Companion Appreciation
Hello! I come bearing not one, but 4 mood themes, as well as a fanmix and mini picspam of recent Doctor Who companions, Rose, Martha and Donna. I know most of the conversation for the last forever has been about 10’s exit from the show, and while that’s sad and all, I don’t think the show would be nearly as good or grounded without effective companions. I think RTD’s done a pretty great job of creating three complex, fierce, well-rounded and realistic characters with their own individual strengths, who don't just stand around and look pretty. They're genuine heroines that I wish I had had to look up to as a child. Sure, there can be bouts of whining or lovestruck moonyness, but they spend the majority of their time being awesome, and I hope that this practice continues (I’m looking at you, Moffat).
Er, not entirely dial-up friendly, if your connection's suuuper slow.
Mood Themes
Note: the Companions mood theme is taken entirely from the individual mood themes; I took my favorites from the Rose, Martha and Donna themes to make it, so don't expect something completely different. But feel free to download them all and mix and match for yourself. :D No previews because, quite frankly, I'm lazy and there are 4 of these things.
And as always, comment, credit, and be awesome.
Dimensions are 90x45.
DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD
Fanmix & Picspam
This is a largely mellow, strummy mix, suitable for wandering and rambling, but there are a few up-tempo tracks here and there. So that I don’t clog up the picspam section, I’m going to offer an incoherent semi-explanation of most of the tracks after the link. As with most of my mixes, I tried to do this somewhat chronologically, to represent many of the similar experiences companions have had, and I tried to choose songs that could be applicable to all 3 (there are varying degrees of aptness; for example, several of the songs have something of a romantic thread, which really wouldn't be applicable to Donna, or would largely remain unreciprocated for the others, but nonetheless the overall tone of the song remains). And I'll just say upfront that Donna is my favorite (Super Temp!) but I tried to give them equal coverage (though poor Martha got a bit shafted in her season, so her parts were trickier).
zip
Lyrics and picspam below
I'll try to keep this somewhat brief: 1 and 2 reflect a desire to leave home and familiarity, from either a longing for adventure, a sense of alienation from the familiar, or both. 3 is simply about the feeling of pure, floating joy one can have when travelling with The Doctor. 4-6 are about how the companions, while enjoying the more gleeful aspects of TARDIS travel, are also acutely attuned to the danger, scariness and sorrow that comes with it as well. Also, they have to navigate the darkness within The Doctor himself that their presence often curbs.
With 7, there’s always some point (sometimes in every other episode) in which they'll be separated, and there's always a desperation to find each other once more, whether it’s Rose's determination to return from her parallel universe, Martha's year-long journey through the Master's dystopic Earth, or Donna's desperation to find the strange man with the blue box who once ruined her wedding. 10 acknowledges that this time with The Doctor is not without consequence, and at some point the companions pay a price, willingly or unwillingly - Rose absorbing the energy of the TARDIS, Martha's lost year, and Donna's sacrifice to save a Doctor she's never even met in Turn Left, as well the memory loss she’s dreading once she becomes the DoctorDonna.
As for 11, eventually, they have to come down from that high of the wonders of the universe, and find a way to live a normal life, or, in Donna's case, live with the lingering feeling that something is missing. (In looking for quotes for the mix, I noticed how similar Donna's last words as the DoctorDonna are to 10's last words in End of Time.) I kind of went a little overboard with the quotes towards the end, but I felt I needed all 3 of them represented; hopefully it doesn't impede your browsing too much.
"You seem to be drifting, Sweetheart."
"I'm not drifting. I'm waiting."
01. the acorn | crooked legs
I won't feel the pull of the coming day or the compromise of sleep / 'Cause I've got a fire on the soles of my feet.../ I'm going as far as these crooked legs take me / I'm watching the road with two young eyes to guide me / I'm making my way while the sun cannot stain me / I'm going as far as these crooked legs take me
"What'd you think? You could stay here and fill your life with work and food and drink or you could go... anywhere."
"Is it always this dangerous?"
"Yeah."
02. beirut | the penalty
This once was an island / And I could not stay for I believed them / Left for the lights always in season. / Impassable night in a crowd of homesick / Fully grown children, you'll leave the lights / Your family may not wait, Sir, keep on believing / Our parents rue the day, they find us kneeling / Let them think what they may, for they've good reason
"Oh, I love this! Can I just say, traveling with you... I love it."
03. camera obscura | lunar sea
See me cross in style, walk the longest mile in a minute / Where do drifters go? Wonder if they know there’s no limit... / You hear it, the shiver in spine don’t come near it / I love it, you soar and you cry rise above it / Got my lunar sea for you’re river moon if you let it / Match my finest words to your greatest tune / Won’t forget it
"It's funny 'cause people back home think that space travel's gonna be all whizzing about, teleports, anti-gravity. But it's not, is it? It's tough."
