1. Amnesia, by Chumbawumba
Do you suffer from long-term memory loss?
I can’t remember…

Because my heroine has amnesia, and listening to this song cracks me up.

2. Wave Over Wave, by Great Big Sea
Where it’s wave over wave, sea over bow
I’m as happy a man as the sea will allow.
There’s no other life for a sailor like me
But to sail the salt sea boys, sail the sea.

This is Kyl’s song. He’s happiest on the water, with the wind in his hair and the ocean stretching to all sides around him. He has a tragedy in his past, but out on the water he can forget about it, and just be.

3. Roll to Me, by Del Amitri
Look into your heart, pretty baby,
Is it aching with some nameless need?
Is there something wrong and you can’t put your finger on it?
Right then, roll to me.

Rhiannon and Kyl, the man she loves, and Brance, the jerk she’s married to.

4. Cruel to be Kind, by Letters to Cleo
Cruel to be kind, in the right measure
Cruel to be kind, it’s a very good sign
Cruel to be kind, means that I love you

This is Brance’s song. He’s an asshole, but he’s the kind that sneaks up on you, who masks his abuse with words of love, concern, and devotion.

5. Boston & St. John’s, by Great Big Sea
I’m a rover and I’m bound to sail away
I’m a rover, can you love me anyway?

More Kyl, who knows that a life at sea is not the kind of life Rhiannon deserves, but loves her too much to let her go.

6. The Last Saskatchewan Pirate, by The Arrogant Worms
Then I thought, who gives a damn if all the jobs are gone?
I’m gonna be a PIRATE on the river Saskatchewan!!!

This is another one that’s in here because it makes me laugh. And because when Rhiannon decided out of the blue that maybe actually a pirate’s life was for her, all I could think about was that line — “I’m gonna be a PIRATE!”

7. Fast As I Can, by Great Big Sea
I’m going fast as I can, please don’t make me rush
This feeling’s coming on way too fast.
I’ll tell you all of the things that you’ll never forget
But I’m not ready to say “I love you” yet.

Kyl’s quite the charmer, but when it comes to commitment, he’s a little gun-shy. He’s a great big softie at heart, but he sees himself as the gruff, heartless pirate, and it’s going to take him some time to reconcile to the idea of being in love.

8. Old Brown’s Daughter, by Great Big Sea
I’d like to run away with her, but I don’t have the nerve

Rhiannon’s a noblewoman, and Kyl knows that she deserves much better than him. This song has a story to it, and the details don’t really fit with Rhiannon and Kyl’s, but the emotion is the same — wistful longing for the woman’s so close, and yet so far out of reach.

9. Sea of No Cares, by Great Big Sea
And hey, hey, hey somewhere
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares
Hey, hey, hey somewhere,
You threw your fear in the sea of no cares

Rhiannon and Kyl, throwing caution to the wind and finally letting themselves love each other, come what may.

10. Stand, by Rascal Flatts
On your knees you look up, decide you’ve had enough,
You get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off,
Then you stand

This song really speaks to me about the emotional journey that Rhiannon has to go through. She wakes up with nothing, not even a knowledge of who she is, and while it’s terrifying, it’s also freeing. It allows her discover that she’s got a backbone, and give her the courage to stand up to Brance.

11. The Lucky One, by Alison Krauss
Well you’re blessed, I guess, by never knowin’ which road you’re choosin’,
To you the next best thing to playin’ and winnin’ is playin’ and losin’

This really epitomizes Kyl’s outlook, to me. He’s got a real devil-may-care attitude, until Rhiannon comes along and knocks him off his feet.

12. Nobody’s Hero, by Bon Jovi
I’m nobody’s hero
But for you I’d lay down my life
Nobody’s hero
But I’d tear down the stars from the sky

Kyl is such a marshmallow, once he finally stops fighting it.

13. You’re the Boss, by The Brian Setzer Orchestra
Baby, you’ve got me beat up and down, inside out and across
But in the middle of the night, when the moon is shinin’ bright
You’re the boss

Another song that’s in here half for the amusement factor. There’s a strange sort of dynamic cropping up between Rhiannon and Kyl, and Rhiannon’s usurping the dominant role.

1) Daniel, Stargate (the movie)

2) Reid, Criminal Minds

3) Simon, Firefly

4) Phouka, War for the Oaks by Emma Bull

5) Jamie, Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

6) Holmes, the Mary Russell novels by Laurie R. King

7) Patrick Verona, 10 Things I Hate About You

Tristan, Stardust

9) Han Solo, Star Wars

10) Finbar, Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier

11) Dag, The Sharing Knife duology by Lois McMaster-Bujold

12) Aleksander, Transformation by Carol Berg

13) Richard, Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner