Hubby, Dragon, and I belong to a Music Challenge club. There are six of us and we take turns creating themed music challenges for one another. Then, everyone develops a playlist on Spotify or YouTube that meets those criteria.
This time it was my turn and I asked everyone to memorialize Bethesda. Here was the challenge:
Last month we put our 19 year old cat Bethesda down. It was her time, and she went peacefully, but it was still hard. The challenge is to honor her memory by honoring her twofold namesakes: she was named both after the well of healing in the New Testament (so songs about miracles or religion) and after a first century Roman concubine in a series of mystery books (so songs about sexual servitude or the Holy Roman Empire if you’re feeling up to the challenge). Feel free to go all-in with one theme or create an eclectic list of a little of this and a little of that.
Kathi’s playlist:
- Work for Love – Ministry
- Tony Rome – Nancy Sinatra (surely a playboy who can charm people into doing anything with him between the sheets)
- Ribbons – it’s the way he sings it – surely tortured by this woman!
- Week-end a Rome – Nouvelle Vague, Vanessa Paradis
- Master and Servant – Depeche Mode
- She Sells Sanctuary – The Cult (being redeemed by a lover)
- Trust in Me – Siouxsie & The Banshees (the snake song from Jungle Book – surely all about the dark side of love and trust …)
- Diamond Dogs – David Bowie (a band of groupies in a dystopian future)
- Cruel Sexuality – La Roux
- Justify My Love – Madonna
- https://open.spotify.com/user/kittyfondue/playlist/7IJXgdqakTrqbszQaVAr0X?si=OQinJvwwSIeW8AWSMdyzLA
Dragon’s playlist:
Bethesda, well of healing: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pU2OvD1Avzip7DuYyhqPT
Whit’s playlist:
In honor of dear sweet kittie Bethesda, here is a list of songs about sensual interactions, most of which feature the female character as the “top.” The singer/lyricist may be expressing overwhelming lust, a wish for servitude, or gratitude for the dusky spaces in which their erotic imaginations may unleash themselves. (No pun intended haha.) I’ve long enjoyed punk/industrial/house music that explores this dynamic, and these are just a few that fit the bill.
Hope you enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPZHBwuclylJZY9ijMlz_p1E6an8d0KGj
Here’s my playlist:
- https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn3CY0snoxlTh3G16Uqod9zxRyhc0-e9A
- Dust of Egypt by Cris Williamson. This one has an easter egg. Not only does she reference religion several times but Alexandria, Egypt is where the character in the books was initially bought as a slave before being taken back to Rome to begin her life as a concubine (for what it’s worth: naturally she was happy and well-treated. Her owner, the book series’ hero, eventually manumitted and married her and they raised children together. But she was always hot.).
- A Case of You by Joni Mitchell. If this isn’t someone who is a slave to a lusty relationship I don’t know who is!
- For what it’s worth by Stevie Nicks. A smokin’ hot singer caught up in a delicious and forbidden sexual liaison.
- Morning has broken by Cat Stevens. One of my favorite hymns. And his, too!
- The miracle worker by Cris Williamson. Got my miracle in! This song is actually about Annie Sullivan and Helen Keller.
- You are the best thing by Ray LaMontaigne. Because Bethesda was the best thing that could have happened to me at that point in my life.
- Mrs. Robinson by Simon and Garfunkle. Thinking mostly of the movie this applies to to play counterpoint to the other songs on this list which feature an enslaved female.
- Stray cat strut. Because in her younger years she sure could strut, and after all this is an ode to Bethesda!
- Someone new by Hozier… because we are already thinking about the joy a new kitten could bring to our home. Fickle. Fickle. Fickle.
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