As mentioned before, I have encouraged my players to create playlists based on their characters, music that would help them get into the mindset of their creation and help others understand the character they’ve taken on representing. So far, you’ve seen the example I made for my character, Architars “Archie” Techton and Nicole’s character from the book series, Morgan Betoney. Today, I bring you the playlist from our mighty paladin of Nike, Luis L’hopital.
A fun fact about Matt, who plays Luis, is that he is actually the youngest member of our group. He joined our table at Game Master Games years ago when we all started playing D&D together. I dragged Andrew to the shop probably in 2014/2015 when fifth edition first came out, and we were put together with Matt, a few others, and an older DM who’d played for years named Phil. Phil was fantastic, but he liked working with newer players, so while Andrew, Matt, and I were enjoying his stuff, we eventually found the need to go to a different table.
That’s where we started playing with Johnny, who we played under for a few months until he had to go to China for his wedding. He’d be gone for a month, and we’d all have to disperse to other tables or find another DM. I volunteered, and that’s how I got to start DMing for Matt.
From his techy Wizard Tik to the original dwarven cleric (whose name escapes me as I write) that got mauled by a bear, Matt has always had memorable moments with his characters. The problem is, Matt is such a chill guy, he doesn’t raise his voice often. On top of that, he has a very, very deep voice, which sometimes makes it hard to hear him. I didn’t realize just how often he would make comments and jokes at the table because he didn’t speak very loud. All I saw was Andrew constantly cracking up, which he finally explained because he could hear every word out of Matt’s mouth.
It was also only after a year or so of playing with Matt, did I learn that when he left the shop at night, he wasn’t heading home because he had work the next day… his mom picked him up so he could get the bus to school in the morning. He was still in high school at the time, but was graduating that year. Since then, we’ve all been on vacations together as a gaming group, he’s stayed at my house during a trip to a wedding, and I got to be a groomsman at his wedding. I won’t say the cliche of “it’s like watching him grow up” because it wasn’t. Matt was always a mature, thoughtful, and quietly confident man, ever since I met him.
Which is what makes Luis such an impressive character to me. While I’ve always seen Matt as a confident person, he was never vocal or outspoken. So when he chose Luis, a Paladin who focused on victory, I wasn’t expecting the person we got. Luis, while sometimes reserved in his speech, prefers to pick his moments and when it's time, release a cutting remark or a verbal hammer. He charges in, focusing not on Victory at any Cost, but Victory to be Ensured. Matt took away the himbo paladin idea, and replaced it with a calculating strategist who would assess the situation, then walk into it confident in himself and his plan. What made the whole experience even better is the fact that, while we weren’t at a table together, we did get to put a mic on him. Now everyone got to hear and enjoy his one-liners and cutting remarks.
Plus, we also got some input and feedback from his wife, Maha, who we could hear in the background, which only serves to make the recordings better.
When I asked for the list of songs from Matt that he felt reflected Luis properly, I actually expected our age gap to introduce me to a collection of artists I’d never heard of, or had a brief run-in with on a skipped radio channel or public outing where popular music was being played. Imagine my surprise when I saw half of it seemed to be copied and pasted from my high school iPod. There were a few on there that weren’t ones I knew, but I found myself singing along to 90% of the music.
Is it because that era of music is the best for victory? I doubt it, though there are some amazing ones on there, opening with Sweet Victory, which even Spongebob felt was the best victory song that could be presented at the superbowl. Here’s the overall song list, then we’ll go into my evaluation song-by-song.
Sweet Victory - David Glen Eisley
The Trooper - Iron Maiden
Kickstart my Heart - Motley Crue
Back in Black - ACDC
Thunderstruck - ACDC
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne
Seven Nation Army - White Stripes
Another One Bites the Dust - Queen
We are the Champions - Queen
Don’t Stop Believin’ - Journey
Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
Livin’ on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
You’re the Best - Joe “Bean” Esposito
All I Do is Win - DJ Khaled
Till I Collapse - Eminem, Nate Dog
Started at the Bottom - Drake
Green River - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Run to the Hills - Iron Maiden
Starting with Sweet Victory, I honestly did get the image of Spongebob jumping directly to mind. While the song is an iconic rock ballad from ‘97, I actually can’t look up anything on it without getting that 2001 episode “Band Geeks” coming up, though I’m not sure if that’s a bad thing. The imagery and the music do bring to mind a powerful, march towards renown and hard won, sweet victory.
Which is then completely swept away by The Trooper, which tells the tale of a warrior who is willing to go down in a blaze of glory in order to make sure his enemy goes down too. I don’t want anyone to think that just because Luis is a strategist that he isn’t willing to die for the cause, he’d just prefer to not have to in order to keep claiming victories. This song shows that while he’s out for victory, and not necessarily at any cost, if that is the cost, then his heart will not falter.
