Song Lyric of the Day:
Another tricky little gun giving solace to the one that will never see the sunshine / Another inch of your life sacrificed for your brother in the nick of time / Another dirty money, heaven sent honey turning on a dime
Jack White & Alicia Keys / “Another Way to Die“
In honor of the latest James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace, coming out on DVD today, I thought I’d list my top five favorite Bond movie theme songs. Of course, me being a child of the ’80s, you’re not going to find Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger” on this list. Although I do have a blast singing along with it: “GollllllllddddddddfinGUHHHHHHHHHHHHH.”
“For Your Eyes Only” – Sheena Easton
Recorded back when she was still something of an ingenue, years before Prince went and sexed up her image and before she married Sonny Crockett, Sheena Easton tackled theme song duties for Roger Moore‘s fifth outing as James Bond. Movie theme aside, I think the song still stands well on its own as a great ballad.
“Another Way to Die” – Jack White & Alicia Keys
The first duet recorded for a Bond movie, this song earned an almost immediate backlash for being too disjointed, for not having an obvious hook/refrain, and for basically being so different from all the previous Bond themes. Which is exactly why I like it so much — it’s catchy without being catchy, which is no small feat. And if you’ve seen Quantum of Solace, it’s hard to argue with how well this song plays to the opening credits.
“You Know My Name” – Chris Cornell
I’ve never been a die-hard Chris Cornell fan — I like him well enough, but he can be a bit too screamy for me at times. But his distinct style made for a great theme song for Daniel Craig‘s first outing as James Bond, Casino Royale. The movie series was in desperate need of a reboot, and not only did it accomplish that (and then some), but Chris Cornell helped drag it into modern times, kicking and screaming to a hard rock beat the whole way.
“The World Is Not Enough” – Garbage
If you know me at all, you know I’m a massive Garbage fan. Despite that — or maybe because of it — I think the group’s theme song for the Pierce Brosnan Bond outing, The World Is Not Enough, stands as one of the best Bond theme songs ever. The song’s lyrics have fun describing the life of a secret agent (“People like us / Know how to survive”) while the video is a beautifully filmed mini-movie featuring its own deadly agent. And really, I just think Shirley Manson kicks ass in any capacity.
“A View to a Kill” – Duran Duran
Did I mention I’m a child of the ’80s? It was a toss-up for me whether Duran Duran’s titular song for Roger Moore’s last Bond movie would get my top spot or whether it would go to Garbage’s “The World Is Not Enough.” You can see who won (although it was neck-and-neck). Childhood nostalgia aside, this video shows Duran Duran doing what it does best: setting a memorable song to an equally memorable video. Spies? Check. International locale? Check. Band members wearing guyliner and sporting big hair? Check and check. Bonus: the accordion bit at the end of the video, which is not part of the radio single.
Now for full disclosure: After Sean Connery, Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond portrayer. What can I say? I prefer the real, tough men’s men to the pretty boys. That, and the blue bathing suit didn’t hurt.
