Songs for the Eagle

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters, names, or titles from the Wizarding World. I'm just an enormous fan who loves this universe and wanted to share my thoughts with everyone.

This week, I'm so excited to share music for my personal House: Ravenclaw. Home of the one and only Luna as well as many other important characters (Flitwick, Cho, Quirrell, Lockhart, Trelawney, Ollivander, etc), I was completely shocked and then honored to get this result on my initial Sorting test over a decade ago. Represented by an eagle (NOT a raven) on their crest as well as the colors blue and bronze (NOT silver, man the movies really screwed Ravenclaw over), these students are sorted based on traits such as intelligence, wisdom, wit, originality, diligence, curiosity, eccentricity, logic, and rationality. They can also occasionally be accused of vanity, choosing to seek validation through the popularity they can achieve by being a Ravenclaw instead of through academic validation like many of their peers. I am a proud member of this House, as are many of my friends, and couldn't ask for a better place to call "home."

Today's post includes a small portion of my Ravenclaw Playlist - the full playlist can be viewed on Apple Music @audioaesthetics. I chose songs that had themes of the House's core traits as well as more "on the nose" indicators such as eagle symbolism or mention of the colors blue and bronze. Let's get started!

Halley's Comet by Billie Eilish (written by F. O'Connell, B. O'Connell)

Featured on Eilish's 2021 album Happier Than Ever, this is a pretty song that brings to mind the more "dreamy" types of students in this House, like Luna or Trelawney. You can see hints of curiosity throughout this song, which is of course essential to learning and intelligence. Intelligence is more than just booksmarts, and the dreamers will be the first to remind you of that.

I don't want it/And I don't want to want you/But in my dreams I seem to be more honest/And I must admit, you've been in quite a few/Halley's Comet/Comes around more than I do/But you're all it takes for me to break a promise/Silly me to fall in love with you

Viva la Vida by Coldplay (written by C. Martin, G. Berryman, J. Buckland, W. Champion)

Featured on Coldplay's 2008 album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, this is probably my husband's least favorite song in the world but I can't help but sing along whenever it comes on. I feel like this song showcases that type of Ravenclaw that falls victim to vanity, clawing themselves to the top of the world and then finding themselves alone and toppling back down. It usually feels so much better having the people you care about with you up at the top instead of standing there all alone.

I used to rule the world, seas would rise when I gave the word/Now in the morning, I sleep alone, sweep the streets I used to own/I used to roll the dice, feel the fear in my enemy's eyes/Listened as the crowd would sing, “Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”/One minute I held the key, next the walls were closed on me/And I discovered that my castles stand upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand/I hear Jerusalem bells a-ringing, Roman cavalry choirs are singing/Be my mirror, my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field/For some reason I can't explain, once you'd gone there was never/Never an honest word, and that was when I ruled the world

Astronomy by Conan Gray (written by D. Nigro, C. Gray)

Featured on Gray's 2022 album Superache, this is another song that fits with the House aesthetic similar to Halley's Comet. Ravenclaws can be highly introspective as well as intelligent - I mean, duh, emotional intelligence is its own real form of intelligence after all. I've also always associated Astronomy class in the books with Ravenclaw, even though we know next to nothing about Professor Sinistra, but it just seems like a class they'd be super in to.

We drive through the woods, rich neighborhoods to watch/We joked as we looked that they were too good for us/‘Cause socially speaking, we were the same/With runaway fathers and mothers who drank/A tale old as time, young love don't last for life/And now I know, now I know/It's time to go, it's time to go/We've traveled the seas, we've ridden the stars/We've seen everything from Saturn to Mars/As much as it seems like you own my heart/It's astronomy, we're two worlds apart

Any Way the Wind Blows by Hadestown Original Broadway Cast (written by A. Mitchell)

Featured in Act I of the 2019 Broadway recording of Hadestown, this song goes along well with the element most commonly associated with Ravenclaw: air. While I would probably sort this take on Eurydice in Slytherin purely based on her need for self-preservation, The Fates are a great example of a haughty, know-it-all type of Ravenclaw. Really, any excuse to listen to this soundtrack is good for me, but this song passes the vibe check for sure.

