Everything happens as it should. There’s a reason for everything. There’s d… Read Full Bio ↴Everything happens as it should. There’s a reason for everything. There’s definitely a reason that USC (The University of Southern California) exists, and I’d be so bold as to say it was to bring the talents of Lucky McKee and Sean Spillane together. Lucky McKee is known for his talent behind the camera, as director of May, The Woods and most recently The Woman. Sean Spillane may not be as known at the moment, but his unadulterated talent showcased through the soundtrack to The Woman, makes it clear he should be.

Their initial meetings were as casual as any, both playing in bands while attending USC. They became friends and continued to play in the same scene. A few years later and they would both be off on their own paths away from school. A mutual friend suggested that Sean go see Lucky’s first film, May at its premiere, and Sean found himself impressed by his former schoolmate. As friends often do, they drifted apart but were brought back together a few years back by the charms of Facebook. Some time later Lucky contacted him specifically to see if he was still making music. Spillane had been making music on and off since leaving USC, most notably with a band called Arlo (SubPop), but was in a period of stepping back from music after having some brushes with major labels. He had some songs that had been sitting around that he thought were worthy of a listen so he sent them along and Lucky was blown away by what he heard. The songs titled “Distracted,” “JHP,” and “Patient Satellite” would go on to be the musical foundation that The Woman was built on. While Lucky was writing the shooting script of The Woman he found himself listening to those three songs on repeat, finding a way to mold key scenes around them. A couple of months later he asked Spillane if he would be interested in scoring the film, “’Not a horror score‘McKee said, ‘Just songs.’”

Soon enough Sean Spillane found himself driving cross country with his gear, ready to walk onto set and get down to work on creating the score for The Woman. Typical creative worries about whether or not he would succumb to writers block or whether Lucky would even like what he wrote quickly faded away. “Being on set, seeing the crew, being around all of them and absorbing the atmosphere of the town, it just made me write like crazy and gave me so much inspiration.” The first song he wrote while on set was “Time To Die” and it received an immediate resounding, “Yes! Keep going!” from Lucky. At the end of shooting each day Spillane would deliver what he had been working on and continued to get positive reinforcement from Lucky, a smooth and seamless collaboration to craft the sound of The Woman.

The score of the film melds effortlessly with the film itself. They’re complimentary to one another in such full effect that they are one in the same. You can’t imagine the film without that specific music and it’s hard to not think of the film when you hear the music even out of context. While the argument could be made that this is the very essence of film scores, there’s something quite striking about this one. Could it be the decision to have the music being created while in the presence of the film? There wasn’t some composer sitting at his piano trying to find inspiration, he was there taking in the vibe of the film, not just reading a description in a script. For me personally, the soundtrack to The Woman was absolutely my favorite album of 2011. I-Tunes tells me I have listened to “Distracted” and “Patient Satellite” well over 100 times…each. I may be slightly biased about my love for the film The Woman being a huge nerd for the films of Lucky McKee. But to be fair, it’s a fine and brutal film, and even if I had never heard of Lucky McKee before I saw it I would love it the same. As for the soundtrack so expertly created by Sean Spillane while it could be a standalone album part of its beauty is in its singularity with the film itself.

Places You Go
Sean Spillane Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Watch what you say to your friends
They might be listening
And watch what you say to your enemies
They don't miss anything

'Cause the places you go
The people you know
Keeping me hanging by a thread

This is the voice that's in my head

'Cause the places you go
The people you know
Keeping me hanging by a thread
But you don't know how to capture me

And watch what you say to your teachers
They could be profiting
And watch what you say to your children
You know they copying

'Cause the places you go
The people you know
Keeping me hanging by a thread
This is the voice that's in my head

'Cause the places you go
The people you know
Keeping me laughing, crying, scratching, fighting
But you don't know how to capture me

Moving on, walking away
Gently waving goodbye

Passing through and I won't say nothing
I know it always makes you cry

Overall Meaning

In Sean Spillane's song "Places You Go," the lyrics predominantly revolve around introspection and self-evaluation. The song starts by emphasizing the importance of watching what we say, both around friends and enemies alike. The lines "They might be listening / And watch what you say to your enemies / They don't miss anything" suggest that people tend to be more cautious when it comes to talking to their enemies. But the song is not only warning us about our enemies, but it also urges us to be careful when interacting with teachers and our own children.

The chorus clings to a sense of reality check where we are cautioned that the places we visit, the people we associate with, have a profound impact on us. The line "Keeping me hanging by a thread" highlights the idea that every person we meet has a degree of influence over us, either positive or negative. The song follows through with the thought that, while others can influence or change us, it is up to us, whether we let them have that power over us or not. It is ultimately the singer's choice to let these interactions change him, as seen in the line "But you don't know how to capture me."

The final verses highlight the singer's process of moving on and moving forward in life, seen in the lines "Moving on, walking away / Gently waving goodbye / Passing through and I won't say nothing / I know it always makes you cry." It drives home the point that interactions with others may change us, but we must continue to grow, even if the process can be painful.

Line by Line Meaning

Watch what you say to your friends
Be careful of what you share with your comrades

They might be listening
They could be paying attention to what you say

And watch what you say to your enemies
Be wary of the words you use with those who oppose you

They don't miss anything
They are always vigilant and observant

'Cause the places you go
The environments you frequent

The people you know
The individuals you associate with

Keeping me hanging by a thread
Causing me to be on edge and uncertain

This is the voice that's in my head
The thoughts and concerns that continually occupy my mind

But you don't know how to capture me
You are unable to control or confine me

And watch what you say to your teachers
Be mindful of what you express to your educators

They could be profiting
They may have an ulterior motive for engaging with you