I've revised the Last Light playlist and you can see and hear it below, as well as on the playlist page. You will want to skip this post if you haven't read Last Light; some of the quotes and descriptions contain spoilers.

If you enjoy any of these songs, please purchase them for best audio quality.

1. Lies -- The Black Keys

I closed my eyes. My lies sounded truly ridiculous. - Matt Sky

You’re the lord of lies. - Hannah Catalano

He draws people in without even trying. Puts them under a spell. And then he does what he always does—lies or disappears—and you break on the rocks you were too dazed to see. - Seth Sky

But I can see through tear-blinded eyes / I want to die without pain / All this deception I just can't maintain / It'd hurt me too bad if you said goodbye - The Black Keys, "Lies"

2. Nara -- E.S. Posthumus

“DJ, will ya?” - Seth Sky

I chose Nara, the theme to Cold Case. No vocals, just a haunting melody that spiraled upward and almost out of control. That was how I wanted to feel: almost out of control. - Hannah Catalano

3. Everybody's Watching Me - The Neighbourhood

 Denver was a cage for him now, and he hated cages. - Hannah Catalano

“My life will never be the same,” he said. “I’ll never be free.” - Matt Sky

I told you I would tell you everything you want to know; you pressure me to shout it / I go through all the trouble of keeping it within my walls, I try to be as subtle as I can / all I've done defeats me / what can I do if you're not here / I'll be alone with everybody watching me - The Neighbourhood, "Everybody's Watching Me"

4. Waiting Game -- Banks

It meant that Hannah wasn’t mine, not truly, and that my best efforts to bring her to me were failing. It also meant that I couldn’t live without her, no matter what I’d thought. - Matt Sky

No happiness that weekend would go untainted because on Sunday, I had to leave. And maybe I could see Matt the following weekend, but I was still looking at another week without him—and another, and another. How long? - Hannah Catalano

I'm thinking it over, the way you make me feel all sexy but it's causing me shame / What if I never even see you cause we're both on a stage / Don't tell me listen to your song because it isn't the same / I don't wanna say your love is a waiting game / What if the way we started made it something cursed from the start / What if it only gets colder / lately I've been scared of even thinking about where we are - Banks, "Waiting Game"

5. Afraid -- The Neighbourhood

This song, which was brought to my attention by Shelley and Courtney of Must Read Books or Die, nicely suits Matt and his neuroses. I don't think of Matt Sky as a typical "alpha male." He's both strong and fragile, sometimes disarmingly so. In Last Light, we see Matt's hunger for control and delusions about what is acceptable behavior in the pursuit of that control (faking his death, recruiting Melanie to drive him, assisting in the publication of Night Owl in order to force Hannah out of Denver, keeping secrets from her, etc.).

Although Matt is ruthless and relentless in his desire to control his life, we also see that he's crippled without Hannah. The prospect of losing her terrifies him. She's his weakness -- a fact that frustrates him, though he acknowledges it -- and when it comes to choosing between Hannah and control, he chooses Hannah.

Only then did the full weight of relief settle on me. Matt is going to live like a normal person. He’s in Denver, not hiding, and he wants a life with me. A life we can actually share. - Hannah Catalano

It hurts but I won’t fight you / If you leave me then I’ll be afraid of everything / That makes me anxious, gives me patience, calms me down / Keep on dreaming, don’t stop breathing, fight those demons - The Neighbourbood, "Afraid"

6. Amsterdam -- Gregory Alan Isakov

“I love you,” I said again. The wind answered, pressing against the cabin. - Matt Sky

She's got my back, she'll follow me down every street no matter what my crime / That howling wind, she'll take everything, but she's easy on the eyes - Gregory Alan Isakov, "Amsterdamn"

7. Who Are You, Really? -- Mikky Ekko

 When would it be my turn to truly know him? Fear answered—Never. You’ll never know him. You can’t hold on to a man like that. - Hannah Catalano

"Hey, you don’t know me." I stabbed out my cigarette in the snow. "You don’t know what matters to me. You don't know how fucking bad it was . . ." - Matt Sky

So you're feeling tied up to a sense of control / You are a stranger here, why have you come? / Who are you really, and where are you going? / Now you're moving on and you say you're alone / See me bare my teeth for you - Mikky Ekko, "Who Are You, Really?"

