Musical Monday #128
Welcome to the 128th edition of Musical Monday, the weekly quiz that Soccer Dad and I alternate hosting. As always, the challenge is to identify the title and artist of each song quote below, as well as the common theme of the entire set of songs.
There is a single theme this week, but the break between songs 14 and 15 separates two groups that relate to the theme somewhat differently. Also, apologies that due to a busy week as well as computer issues, this will be a shorter edition than I had hoped. I do think there are likely quite a few more songs that fit the theme, and hope you guys will find - and add - some of them!
1) "Can you tell me where he's gone?"
2) "All those dayglow freaks who used to paint the face"
3) "...or a Sam (no Sam)"
4) "Canada to India, Australia to Cornwall"
5) "He ate a crocodile"
6) "'Cause I'm swigin' thirty pounds from my hips on down"
7) "And he swore to free all of Asia Minor"
8) "He said how dare that man resent an order"
9) "In colors on the snowy linen land"
10) "Dances like a spinning top"
11) "Only takes one itchy trigger"
12) "Look at them bushes out there"
13) "But you were bad you must admit"
14) "Hate was just a legend, and war was never known"
15) "Went down to Geisha Minah"
16) "And now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight"
17) "A panda for sweet little niece"
18) "We fired once more and they began a running"
19) "He throw us all in jail for carrying harpoons"
20) "You know it's three weeks; I'm going insane"
21) "So you think you can love me and leave me to die"
22) "Like my father before me, I will work the land"
Good luck and enjoy!
posted by Elie @ 2/01/2010 08:26:00 PM -
27 Comments:
1 - Abraham, Martin and John - Dion
2 - Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan
12 - Please Mr. Custer - Larry Verne
13 - You Went The Wrong Way, Old King Louie - Allan Sherman
18 - The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
20 - I'm So Tired - The Beatles
21 - Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
5) King Tut - Steve Martin\
The first group are historical figures.
16 - Waterloo - ABBA
19 is by Bob Dylan. It starts "I was riding on the Mayflower . . . " The Captain is Captain Ay-rab, Dylan thinks he'll call it America, the crew gets thrown in jail for carrying harpoons by a cop who is "crazy as a loon," the ship gets a parking ticket, etc. In fact, the song is so absolutely wonderful that I can't remember the title.
So 20 is there because of Walter Raleigh. 21 mentions Galileo?
Is 22 "The Night they drove ol' Dixie Down" by the Band? (It mentions Robert E. Lee.)
14 is "Cortez the Killer" by Neil Young?
"Waterloo" mentions Napoleon.
So the distinction between the groups is historical figures in the title vs. in the lyrics?
Here's a bonus:
"Then they wouldn't understand a word we say/So we'll scratch it all down into the clay"
1. Abraham, Martin and John-Dion
5. King Tut-Steve Martin
11. Oliver's Army-Elvis Costello
17. Pulling Mussels from a Shell-Squeeze
20. I'm So Tired-The Beatles
21. Bohemian Rhapsody-Queen
22. The Night they Drove Old Dixie Down-The Band
10. Roll Over Beethoven-Chuck Berry, The Beatles
I was thinking that the second group was about historical incidents, but the more I think about it, I think that Clayton is right.
Pulling Mussels from a shell refers to William Tell.
The night they drove old Dixie Down refers to Robert E. Lee
19 is by Bob Dylan. It starts "I was riding on the Mayflower . . . " The Captain is Captain Ay-rab, Dylan thinks he'll call it America, the crew gets thrown in jail for carrying harpoons by a cop who is "crazy as a loon," the ship gets a parking ticket, etc. In fact, the song is so absolutely wonderful that I can't remember the title.
This cracked me up.
3) I'm Henry the Eighth I Am, Herman's Hermits
9 vincent - don mclean
Here's another bonus:
"Don't expect the words to fall too sweetly on the ear"
It occurred to me that two weeks ago, in his Martin Luther King Musical Monday, Elie used Abraham, Martin and John. Now he spun it off into a more general direction.
Same thing just happened with me. I picked Pleasant Valley Sunday for my Monkees song in my Jones MM and discovered that it was written by Goffin and King, so that led to last week's MM.
Funny how the work on one MM can inspire the next one ...
Let's review:
1) Abraham, Martin and John - Dion
2) Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan
3) I'm Henery the Eighth, I Am - Herman's Hermits
4) "Canada to India, Australia to Cornwall"
5) King Tut - Steve Martin
6) "'Cause I'm swigin' thirty pounds from my hips on down"
7) "And he swore to free all of Asia Minor"
8) "He said how dare that man resent an order"
9) Vincent - Don McLean
10) Roll Over Beethoven - Chuck Berry, The Beatles
11) Oliver's Army - Elvis Costello
12) Please Mr. Custer - Larry Verne
13) You Went the Wrong Way, Old King Louie - Allan Sherman
14) Cortez the Killer - Neil Young
15) "Went down to Geisha Minah"
16) Waterloo - ABBA
17) Pulling Mussels From a Shell - Squeeze
18) The Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
19) "He throw us all in jail for carrying harpoons" - Bob Dylan
20) I'm So Tired - The Beatles
21) Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen
22) The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down - The Band
Bonuses:
"Then they wouldn't understand a word we say/So we'll scratch it all down into the clay"
"Don't expect the words to fall too sweetly on the ear"
4. Victoria by the Kinks?
That's pretty cool, Soccer Dad.