The weather ain't the way it was before/Ain't no spring or fall at all anymore/It's either blazing hot or freezing cold/Any way the wind blows/And there ain't a thing that you can do/When the weather takes a turn on you/‘Cept for hurry up and hit the road/Any way the wind blows/Wind comes up, oh, do you hear that sound/Wind comes up, move to another town/Ain't nobody gonna stick around when the dark clouds roll/Any way the wind blows

Lonely by Imagine Dragons (written by B. McKee, D. Reynolds, D. Sermon, M. Larsson, R. Fredriksson, J. Tranter, D. Platzman)

Featured on Imagine Dragons' 2021 album Mercury Act I, this song has become a personal favorite of mine. Certain Ravenclaws have unfortunately found themselves to be excluded even in their own Common Room (poor baby Luna), and just like in real life it really sucks to be caught up in your own head and feeling that sense of loneliness. This song does a great job portraying that feeling, and it's a verified banger so that's a plus.

Some nights, I get a little lonely/It's even when there's people all around me/Sometimes, I get a little anxious/‘Cause these pills don't work the way the doctor played it/I’m startin' to spin, needles and pins/Right on the brim, hand on a limb, takin' it in/Sleep it away, life in a day/And a day in the life, mixing it up, checkin' it twice/Trying to breathe, starting to seize/Lights, camera, action and scene, story of my life/Oh, love, have mercy/On me, and keep me company/I said, "Oh, love, have mercy"/On me, and keep me company"

Cup of Tea by Kacey Musgraves (written by J. Osborne, K. Musgraves, S. McAnally)

Featured on Musgraves's 2015 album Pageant Material, this is another favorite of mine to jam out to. Ravenclaws have a reputation for being a bit clique-ish (if you think about it, the gang doesn't have a lot of interaction with anyone from that House until Order of the Phoenix), usually keeping to their own and being seen as snobbish. In reality, most of them are very sure of themselves and ok with who and how they are and don't try to hide it from anyone else.

Maybe your jacket is a hand-me-down/Maybe you slept with half of your hometown/In a world of squares, maybe you're just round/You can't be everybody's cup of tea/Some like it bitter, some like it sweet/Nobody's everybody's favorite, so you might as well just make it how you please/‘Cause you can't be everybody's cup of tea

Bluebird by Miranda Lambert (written by L. Dick, M. Lambert, N. Hemby)

Featured on Lambert's 2019 album Wildcard, this song initially gets its spot on the list because of having both blue and bird in the title. However, when you look more closely at the lyrics, you can see it fits right in with songs like Cup of Tea. There's a lot of wisdom in knowing yourself, and if Ravenclaws value anything above all else it's wisdom and wit.

Yeah, I'm a turner, I turn pages all the time/Don't like where I'm at, 34 was bad, so I just turn to 35/Yeah, I'm a keeper, I keep digging down for the deep/Like the records I'm playing, they might keep you waiting, but you know I'm gonna play 'em for keeps/And if the house just keeps on winning, I got a wildcard up my sleeve/And if love keeps giving me lemons, I’ll just mix 'em in my drink/And if the whole wide world stops singing and all the stars go dark/I’ll keep a light on in my soul, keep a bluebird in my heart

One Little Spark by Eric Idle & Figment (written by R. Sherman, R. Sherman)

The theme song to EPCOT's greatest ever ride, Journey Into Imagination with Figment, could easily be the theme song to this entire House. Ravenclaws love to create, whether it's art, science, you name it, and all creation begins with imagination and inspiration. I heard this song for the first time when I was six years old, and it still is an all-time fave and go-to song for me when I need a little pick me up.

One little spark of inspiration/Is at the heart of all creation/Right at the start of everything that's new/One little spark lights up for you/Imagination, imagination/A dream can be a dream come true/With just that spark from me and you

I Forgot That You Existed by Taylor Swift (written by A. Feeney, L. Bell, T. Swift)

Featured on Swift's 2019 album Lover, the title of this song shows that Ravenclaws can easily get distracted by their work causing them to tune out everything around them, but also a lot of the time they just simply can't be bothered with trivial BS. They rarely have the time or patience for drama, so you'll need to take that baggage somewhere else. And seriously, did you think we could get through a post like this WITHOUT Taylor?

How many days did I spend thinkin' 'bout how you did me wrong, wrong, wrong/Lived in the shade you were throwin’ ’til all of my sunshine was gone, gone, gone/And I couldn't get away from ya, in my feelings more than Drake, so yeah/Your name on my lips, tongue tied, free rent, livin' in my mind/But then something happened one magical night/I forgot that you existed/And I thought that it would kill me, but it didn’t/And it was so nice/So peaceful and quiet/I forgot that you existed/It isn't love, it isn't hate, it’s just indifference

Whether you proudly wear the Blue & Bronze or if you align with another House (or simply have no idea or don't care), I hope you found some great music to check out today. Happy listening, and see ya'll next week!