Friday, August 12, 2011

Villain Protagonists In Music

I've written a supervillain-protagonist story for a possible charity anthology one of my writing groups is doing, and might do another.  That's got me thinking on the subject of villain protagonists.  There seems to be a fair number of them in music, ranging from fairly minor to severe.

"Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones-Satan.  Enough said.

"Crimson King" by Demons and Wizards-The Crimson King and Randall Flagg from the Dark Tower novels by Stephen King.  The Crimson King is an extradimensional evil power bent on destroying the universe and Flagg is his Antichrist-like apostle who ultimately aspires to backstab him and take control. It reminds me of Revelation 13:4 from the Bible, where men worship both Satan and the Antichrist.

"Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle-The protagonist is a drug dealer who's rigged his drug farm full of Viet Cong-type booby traps to kill Drug Enforcement Agency agents.

"Porn Star Dancing" by My Darkest Days-The protagonist is angry the women he is interested in either won't put out at all ("Stacy's gonna save herself for marriage") or won't put out to the degree he'd like (making out with other women, letting him sleep with their friends, etc), so he's going to seek out a stripper/porn star/prostitute who'll do anything for money.  Fairly minor compared to criminals and Dark Lords, but still.

"Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne-A girl seeks out to seduce the boyfriend of another girl because she doesn't like the first girl ("I don't like your girlfriend/think you need a new one").  Also minor compared to truly monstrous people, but it's rather mean.

"Dracula" by Iced Earth-Dracula, as depicted in Bram Stoker's Dracula.  More sympathetic than usual, but still an evil vampire overlord.

"Damien" by Iced Earth-The Antichrist.  Enough said.

"Hail to Odin" and "Blade of Triumph" by Iron Fire-Vikings on a pillaging kick.

"The Phantom of the Opera" and "Music of the Night"-I sympathize with the Phantom and think he's more interesting than pretty-boy nobleman Raoul, but he's a stalker, extortionist, and serial killer.

"Be Prepared"-Scar's villain song from The Lion King.  Still awesome though.

"Highwayman" by Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Others-The protagonist, in a past life, was a highway robber who'd robbed women of their jewelry and killed "many a soldier."

"Seven Spanish Angels" by Ray Charles-The protagonist sounds like a fugitive being hunted by the Texas Rangers.

1 comment:

  1. Hold the Heathen hammer High - by Tyr

    Pagan vikings assaulting a Christian Norse settlement and sparking a civil war between the two sides

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