The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Passage by Justin Cronin

I selected the song "You Gotta Survive" by Tom Robinson because the lyrics fit with the storyline.  In the novel, government experiments on prison inmates lead to a mass infection that causes humans to turn into monsters known as Virals who feed off of humans.  The world is in chaos and literally "every city's been burned" because the military thought that burning would get rid of the Virals (Robinson).  Of course this burning didn't stop the Virals and now there are more Virals than humans. 

The infection is "the plague" that turns humans into monsters.  Characters in the story beg "to be put out of their misery" should they become infected (Robinson).  They fear turning into monsters who feed off of humans. The few humans who have survived are on a passage to find a safe haven and possibly a cure.  They travel the "'B' roads/hiding from the [Virals]/hitting the ditches/everytime someone comes" (Robinson).  The characters on the passage must hide in order to survive and carry on the human race.

Amy, who was experimented on when she was six seems immune to death and is able to communicate with the Virals. She may be the only hope humanity has to survive the apocalypse.

You Gotta Survive by Tom Robinson

Three boys working on a slave gang
Chained in the cottage at night
Killed the overseer, broke down the door
Now they gonna shoot us on sight
Night time sticking to the 'B' roads
Hiding from the men with the guns
Hitting the ditches
Everytime somebody comes

Every single house has been looted
Every single city's been burned
Every can of food has been opened
Every single stone has been turned
Found this Parka on a deadman
Jamie got a couple of knives
Countryside crawling with maniacs
You gotta survive

Carrion crows on the motorway
Old woman dying of the plague
She cried 'put me out of my misery'
Charlie had to give her his blade
Streets full of slavers on the rampage
Wild boys running by the score
Weeks without eating
Can't carry on anymore