8. Legacy - Eminem

It is not so important to be happy, I realized, because I was satisfied and not happy. It is only important to do what you were born to do. - Matt Sky

“This is about your writing, and I know I come second to that.” - Hannah Catalano

Tell me what to say, no matter if it's true, I'll say it all for you / Why am I so differently wired? / I don't need no goddamn psychologist trying to diagnose why I have all these underlying problems, thinking he can try and solve them / Please have faith in my words / The best part about me is I am not you / This is my legacy - Eminem, "Legacy"

9. If I Had a Heart -- Fever Ray

 “Matt,” I whispered, and his name summoned the memory of him, tall and moody, demanding, passionate, green-eyed. My own personal monster of jealousy. I winced. Another girl might have found Matt’s devotion compelling—he was willing to do anything to have me—but it frightened me. He frightened me. - Hannah Catalano

No matter how I reached for her with my words, she slipped away. I had such ideas about her. If only I cast my net wide enough, I might capture her in my language—but it was always too much or not enough. Then I laughed because she defied me. She defied me here, where it mattered most, on the page. - Matt Sky

This will never end cause I want more / Give me more / If I had a heart I could love you - Fever Ray, "If I Had a Heart"

10. Moving Mountains -- Two Steps From Hell

The scenes of our last days together were surreal. Matt moving money into the wall safe in our condo. Matt pacing, talking excitedly about freedom and his writing. Matt vanishing onto a snow-choked trail in the mountains. Watching him go—watching him smile back at me. Real fear in my heart. - Hannah Catalano

“Help…” The word is a tatter of air. There is no one here to help me. My blood and I are the last heat on this mountain. - Matt Sky

11. Starstruck -- Santigold

Pretty much sex music.

12. Sweater Weather -- The Neighbourhood

“I’m crazy about things that don’t hide you,” he told me. “Things that show me your body—like this.” He bit my nipple through my bra and pushed a finger into my sex. He fucked me while I wore the lingerie, and he made me say I wanted it and that I wore the panties so he could put it in me easily, and that I wanted it in me all the time . . . - Last Light

Touch my neck and I'll touch yours / You in those little high-waisted shorts / I don't mind if there's not much to say / The goose bumps start to raise the minute that my left hand meets your waist / And then I watch your face, put my finger on your tongue cause you love to taste - The Neighbourhood, "Sweater Weather"

13. Dandelion Wine -- Gregory Alan Isakov

This song provided atmosphere for chapter 33, the warming weather and Matt and Hannah spending weekends together at the cabin.

14. Baby's Arms -- Kurt Vile

. . . I laughed and remembered little things about Hannah. I pictured her every which way. My chronic anger and harsh moods stood far off when Hannah filled my thoughts, and no drug could do that for me, and no other human. Just Hannah. - Matt Sky

He glanced over his shoulder and smiled, his handsome face veiled in shadow. A perfect half-moon hung in the sky, casting coin-sized spots of light through the leaves. That light moved over his body and he was beautiful, and he was mine. - Hannah Catalano

There's been but one true love, In my baby's arms, And I got the hands to hold on to them / I get sick of just about everyone, And I hide in my baby's arms, Cause except for her, There just ain't nothing to latch onto / I would never, ever, ever be alone, Cause it's all in my baby's arms - Kurt Vile, "Baby's Arms"

15. Sad Girl -- Lana Del Rey

They couldn’t come close to my fire. - Matt Sky

"I don’t know why I thought you’d changed. Is she still there? Is Melanie still driving you around?" - Hannah Catalano

We been around on the side, might not be something you would do / But you haven't seen my man, you haven't seen him / He's got the fire and he walks with it / His bonnie on the side makes me a sad, sad girl / Watch what you say to me / Careful who you're talking to - Lana Del Rey, "Sad Girl"

16. Karma Police -- Radiohead

The lyrics and the sound of this song -- impending, dropping, dark and heavy-- provided atmosphere for the revelation in chapter 33 (that Nate has known about Matt's fake death all along). Hannah says, "My world tilted on its little axis." There is a sense of shock in the scene, which is a turning point for Hannah. She realizes that Matt has been keeping her in the dark (about Night Owl, Melanie, and even Nate's part in their plan) and that she cannot be with someone so manipulative.

