Buffy the Vampire Slayer may have gotten off to a less-than-promising start, with its cheesy hyena-hypnotism and other goofy plotlines, but it matured into one of the most beloved and greatest TV shows ever to hit our screens. It’s just as enjoyable to rewatch today, and incredibly nineties to boot. The comic book sequels are worthy of the name too.
When it comes to favorite episodes, many fans will cite Season 6’s “Once More, With Feeling,” the iconic musical episode, in which everyone is enchanted to reveal uncomfortable truths through the medium of song. There’s a lot to unpack in these songs, and today we’ve scoured their lyrics to find some of the best lines.
“I’ve been making shows of trading blows, just hoping no-one knows that I’ve been going through the motions.” -Buffy
Of course, our heroine had to get both the first song and our first shout-out here. Buffy opens the episode with “Going Through The Motions”, a song which reveals some of the numbness she’s been feeling since she was resurrected.
At this point, she has confessed only to Spike that she believed she was in paradise after her death and being pulled out of it by her friends was devastating. Later in the episode, she admits this to her friends (through song, under Sweet’s influence) and begins to make peace with the fact that she’s back and must stay true to her calling.
“You worked your charms so well, finally I knew, everything I dreamed was true” -Tara
While Buffy the Vampire Slayer might be a show about the battle against vampires, demons, bizarre, gigantic bug-creatures and people wearing questionable prosthetics, it’s also a show featuring a band of young adults. As such, various romances are going to blossom.
Buffy and her undead beaus aside, one of the most endearing relationships in the show was that between Willow and Tara. Before tragedy struck when a stray bullet of Warren’s killed Tara, the pair had their differences over Willow’s magic use but were super happy. Tara’s song “Under Your Spell” represents a brief, peaceful time in Willow’s life, even as it foreshadows disaster coming.
“Life’s not a song, life isn’t bliss, life is just this” -Spike
As the episode wraps up and Sweet’s plan is foiled, the group combine to finish up one big group number. One line of Spike’s from “Something To Sing About” is particularly telling.
These words neatly summarize the villain-turned-anti-hero’s character arc. The conflicted vampire is initially horrified to discover he has feelings for Buffy, but is powerless to do anything to change them. All he can do is simply accept this truth and try to do his best for her and prove his love, ultimately recovering a soul and using it to sacrifice himself to save all of Sunnydale from The First during the show’s finale.
“I’ve got a theory! It could be bunnies!” -Anya
Anya Jenkins’ life was also quite a wild ride. For more than a century, she was the Vengeance Demon Anyanka, a powerful being who granted the vicious wishes of women who had been wronged by men (with generally grisly results). Later, in the show, she develops a relationship with Xander and becomes human.
Unfamiliar with the ways of human society, Anya often doesn’t act in an appropriate manner, saying or doing the ‘wrong’ things and offending countless people in the process. Her bracing frankness is the source of a lot of the humor on the show, along with her fear of rabbits. It’s all very, very Joss Whedon, a quality that the show just wouldn’t be Buffy without. This line of Anya’s is from “I Have A Theory” in which the Scoobies are trying to discover the cause of the whole musical predicament.
“I’ve read this tale, there’s wedding then betrayal”-Anya
In their duet “I’ll Never Tell,” Anya and Xander are finally able to voice their doubts and concerns about their upcoming wedding. Xander leaving Anya at the altar, fearful that their marriage won’t be a happy one, is one of the most poignant and heart-breaking moments in the show and it’s foreshadowed a little here.
This is important for two reasons. Not only does it emphasize the fact that these two characters are so much more than comic relief, it also highlights the human side of this demon-battling group.
“I died so many years ago, but you can make me feel like it isn’t so” -Spike
James Masters has a background as the lead singer of a rock band (Ghost of the Robot). It’s no surprise, then, that his soulful rendition of “Rest In Peace” is probably one of the highlights of Once More With Feeling.
Here, again, we get an insight into Spike’s mindsight and the role Buffy plays in his life. Though the pair have constantly been at odds, they just can’t let go of each other. Love is an alien concept to Spike, with all the horror of his past, and he’s not even sure if that’s what he’s feeling. All he truly knows is that he’s feeling something, and something very, very strong at that.
“Apocalypse? We’ve all been there. The same old trips, why should we care?” -Buffy
At this stage in the show, Buffy is suffering from a great deal of inner turmoil. With everything she’s had to deal with (dying for a second time being quite high on the list), it’s completely understandable that she’d feel totally uncertain about herself and hesitate to take on certain responsibilities.
In this line from “I’ve Got A Theory,” she highlights her friends’ importance to her life and the work they do together. While this is all very positive, it also suggests that she’s somewhat reliant on them. This idea forms the crux of Giles’ song, as we’ll see.
“Does Anybody Even Notice? Does Anybody Even Care?”- Dawn
The younger Summers sibling is quite the enigma. When she was first introduced, she was simply slotted into life with Buffy and her mother Joyce as though she had always been there. As we discover later, this was exactly the way things were intended to go. Dawn was actually so much more than she seemed: a completely different being sent to live with Buffy, safe with the legendary Slayer.
As it turned out, though, life with the legendary Slayer wasn’t easy. Dawn constantly felt either mollycoddled or ignored by Buffy and the gang, and though she played an important role, she still felt stifled. That’s exactly what Dawn’s lament was all about… or would have been, if it hadn’t been cut short.
“The Cries Around You, You Don’t Hear At All, Because You Know I’m Here To Take That Call” -Giles
Now, Watchers don’t always have to worry about their Slayers growing, maturing and no longer needing their teachings. After all, disembowelment by demon is a common side-effect of being a Slayer. However, Rupert Giles had reached a point in Season 6 when he thought that leaving would be the best thing he could do to help Buffy.
She had become reliant on him, unwilling to take on more responsibilities while Giles would be around to handle them. Her final step to becoming the leader she was meant to be would be a step she would have to take alone.
“Willow, don’t you see, there’ll be nothing left of me. You made me believe.” -Tara
As we’ve already seen, Willow and Tara had a super sweet relationship, but still one fraught with strife. The biggest disagreement between the two was about Willow’s use of magic, as Tara felt she was going too far and was losing herself. When Willow cast a spell to make Tara forget they’d argued, she crossed another line and lost Tara, too.
“Under Your Spell” signifies all of this, reminding us that even the most loving relationships will hit rough spots. In the end, the pair reconciled before Tara’s tragic death.
