Taking Tea in the Kasbah



If you grew up in the 80’s, one of the most popular ways to show your affection to your love interest was through a making him or her a mix tape.

cassette tape

~ photo by sikegb via Flickr

I spent countless hours both making these objects of love and listening to them, treasuring the way the creator of the mix tape recorded the songs in just the right order. It was like listening to love poem through music, an art form in itself.

I like to think of the mix tape as the 80’s version of a love sonnet. This was just the conversation I had with two writer friends, Laird Sapir and Sara Foster Walpert (do check out their fabulous blogs!), on Twitter the other evening and from that conversation, Laird and I spawned the idea we have set before you:

Would Shakespeare have made a mix tape to give his love interest?

If he had lived during the 80’s, we were pretty sure he would have put down his quill, picked up a few cassettes, and started recording.

But what would he have put on that mix tape?

Laird and I asked ourselves this same question and before we knew it, Shakespeare himself had conjured up a rockin’ playlist and sent it to us. Head on over to Laird’s blog to see what the Bard put on his mix tape.

*Please note: The authors (Laird and Tami) are not responsible for these songs worming their way into your brain, causing spontaneous singing throughout the day. If you grew up in the 80’s, you may be especially vulnerable. Proceed with caution or reckless abandon, whichever suits you on this fine day.

What do you think, dear readers? Would the Bard have made mix tapes? Did he forgot to include any songs on his playlist? Do tell! I’d love to hear from you.

10 thoughts on “If Shakespeare Made A Mix Tape

  1. on ,
    Laird Sapir said:

    I can’t get “Every Rose Has it’s Thorn” out of my head right now. *sigh* I suppose it’s the price one pays for helping to bring the truth to light…

    • Lol! Yes, it is the price we pay for helping the Bard get his playlist out there. 🙂

  2. LOVE LOVE LOVE you’re header! Wish I’d been in on that conversation. Must have been interesting.

  3. Actually, I can see Shakespeare as more of a hip-hop artist scratching records and wearing a giant hourglass on a golden chain around his neck.

    • Lol! I think Shakespeare’s music evolved over time. Who knows? He may show up again to tell me and Laird what new music he’s listening to sometime in the near future. 😉

  4. What a cool concept, playlists from historical figures. Elizabeth I. Julius Caesar. Attila the Hun.

    • Attila the Hun – lol! I’d bet he would have been into the Monster Power Ballads of the 80’s, too. You know, when he wasn’t plundering and killing and such. A friend of mine made some suggestions for the playlist for the Bard and she referenced her “Monster Ballads: Every Bad Boy Has His Soft Side” CD (yes, that was the actual title). Attila had a soft side, right? 😉

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