I’ve decided to warp a currently popular Facebook game to my own ends. I’m so devious!
Here’s the deal: I’m going to put my iPod on shuffle, then after the jump, I’m going to list the first lines of the first thirty songs that play. No skipping allowed, though if the first line includes the song’s title, I’ll use the line just after.
Then in the comment section, you have to identify the song title and the artist for each line. As each song is correctly identified, I will add it to an “answer list” just below the initial post. Let’s see how long it takes to get them all!
And two more things:
(1) Don’t look these lyrics up on the internet. Cheaters never win, y’all.
(2) If you want to generate your own list, just e-mail it to me here. I’ll post it, and we can all start guessing.
Let’s get started!
The First Lines from Thirty Randomly Played Songs on My iPod
(You supply artist and title)
(1) How can I explain… when there are few words I can choose?
(2) Daddy sits on the front porch swingin’, lookin’ out on a vacant field.
(3) I’m on my way to the new storefront church on the East Side.
(4) Each morning I get up, I die a little — can barely stand on my feet.
(5) When I am older than these small goddamn hills
(6) Thought I ran into you down on the street, then it turned out to only be a dream
(7) How can it happen every time: You ask this question, the answer seems like a lie.
(8) I gave you all of my money. Time after time, you’ve done me wrong.
(9) You could’ve called me up to say good luck. You could’ve called me back, you stupid fuck.
(10) As I look at what I’ve done, the type of life that I’ve lived, how many things I pray the father will forgive.
(11) Detroit to D.C. Night train, Capitol parts east.
(12) These hand-me-downs I am wearing are worn at the knee.
(13) I took my sister down to the ocean, but the ocean made me feel stupid.
(14) I see your money on the floor, I felt the pocket change
(15) Over mountains, over trees, over oceans, over seas, across the desert
(16) I know you don’t mean to be mean to me.
(17) These are just a couple of my cravings.
(18) Let’s dance: You can do a little two-step.
(19) A woman on the radio talks about revolution, but it’s already passed her by.
(20) I hope the ring you gave to her turns her finger green.
(21) Hush, just stop. There’s nothing you can do or say, baby.
(22) Ron and Nancy got the House, but Sid and Nancy rule.
(23) One day we are young, and by the next one we are old.
(24) What’s the time? Seems it’s already morning.
(25) Will someone please call the surgeon who can crack my ribs and repair this broken heart that you’re deserting for better company?
(26) I wonder if I take you home, would you still be in love, baby?
(27) “Look out the left,” the captain said, “The lights down there, that’s where we’ll land.”
(28) I used to think maybe you loved me, now baby I’m sure.
(29) The catcalls through the night, and two chicks in the parking lot cracked wise on the price of fame.
(30) Thugs and bad men, punks and lifers, locked up interns, pigs and snitches.
Answers:
Are you sure you want to know?
Alright then…
Here are the answers we have so far… (songs in bold type stumped everyone, so I supplied the answers)
(1) Erasure, “Chains of Love”
(2) Dixie Chicks, “Long Time Gone”
(3) Lori McKenna, “Mr. Sunshine”
(4) Queen, “Somebody to Love”
(5) Rufus Wainwright, “Beautiful Child”
(6) Green Day, “Whatsername”
(7) Toad the Wet Sprocket, “Before You Were Born”
(8) Cyndi Lauper, “When You Were Mine”
(9) Pink, “Last to Know”
(10) Lauryn Hill, “I Used to Love Him”
(11) 10,000 Maniacs, “The Big Parade”
(12) Mindy Smith, “Raggedy Ann”
(13) Jens Lekman, “The Opposite of Hallelujah”
(14) REM, “Gardening at Night”
(15) Escape Club, “I’ll Be There”
(16) Carrie Underwood, “I Know You Won’t”
(17) Rufus Wainwright, “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk”
(18) Madonna w/Warren Beatty, “Now I’m Following You (Part I)”
(19) Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Now”
(20) Kelly Clarkson, “Never Again”
(21) Britney Spears, “Stronger”
(22) Dar Williams, “Allelulia”
(23) Ryan Adams, “Tears of Gold”
(24) Roxette, “Spending My Time”
(25) Postal Service w/Jenny Lewis, “Nothing Better”
(26) Black Eyed Peas, “Don’t Phunk With My Heart”
(27) Joni Mitchell, “This Flight Tonight”
(28) Katrina and the Waves, “Walking On Sunshine”
(29) New Pornographers, “Use It”
(30) Robyn, “Dream On”
34 responses so far ↓
1 Roommate Joe // Feb 2, 2009 at 12:45 am
20. Kelly Clarkson “Never Again”
21. Britney Spears, “Stronger”
28. Katrina and the Waves, “Walkin’ on Sunshine”
29. New Pornographers, “Use It” [LOVE!]
And no. 2 is KILLING me.
2 Amanda // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:05 am
2. Long Time Gone- Dixie Chicks (though I think Darrell Scott wrote the song)
So, these are my guesses for the artists but I’ve been racking my brains for song titles and coming up with zilch:
10. Lauryn Hill
22. Dar Williams
25. Postal Service
27. Bright Eyes?
3 Amanda // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:07 am
Just kidding about 27. It’s definitely NOT Bright Eyes.
4 J.D. // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:09 am
2. Dixie Chicks, “Long Time Gone”
6. Green Day, “Whatsername”
That’s all I could get, LOL.
