Good Omens and Music!
Honestly, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman is a truly incredible book, with truly memorable characters. If you don't fall (Pun intended) for Crowley ("An Angel who did not so much Fall as Saunter Vaguely Downwards", Read: Demon) and Aziraphale, (An Angel who's "just enough of a bastard to be worth liking", according to Crowley) I'll eat my hat... I like my hat, it's very fashioonable, and it doesn't taste very good, besides. Good and Evil are just names for sides in this one, and the angel and the demon are unlikely allies in the fight to stop the end of the world. Throw in the Four Horsepersons of the Apocalypse (War, Famine, Pollution, and Death), an 11 year old Antichrist, a hellhound named Dog, and a whole Host of other memorable and interesting characters, and you're in for the ride of your life. With Laugh-Out-Loud Wit on literally Every page, this book will truely make your day, I know it made mine. Although anyone in the room with you while you read it might become convinced you've misplaced your marbles, you'll probably still laugh from beginning to end, interspersed at times with the occasional "Aww!" if you catch some of the hidden references. Once such reference, I'd especially like to discuss, because it made me "Aww!" which is actually fairly difficult, and it seems to be looked over all too frequently. Anyway, ahead be Spoilers:
SPOILERS:
As I mentioned, I'd like to discuss a certain portion of the book, Good Omens. At the Very End, after the Almost-ocalypse is averted, we have this little segment here:
~~~~
~~~"Don't know," said Aziraphale. "Nothing very important, I think."
Crowley nodded gloomily. "Let me tempt you to some lunch," he hissed.
They went to the Ritz again, where a table was mysteriously vacant. And perhaps the recent
exertions had had some fallout in the nature of reality because, while they were eating, for the first time
ever, a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
No one heard it over the noise of the traffic, but it was there, right enough.~~~
~~~~
Which, I guess, doesn't seem too significant, they've been dining at the Ritz on and off for a good long time, right? Well, the entire segment takes on a whole other meaning if you're familiar with the popular British song, "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square"
When two lovers meet in Mayfair, so the legends tell,
Songbirds sing; winter turns to spring.
Every winding street in Mayfair falls beneath the spell.
I know such enchantment can be, `cos it happened one evening to me:
That certain night, the night we met,
There was magic abroad in the air,
There were angels dining at the Ritz,
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
I may be right, I may be wrong,
But I`m perfectly willing to swear
That when you turned and smiled at me
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
The moon that lingered over London town,
Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown.
How could he know we two were so in love?
The whole darn world seemed upside down
The streets of town were paved with stars;
It was such a romantic affair.
And, as we kissed and said `goodnight`,
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
When dawn came stealing up all gold and blue
To interrupt our rendezvous,
I still remember how you smiled and said,
`Was that a dream or was it true?`
Our homeward step was just as light
As the tap-dancing feet of Astaire
And, like an echo far away,
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
I know `cos I was there,
That night in Berkeley Square.
~~~
Interesting, am I right? Anyway, although there are a TON of conclusions that can be drawn from this connection, I want to take a look at just one of them right now. The connection between this line in Good Omens: "while they were eating, for the first time ever, a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square." and this one in the song: "There were angels dining at the Ritz, And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square." Now then, lets consider for a moment that Crowley and Aziraphale had dined at the Ritz on multiple occasions, correct? But "For the first time" a Nightingale sang in Berkely Square. What conclusion can be drawn from this? Well, before it was an Angel and a Demon dining at the Ritz, but this line, by connection to this song, seems to imply that this time, it was Angels, plural, dining at the Ritz. Thus, it seems to imply that Crowley was redeemed and is an angel now, too. It doesn't seem he's changed much at all though, but to be honest, he wasn't a very good demon to begin with. so I guess that's about right.
Well then, before I go I'll give you another line to draw your own conclusions from, okay? Here it is, then: "And, as we kissed and said `goodnight`, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square"
Have fun, ciao.
SPOILERS:
As I mentioned, I'd like to discuss a certain portion of the book, Good Omens. At the Very End, after the Almost-ocalypse is averted, we have this little segment here:
~~~~
~~~"Don't know," said Aziraphale. "Nothing very important, I think."
Crowley nodded gloomily. "Let me tempt you to some lunch," he hissed.
They went to the Ritz again, where a table was mysteriously vacant. And perhaps the recent
exertions had had some fallout in the nature of reality because, while they were eating, for the first time
ever, a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
No one heard it over the noise of the traffic, but it was there, right enough.~~~
~~~~
Which, I guess, doesn't seem too significant, they've been dining at the Ritz on and off for a good long time, right? Well, the entire segment takes on a whole other meaning if you're familiar with the popular British song, "A Nightingale Sang in Berkley Square"
When two lovers meet in Mayfair, so the legends tell,
Songbirds sing; winter turns to spring.
Every winding street in Mayfair falls beneath the spell.
I know such enchantment can be, `cos it happened one evening to me:
That certain night, the night we met,
There was magic abroad in the air,
There were angels dining at the Ritz,
And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
I may be right, I may be wrong,
But I`m perfectly willing to swear
That when you turned and smiled at me
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
The moon that lingered over London town,
Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown.
How could he know we two were so in love?
The whole darn world seemed upside down
The streets of town were paved with stars;
It was such a romantic affair.
And, as we kissed and said `goodnight`,
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
When dawn came stealing up all gold and blue
To interrupt our rendezvous,
I still remember how you smiled and said,
`Was that a dream or was it true?`
Our homeward step was just as light
As the tap-dancing feet of Astaire
And, like an echo far away,
A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square
I know `cos I was there,
That night in Berkeley Square.
~~~
Interesting, am I right? Anyway, although there are a TON of conclusions that can be drawn from this connection, I want to take a look at just one of them right now. The connection between this line in Good Omens: "while they were eating, for the first time ever, a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square." and this one in the song: "There were angels dining at the Ritz, And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square." Now then, lets consider for a moment that Crowley and Aziraphale had dined at the Ritz on multiple occasions, correct? But "For the first time" a Nightingale sang in Berkely Square. What conclusion can be drawn from this? Well, before it was an Angel and a Demon dining at the Ritz, but this line, by connection to this song, seems to imply that this time, it was Angels, plural, dining at the Ritz. Thus, it seems to imply that Crowley was redeemed and is an angel now, too. It doesn't seem he's changed much at all though, but to be honest, he wasn't a very good demon to begin with. so I guess that's about right.
Well then, before I go I'll give you another line to draw your own conclusions from, okay? Here it is, then: "And, as we kissed and said `goodnight`, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square"
Have fun, ciao.