"I don't need anyone."
"Yes you do. Because I think sometimes you need someone to stop you."
04. slow club | it doesn't have to be beautiful
In the electrical storm you were running wild / You had a death wish, you were a child / I came to bearing a lightning bolt / If you came back as the deep sea, I would come back as the salt / It's like your head is stuck in a tightening vice / Your ears are deaf to your friends’ advice / Because you know that your heart will never be full / It doesn't always have to be beautiful / Unless it's beautiful
"He will be there when you need him. That's the way it gotta be."
"It is the way that has always been. The monster and the doctor. It seems you cannot have one without the other. "
"I hate this suit. Something bad always seems to happen when I wear it."
"It's not the outfit, it's just you."
05. forest city lovers | monsters
One day we'll drive away so far with the monsters on our tails / We'll talk of hiding out in cities where progression never fails / And we'll laugh about the old days and the stupid things they done.../ Can we have a day of mourning take direction from the clouds / No matter where we lay down we can only scream so loud
"He saves planets, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures...and runs a lot. Seriously, there is an outrageous amount of running involved."
"I'm a human being. Maybe not the stuff of legend but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you."
06. okkervil river | lost coastlines
But we find that the maps he sent to us don't mention lost coastlines / Where nothing we've actually seen has been mapped or outlined / And we don't recognize the names upon strange signs / And every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide / Well we have lost our way, nobody's gonna say it outright / Just go la la la la la...
"I travelled across the world...and everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else: the man who sent me out there, the man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is The Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times and you never even knew he was there. He never stops, he never stays, he never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him, I know him, I love him. And I know what he can do."
"I came so far..."
07. deer tick | these old shoes
And then all I can hear is the hiss of the track / I said, “why the hell not” and I jump on the back / And I will take this old train to get to you.../ Couple miles out of this old part of town / My engine explodes with a horrible sound / But I will take these old shoes to get to you / Yes, I will take these old shoes to get to you
"How about you, are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm always alright."
"Is 'alright' special Time Lord code for 'not really alright at all?'"
"Why?"
"Because I'm alright too."
08. the lord dog bird | the shedding path
Somewhere long ago on the shedding path / In the infinite land that is your mind.../ A voice rang out from the earth / Bearing the weight of all our sins / Singing, you alone cannot be tried / You alone cannot be tried for we are one / Stand with me; forget from what you have run / One to one together in the sun / When the spirit is gripping you / And all that’s left to be said is on your tongue / Set a table for death, make the path straight
"I'm nothing special."
"Yes you are, you're brilliant."
"You're not gonna make the world any better by shouting at it!"
"I can try."
09. tilly & the wall | lost girls
Since there is no end and no beginning / You will run, you will run, you will run / Girl, I know the woods look dark / And the trees they seem so deadly / The girls around you are so frightened / And you start, you start to panic / And the courage starts to vanish / And the world, it really is on fire / And it burns & it burns & it burns & it burns.../ In a world too unreal to behold your innocence has faded
"I looked into the TARDIS and the TARDIS looked into me."
"You looked into the time vortex, Rose, nobody is supposed to see that!"
"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words...I scatter them, in time and space...Everything must come to dust. All things, everything dies."
"Martha Jones, you saved the world."
"Yes I did. I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best, but you know what? I am good."
"I want to stay...I was going to be with you forever."
"I know."
"The rest of my life...travelling...in the TARDIS. The DoctorDonna. No. Oh, my God. I can't go back. Don't make me go back. Doctor, please. Please, don't make me go back."
"Donna. Oh, Donna Noble. I am so, so sorry. But we had the best of times. The best."
10. florence + the machine | rabbit heart (raise it up)
You made a deal, and now it seems you have to offer up / But will it ever be enough? It's not enough / Here I am, a rabbit-hearted girl, frozen in the headlights / It seems I've made the final sacrifice.../ I must become a lion-hearted girl, ready for a fight / Before I make the final sacrifice / This is a gift, it comes with a price / Who is the lamb and who is the knife? / Midas is king and he holds me so tight / And turns me to gold in the sunlight...
"That's me, when we first met. And you made me better.
Now you can do the same for him."
"But he's not you."
"He needs you. That's very me."
"I told her, I always said to her, time and time again I said, 'Get out.'
So this is me, getting out."
"I just want you to know there are worlds out there safe in the sky because of her. And there are people living in the light and singing songs of Donna Noble a thousand million light years away. They will never forget her. While she can never remember. But for one moment, one shining moment, she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe."
11. bat for lashes | peace of mind
We wonder, oh, we're wandering.../ Build a ladder to the sky / Sit up there and say 'Oh my! / Does looking down make me a Queen? / With all the sorrow that I've seen' / And if I ever get back down / Find a map that takes me back / Through the wounded, through the wars / To a time that came before.../Peace of mind...
