Lyrics meme

[pedanther]

Memed from justice_turtle and lost_spook:

1. Open up your music player. Hit shuffle.
2. Record the first few lines of the first thirty songs that come up that do not give away the name of the song. Skip instrumentals, but don't skip the embarrassing ones.
3. Make hapless LJ denizens guess the song names and artists. Google is cheating. For musical songs, the name of the musical is acceptable in place of the artist.

There's a smattering of songs from albums that I bought for only one song which isn't the song that ended up in the list. Otherwise, it's a pretty fair sampling of my collection, I think.

Some of these are live recordings; I've skipped spoken lead-ins and used the first sung lines.

Some of these are covers; I won't insist on the correct artist (some are pretty obscure).


#1.
It was just after dark when the truck started down
The hill that leads into Scranton, Pennsylvania
("30,000 Pounds of Bananas", Harry Chapin - identified by arcadiagt5)

#2.
Small pleasures, small pleasures
Who would deny us these?
("It's a Fine Life" from Oliver! - identified by splanky. Original London Cast recording)

#3.
A wim oh weh, a wim oooh weh
A wim oh weh, a wim oooh weh
("The Lion Sleeps Tonight", trad./controversial - identified by arcadiagt5. There's still a bonus point in it for anybody who can narrow down which recording)

#4.
No-one to talk with, all by myself
No-one to walk with, but I'm happy on the shelf
("Ain't Misbehaving", Fats Waller - identified by igenlode. Strictly speaking, it's Combo Fiasco's Fats Waller medley, but you can't tell that from the opening lines)

#5.
Come, my love, I'll tell you a tale
Of a boy and girl, and their love story
("Storybook Love", Willy DeVille - identified by arcadiagt5. The obligatory award-bait end-credits song from The Princess Bride, for anyone having trouble placing it)

#6.
I'm a-gonna take you down to the railway line
I'm a-gonna take you down to the railway line

#7.
I've paid my dues
Time after time
I've done my sentence
But committed no crime
("We Are The Champions", Queen - identified by arcadiagt5)

#8.
I've been in this town so long
That back in the city I've been
Taken for lost and gone
And unknown for a long, long time

#9.
When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
("Let It Be", The Beatles - identified by justice_turtle, lost_spook. The Nick Cave cover from the I Am Sam sountrack)

#10.
People say I'm no good
And crazy as a loon

#11.
I was takin' a trip out to LA
Toolin' along in my Chevrolet

#12.
Every time my tears
Have ever fallen
Keep 'em in my pocket
For a rainy day

#13.
Familiar with his kind
He'll beat someone down for fun

#14.
We're leaving together
But still it's farewell
("The Final Countdown", Europe - identified by ariaflame)

#15.
Circa mea pectora
multa sunt suspiria
("Circa mea pectora" from Carmina Burana - identified by arcadiagt5. I was concentrating so hard on getting the words I failed to notice this is one that has its title as an opening line)

#16.
Every day you walk
With stronger step
You walk with longer step
The worst is over
("A Heart Full of Love (reprise)" from Les Misérables - identified by igenlode. The 10th Anniversary Concert recording)

#17.
Well, I think it's fine
Building jumbo planes

#18.
I hear the train a-coming
It's rolling round the bend
("Folsom Prison Blues", Johnny Cash - identified by justice_turtle. The Folsom Prison live recording, naturally)

#19.
I found the answer, but I never liked it
I took my baby to the ten-step platform

#20.
Six o'clock already
I was just in the middle of a dream
("Manic Monday", The Bangles - identified by arcadiagt5, lost_spook)

#21.
All the late-night bargains have been struck
Between the satin beaus and their belles
("Your Latest Trick", Dire Straits - identified by arcadiagt5. Until I did this meme I had no idea what the words in the second line were)

#22.
There's just a few more hours
That's all the time you've got

#23.
Ah yee oh koe
Ah yoh koe
Ah yee oh koe
Ah yoh koe

#24.
Watching every motion in my foolish lover's game
On this endless ocean, finally lovers know no shame
("Take My Breath Away", Berlin - identified by lost_spook)

#25.
They made something, they played something
Brand new a baby blue machine

#26.
You are wrong, and always have been wrong
I'm a man, no worse than any man
('the track listing says "Drink With Me" but the first few minutes are actually Valjean and Javert's confrontation at the barricade' from Les Misérables - identified by igenlode. The confrontation acquires rhythm and rhyme several lines before this, but these are the first lines actually sung, at least in the 10th Anniversary Concert recording)

#27.
Time, time, time
See what's become of me
("Hazy Shade of Winter", The Bangles - identified by arcadiagt5)

#28.
Madi ao
Leka sebete chia ho oele sebatha

#29.
Ring out the bells upon this day of days
May all the angels of the Lord above
("Wedding Chorale / Beggars at the Feast" from Les Misérables - identified by arcadiagt5. The 10th Anniversary Concert recording)

#30.
All the old paintings on the tombs
They do the sand dance, don't you know
("Walk Like An Egyptian", The Bangles - identified by justice_turtle)



Skipped:
7 songs that begin with the title
17 instrumentals
6 audio book segments
1 audio drama segment
1 interview


Update: Answers here.

Comments

[pedanther]

I've listened to the Pete Seeger version on YouTube now, and I see what you mean about there being no lines that aren't "Wimoweh". Nice song; I don't think I've heard it before except the bits that ended up in "The Lion Sleeps Tonight".

Depends what you mean by "begins": the actual solo part begins "In the jungle, the quiet jungle, the lion sleeps tonight", but in most versions I know with a backing part, there's a couple of lines of wimoweh before the solo part comes in. (#23 is another where the opening lines I've given are the backing chorus rather than the beginning of the solo part - not that knowing that is likely to help you if you don't know the song.)