For The WinSoundtrack to the motion

picture

Thank-Yous/DedicationsMany thanks to the directors,

producers, actors, set designers, cameramen, and everyone else

involved in making the movie. You all are truly a talented group of

people.

Also, thanks to the artists who wrote and performed these songs.

Because of you all, we can brag about how cool this soundtrack is.

And finally, the biggest and most sincere thank you to Cory Doctorow,

for writing the novel For The Win. Without you, absolutely none of this

would have happened.

Track one:“Barnacles” by Ugly Casanova

Sample lyrics:“We clung on like barnacles on a boat;even though the ship sinks you know you can't let go”“I don't see how you see out of your windowi don't need to see, i'll paint mine black”

When choosing the song that would play for the opening credits, at first we were going to go for something that would fit the theme of gaming, winning, something along those lines. But then again, the movie was bound to be filled with songs of that type. So we went for a song that described each character’s expository situation. These were people who, despite changes here and there, had one routine thing they did every day: Gaming. And despite how bad each labor character’s situation may have been, they were all dependent on online games, weather they earned money from it pr played for enjoyment. “Barnacles” could be interpreted many ways, but some of the lines hint at a sort of dependance on something. When applied to this situation, of course, it implies a dependance on games, which was what made it so fitting.

Track two:“Machine” by Regina Spektor

Sample lyrics:My eyes are bifocalMy hands are subjointedI live in the futureIn my pre-war apartmentAnd I count all my blessingI have friends in high placesAnd I'm upgraded dailyAll my wires without traces

This song plays in the background as Mala’s rise to the powerful and ambitious General Robotwallah takes place. I felt “Machine” was the perfect song for this part. As she becomes stronger, Mala becomes more robotic and routine. The line, “I have friends in high places” describes her connections with Mr Bannerjee, who is making her rich. “And I’m upgraded daily” describes the daily praise and pay she gets from Bannerjee.

Track three:“The Whale Song” by Modest Mouse

Sample lyrics:“I guess I am a scoutSo I should find a way outSo everyone can find a way out”“Instead of seeing a neighbor out,I wish I’d found a way out”

This song plays at the scene where Nor, Justbob, and The Mighty Krang are chased out of their hideout during the strike at Boss Wing’s factory and the in-game battles against the Pinkertons and they are beaten. For most of the song, “I guess I am a scout/ So I should find a way out/ So everyone can find a way out” is sung repeatedly. I figured this is how Nor felt at the time, and also all the times she started strikes at factories in the past and didn’t necessarily succeed. But she sees herself as the “scout” and is trying to find a way out for everyone who has to work in unfair conditions or has been wronged by their bosses somehow.

Track four:“Dots on Maps” by Say Hi

Sample lyrics:“And the ebbs of traffic patterns recedeAnd we played our only record front to backInfinityWhen it's dark like thisAll that I can see is the whites of her green eyesWhen she says,"Oh, tell me, this is all it's gonna be?"And I say, "Oh, I don't know just how it's gonna be"

This song plays when Ashok takes Yasmin to Mumbai on his scooter. We chose this song for this scene for a few reasons. First of all, the overall theme is travel, something Yasmin has rarely experienced and is fascinated with. The line “When she says ‘oh, tell me, is this all it’s gonna be?’ and I say ‘Oh, I don’t know just how it’s gonna be’.” describes the little conversation they had on the way over there. Mala was confused and didn’t know why Ashok needed her to work with him, and he didn’t really tell her until later.

Track five:“Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?” by She and Him

Sample lyrics:“Why don’t you sit right here and stay a while?We like the same things and I like your style.”

This song plays when Jiandi meets Lu and is bringing him back to her apartment. Lu is a little confused, thus the title of the song, “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”. The lyrics “Why don’t you sit right her and stay a while/We like the same things and I like your style” describes how Jiandi brought Lu home because they both had a role in fighting for workers rights, and she was fascinated with the fact that he was a protester.

