heart, and you don't know how beautiful you are. Even more foreshadowing in this one, too. Where we're headed is a world from where we are... we're bound together and our lives are bound to change.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
I don't think I have to explain this at all. I'll just leave some quotes here for you... Only say how I feel from the back of my mind... swear I'll start using my words... I know it's out of my hands, it always is. And it just screams, I'm sorry I let you down this time. Hope you still see me as someone who's trying. I'll understand if you draw a line.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
I'm ashamed to say I didn't know this song until it was requested, either. However, I'm now obsessed with it. Even though Anna won't read it until later, it's Peter's letter in a song. It makes me cry. Dear Miss, by the time you see this, it'll be in love or it'll be in vain. May God bless and keep us, may you think kind of my name... she was raised up proper, and I was raised up with a poor working boy's heart. The way the light is bleeding on her smile and cheeks this evening is the finest of the world's fine art... Then Anna's reaction later to seeing his last thoughts were about her. She's standing in the doorway rambling on about my old ways, how they were reckless and free, how all my imperfections and every ugly lesson is worth every last second with me.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
I didn't know this one either, actually. Peverley's still trying to be the happy one, she knows that's her role in the friend group - but it's so hard. She runs, completely crumbles, and then: Quiet when I'm comin' home and I'm on my own.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Anna's reaction to losing Peter is so heartbreaking it isn't even communicated in the chapter. But the song helps a little. Pleading if you ran away, if you ran away, some back home... just come home. She's still denying that he's gone, dreaming he returns.
He doesn't.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Please, please listen to Dear Miss, when the party's over, Where's My Love, and This Is Not The End in that order. It encapsulates these chapters so perfectly. For months they're all just falling apart, especially Anna. It's the end of the line. But Vada is the one who finally tells everyone, might be back on the ropes. Might be down in the ring. Oh death, you're a fighter, but you've lost all your sting... I'll get up again.
And they do.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
This is a little of Eli in a song. I imagine him almost singing it sarcastically. In this chapter, he's just brutal to Peverley - again. He knows it, too. He's in denial for sure, but he knows deep down he's hurt everyone he loves. Is he sorry? Maybe. Maybe not yet.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
This song encapsulates Anna's thoughts about Peter - before and after his death. He's just a part of her - no one knows her until they know him. Even through the chapter, when we don't see his name at all until the end, of course he's in her mind. It doesn't take much reading between the lines to know she's always thinking about him. And at the end of the chapter, we see it come out - she's been thinking about him the whole time, how he would've liked to be there.
CHAPTER TWENTY
The vibe of this song is the same as that of the chapter - upbeat, excited, festival-like. They're mostly just watching the town, seeing it come alive. But the lyrics foreshadow, too. I won't say too much about it, but the parallelism of their soldier, poet, and king is definitely there.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
This is another one of Eli's songs. Hearing it from his point of view, some of his sarcasm definitely comes through. Anna tells him off in this chapter, and you can see him thinking, why am I the one always packing up my stuff? But then, there's his weird, I-want-to-be-around-people-but-I-can't-stand-anyone thing going on. I think I kind of like you, but I might've had too much. Also, the question of how he would change if he knew how much he mattered to them (okay, to Peverley). So, darling, if you love me, would you let me know?
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Want You To Want Me is probably the most Peverley song I've ever heard. In this chapter, she's just feeling a lot of the way things have changed since they were Outcast. It's weighing on her a lot, and the chapter is full of her saying, I'll try to move on and say I'll forget... 'cause I know that's what you want from me. Oh, but I'm sorry, I can't help that I want you to want me like I do. Oh, and it kills me to say, but I know that you never will love me this way. I could go on forever about how Peverley might as well have written this song, but I'll stop before I get carried away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Most of the reason for this song is, you guessed it, it's raining the whole time. But there are also other lines that fit. In this chapter, Anna goes down to the lake to see what the Merfolk found. She's hoping for an epiphany, something that clearly connects the dots. But she just gets more dots that still seem disconnected. I start to wonder why I came, I dreamed of things you said to me. And I couldn't find the words, I couldn't think of what to say, and all that I can do is stop and think about the days... and we would go on home and start back again.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
On the way back, Anna finds that they've been betrayed. She's mostly just scared, but her mind is spinning - the betrayal came out of nowhere according to the rest of them. The whole way back, she's thinking, I thought we were friends, but now we're enemies. Pull your knife out of my back, your heart's gone black, I was just surprised at how you turned on me so fast.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Peverley's last few chapters are just a row of heartbreaking reactions to things she can't control. She's seen Peter leave with no thought about the rest of them, she's seen Eli act like she couldn't matter less, and now she's seen Crystal leave the rest of them in her dust and throw them under the bus. She's just... forgotten. There's been a hundred times when I don't recognize any of you that love me. She's calling out to anyone, everyone, asking them, hello, hello, do you know me?
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
This chapter was hard to find a song for, but Ends of the Earth fits well. They've found this river that winds on forever, and their only hope is to see where it leads. At the same time, with the betrayal fresh in their minds, all of them are wondering, to the ends of the earth, would you follow me? If you won't, I will say my goodbyes to thee.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
I don't think this one needs much explaining. They finally reach the end of the river that winds on forever and Anna's world comes crashing down around her ears again. She's climbed, she's run, she's done everything she can to be with Peter - but she still hasn't found what she's looking for.
And we're left waiting for the next book.
HONORABLE MENTION
PHILIP!
A TURTLE!
Dude, that's a tortoise.
(He is, actually, a tortoise.)
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