Next comes one of my absolute favorites, Kickstart my Heart, which just keeps the escalation of the songs going, kicking in a faster tempo and almost seems to speak to the fact that some paladins see death as quitting, and even if he were to die, that won’t stop him from getting up and fighting on. It actually makes me think of two different characters: Brook from One Piece “Death is never an apology, because when a man makes a promise he doesn’t stop fighting until he fulfills it!” Then, for the Warhammer crowd, I think of Dante of the Blood Angels, who has served the Emperor of mankind for 1500 years: “Please. I have served so long. Grant me the freedom of death.” A very different mentality, but the same promise of service even beyond what could be expected of him.
Then, we roll right into Back in Black, the perfect song to build upon the previous one. Even death won’t keep him down, Luis comes back from every challenge, every fight, battered, bruised, and ready to recover for the next one. Luis is never one to look back, only onto the next. While he’s willing to learn from the past, he just keeps putting one foot in front of the other and carrying on, coming back time and time again to stand against the enemies of his goddess and his allies.
Thunderstruck is another good followup, and while it does flow well because both are ACDC songs, it does play into how they work together, but I like to imagine the songs pulling together into a scene of Luis rolling up, then bringing down the hammer (or in this case, sword) with a mighty SMITE!
After that, I saw Crazy Train and was a little confused to be honest. Seemed a bit chaotic for the upstanding paladin. That was, until I started thinking over it. Firstly, there is the train fight, which this makes a great battle song for the scene in the movie that plays in my head when I reread it. But also, it does make sense in the mind of a paladin, who has a perfectly simple way of viewing the world. Their creed teaches them that living a good life is simple and plain, so long as you follow a law. Maybe not the law of the land, but the law of the self. If you live with honor and dignity, there’s no reason for hating others for living their own laws. For a man like Luis, our world must be absolutely crazy, and as someone who lives in that world too, he’s not wrong.
I almost couldn’t forgive him for this one, because Seven Nation Army is one of those songs that when I hear the opening bass line I know it will be playing in my head all day long. Though, that made me also realize that I hadn’t really listened to this song since I was in high school, many moons ago. Giving it another listen, it lends itself to that same idea of even death won’t stop me. That single minded determination is driven forward by the drudging beat, which almost feels like a death march, pushing against the overwhelming feeling that survival or success may be unattainable, but the attempt is unavoidable.
When you’re reading this, you won’t have book three in your hands yet, unless you’re catching up on the blogs a year after I wrote them. But in the third book in the series, Borrowing From Tomorrow, there is a scene where Another One Bites the Dust will definitely be playing as I edit and prepare to publish it. Luis will be front and center for this as he is surrounded by enemies and carves through them one after another and another one gone… You’ll know it when you see it, so if you remember this moment, go back and read that chapter to this song. I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.
There are plenty of moments when We Are the Champions is appropriate, a hard won battle or at the end of an underdog sports movie, though Nike cares not if your victory is large or small, just that you’ve earned it. And no song encapsulates that exhaustion that comes at the end of everything you’ve sacrificed to gain what you’re now holding in your hands better than this one. While it is victorious, there is a tired sadness that comes with it, either that the journey is done, or you’re reflecting on what was lost during the attempt, but the celebration, while present, isn’t the simple joy that is captured in the freeze frame ending of an 80’s movie. Luis, like all characters in my campaigns, knows that victory isn’t as simple as downing the final boss. Right now, there is victory, but behind us there is loss, and in front of us there is struggle, for that is the journey of life.
Speaking of Journey, I was so happy to see Don’t Stop Believn’ on this list. Not only does it have one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time, it is a personal favorite that I remember hearing for the first time when my older sister was driving us through Boston. Despite the topic of the actual song, this one gives me the feeling of that post-victory return to normal, where we’re still struggling to survive and keep ourselves going. It brings me to Luis’ morning runs. It doesn’t matter if he’d been shot at, stabbed, or slayed a god-spawn the night before. Luis gets up, laces up his shoes, and hits the pavement. His faith strong, his routine steady, his mind clear.
I bring you back, ladies, gentlemen, small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri, to the year 2008. Season four, episode six of Supernatural. “Yellow Fever,” so titled because Dean, the normally reckless brother, has been infected with a curse that makes him cowardly. What song, you may ask, does he sing to pump himself up? Why, the song we all sing. Eye of the Tiger is that song. The song to get someone ready for just about anything. For a game, for a battle, for a phone call we’re too neurodivergent to feel comfortable making. I can practically picture Luis drawing Talon out and preparing to charge into battle, this song blasting around him. Hell, now I kind of want to have that in a scene going forward…
(Here’s the scene, btw. Jensen Ackles wasn’t supposed to do the whole thing, I don’t think, but from what I’ve heard Jared Padalecki missed his cue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsyMtYoSkC0)
Now, I won’t say that I don’t like Bon Jovi, but he wasn’t ever someone I went out of my way to listen to. Additionally, I would have to say, I also know every word to Livin’ on a Pray, because who doesn’t. This song harnesses the soul of people who aren’t trying to win at life by having the most toys, but by holding on to what matters, what they value, and who they value. Luis is this kind of man, the kind who seeks victory, but not hollow victories like fame and riches. Not once has he tried to use his skills to get rich, though he has used his skills to support others financially, spiritually, and physically. Even when setbacks come, he keeps pushing forward, having faith that things will work out so long as he keeps working.