Er, not entirely dial-up friendly, if your connection's suuuper slow.
Mood Themes
Note: the Companions mood theme is taken entirely from the individual mood themes; I took my favorites from the Rose, Martha and Donna themes to make it, so don't expect something completely different. But feel free to download them all and mix and match for yourself. :D No previews because, quite frankly, I'm lazy and there are 4 of these things.
And as always, comment, credit, and be awesome.
Dimensions are 90x45.
DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD
DOWNLOAD
Fanmix & Picspam
This is a largely mellow, strummy mix, suitable for wandering and rambling, but there are a few up-tempo tracks here and there. So that I don’t clog up the picspam section, I’m going to offer an incoherent semi-explanation of most of the tracks after the link. As with most of my mixes, I tried to do this somewhat chronologically, to represent many of the similar experiences companions have had, and I tried to choose songs that could be applicable to all 3 (there are varying degrees of aptness; for example, several of the songs have something of a romantic thread, which really wouldn't be applicable to Donna, or would largely remain unreciprocated for the others, but nonetheless the overall tone of the song remains). And I'll just say upfront that Donna is my favorite (Super Temp!) but I tried to give them equal coverage (though poor Martha got a bit shafted in her season, so her parts were trickier).
zip
Lyrics and picspam below
I'll try to keep this somewhat brief: 1 and 2 reflect a desire to leave home and familiarity, from either a longing for adventure, a sense of alienation from the familiar, or both. 3 is simply about the feeling of pure, floating joy one can have when travelling with The Doctor. 4-6 are about how the companions, while enjoying the more gleeful aspects of TARDIS travel, are also acutely attuned to the danger, scariness and sorrow that comes with it as well. Also, they have to navigate the darkness within The Doctor himself that their presence often curbs.
With 7, there’s always some point (sometimes in every other episode) in which they'll be separated, and there's always a desperation to find each other once more, whether it’s Rose's determination to return from her parallel universe, Martha's year-long journey through the Master's dystopic Earth, or Donna's desperation to find the strange man with the blue box who once ruined her wedding. 10 acknowledges that this time with The Doctor is not without consequence, and at some point the companions pay a price, willingly or unwillingly - Rose absorbing the energy of the TARDIS, Martha's lost year, and Donna's sacrifice to save a Doctor she's never even met in Turn Left, as well the memory loss she’s dreading once she becomes the DoctorDonna.
As for 11, eventually, they have to come down from that high of the wonders of the universe, and find a way to live a normal life, or, in Donna's case, live with the lingering feeling that something is missing. (In looking for quotes for the mix, I noticed how similar Donna's last words as the DoctorDonna are to 10's last words in End of Time.) I kind of went a little overboard with the quotes towards the end, but I felt I needed all 3 of them represented; hopefully it doesn't impede your browsing too much.
"You seem to be drifting, Sweetheart."
"I'm not drifting. I'm waiting."
01. the acorn | crooked legs
I won't feel the pull of the coming day or the compromise of sleep / 'Cause I've got a fire on the soles of my feet.../ I'm going as far as these crooked legs take me / I'm watching the road with two young eyes to guide me / I'm making my way while the sun cannot stain me / I'm going as far as these crooked legs take me
"What'd you think? You could stay here and fill your life with work and food and drink or you could go... anywhere."
"Is it always this dangerous?"
"Yeah."
02. beirut | the penalty
This once was an island / And I could not stay for I believed them / Left for the lights always in season. / Impassable night in a crowd of homesick / Fully grown children, you'll leave the lights / Your family may not wait, Sir, keep on believing / Our parents rue the day, they find us kneeling / Let them think what they may, for they've good reason
"Oh, I love this! Can I just say, traveling with you... I love it."
03. camera obscura | lunar sea
See me cross in style, walk the longest mile in a minute / Where do drifters go? Wonder if they know there’s no limit... / You hear it, the shiver in spine don’t come near it / I love it, you soar and you cry rise above it / Got my lunar sea for you’re river moon if you let it / Match my finest words to your greatest tune / Won’t forget it
"It's funny 'cause people back home think that space travel's gonna be all whizzing about, teleports, anti-gravity. But it's not, is it? It's tough."
"I don't need anyone."
"Yes you do. Because I think sometimes you need someone to stop you."
04. slow club | it doesn't have to be beautiful
In the electrical storm you were running wild / You had a death wish, you were a child / I came to bearing a lightning bolt / If you came back as the deep sea, I would come back as the salt / It's like your head is stuck in a tightening vice / Your ears are deaf to your friends’ advice / Because you know that your heart will never be full / It doesn't always have to be beautiful / Unless it's beautiful
"He will be there when you need him. That's the way it gotta be."
