Songs to Send to the Severed Floor

As many have over the last several months I have become enamored with the Apple TV hit Severance. Despite what little work they do on the show, I always prefer listening to music and would like to show the innies some of that love.

Some have more rhyme or reason than others.

Mild Severance spoilers through season 2.

Once in a lifetime - Talking Heads

Although the song is written about the unconscious autopilot throughout mundane adult life, I think "Once in a Lifetime" holds an interesting connection to the concept of severed workers. Innies live out the same existence repetitively, moving from one 9-5 to another without any relief. Their entire existence is within the severed floor, “Same as it ever was." At the beginning of season one, we see Helly struggling to cope with the fact that, mentally she never leaves the severed floor. The severed self is trapped forever in the same reality it was born into, existing only as a tool within the walls of Lumon. The innie's lives are full of questions with very limited information about their lives in the outside world. “Well, How did I get here?” In the first season, Helly has very little control over her own livelihood as her outie rejects any of her attempts to quit, no matter how severe. The innies don’t have control over the person that put them there. In a different way than most, their choices condemned them to this reality.

On a more technical note, it is easy to imagine each beat drop as another day being started and stepping out of the elevator. Another unique way to imagine the song in relation to Severance is at the end of season one when the innies reach the overtime contingency and are able to switch consciousnesses with their outies. “You may find yourself in another part of the world." The start of “Once in a Lifetime" could be seen as the moment they first wake up in the outside world and try to make sense of their lives in order to enact their plan. Finding themselves in an unknown world.

I am aware that this feels like a bit of a mean pick, but I'm not sure the average innie has had enough existential dread. It also doubles as one of the best songs of all time so I cannot feel all that bad. They can just groove if they want.

Help me - Joni Mitchell

I’ve always seen "Help Me" as a joyous but realistic love song. One that recognizes the potential dangers of starting to fall for a new person but also the joy of being caught up in the feeling. “It's got me hoping for the future and worrying about the past.” Love is a recurring theme in Severance, especially in the second season, as we see all of the innies tackle different aspects of it. "Help me" reflects the joy of new feelings of being excited about where this person may fit in your life despite the risk of being found out.

"Didn't it feel good?" This song has a lot of playful joy to accompany the jazzy beat. Regardless of what their outies have experienced, it complements the innocence of the innies experimenting with something they've never had before. "When I get that crazy feelin', I know I'm in trouble again." And they do, in fact, get in trouble. Also they also do, in fact, need help.

This song also blew my mind a bit on first listen and I would love to pass it on.

Working for the Knife - Mitski

Although they have a rather unconventional job, perhaps no one has a more valid reason to be anti-corporate than the innies. Their entire existences are quite literally created to serve Lumon. They live and die for the knife. "I start the day lying and end with the truth, that I'm dying for the knife." I'm not trying to radicalize the innies per se, but if it happens in the process of this playlist, that is fine.

Lost in the Supermarket - The Clash

“ I came in here for that special offer, a guaranteed personality."

"Lost in the Supermarket" is about the balance of losing yourself to mass consumerism while maintaining an original identity. In this case, consumerism would be more aligned with the massive entity that is Lumon. The innies get progressively more lost as their allegiances to Lumon waver over time. Classic antiestablishment.

Burning Down the House - Talking Heads

Not entirely unconvinced they won't burn Lumon down.