While I don't feel that "Karma Police" is strictly a dark song, it presents an atmosphere of doom and a message of consequence -- "This is what you'll get when you mess with us." Matt has gone too far in Last Light and he pays the price, losing Hannah. Hannah also realizes that love has blinded her to Matt's deceptions -- "For a minute there, I lost myself." Despite doing her best by Matt ("I've given all I can") she learns that "It's not enough."

17. This Wheel's On Fire -- Bob Dylan & The Band

 Bob Dylan’s “This Wheel’s On Fire” started to play. I swayed to the ragged, honkytonk tune, and Melanie laughed at me.

“Let’s dance.” She grabbed my hand and hauled me out of the booth.

“No! Jesus. Not on the floor.”

I held her hand and she spun. She teased her fingers up her side and sashayed over to me. I smirked and shook my head.

“You’ve got a Rita Hayworth thing going on,” I said.

“High praise. You’re not bad yourself, M.”

- Last Light

18. West Coast -- Lana Del Rey

This is Hannah and Seth's song.

Lana sang move baby. The music vibrated through the wall, strumming my blood.

Everyone gives in eventually.

"If you're not drinkin' then you're not playin'." / But you've got the music, you've got the music in you, don't you? / You push it hard, I pull away / You're falling hard, I push away / I get this feeling like it all could happen, that's why I'm leaving you for the moment, Boy Blue - Lana Del Rey, "West Coast"

19. Avril 14th -- Aphex Twin

Saying goodbye to the cabin.

I didn’t have much—just a duffel bag of clothes and toiletries, a few books, my laptop, and my writing supplies. I moved the perishable food to the freezer. I made my bed.

In my mind, I said goodbye to each room.

The master bathroom where I fucked Hannah in the tub.

The bedroom where we made love all night.

The guest bedroom, which I considered “Mel’s room.”

The cellar where I hid Kevin’s broken chair.

Goodbye.

I lingered in the open main room, the kitchen and the living room with its many windows. Afternoon sunlight lay along the floor. It glanced off the counters and gleamed on my desk, which was not really my desk.

But it had been my desk, as much as anything belongs to anyone. I sat there and did good work. And when I needed a break…

I walked out onto the deck.

I looked to the mountains, which were magnificent with snow and sunlight. They were horrible, too, because I almost died there. Goodbye. Goodbye to the aching silence and this white unblemished peace. The incredible wind. The night full of coyotes, their ululating cries like laughter, and owls calling in the dark. Goodbye. - Matt Sky

20. #Icanteven (feat. French Monta) -- The Neighbourhood

 I reached the last line—P.S. I slept with Seth—and nodded slowly, my hand rising to my mouth. Of course. Seth and Hannah. Of course.

I can't even, can't even hear your side / And you said I wasn't just like anyone / But you treated me just like everyone / I can't even believe what you did to me / Did it make you feel bad, when you cheated on your man last night? Did I even ever cross your mind? - The Neighbourhood (feat. French Monta), "#Icanteven"

21. Odyssey -- The Wyld

Matt's running music.

One foot in front of the other. The rhythmic slap of my sneakers on pavement. The streetlights passing in long yellow ellipses.

And my breath coming faster and faster.

Calves burning, arms aching, my heart outpacing my stride.

As if I could outrun the pain.

But maybe I could. When I ran like this—dead runs late at night—I left behind the nauseating unease of Hannah’s absence. I stopped picturing Hannah and Seth together, and I stopped trying to work out the logistics of their romance.