"It is the way that has always been. The monster and the doctor. It seems you cannot have one without the other. "
"I hate this suit. Something bad always seems to happen when I wear it."
"It's not the outfit, it's just you."
05. forest city lovers | monsters
One day we'll drive away so far with the monsters on our tails / We'll talk of hiding out in cities where progression never fails / And we'll laugh about the old days and the stupid things they done.../ Can we have a day of mourning take direction from the clouds / No matter where we lay down we can only scream so loud
"He saves planets, rescues civilizations, defeats terrible creatures...and runs a lot. Seriously, there is an outrageous amount of running involved."
"I'm a human being. Maybe not the stuff of legend but every bit as important as Time Lords, thank you."
06. okkervil river | lost coastlines
But we find that the maps he sent to us don't mention lost coastlines / Where nothing we've actually seen has been mapped or outlined / And we don't recognize the names upon strange signs / And every night finds us rocking and rolling on waves wild and wide / Well we have lost our way, nobody's gonna say it outright / Just go la la la la la...
"I travelled across the world...and everywhere I went, I saw people just like you, living as slaves. But if Martha Jones became a legend, then that's wrong because my name isn't important. There's someone else: the man who sent me out there, the man who told me to walk the Earth. And his name is The Doctor. He has saved your lives so many times and you never even knew he was there. He never stops, he never stays, he never asks to be thanked. But I've seen him, I know him, I love him. And I know what he can do."
"I came so far..."
07. deer tick | these old shoes
And then all I can hear is the hiss of the track / I said, “why the hell not” and I jump on the back / And I will take this old train to get to you.../ Couple miles out of this old part of town / My engine explodes with a horrible sound / But I will take these old shoes to get to you / Yes, I will take these old shoes to get to you
"How about you, are you alright?"
"Oh, I'm always alright."
"Is 'alright' special Time Lord code for 'not really alright at all?'"
"Why?"
"Because I'm alright too."
08. the lord dog bird | the shedding path
Somewhere long ago on the shedding path / In the infinite land that is your mind.../ A voice rang out from the earth / Bearing the weight of all our sins / Singing, you alone cannot be tried / You alone cannot be tried for we are one / Stand with me; forget from what you have run / One to one together in the sun / When the spirit is gripping you / And all that’s left to be said is on your tongue / Set a table for death, make the path straight
"I'm nothing special."
"Yes you are, you're brilliant."
"You're not gonna make the world any better by shouting at it!"
"I can try."
09. tilly & the wall | lost girls
Since there is no end and no beginning / You will run, you will run, you will run / Girl, I know the woods look dark / And the trees they seem so deadly / The girls around you are so frightened / And you start, you start to panic / And the courage starts to vanish / And the world, it really is on fire / And it burns & it burns & it burns & it burns.../ In a world too unreal to behold your innocence has faded
"I looked into the TARDIS and the TARDIS looked into me."
"You looked into the time vortex, Rose, nobody is supposed to see that!"
"I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself. I take the words...I scatter them, in time and space...Everything must come to dust. All things, everything dies."
"Martha Jones, you saved the world."
"Yes I did. I spent a lot of time with you thinking I was second best, but you know what? I am good."
"I want to stay...I was going to be with you forever."
"I know."
"The rest of my life...travelling...in the TARDIS. The DoctorDonna. No. Oh, my God. I can't go back. Don't make me go back. Doctor, please. Please, don't make me go back."
"Donna. Oh, Donna Noble. I am so, so sorry. But we had the best of times. The best."
10. florence + the machine | rabbit heart (raise it up)
You made a deal, and now it seems you have to offer up / But will it ever be enough? It's not enough / Here I am, a rabbit-hearted girl, frozen in the headlights / It seems I've made the final sacrifice.../ I must become a lion-hearted girl, ready for a fight / Before I make the final sacrifice / This is a gift, it comes with a price / Who is the lamb and who is the knife? / Midas is king and he holds me so tight / And turns me to gold in the sunlight...
"That's me, when we first met. And you made me better.
Now you can do the same for him."
"But he's not you."
"He needs you. That's very me."
"I told her, I always said to her, time and time again I said, 'Get out.'
So this is me, getting out."
"I just want you to know there are worlds out there safe in the sky because of her. And there are people living in the light and singing songs of Donna Noble a thousand million light years away. They will never forget her. While she can never remember. But for one moment, one shining moment, she was the most important woman in the whole wide universe."
11. bat for lashes | peace of mind
We wonder, oh, we're wandering.../ Build a ladder to the sky / Sit up there and say 'Oh my! / Does looking down make me a Queen? / With all the sorrow that I've seen' / And if I ever get back down / Find a map that takes me back / Through the wounded, through the wars / To a time that came before.../Peace of mind...