Track six:“Cover Up The Man” by The Fallout TrustSample lyrics:

“Long as you think you’re free, you’ll never say what you meanCover up the man, make him cross-eyed, make him numb”“I can hear the flood coming in from the sea, I can’t help thinking it’s coming for me”

This song plays while Leonard is smuggling himself to China in the storage container on the boat. Overall, the tone of the song has a sense of danger and urgency, which is how Leonard felt when he snuck out of his container to have some fun and ended up setting off a sensor. “I can hear the flood coming in from the sea/I can’t help thinking it’s coming for me” Is how he feels when he waits, panicked, in his container, thinking the crew is coming for him. It’s also storming and they’re on the sea, so you could interpret the lyrics as relating to the storm.

Track seven:“Dear Ronnie” by Take One Car

Sample lyrics:“As you stood while the Winter’s cold And you sold everything that we had in our little home”“My once tender shoots are now brittle roots,And despite my demand I will end where I began.”

This song is from the scene where some Webblies, who are living in Jiandi’s spare flats, are raided. “And you sold everything that we had in our little home” relates to the destruction caused by the police raid. “My once tender shoots are now brittle roots, and despite my demand I will end where I began” That line, especially the last bit, fits how they can’t help but feel powerless of in the face of the police. In addition, the heavy guitars and intensity in the music helps build tension in the scene where Jiandi and Leonard are running from the police.

Track eight: “Handlebars” by FlobotsSample lyrics:“Me and my friends understand the futureI see the strings that control the systemsI can do anything with no assistanceI can lead a nation with a microphoneWith a microphoneWith a microphone”

This song plays when Ashok crashes the game economies and blackmails Connor Prikkel and the other people who are in charge of games. Throughout the song, the lyrics show a rapid rise in power. In the beginning, the singer brags about being able to ride a bike with no handlebars, by the end he talks about ending the planet in a holocaust. Even though that wouldn’t happen with the Webblies, the “rise in power” theme definitely fits, because at first, the Webblies barely had a voice and no one would listen to them, but by the end of the book, they were finally getting what they wanted. Also, the lines “Me and my friends understand the future/I see the strings that control the systems” describe the Webblies’ knowledge and attitude towards their work.

Track nine:“My Life Is Like A Chase Dream (And I’m Still Having Chase Dreams)” by Moving Mountains

Sample lyrics:“This house is burning down.The waves are flooding out.”“In your breath, I tried to hear, I never thought that anyone would fall.I never thought that you could save them all, so don't look down now.”

This is the song from the climax scene of the movie, when the arsonists burn down Nor’s hideout. If you listen to the lyrics, it fits the given situation almost perfectly. The lyrics, “This house is burning down/The waves are flooding out” are pretty spot on as to the physical situation, since in this scene the building is on fire. “The waves are flooding out” also makes sense if you listen to it- the “waves” could be seen as Nor, Justbob, and Krang, and with the fire they, and everything they do, are forced to leave the hideout. “I never thought that anyone would fall” is the attitude the trio seemed to have on the situation. Throughout the book, they always risked it all, and they never seemed to think that anyone would die in their efforts. “I never thought that you could save them all” is how many people felt about Nor throughout her life, since there were so many skeptics, The next to last line in the song is “Just know that I found a better place to rest my head”. In her last moments, Nor seemed to be at peace with the fact that she was dying. Even the title of the song describes Nor’s life- always moving quickly from one place to another, escaping the police.

Track ten:“Like Home” by Musee Mecanique Sample lyrics:

“Take precious things away,With clouds and tape,Strike up the bell to play,And walk down to the lake”“Hold this ghost, Feels like home”

This is the song that plays during the credits. It was chosen because it fits the resolution. The “Like Home” theme of the song relates to how the characters all meet in Mumbai at the end of the movie. . Even though only a few of the characters lived in India to begin with, there is a sense of security similar to the one people usually feel when they’re at home. The line, “Take precious things away” describes how many of the characters had to leave their former homes to come to Mumbai