Participating in Musical Monday has changed the way I listen to and think about songs. I'm always coming up with themes now.
In fact, one such theme would have worked well for this edition.
Thank you to both of our hosts for continuing to bring us Musical Monday.
Great so far guys, keep it up! To help narrow down the rest of the answers, focus on the 19th century and earlier. I like my "history" nice and old; makes me feel younger!
Meanwhile, I just posted the solutions to the previous two MMs, #124 and #126, so go check those out as well.
Since there are only four songs left to get to 100%, here are hints on the remaining ones:
#6 is about an American folk hero, but one who several historians feel is based on a real person, which is why this song qualifies.
#7 is about a world-famous individual who pre-dates America by about two millennia, and is mentioned in the Talmud.
#8 references the same historical event/period as two songs in group two that was already ID'ed.
#15 is a song Soccer Dad and I have used several times before for other MMs.
And one more general note: There are no Biblical figures featured, only "historic" ones.
"#6 is about an American folk hero, but one who several historians feel is based on a real person, which is why this song qualifies."
Is it John Henry, the "steel driving man"? I know there's a song that starts off something like "John Henry was a little baby, sitting on his mama's knee", but that's about all I can remember. It seems like those lyrics could fit, though.
A little more of John Henry:
He picked up a hammer
and he did something or other and he said "This hammer's gonna be the death of me, Lawd, Lawd,
this hammer's gonna be the death of me."
And I think it was his daddy's knee.
John Henry came to mind for me as well.
To add to the information provided by Clayton and Yitzchak, my recollection of the story if not the song -- and does anyone remember a cartoon? -- is that John Henry emerges from the other side of the tunnel, winning the race between man and machine, and collapses and dies.
Nice job, Clayton, Soccer Dad, Yitzchak, Laura, TRN and Benjie! Together you identified 19 out of 22 songs, as well as the theme, which was historical personages, with "historical" defined as 19th century or earlier. As Clayton stated, the first group had the individual named in the title of the song, the 2nd group as the subject.
The full set of correct responses follows. The historical figure associated with each song is noted (when not obvious):
1) "Can you tell me where he's gone?"
"Abraham, Martin and John", Dion (Lincoln)
2) "All those dayglow freaks who used to paint the face"
"Kid Charlemange", Steely Dan
3) "…or a Sam (no Sam)"
"I'm Henry VIII, I Am", Herman's Hermits
4) "Canada to India, Australia to Cornwall"
"Victoria", Kinks
5) "He ate a crocodile"
"King Tut", Steve Martin
6) "'Cause I'm swigin' thirty pounds from my hips on down"
"John Henry", Bruce Springsteen
7) "And he swore to free all of Asia Minor"
"Alexander the Great", Iron Maiden
8) "He said how dare that man resent an order"
"God Bless Robert E. Lee", Johnny Cash
9) "In colors on the snowy linen land"
"Vincent", Don McLean (Van Gogh)
10) "She wiggles like a glow-worm, dances like a spinning top"
"Roll Over Beethoven", ELO, Beatles
11) "Only takes one itchy trigger"
"Oliver's Army", Elvis Costello (Cromwell)
12) "Look at them bushes out there"
"Mr. Custer", Larry Verne
13) "But you were bad you must admit"
"You Went The Wrong Way, Old King Louie", Allan Sherman
14) "Hate was just a legend, and war was never known"
"Cortez The Killer", Neil Young
15) "Went down to Geisha Minah"
"Killer Queen", Queen (Marie Antoniette)
16) "And now it seems my only chance is giving up the fight"
"Waterloo", Abba (Napoleon)
17) "A panda for sweet little niece"
"Pulling Mussels from a Shell", Squeeze (William Tell)
18) "We fired once more and they began a running"
"The Battle of New Orleans", Jimmy Driftwood (Colonel Jackson, Old Hickory)
19) "He throw us all in jail for carrying harpoons"
"Bob Dylan's 115th Dream", Bob Dylan (Columbus)
20) "You know it's three weeks; I'm going insane"
"I'm So Tired", The Beatles (Sir Walter Raleigh)
21) "So you think you can love me and leave me to die"
"Bohemian Rhapsody", Queen (Galileo)
22) "Like my father before me, I will work the land"
"The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", The Band (Robert E. Lee)
My bonuses:
"Then they wouldn't understand a word we say/So we'll scratch it all down into the clay"--The Mesopotamians by They Might Be Giants (Sargon, Hammurabi, Ashurbanipal, and Gilgamesh)
"Don't expect the words to fall too sweetly on the ear"--Roll Over Vaughan Williams by Richard thompson
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