It's the leisure of the mind

[sovay]

This particular meme I picked up from setsuled: list a lyric from the first twenty-five songs in your randomized playlist and invite people to guess the song title and artist. I have weeded out the instrumentals and songs in languages other than English, of which there were a number. There goes the accuracy of this sampling. I'm almost certain I've run this meme before.

1) My daughter married young and went her own way. My sons lie buried by the Burma railway. (Gordon Bok, "Now I'm Easy." —angevin2)

2) I'm not crazy, I'm just a little impaired. (Matchbox 20, "Unwell." —ide_cyan)

3) Nothing venture, nothing win. Blood is thick, but water's thin. ("If you go in you're sure to win," Iolanthe. —angevin2)

4) His voice murmured sweet things—the rustle of unraveling, the creak of the backseat springs, and kisses and steam.

5) Just then a bolt of lightning struck the courthouse out of shape. (Bob Dylan, "Drifter's Escape." —shewhomust)

6) This could be a very pleasant place around here with Jacquot, and Marguerite. And though Renardo steals, he's very sweet.

7) Vote for Walter O'Brien! (The Kingston Trio, "Charlie on the MTA." —chriscrick)

8) You used to be so amused at Napoleon in rags and the language that he used. (Bob Dylan, "Like a Rolling Stone." —wyldemusick)

9) Fourscore years living down in this rainswept town. Sea-salt tears swimming round as the rain comes down. (The Decemberists, "From My Own True Love (Lost at Sea)." —tithenai)

10) We've gained notoriety and caused much anxiety in the Audubon Society with our games. (Tom Lehrer, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park." —desperance)

11) Will you tell us where the naughty children go? Will you show how the sky turned white and everybody froze? (The Dresden Dolls, "Mrs. O." —setsuled)

12) Caught in the flare of acetylene light, a working man works till the industry dies. (Sting, "Island of Souls." —seajules)

13) Mass psychosis was the diagnosis, so we all cashed our checks and went wild. (The Squirrel Nut Zippers, "La Grippe." —matociquala)

14) Rise up, the mistress of this house with gold all on your breast, for the summer springs so fresh and green and gay. (The Watersons, "Swinton May Song" —nineweaving)

15) Who is this broken man cluttering up my hallway? Who is this unfortunate? ("Pilate and Christ," Jesus Christ Superstar. —angevin2)

16) I always tried to keep myself tied to this world. (VNV Nation, "Epicentre." —watermelontail)

17) Born in a house where the doors shut tight, shadowy fingers on the curtains at night. (The Incredible String Band, "Koeeoaddi There." —nineweaving)

18) And if the population should greet us with indignation, we chop 'em to bits because we like our hamburgers raw.

19) Jump like a fish, jump like a porpoise, all join hands and habeas corpus! (The Chad Mitchell Trio, "Lizzie Borden." —albionidaho)

20) There's sex and death and human grime in monochrome for one thin dime. At least the trains all run on time, but they don't go anywhere. (David J, "This Vicious Cabaret." —setsuled)

21) She's dying in the frost. I wonder what she cost me. (Robyn Hitchcock, "Madonna of the Wasps." —rushthatspeaks)

22) And physical love ain't so bad, either. ("All I Care About Is Love," Chicago. —coraline)

23) The green knight holds the holly bush to mark where the old year passes by. (Loreena McKennitt, "All Soul's Night." —tithenai)

24) But I believe that since my life began, the most I've had is just a talent to amuse. (Noel Coward, "If Love Were All." —chriscrick)

25) An angel's face is tricky to wear constantly. (Tori Amos, "Purple People." —setsuled and coraline)

Comments

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

1 is "Now I'm Easy" -- not sure who did it originally, though I know June Tabor recorded it (I have that version).

3 is "If you go in" from Iolanthe.

I am very annoyed because I know 14 is a song the Watersons recorded, and I can't remember what it's called.

[sovay]

"Now I'm Easy" -- not sure who did it originally, though I know June Tabor recorded it (I have that version).

Originally it's Eric Bogle's, but I don't own his version and I realized there's no way for a reader to tell—this is Gordon Bok's. So it counts.

"If you go in" from Iolanthe.

Yes!

I am very annoyed because I know 14 is a song the Watersons recorded, and I can't remember what it's called.

It's definitely the Watersons, if that helps.

[angevin2.livejournal.com]

Oh, and 15 is "Christ before Pilate" from Jesus Christ Superstar.

[sovay]

"Christ before Pilate" from Jesus Christ Superstar.

Strictly speaking, it's "Pilate and Christ," but yes.

[ide-cyan.livejournal.com]

2) "Unwell", by Matchbox 20

[sovay]

"Unwell", by Matchbox 20

Indeed!

[chriscrick.livejournal.com]

Ooh, ooh, 24 is Noel Coward. Not sure of the title -- is it "Hey ho, if love were all"?

And "Vote for Walter O'Brian" is from "Charlie on the MTA". Kingston Trio? Peter, Paul and Mary? Dunno which version you have.

Chris

[sovay]

Not sure of the title -- is it "Hey ho, if love were all"?

"If Love Were All." Works for me.

Kingston Trio? Peter, Paul and Mary? Dunno which version you have.

Kingston Trio. I should have weeded out some of these that were technically covers.

[desperance.livejournal.com]

10 is Tom Lehrer, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park" (and - d'oh! - it's the Audubon Society! Of course it is! Why did I always hear "autobahn society"? What did I ever think it meant...?)