So, I’ll be honest. I don’t use Spotify when doing these lists. At least, not to listen. I’ve been using Pandora since 2008, it knows my preferences, and hasn’t increased more than a dollar a month since then. So, if I try to listen to the spotify lists that my friends send me, I get ads, and songs just thrown at me because “we think this is something you’ll like” which they’re wrong 99% of the time, because what I would like is to listen to the songs that I requested. This means, in order to listen to these songs, I have to use YouTube. When I typed in You’re the Best, I got, not the music video, but exactly what every child of my generation imagines when they hear this song: the montage from the original Karate Kid movie. I did watch that whole video, then went back and watched the video with the lyrics, and while we all remember the refrain, the actual lyrics embody everything Luis is about: hard work, dedication, and being the last one on his feet as the final bell rings.
We are on song 14 of 18, and this is the legitimate first song I had never heard before. Rap and hip hop was never really my jam, though I think a lot of that was that I was exposed to mostly lazy rap, mumble rap, or things that was just the same word being repeated over and over again with stolen (I’m sorry, ‘sampled’) music. However, as time went on, and my friend group shifted and expanded, I was exposed to more and different types of music. All I Do is Win was actually pretty enjoyable to listen to, as each of the artists who contributed actually supplied verses that showed creativity and imagination, outside of one line that made my eyes roll. Overall, it does feel like a Luis song, because it’s about the mentality of a person who is victorious. One who believes they cannot fail will never give up until they do. They don’t see a loss as a failure, just a setback in a war that isn’t over yet.
Tying right into that previous statement, Till I Collapse has so many lyrics and verses that I could not sum up everything in one paragraph. Keeping my focus on something a lot easier, looking at the refrain, which everything circles around in a song, the overall mentality is the same as the previous song, though with a completely different tone. All I Do is Win has the same attitude, but when the battle is going your way. In Till I Collapse has the more defiant nature that I know in Luis for when he is pushing against the enemy, refusing to bend or break even when the odds don’t look so good. Putting these songs together, back to back, really shows that the attitude never changes, that “I can do this all day” attitude that Captain America has that made him the obvious Paladin of the Avengers just emanates from both, like two sides of the same coin.
This is another one that I’ve never actually heard before. Some people may be surprised by that, as Drake has become something of a meme online, especially after the grooming and predatory behavior accusations and feud with Kendrick Lamar. Now, I’m not here to discuss the events, the man, or the accusations. I try to separate the artist and the art, because if we threw away all art that came from problematic people, we wouldn’t have half the art we have in the world. That being said, I don’t condone the behavior, nor do I condone financial support of people who involve themselves in such behavior. The song Started at the Bottom itself does represent Luis very well, as you saw him waking up in a hospital bed, wheeled off to a therapy session, and then doing battle with monsters both supernatural and human alike with a team of equally as cast down and out individuals. They literally began the story in hospital gowns with nothing more to defend themselves than a couple stolen collapsable batons. If you’re up to date with the books, they’ve upgraded quite a bit, with both blades and spells. Considering how far the game has been played, I can honestly say, this song will reflect more and more just how far they’ve all climbed.
A return to CCR, with Green River, which I think may have been added because we recently in game were actually on Green River, though CCR has admitted that they’re not talking about any specific river in the song. However, there’s also the element of the things that are worth fighting for. Victory is great, but victory for the sake of victory seems wasted and pointless. There needs to be something that drives one towards desiring that victory, and all the simple pleasures sung about in this song tie nicely into that overall idea. Sometimes it feels as if there’s too much bad in the world, and we’re not in the same position that characters like Luis are, where they can actively make a difference against that permeating evil. But, just as Luis puts on his shoes every morning to go for his run, we have to find the small things, the little victories, every day that get us up and moving.
Speaking of running, finally we reach our last song, Run to the Hills, which is filled with that righteous fury that all paladins carry. The song itself focuses on the horrible actions of the colonizers who came and ravaged the native lands here in America, going so far as to (rightly) call them cowards for their methods of killing women and children, on top of their various other crimes. That impotent rage felt by the natives is the very thing that drives a paladin like Luis to leave the beauty and serenity of Green River, and to take up arms again. The battle is never truly won. Victory is only temporarily achieved, as there will always be another battle to fight, another people to liberate, and another enemy to be put down. Never will we live in a completely peaceful world, but we can never stop pushing towards that goal.
That, I do have to say, was probably my longest blog to date. I apologize if you just came here to read the list of songs and move on with your day, but as I am halfway through the seventh page of my writing here, I do believe it is time to wrap up. Luis is a kind man, stoic and clever, who focuses on victory not at the cost of his life or others, but at the best possible give and take necessary. He always pushes forward, never faulting others for following their own paths to victory, but never allowing others to be trampled upon just to be made into a staircase for those with cruel intentions and dreams. He is everything a paladin should aspire to be and should be a great source of inspiration for any paladin you plan to run in the future.
Law is law, but personal oath trumps everything else. You needn’t agree with everything your party does, but you can’t change them anymore than they can change you. And should they or anyone else cross the line you’ve drawn in the sand, be like Luis, and make them run for the hills.
