Withnail Selfship AU Playlist Analysis

Hi guys because I'm a normal, stable individual, I've made a playlist for that selfship au with Withnail that I mentioned. Go follow my QPP btw, Vyvian is with Marwood in this au.

I'll post another blog and link it in here when it's done to explain the au, but the basic rundown you need to understand this au is that it reads Withnail and Marwood's relationship in the film as romantic, with that final scene being like a breakup. Withnail is aroace in this

After the events of the film, my qpp gets with Marwood and I get with Withnail. He helps Marwood recover while I make Withnail worse (and he probably makes me worse while we're at it.)

I have unfortunately gained actual affection for Withnail from this au so that might be reflected in some of the songs and I'm not sorry.

Here is the playlist if you would like to listen.

All songs will be title first, then artist.

Front Street - Will Wood and the Tapeworms

This very obviously has to be on a Withnail playlist, but I think it especially fits this AU because of how we treat each other.

Not only does it have his vibes, but Will Wood sometimes sings in a way that reminds me of Withnail and I'm not sure how to explain it because I KNOW Withnail could not sing that well. You will be seeing a lot of Will Wood on this playlist.

Here's some relevant quotes:

"Here's to my lady, and I'm coming inside
Drink to me baby, and what's left of what's right!"

"Last call for morals, better cover your drink"

"How vile can you be?"

I hate it here because this song in combination with him should NOT be as enjoyable as it is.

Mixed Messages - Tom Cardy

Red Flags - Tom Cardy & Montaigne

These have to be on here together because they're by the same artist about the same relationship. They have official animated music videos.

Not only is the woman in it called Val and has red hair like me, but the general disaster vibes of the relationship fits really well for the AU. Especially the part in the Red Flags video where they get thrown out of the restaurant and into a trash pile.

I only have one quote from each to specifically point out but I enjoy them a lot.

"Ooh, baby, you've played this game before,
Too bad, I've played a little bit more"

"I think, 'Holy shit,
I'm gonna be the main course' "

Hand Me My Shovel, I'm Going In - Will Wood

This whole song is about getting worse on purpose. It deserves to be here, I don't need to justify it any further. Just have some lyrics that kill me dead.

"Bottle, well or barrel? All are empty
Dug, or drank, or poured it out."

"My dreams were shattered like a stained glass window
Jesus in pieces,
I believe I threw a brick right through him"

"Take you with me!"

I Swallowed Shampoo - Soupy Garbage Juice

This one is here for the sillies. Title says it all. I'm selfshipping with a guy who drank lighter fluid and I've eaten hand lotion before. Neither of us know what's actually edible but god knows we're going to find out.

Stuck With You - Aurelio Voltaire & Amanda Palmer

God okay. This one is about a marriage where they hate each other, and treat each other like shit. They also have some level of messed up fondness for each other though, and are grateful that they're together instead of entirely alone.

While the intent for the AU was originally not going to include marriage (as I'm aromantic, and both me and Vyvian view Withnail as aro too) this song did lead to us coming up with a very funny scenario where I marry and then divorce Withnail. He wants the party and attention a wedding comes with, and I just find divorce very funny.

Anyway, have some lyrics.

"Not until death may we part,
So until then, I'm stuck with you."

"This is my curse, I said I do,
Better or worse, I'm stuck with you"

"In this dank and dreary cold,
I'm just glad I'm not alone."

Half-Decade Hangover - Will Wood

This one is actually somewhat here for my side of the relationship because I personally relate to the song in my real life, but with psychosis instead of alcoholism. "Waking up" from a long psychotic episode, or a series of them, leaves you wondering what the hell has happened to your life.

But I also think some parts could relate to Withnail, especially with the context of the Marwood & Withnail breakup in this AU.

"I'm no survivor, I only happened to survive"

"That was me, screaming
BITCH, I AM REALITY!"

"Oh brother, man, you call that recovered?"

Just like. The whole god damned song.

Foolishly Wrong - Autoheart

On a similar note to Stuck With You, this is also about a relationship that's falling apart. This one seems to have accepted that the relationship is doomed to fail, that nothing will fix it at this point, and they should break up. They haven't yet, though.

"We're living a lie, indivisible by
Everything we try, I need you to know
If we carry this on, we'll be foolishly wrong
And we'd end up alone in the end."

"Disaster awaits us, it threatens to break us
And I believe we're destroying each other."

Remember My Name - Mitski

Listen I know it's wild putting Mitski on a Withnail playlist but hear me out. Not all of it fits of course, but I think the parts that do fit, fit really well.

"I need someone to remember me,
I need something bigger than the sky"

"Just how many stars will I need to hang around me
To finally call it heaven?"

Not only are the lyrics appropriate for him wanting to be a star, wanting to be well known, having that bitterness to those doing better than him. But it also really fits with the star symbolism that Vyvian is going to be using in their fic. Stars becoming black holes like a self-destructive person burning themself up.

Love, Me Normally - Will Wood

Another song I personally relate to quite a lot, but I think works both ways in this. There's not much I can say specifically except to point out that it's funny, as I use "feeling very normal" when I feel strange for liking Withnail. I did it in the first line of this post, in fact.

Also the song feels almost feels like an apology for loving & being loved, especially in the context of being mentally ill.

"Won't follow my dreams,
No, they've all got me waking up screaming."

"I drank myself to death
To be the afterlife of the party
When the after-party came
I was rolling in my grave!"

