Songs for Every Book: Frankenstein and Indiana

It may not be new music, but I’ve recently discovered Indiana’s album “No Romeo” from 2015 (so hey, it’s new to me, alright?). There’s just something about her hypnotizing voice and driving electronic beats… Admittedly it took me awhile to dig them but now I’m seriously hooked.

Anyways, the lyrics to the first song off the album sound just like the monster singing to Victor Frankenstein after he refuses to build him a wife. (Side note: I always wonder when I come across these similarities whether it was purposeful on the part of the artist. I mean, you never know…)

https://open.spotify.com/embed?uri=spotify:track:5AHJpHOeB1mv7s2dM0EAmq

Let’s look at a few of the lyrics, shall we?

“And all I ever wanted
With my heart was in your hands
Forsaken and abandoned
I wander these wastelands”

The monster, too, has to wander in deserted areas because humanity despises him, and his heart was in Victor’s hands in the sense that he had to rely on him for a wife.

“I will fill your head with dread and wonder
I’m gonna make you wish you were never born”

In Frankenstein, the monster swears vengeance on Victor and goes after his family. Simple (and dark) enough.

But the COOLEST connection between this song and the story by far is in that last lyric as well as the final lyric “I will rise up” that repeats over and over as the song comes to an end. This is why I can’t help but wonder if Indiana (or whoever wrote the song) was connecting to this story on purpose: “I will rise up” is wording that resonates with the idea of rising from the grave, which is in a sense what the monster did when Victor brought him to life from all of those dead body parts stitched together. And then the lyric “I’m gonna make you wish you were never born” is also a fantastic twist in a similar way in that it suggests the creator (Victor Frankenstein) now wants to negate his OWN existence with the creation (i.e. monster) now controlling the creator.

And then of course the music itself with its electronic, otherworldly, dark vibe wraps the whole thing up in a package that to me is irresistible.

So do I really think this song was meant to evoke Frankenstein? Nah. Is it possible? Sure! But to me it doesn’t really matter whether the connection was intended or not. Thinking about the music in this way and hearing the possible double meanings in the lyrics about “birth” and “rising up” is super cool. And that’s good enough for me!

What do you think of the similarities between Frankenstein and “Never Born?” And what do you think of Indiana’s music in general? Let me know in the comments!

You might also like: Frankenstein and Sia (Songs For Every Book)