5 Stephanie D. // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:25 am
1. Erasure “Chains of Love”
19. Jesus Jones “Right Here Right Now”
26. Black Eyes Peas “Don’t Phunk with my Heart”
6 Stephanie D. // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:27 am
2. Dixie Chicks “Long Time Gone”
7 BeRightBack // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:56 am
25: Postal Service w/ Jenny Lewis: Nothing Better
8 Catherine // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:58 am
1: Erasure, “Chains of Love”
9 Mark Blankenship // Feb 2, 2009 at 2:12 am
Excellent start! Keep ‘em coming, y’all!
10 Nicole // Feb 2, 2009 at 2:21 am
18. Madonna w/Warren Beatty “Now I’m Following You”
11 LK // Feb 2, 2009 at 3:05 am
I only knew 2. That’s pitiful.
(6) Green Day, “Whatsernameâ€
(19) Jesus Jones, “Right Here, Right Nowâ€
12 David // Feb 2, 2009 at 3:28 am
(5) – “Beautiful Child” Rufus Wainwright
(17) – “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk”, also by Rufus Wainwright
(14) – “Radio Free Europe” REM
That’s all I’ve got
13 Mark Blankenship // Feb 2, 2009 at 3:32 am
Close on the REM, David. Same basic era as “Radio Free Europe,” but a different song.
14 David Fountain // Feb 2, 2009 at 3:35 am
Ohhh figured out another one!
(13) “The Opposite of Hallelujah” by Jens Lenkman
15 David Fountain // Feb 2, 2009 at 3:37 am
Damnit on the REM flub. I was singing it in my head but couldn’t get to the chorus til now. “Gardening at Night”, yah?
16 Mark Blankenship // Feb 2, 2009 at 3:41 am
Indeed! “Gardening at Night” is correct.
And I’m glad you got the Jens Lekman. I love his music.
17 ferretrick // Feb 2, 2009 at 10:05 am
22) The Dar Williams song is Alleluia.
18 Maria // Feb 2, 2009 at 11:08 am
4. Queen, “Somebody to Love”
19 K. // Feb 2, 2009 at 11:34 am
#10 is “I Used to Love Him,” by Lauryn Hill.
20 K. // Feb 2, 2009 at 11:49 am
Also (sorry, should have read more carefully), #24 is “Spending My Time,” by Roxette.
21 gonzalo // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:43 pm
#9 is Last to Know, by Pink (or P!nk if I were to succumb to her ridiculous spelling ideas).
22 Mark Blankenship // Feb 2, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Stay strong, gonzalo! She will never be”P!nk” to me.
23 Lee // Feb 2, 2009 at 2:11 pm
Number 8 – When You Were Mine, Prince
10 – The Big Parade, 10000 Maniacs
Some of these are from favorite artists of mine, but seeing them instead of hearing them left me totally confused.
24 Mark Blankenship // Feb 2, 2009 at 2:19 pm
My iPod actually pulled up Cyndi Lauper’s version of “When You Were Mine.” I didn’t think about the “mulitple artists/same song” dilemma… but I’ll just put Cyndi on the answer sheet.
25 Kari // Feb 2, 2009 at 2:33 pm
27. Joni Mitchell-This Flight Tonight
26 Stephanie D. // Feb 2, 2009 at 10:33 pm
12. Mindy Smith “Raggedy Ann”
27 Shissher // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:30 am
I know that you’re chosing songs from your I-Pod, but partial credit for ”I Need It Tonight” originally done by Lisa Lisa.
28 Stephanie D. // Feb 3, 2009 at 12:38 am
23. Ryan Adams “Tears of Gold”
29 Kingoftunes // Feb 3, 2009 at 3:49 am
I have almost all these songs on my own iPod! And let me just take a minute to request a moment of silence for my dear departed iTunes, which crashed last week, forcing an emergency rush to Apple and their inaptly named “Geniuses”.
#15 is I’ll Be There by the Escape Club. This song is way better than “Wild Wild West”. #30 is Robyn’s “Dream On”.
30 Maria // Feb 3, 2009 at 1:47 pm
Oh god. 15 is “I’ll Be There” by Escape Club. Holy high school flashbacks.
31 Laura Mc. // Feb 3, 2009 at 2:58 pm
2. Dixie Chicks. Long Time Gone
5. Rufus. Beautiful Child
17. Rufus. Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk
I can’t beleive I didn’t know the Britney!
32 Mark Blankenship // Feb 4, 2009 at 1:20 am
I cannot believe that TWO people got the Escape Club song. I thought I was the only person left in the world who still knew it, up to and including the members of Escape Club. SO AWESOME.
33 Mark Blankenship // Feb 4, 2009 at 1:21 am
Oh also… Shissher, which song has the Lisa Lisa “I Need It Tonight” sample? I’m stumped!
34 Amanda // Feb 4, 2009 at 5:48 pm
King of Tunes, I sympathize. Mine crashed, the Geniuses were no help, I wrote an angry email, Apple asked if they could call me, I told them specific times to do so, they called me once every four hours on THREE days that I told them were no good. Genius obviously has its limitations.
Mark, I had NO idea Jenny Lewis sang on that Postal Service song until re-reading this list! And thank God I didn’t write “Forgive them Father” as the Lauryn Hill title, as I considered doing–total mortification.
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