I reached the point of exhaustion, and then I pushed myself harder. And when my limbs felt numb and my chest seemed ready to explode, I smiled. - Matt Sky

22. Sweet Pea -- Little Hurricane

Everything’s going to be okay, I told myself. Then I imagined Hannah touching my face and saying, “Everything’s going to be okay.”

She left three weeks ago.

This wasn’t getting any more okay. - Matt Sky

They say that I'm crazy; they just cant see what you mean to me / All I need is to be with you / Now that you're gone, I just can't move on / This heartache's unbearable / I want you back / You still are all of me.  - Little Hurricane, "Sweet Pea"

23. Never Gonna Change -- Broods

I leaned against the railing and let him go. His sandals went slapping down the stairs behind me, the sound fading rapidly. I watched him cross the lobby far below. Black hair that should be blond. Broad shoulders I used to grip as he rode me. Not my Matt anymore. - Hannah Catalano

You’re pushing down on my shoulders / And emptying my lungs / In a moment, you've won / And you escape me / Like it's nothing / Like words I never should have said / And it's never gonna feel quite the same / But it's never gonna change / Had me feeling like you were the one / But we're still tugging on each other / And tearing up the fraying loose ends / And it's never feel gonna like it's done - Broods, "Never Gonna Change"

24. How to Disappear Completely - Radiohead

“A few days to think” turned into a week, which passed in a colorless procession.

May arrived with warm, blustery mornings, and the sort of cool spring evenings that would have been heaven with Hannah—and that were hollow without her. - Matt Sky

25. Say Something -- A Great Big World (Ft. Christina Aguilera)

“You look good,” he said, still staring at a point above my head.

“So do you,” I whispered.

His eyes lit up briefly and sought mine, then swerved away. God… my heart hurt. This poor beautiful fucked-up boy—I’d made him feel undesirable, made him doubt his incredible magnetism, with my stupid lie about Seth.

He draws people in without even trying. Puts them under a spell…

Seth was right about that.

“I need to go,” Matt said. “Things to do.”

He moved past me and I wanted to scream.

Say something, I'm giving up on you / I'll be the one, if you want me to / Anywhere I would've followed you / And I am feeling so small / It was over my head / And I will swallow my pride / You're the one that I love / And I'm saying goodbye - A Great Big World (Ft. Christina Aguilera), "Say Something"

26. If You Were Me -- Frightened Rabbit

“Why did you come back now?”

“Off the record?”

“Of course,” he said.

“A girl.” I glanced up at my bedroom window, which was dark. The whole condo was dark. I should have moved out, but I stayed in that place full of things I bought to make Hannah happy. Now it was like an abandoned circus—all color and ornament, no laughter, no life.

And here I was, speaking calmly with the reporter Aaron Snow—not because I was lonely, but because I had no fight left in me. - Matt Sky

Time passes / I accept the blame / And I accept that you might never care to see me again / I don’t wish to be excused for this / My disguise and my excuses, they have worn so thin / How could it go so wrong so quickly? / Don’t assume that I have found this easy / I thought that you and I could be a timeless thing / And I have to ask, please answer honestly / What would you have done if you were me? - Frightened Rabbit, "If You Were Me"

27. Amsterdam Coldplay

The last lines of this song particularly resonate with Last Light. ("Stood on the edge, tied to the noose / And you came along and you cut me loose.") In the scope of Matt and Hannah's story, Hannah's forgiveness cuts Matt's noose.

I held Hannah’s face and focused on her eyes. The manic vibe of the studio was getting under my skin, and I couldn’t lose it here, now. I drank in Hannah’s calm.

“You forgive me?” I said. “Come home. Please come back.” - Matt Sky

I know I'm dead on the surface / But I am screaming underneath / Stuck on the end of this ball and chain / And I'm on my way back down / You can say what you mean / But it won't change a thing / I'm sick of the secrets / Stood on the edge, tied to the noose / And you came along and you cut me loose - Coldplay, "Amsterdam"

28. Ends Of The Earth -- Lord Huron

Roll credits.

To the ends of the earth, would you follow me?