David Wild: "Isolation": A Very Public Playlist for J.D. Salinger

"I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody," J.D. Salinger wrote in Franny And Zooey. "I'm sick of myself and everybody else that wants to make some kind of a splash." By virtue of his genius as a writer and the fact that he became a fascinatingly elusive character in his own right, J.D. Salinger remains even after his death an absolute somebody. In the weeks ahead, Salinger is posthumously making the kind of splash that he resisted most of his life. As a fan, I can't absolutely can't wait to see Shane Salerno's documentary Salinger out September 6th -- and read the accompanying biography Salerno has written with David Shields. Until then, here are my own songs for Salinger -- beginning with a masterpiece by another great writer who was killed by someone who brutally misunderstood The Catcher in the Rye. Here's hoping we all understand Salinger more in the weeks to come. As always, please raise high the roof beam and add your own songs -- and thoughts -- below.


ISOLATION - John Lennon

SECRET WORLD - Peter Gabriel

CATCHER IN THE RYE - Guns 'N Roses

WHO WROTE HOLDEN CAUFIELD? - Green Day

BANANAFISHBONES - The Cure

WILLIAM HOLDEN CAUFIELD - Too Much Joy

ALL BY MYSELF - Eric Carmen

SPEEDWAY - Counting Crows

WE'RE GONNA BE FRIENDS - The White Stripes

DES FLEURS POUR SALINGER - Indochine

PRIVATE UNIVERSE - Crowded House

YOUNG FOLKS - Peter Bjorn & John

HEY FRANNY, IT ZOOEY - A_Scissors

LEAVE ME ALONE - Michael Jackson

EVERYONE'S ALONE - Josh Doyle

ALONE AND FORSAKEN - Hank Williams

PRIVATE PROPERTY - Ringo Starr

SOME SECRETS - Curt Smith

IF YOU REALLY WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT - The Ataris

IF I WERE A CARPENTER - Tim Hardin

WHEN I'M ALONE - Sam Phillips

I THINK WE'RE ALONE NOW - Tommy James & The Shondells

I'VE BEEN TO TOWN - Frank Sinatra

THAT'S YOUR SECRET - Seal Level

NATIVE NEW YORKER - Odyssey

ALONE AGAIN (NATURALLY) - Gilbert O'Sullivan

BEING ALONE TOGETHER - David & David

YOUR SECRET'S SAFE WITH ME - Michael Franks

ONLY THE LONELY - Roy Orbison

LADY WRITER - Dire Straits

DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET? - Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas