first line song meme, redux

[clauclauclaudia]

Oh yes, another one of these....

Step 1: Put your music player on shuffle.

Step 2: Post the first line (unless the first line reveals the song title) from the first 30 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing.
Step 3: Strike through the songs when someone guesses both artist and track correctly.
Step 4: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is CHEATING!
Step 5: If you like the game, post your own!

(ganked from miss_bowtruckle this time)

1. We're talking away, I don't know what I'm to say

2. Clearing webs from the hovel, a blistered hand on the handle of a shovel

3. Shall I shy down, that's boring, snoring [I predict this to be a toughie--actually, I think this came up the last time I did one of these memes]
I'd like to teach me to sing in perfect harmony

4. No man, no madness, though their sad power may prevail

5. When we wore a heart of stone we wandered to the sea

6. Couldn't ask for a better day, two by two

7. Dance dance, dance dance dance all right, dance dance dance, everybody dance! [okay, this was just a tease -- skipping ahead]
The mama pajama rolled out of bed and she ran to the police station

8. Come out, Virginia, don't let it wait

9. You want to lose your only friend? Well, keep it up, you're doing fine

10. Ahh, now I don't hardly know her

11. I'm John, Hinkley, you are, Stephen Sondheim on high

12. I remember the nights I watched as you lay sleeping
Your body gripped by some faraway dream

13. Oh yeah? That's what you think!

14. It's not often that time turns itself around

15. Hey, pal, feelin' blue?

16. (spoken) Gather round, handmaidens of sorrow! (sung) Sound the flute, blow the horn...

17. (dialogue skipped) Everyone's a little bit unsatisfied

18. Today I strike out on my own.
The dog is dead, the kids have grown.

19. Here I'm debating time, I'm waiting, chime the wake
Free fall the cannonball volcanic shatters on the lake

20. Benjamin, you nasty youth!

21. I peeked in to say goodnight
And I heard my child in prayer

22. Why are there so many songs about rainbows

23. Someone else's world goes by
As my train runs through this night

24. Andy would bicycle across town in the rain to bring you candy

25. Hands touch, eyes meet, sudden silence, sudden heat

26. Why is it that as we grow older and stronger, the road signs point us adrift and make us afraid

27. Love endures, it clings away
When asked to leave, it begs to stay
Like the perfect song in imperfect times
It's the way the chords struck with the rhymes

28. Even without our help, look at the way he won
Everyone sold him short! {Think they'll ask for a recount?}

29. Joan was quizzical, studied pataphysical science in the home

30. Early in the evening, just about suppertime

Edit: 9:19 PM EST, 40% done, and two Sondheim songs still up for grabs? Shocked. Shocked, I tell you. (Three other showtunes too.)

And, uh, half the post was struck due to an html error. Better now.

Edit: 12:17 AM: of the 9 songs left, 6 are by three artists already identified for other songs.

Added more lines for the songs that are still mysteries.

Comments

[miss-bowtruckle.livejournal.com]

#8 Only the Good Die Young-- Billy Joel

#22 The Rainbow Connection--Kermit the Frog

#29 Maxwell's Silver Hammer--The Beatles

#30 Bad Moon Rising--CCR

[clauclauclaudia]

Hee hee. All correct but 30. Right artist, though.

[miss-bowtruckle.livejournal.com]

Or...duh...#30 Down on the Corner. ;)

[clauclauclaudia]

*grin*

[dumble.livejournal.com]

8. Only The Good Die Young, Billy Joel
10. Crimson and Clover, by um, someone...
17. For Now (I think?), Avenue Q
22. Rainbow Connection, Kermit the Frog
25. I'm Not That Girl, Wicked
30. Down On The Corner, Creedance Clearwater Revival (though, I have to admit, I had to look up the artist)

[clauclauclaudia]

Hee. Need the artist for 10, but the rest are correct. Though Paula snuck in ahead of you on some.

[angelbabe_cj]

17. For Now - Avenue Q
20. Benjamin's Calypso - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (I think it's that one)

I have a couple more I need to think about too.

[clauclauclaudia]

But of course. I told you you'd know some of them. There are other showtunes too, but I don't know which shows you know.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

20. Aw, the silly calypso part wasn't added until *way* later, though that line was still there. Just no calypso. I have the vinyl somewhere to prove it. :)

But to add something to the process:
2. Hammer and a Nail, IG

[clauclauclaudia]

... interesting. I've never heard a version that didn't have the Benjamin Calypso. That would be a distinctly inferior show, IMO. The brothers' group numbers are necessary to add some lightness to the story.

Are you sure the vinyl didn't just omit some songs? There are some Cats songs that never made it onto the soundtrack....

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

I'm having a hard time finding the historical info of when the various songs were added. The album I had pre-dated the Broadway opening and also had other significant differences. (I also have the original Broadway cast recording on CD.)

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

1. "Take on Me," a-ha.
9. "Nobody's Side," the Chess soundtrack.
10. "Crimson & Clover," Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (Could be Tommy James and the Shondells, but seems less likely.)
11. "Forbidden Assassins," Forbidden Broadway
30. "Down on the Corner," CCR

[clauclauclaudia]

Yes indeed! Though, given the nature of my friends list, I'm going to be ULTRA-pedantic and not give you 9.

[firni.livejournal.com]

I can't think, so here... have some bad 80s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBGIQ7ZuuiU

[clauclauclaudia]

DEFinitely not on my playlist.

[ceo]

2. Indigo Girls, "Hammer And A Nail"
5. Sarah McLachlan, 'Drawn To The Rhythm".
6. Carbon Leaf, "The Boxer".

[clauclauclaudia]

Oh good, you know Carbon Leaf! I could tell that was going to be a sticking point on this playlist.

[clauclauclaudia]

And, take another look if it seemed like most of the list was done. I had an html error for a few minutes.

[tiamat360.livejournal.com]

Okay, Matt says that #2 is "Hammer and Nail," by the Indigo Girls.

Also, despite its strikethrough, I don't see the answer to #15. It's "Everybody's Got the Right," from Assassins.

I also feel like #16 is "Blow, Gabriel, Blow," from Anything Goes.

[clauclauclaudia]

Yeah, I had an html error briefly. Take another look if you like!

Nice guess on 16, I see the reasoning. But no.

[saxikath]

#4 is "Anthem," from Chess.
#13 is "My New Philosophy," from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown.

There are a couple others I feel I should know, but am not coming up with.

[clauclauclaudia]

More showtunes geeks! Yup. And I unstruck 9. ;-) Can you be as pedantic as me?

[saxikath]

It's the bit right before "Nobody's Side," I think, but I don't remember what that's called.

[ceo]

14. Patty Larkin, "I'm Fine"

[clauclauclaudia]

But of course.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Not even going to try. Just dropping in to say "Howdy stranger! Long time no see!" Also, happy almost-birthday!

[clauclauclaudia]

Howdy, Bill! It's good to hear from you. And thanks!

I may go to an impossible-to-get-into restaurant for my birthday. Apparently it's always empty Superbowl Sunday. *rubs hands*

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Great! I hope it's a wonderful celebration for you.

[wcg.livejournal.com]

And now the day is upon us! Happy birthday!

[whipartist.livejournal.com]

#9 is You want to lose your only friend? from Chess. I think that's the title, at least.

[clauclauclaudia]

Being super-pedantic on this one is a higher bar than I thought, it turns out. I may give it to Jason after all. And no, if that were the title it'd have been disallowed by the rules, like Suzanne and several other lovely songs I omitted.

[whipartist.livejournal.com]

http://www.amazon.com/Chess-1988-Original-Broadway-Cast/dp/B000002WBG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1201920530&sr=1-2

Track #7 is titled "You Want to Lose Your Only Friend?"

I claim that there is more than one right answer. :-)

[clauclauclaudia]

True enough, but that's the inferior version of the show!

[saxikath]

Is it just called "Argument"? (I haven't gone and looked it up. Yet. :) )

[clauclauclaudia]

Nope. That's a different track of the London version, the one that begins "I would have thought in the average affair/ That the first hint of trouble would be/ Oh, so small; barely perceptible, easy to miss/ Why is ours on TV?!"

Leading into Florence's other solo.

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

#9 -- "The American and Florence" from Chess

[clauclauclaudia]

Tom Smith for the win! *grin* It's a pleasure.

[metagnat.livejournal.com]

26. You're Aging Well - Dar Williams (love that song)

[clauclauclaudia]

As do I, as do I. ;-)

[rmd.livejournal.com]

16 is the funeral number from "a funny thing happened on the way to the forum" by sondheim.

24 is "i'm the luckiest guy (on the lower east side)" by magnetic fields.

[clauclauclaudia]

And these are the things I rely on you for.

Well, some of them. *smooch*

[dr_whom]

I don't know any of the remaining ones, but I suspect (12) is from Miss Saigon.

[clauclauclaudia]

A good guess, but no.

There is precisely one showtune left unguessed. I'm a bit surprised neither whipartist nor rmd got it, because I think I know that they're both familiar with the show....

[cassandrasimplx.livejournal.com]

1: Icon love! May I?

2: Driven mad by the familiarity of 28, I Googled for it and discovered that your journal is open to search engines; you can fix that if it's not what you want (second entry under "Additional Privacy options").

[clauclauclaudia]

1: Sure, but I didn't make it--look on my pics page and credit it however I did.

2: Yup, I know, that's the way I like it. If I don't want search engines to know, I friends-lock.

[lowellboyslash.livejournal.com]

Oooh, I really want #12 to be from Miss Saigon, and it really isn't. Bugger! FAIL.

[clauclauclaudia]

You and dr_whom. Alas, no.

I'm about to add more lines to the stumpers, though I'm not sure how much it will help!

[iamlisabee.livejournal.com]

#7 Me and Julio down by the school yard - simon (and garfunkel)?

[clauclauclaudia]

Yes. Though in this case it's the Sesame Street version, with a small child chirping "Dance, dance, dance!" at the beginning. ;-)