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I found a copies of the first two books in the Spellsinger series and got caught up in it. An American college student, who takes the name Jon-Tom, finds himself transported into a fantasy world. The animals dress in clothes, talk and form the basis of society. There are some humans, too, but (at least in the first two books) almost every being is smaller than the over six-foot tall man. Humans typically top out at about five feet tall. There’s a dragon. There’s magic; that’s how he got there after all. There is also some adult words and situations. I’ve been reading about 50 pages a day in the series.

The best part of the story is that Jon-Tom is a Spellsinger, which means he can only cast spells through his music. These spells rarely turn out the way he thinks they should, especially since modern concepts, like cars, need to be translated into the place and time where he is. While reading, I keep thinking about all the songs that he could use for certain situations.

When I’m not reading the book, I often think about what songs would do what if they triggered magic. Of course, I take my cues from the book. A song about the aforementioned car summoned a snake to ride on.

Jon-Tom’s troubles include not being able to control the magic. He is a newbie after all. More importantly, he often can’t think of what songs to sing. His music tastes before arriving in this new world were heavy metal though he knows other genres as well.

Jon-Tom is told several times that the lyrics aren’t necessarily important. He needs to concentrate on what he wants from the magic. Of course, that’s easier said than done.

If it were me, once I finally had time, I would write down the lyrics to the songs I knew and study them for possible effects. Disco Inferno seems like it would be a good song for burning things down, or you could go with Burning down the House. We Didn’t Start the Fire would be interesting. It could keep people from starting fires; it could summon some of the things it mentions. I fear Elvis’ Burnin’ Love would create the wrong kind of conflagration.

Money is always an issue, and most songs are about how it’s bad. Money Makes the World Go ‘Round might be one to use. If you needed nickels, you might be able to go with Playground in My Mind. Weird Al’s Eat It should be enough to conjure a feast, and his Fat might help in a fighting scenario.

I’d probably have to rely heavily on Huey Lewis and the News, Disney, and Golden Oldies. It’s the possibilities that make the Spellsinger series so intriguing.

What would you do if you found yourself in the same situation? Which songs would be you goto music? Leave a comment below.