Before we even start reading
If I Ever Get Out of Here, it is evident that music--specifically, the rock music of the 1970s--is very important to Eric Gansworth. The title of the novel alludes to a lyric in the song "Band on the Run," by Paul McCartney's post-Beatles band Wings, and the cover art features the outline of a head encased in giant headphones, as if the self, the "I" of the title, were surrounded by and defined by the music he listens to. Gansworth's original artwork--interspersed throughout on the title pages for each part--uses Wings and Beatles album art as its inspiration, with iconography featuring an electric guitar on the main title page. (Check out the author's web page--
ericgansworth.com--for more examples of his original artwork, all of which reflects a heavy influence from 1970s rock album graphics.) The title of every chapter alludes to a Beatles or Wings song.
It is clear from the first chapter of the novel that music is likewise a vitally important aspect of Lewis's life (Lewis is a highly autobiographical character, reflecting Gansworth's own experiences growing up on the Tuscarora Reservation in the 1970s). In the midst of his DIY haircut at Carson's place, Lewis spots an acoustic guitar in the mirror. He immediately wants to touch it, but he knows Carson won't let him; he asks if Carson knows any Beatles songs, and Carson makes fun of him for still carrying a torch for a band that has broken up and "ain't never getting back together" (5). Later, he will taunt Lewis by playing "Yesterday" by the Beatles, and then "showing him how" by playing it again, too fast for Lewis to make any sense of it (82). By Christmas, Carson has worked his way up to an electric guitar, while Lewis isn't even sure what an amplifier is or what it has to do with producing the sounds he hears when he listens to the Beatles or Queen. An actual real-life guitar, for Lewis, seems like some kind of magical portal, and like all other potentially life-changing things, he believes it's forever out of his reach. Carson won't even let him touch the "piece of crap" acoustic his father has secured "on hock" from a guy on the reservation.
But listening to recorded music is a huge part of Lewis's life: he and Albert listen to the Beatles together, and Lewis keeps a running list of the albums they both like. His brother has taken most of their LPs with them when he left home, but Albert has a stereo, and he has "taught [Lewis] how to use it respectfully a couple years ago, when I started to pay attention to what was on the radio" (95). The most meaningful Christmas gift he receives is from Albert--a copy of the newest Wings album,
Venus and Mars. Music is a key part of his blooming friendship with George: they are both avowed Beatles fans (and George's dad is a bigger fan than either of them), and their friendship is built in part on sharing new music with each other. Lewis even wants to play
"You're My Best Friend" by Queen for George as a way of communicating what it would be "way too lame" (99) to actually say out loud. They listen to
Band on the Run by Paul McCartney and Wings the first time Lewis visits George at home, and Mr. Haddonfield even lends his copy of the LP to Lewis that night--a pretty rare sign of affection and trust, according to George.
The story this novel tells is inseparable from the music Gansworth weaves into the text. The novel literally has a soundtrack, and it's hard to keep track of all the song and album titles it alludes to. The book features a comprehensive "Playlist and Discography" in the back, which specifies the Beatles, Wings, and other songs being referenced throughout the book. His webpage also features a
"complete discography" with links to all of the songs--although Gansworth warns that, the internet being what it is, most of the links will likely no linger be active. And it's true--most of the YouTube clips are no longer accessible. (But you can watch
the full "Wings Over America" concert that Lewis and George attend.)
Happily, a reader of the novel has put together very
comprehensive playlist, which features every song or album mentioned or alluded to throughout the novel: 103 songs and more than 6 hours of music! We will be listening to some of the most important songs in class, but feel free to explore this playlist on your own--put yourself in Lewis's position by listening to the stuff that he's listening to. And if you don't have access to Spotify, maybe a friend's dad can lend you the LP!
