FANMIX * The Tower * Downton Abbey * Mary Crawley

[renrenren3]

Title: The Tower
Fandom: Downton Abbey
Subject: Mary Crawley
Notes: Made for waywardmixes's second challenge: HBICs. Lady Mary Crawley, born 1892, eldest daughter of the Earl of Grantham. Beautiful, refined and snobbish on the outside, she plays her cards close to her chest. She's a product of the world she lives in. Being female, Mary can't inherit the family's estate or money, so she needs to make a good marriage or she'll be penniless once her father dies. So she uses the only weapons that she has: her looks, her family's position and her sharp wit. And also fabulous hats. Click the question mark after each title for a (spoilery) explanation of which plot events I'm referencing with the song.







Stand Still, Look Pretty (The Wreckers)
[Mary is the prettiest and wittiest of the three Crawley sisters and has many suitors. For this reason, she's the envy of plain-looking, boring Edith. However, the Crawleys' butler says that he always loved Mary best because out of the three girls she was the one who needed him most.]

I am slowly falling apart
I wish you'd take a walk in my shoes for a start
You might think it's easy being me
You just stand still, look pretty

But people have problems that are worse than mine
I don't want you to think I'm complaining all the time
And I wish that everyone would go and shut their mouths
I'm not strong enough to deal with it

"Women like me don't have a life. We choose clothes and pay calls and work for charity and do the season.
But really we're stuck in a waiting room until we marry." --Mary

They Weren't There (Missy Higgins)
[Mary is (rather forcibly) seduced by a visiting Turkish diplomat, who dies in her bed: if the scandal is ever discovered, it will ruin Mary and her family.]

But they weren't there beneath your stare
And they weren't stripped 'till they were bare
Of any bindings from the world outside that room

And they weren't taken by the hand
And led through fields of naked land
Where any preconceived ideas were blown away

"How very disappointed you must be." --Mary

Swan Song (A Fine Frenzy)
[Mary slowly falls in love with Matthew, the heir to Downton, but she refuses him because she can't bear to tell him her secret.]

I wrote the words to the swan song
The author of the wrong
And I said what I said and I meant it
But now I regret it

Foolish, how was I so careless
Pawning off my treasure, the envy of an heiress
Now my dollars are crumbled in my pocket
How can I reclaim it?
What if someone's got it?

"Haven't you heard? I don't have a heart. Everybody knows that." --Mary

Perfect Girl (Sarah McLachlan)
[Mary is, in her mother's words, damaged goods. She loves her family and she's afraid of what her father might say or do if he found out. (Spoiler: he loves her too, he forgives her.)]

Am I faithful, am I strong, am I good enough to belong
In your reverie a perfect girl
Your vision of romance is cruel and all along I played the fool
All your expectations bury me

Don't worry you will find the answer if you let it go
Give yourself some time to falter
But don't forgo know that you're loved no matter what
And everything will come around in time

"You should learn to forget what I say. I know I do." --Mary

The Tower (Vienna Teng)
[Mary runs after her younger sister and stops her from eloping, talking her into getting their father's consent so that she's not cut off from the family. She supports her maid when her husband is put on trial for murder. She nurses Matthew back to health when he's wounded in the war, and she befriends his new fiancee, Lavinia.]

She carries the act so convincingly
The fact is sometimes she believes it
She can be happy with the way things are
Be happy with the things she's done

I need not to need
I've always been the tower
But now I feel like the flower
Trying to bloom in the snow

"Well there you are then. One day you'll meet someone else and you'll marry.
Perhaps it'll be second best, but it doesn't mean you can't have a life." --Mary

Are You Satisfied? (Marina and the Diamonds)
[Mary becomes engaged to Sir Richard, a wealthy tabloid owner who can stop the scandal from being published. Mary doesn't love Sir Richard, who is cold and manipulative, but nevertheless she's prepared to go ahead with the wedding.]

I was pulling out my hair
The day I cut the deal
Chemically calm
Was I meant to feel happy
That my life was just about to change

Are you satisfied with an average life
Do I need to lie to make my way in life
High achiever don't you see
Baby, nothing comes for free

"The awful truth is he's starting to get on my nerves." --Mary
"You're still going to marry him though?" --Matthew
"Of course. Why wouldn't I?" --Mary

Rumour Has It / Someone Like You (Glee cast)
[Mary tries to be genuinely happy for Matthew and Lavinia, even though she still has feelings for him. They both agree that he can't just break things off with Lavinia, but everyone suspects Mary and Matthew are in love. When Lavinia dies suddenly, Matthew becomes convinced that it was his fault for breaking her heart.]

I heard that you're settled down
That you found a girl and you're married now
I heard that your dreams came true
Guess she gave you things I didn't give to you

Bless your soul, you've got your head in the clouds
You made a fool out of me
And, boy, you're bringing me down
You made my heart melt, yet I'm cold to the core
But rumour has it I'm the one you're leaving her for

"Oh, Matthew, you don't mean that. You know yourself we carry more luggage than the porters at King's Cross." --Mary

Shake It Out (Florence + the Machine)
[In the end, Mary can't marry Sir Richard. She breaks off their engagement and resolves to go to America until the scandal dies out. Before leaving, she finally finds the courage to tell Matthew about the Turkish diplomat, cleaning the air from all the misunderstandings that they've been dragging around for years and getting ready for a fresh start.]

And I've been a fool and I've been blind
I can never leave the past behind
I can see no way, I can see no way
I'm always dragging that horse around

And our love is pastured such a mournful sound
Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
Cause I like to keep my issues strong
It's always darkest before the dawn


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Comments

[oaktree89.livejournal.com]

You've clearly put so much effort into this. Really beautiful artwork as well! I'm awed.

[renrenren3]

Thank you so much! I pretty much worked on song choices ever since the theme was announced, so I'm glad if it shows.

[etacanis.livejournal.com]

TRUE HBIC TBQH.

Absolutely love the songs you've chosen for her - so appropriate!

[renrenren3]

IKR SHE IS FLAWLESS. Even her flaws are flawless.

[caesaria.livejournal.com]

I love everything this mix chooses to be :D
The song choices have so much epic girl power in them and they're all completely perfect for Mary :3

[renrenren3]

Thanks! TBH I was a bit worried that it was verging into shipping territory (especially with the Adele mashup) so I'm glad. :D

[hbics.livejournal.com]

Okay. I really love this mix. I don't even watch Downton Abbey, nor do I really have any time for it in the near future, but oh my god, you've really captured and told me a story about a character that I know nothing about. Fantastic job!!

[renrenren3]

Thank you! It's a really good show, so if you ever get some time I suggest you try watching it, there's so many other brilliant characters. I'm happy if I managed to spread some more Mary love.