No Children - The Mountain Goats

If you already know the song, I hardly need to explain. This playlist would just not be complete without this song.

If you don't already know the song, I am very glad to be the one to introduce it to you. Please go listen and it will all make sense. It's one of my favourite songs in the world!

Anyway, it's the most hopeless, depressing songs about a failing relationship ever and it's very divorcecore. Have some lyrics.

"I hope I never get sober."

"I am drowning. There is no sign of land.
You are coming down with me,
Hand in unlovable hand!
And I hope you die, I hope we both die."

Under My Skin - Jukebox the Ghost

I'll be honest, I originally put this on here for a joke about wearing skin because I make a lot of jokes like that, and "I'll peel you" has become a somewhat affectionate phrase.

However, I actually looked at the lyrics in more detail and some are surprisingly very fitting. Some people read the song as being about a breakup, and some lyrics imply the song is about someone with no depth or love to them.

"I wish you were dead babe,
I wish you were dead."

"England has a way of getting under my skin
And my family has a way of getting under my skin
And my family had a castle, way back when"

^ That part relates quite well to canon Withnail's family, being both English and coming from money that he's been cut off from for the most part.

"I don't think there's anyone under your skin
Like a Cheshire cat, I think that you are just a grin
And I can feel you laughing, under my skin
And the happy palpitations are making me grin."

Cicada Days - Will Wood

This is one that I relate to again, but it's actually on here to refer to the Marwood & Withnail breakup. There are lyrics that would fit both of them, but I'll of course focus on Withnail's side.

Withnail POV:

"Let all my red flags fade to white, yeah I give up"

"Here at the end of days, my god, what have I done?"

Marwood POV:

"Christ, now it feels damn inhumane to get all I've dreamed of."

Both:

"It just feels inhumane to lose this much
'Cause when you leave, you know you take more than your love"

Withnail aftermath with me:

"Our nerves were braided under ceiling stars
That were all glow in the dark"

"And then my sponsor said
Do nothing, nothing works
And then my doctor said
Don't do that if it hurts!"

Make You Suffer - The Mountain Goats

Listen. I never said it was a healthy relationship.

"Say what you like,
There won't be anybody listening.
I'm going to make you suffer."

Masochism Tango - Tom Lehrer

This is not actually on the playlist, it's only an honorary mention.

The actual song felt too romantic to apply to this, and implies they both enjoy it a lot more than they do.

However, one line stuck out to me <3

"Take your cigarette from its holder
And burn your initials in my shoulder."

6up 5oh Copout - Will Wood

"Please, policeman, is it a test?
I won't know till I'm under arrest!"

Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome - The Mountain Goats

The first verse and the general vibe of the song tbh. It just feels very him!

"Floor the pedal at the green light
Watch the traffic all drift right
Barrel forward, unimpeded
Switch lanes as needed"

Reminds me of that scene where he's drunk driving like a madman.

See America Right - The Mountain Goats

This is another song from the Tallahassee album ( the album No Children is from ) so we're continuing with the divorce themes here!

This has a few good lyrics about alcohol in specific, so I think this one fits well. Ignore the fact neither of us are American.

"I was shaking way too hard to think,
Dead on my feet, about to drop
Went and got the case of vodka from the car,
And walked the two miles to the bus stop."

"Got on the bus half drunk again,
The driver glared at me."

Psalms 40:2 - The Mountain Goats

Look I know there's a lot of TMG & Will Wood songs on here but they're two of my faves so I kinda have to. And TMG are the sort of music I would get Withnail to listen to with me, half asleep and high.

"Left that place in ruin,
Drunk on the spirit, and high on fumes."

"Feel bad about the things we do along the way,
But not really that bad.
We inhaled the frozen air
Lord, send me a mechanic if I'm not beyond repair."

I know it's a very religious song and I don't see either of us as being religious but the imagery just works sometimes y'know?

Against The Kitchen Floor - Will Wood

Technically this is a song about trying to recover and wanting to make up for what you've done. Which of course, does not fit Withnail or this AU at all.

However, I am choosing to read it as dishonest for the purpose of this playlist. Someone who repeatedly promises to change with no real intent to.

I have a lot more quotes for this one because this song actually agonises me.

"So, I could hold your hand, but keep you at arm's length-"

"But still, you gave me your heart
I only gave you my body"

"I'm not a real person, just the shit you can't make up"

"We make the closest thing to love that I'm capable of"

"I'm down pounding my head against the kitchen floor
Apologising for my life, and ever entering yours."

And finally, the lyric that sounds like the closest thing to an apology Withnail will ever make

"But someday, I'll be perfect
And I'll make up for it all."

Chemical Overreaction / Compound Fracture - Will Wood

Kinda here for the overall song vibe, but also there's one part that I think fits Withnail quite well!

"I'm a snot-nosed pothead playing with matches
A rotten spot of mold with my hands on a cactus
My mouth is dry and my eyes are red
I'm chewing on sand, 'cause the desert's in my head."

Poisoning Pigeons in the Park - Tom Lehrer

It's just a nasty little song about being horrible together for the sake of it. I don't have any particularly Withnail lyrics to point to here, I just quite like the vibe for the relationship.

Also, I think this is one of the few actually released in his era, as Tom Lehrer's wiki says he was active from the 40s to the 70s, and the film Withnail & I is set in 1969.

Final notes:

I will continue to add explanations of the songs as I go add more, and post bulletins to alert you all of the updates! I'll probably add a few songs at a time so you aren't getting spammed with bulletins about this post.