[sovay]

Tom Lehrer, "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"

It is!

Why did I always hear "autobahn society"? What did I ever think it meant...?

That's kind of awesome, actually.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

14) Rise up, the mistress of this house with gold all on your breast, for the summer springs so fresh and green and gay.

The Watersons, "Swinton May Song"

"And if your body is asleep, we hope your soul's at rest."

Nine

[sovay]

The Watersons, "Swinton May Song"

Well, I did get it from you . . .

[tithenai.livejournal.com]

9 - The Decemberists, "From my Own True Love (Lost at Sea)"

23 - Loreena McKennitt, "All Souls' Night"

[sovay]

The Decemberists, "From my Own True Love (Lost at Sea)"

Right!

Loreena McKennitt, "All Souls' Night"

And also right!

[wyldemusick.livejournal.com]

8 is Bob Dylan, "Like A Rolling Stone." Took me a while, as I had the song rattling around in my head and refusing to fully resolve.

9 is The Decemberists, from Picaresque, "From My Own True Love (Lost At Sea)" although I had to beat back the notion that it was "The Tain," a glitch that likely was due to "The Tain" having cycled up on my MP3 player repeatedly, in a rather interesting attempt to burn itself into memory.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

And 5 is Dylan's "The Drifter's Escape", though it took me a little while to stop "Black Diamond Bay" playing in my head.

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

17) Born in a house where the doors shut tight, shadowy fingers on the curtains at night.

The Incredible Sring Band, "Koeeoaddi There"

Nine

[sovay]

The Incredible Sring Band, "Koeeoaddi There"

Also from you, although we have some of their records downstairs.

[stephen-dedman.livejournal.com]

8 is 'Like a Rolling Stone', by Bob Dylan.

[stephen-dedman.livejournal.com]

And 10 is 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' by Tom Lehrer.

[kraada.livejournal.com]

9) "From My Own True Love" - The Decemberists

[sovay]

"From My Own True Love" - The Decemberists

Already taken, but entirely correct.

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

10) Tom Lehrer, "Poisoning Pigions in the Park"
13) The Squirrel Nut Zippers, La Grippe

[sovay]

The Squirrel Nut Zippers, La Grippe

That's the name for a thousand pound!

[penprickle.livejournal.com]

19) Jump like a fish, jump like a porpoise, all join hands and habeas corpus!

Pennsic War IV, by Michael Longcor?

You can't swing a broadsword when you're in the forest?

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

I shudder to say I know which song you mean.

[xterminal.livejournal.com]

5 is Drifter's Escape, but it's been done my so many people...

I'll take a wild stab at Dylan's version, 'cause I think it's the best-known.

[sovay]

I'll take a wild stab at Dylan's version, 'cause I think it's the best-known.

It's the only one I own, actually. Whose else should I have heard?

[coraline]

22) is "all i care about is love" from chicago :)

25) is purple people by tori amos.

[sovay]

purple people by tori amos.

Right on both counts!

[clarionj.livejournal.com]

Mmm, love this kind of thing. I always want to buy everything after you post lyrics. When I buy music, I'm usually first attracted to the instrumental parts and later think about lyrics. The problem with that is I'm missing out on some things that are lyrically incredible because the music didn't grab me (or mostly because I haven't been exposed to it at all). I still have my list of things you've talked about at earlier dates. Now and then I get to buy something!

I'm offering no answers here because everything I know has been answered already in comments above.

[sovay]

I'm offering no answers here because everything I know has been answered already in comments above.

It's all right. I hope you are inspired—and able—to get hold of some of these songs!

[albionidaho.livejournal.com]

8) Bob Dylan -- Like a Rolling Stone

19) The Chad Mitchell Trio -- Lizzie Borden

[sovay]

The Chad Mitchell Trio -- Lizzie Borden

Yep!

[cucumberseed.livejournal.com]

Someone got #9 already, this leaves me with only #16 - "Epicenter" by VNV Nation, which I'd have to hang my head in shame if I did not get.
It so happens I have the watermelon walkies machine here, too. hmmm.

[sovay]

"Epicenter" by VNV Nation, which I'd have to hang my head in shame if I did not get.

Hee. You have no cause to hang your head in shame.

[seajules]

12 is the first track off of The Soul Cages by Sting, and it's driving me crazy because I--oh, wait! I believe it's "Island of Souls."

23 is, I think, Loreena McKennitt's "The Mummer's Dance."

[sovay]

I believe it's "Island of Souls."

Yes. I thought you might get that one . . .

Loreena McKennitt's "The Mummer's Dance."

It's "All Soul's Night." But it is Loreena McKennitt.

[stsisyphus.livejournal.com]

I don't know what #18 is, but it's going on my wall.

[sovay]

I don't know what #18 is, but it's going on my wall.

Since no one appears to have guessed: it's Marc Blitzstein's translation of the "Kanonen-Song" from Brecht and Weill's Threepenny Opera (1928, on Broadway in English in 1954).

[rushthatspeaks.livejournal.com]

21 is Robyn Hitchcock, 'Madonna of the Wasps', yes?

I haven't heard that one in... quite a while. When I get back to Boston, remind me to acquire a copy?

[sovay]

Robyn Hitchcock, 'Madonna of the Wasps', yes?

Yes!

When I get back to Boston, remind me to acquire a copy?

I need to do the same. I have only (and have only ever heard) a live version.