Sunday, April 15, 2007

Lyrics Quiz: Punctuation Marks


Earlier this year, Fall Out Boy released Infinity on High and in his review for Rolling Stone, Rob Sheffield wrote:

We're living in a golden age of long song titles, and Fall Out Boy are leading the way. In the olden days, rock stars used parentheses and slashes to prove they were serious artists, refusing to reduce their verbiage for radio DJs or jukeboxes. But in the MySpace era, bands have discovered commas, and as a result song titles have gotten longer than Meat Loaf ever dreamed possible.

And that is the inspiration of this month’s Lyrics Quiz, the over use of the punctuation mark. And I hate to go all English teacher on you, but since this is a quiz about punctuations, you must give the full song title, no shorthand and with correct puncuation. I will be very picky. And of course you must also include the artist’s name. If you do get it right I will unbold the lyric and give you credit. I even threw in a bonus lyric because, 1) it actually doesn’t technically have any punctuation, and 2) I can’t imagine anyone remembering the song and even I had to do some research to remember who sang it. (Please don’t do so yourself unless you don’t plan on answering). So a bonus point to anyone who gets that right. Now onto the quiz:


1. Lenny Bruce is not afraid. (It's the End of the World as We Know It (And I feel Fine) - R.E.M; guessed by Tony)
2. And each time I feel like losing sight, there is one thing I want to know. ((What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding? - Elvis Costello and the Attractions; guessed by Slaygal1981)
3. Mars ain’t the kind place to raise your kids. (Rocket Man (I Think it's Going to Be a Long, Long Time) - Elton John; guessed by Monique)
4. In ’77 and ’69 revolution was in the air. I was born too late to a world that doesn’t care. (I Wish I Were a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair) - Sandi Thom; guessed by Tony)
5. Now once I was downhearted, disappointment was my closest friend. But then you came and he soon departed and you know he never showed his face again. ((You Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher - Jackie Wilson; guessed by Slaygal1981)
6. I know the territory, I’ve been around. It’ll all turn to dust and we’ll all fall down. Sooner or later you’ll be screwing around. (I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) - Meat Loaf; guessed by Tony)
7. In and out my life, you come and you go. Leaving just your picture behind and I've kissed it a thousand times. (I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - Four Tops; guessed by Slaygal1981)
8. There’s just an empty space and there’s nothing left here to remind me, just the memory of your face. (Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) - Phil Collins; guessed by Tony)
9. Can we hit it like we did one more time, from the top? Can we hit like that one more time? One more time! Let's hit it and quit! Can we hit it and quit? (Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine - James Brown; guessed by Slaygal1981)
10. Hey Cinderella, step in your shoe. I’ll be your non-stop lover, get it while you can. Your non-stop miracle, I’m your man. (Get Outta My Dreams, Get into My Car - Billy Ocean; guessed by Tony)
11. Albert’s fallen on the sun, cracked his head wide open. The world begins to disappear, the worst things come from inside here, and all the king's men reappear. (Einstein on the Beach (For an Eggman) - Counting Crows; guessed by Tony)
12. Girl, all I know is every time you’re here I feel the change. Something moves, I scream your name. Look what you got me doing. (Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe - Barry White; guessed by Slaygal1981)
13. I’m not a shoulder to cry on, but I digress. (This Ain't a Scene, it's an Arms Race - Fall Out Boy; guessed by Tony)
14. I’ve done a lot of foolish things that I really didn't mean, didn't I? Seen a lot of things in this old world when I touch them, they mean nothing, girl. (Signed, Sealed, Delivered I'm Your - Stevie Wonder; guessed by Tony)
15. I got wasted, she got mad. Called me names then she called her dad. He got crazy and I did too, wondered what I did to you. (Anything, Anything (I'll Give You) - Dramarama; guessed by Tony)
16. Look into my eyes, you will see what you mean to me. Search your heart, search your soul and when you find me there you'll search no more. ((Everything I Do) I Do it for You - Bryan Adams; guessed by Doug)
17. I promised I would never leave you and you should always know wherever you may go, no matter where you are I never will be far away. (Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - Billy Joel; guessed by Slaygal1981)
18. Yo we ‘bout to make you set speed. Peace to Baby Phife, Q-Tip, Ali Shaheed. Watch me knock you out like Apollo Creed. (Woo-Hah!! Got You All in Check - Busta Rhymes; guessed by Doug)
19. Just remember, you’re the one manl I can’t get enough of. So I’ll tell you something, this could be love. ((I've Had) The Time of My Life - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes; guessed by Doug)
20. Right about now it's about that time for me to holler. Girl, I wanna waller in the back of my Impala. Woo; don't need no tickets for this thing. (C'mon N' Ride It (The Train) - Quad City DJ's; guessed by Doug)
21. Green light, 7-11. You stop in for a pack of cigarettes. You don’t smoke, don’t even want to. (Stay (Faraway, So Close!; guessed by Slaygal1981)
22. Right before my very eyes. I thought that you were only faking it and right before my heart was taking it. (Baby, What a Big Surpise - Chicago; guessed by Slaygal1981)
23. Well here we go again; you've found yourself a friend that knows you well. But no matter what you do, it always feels as though you tripped and fell. (Steady, As She Goes - The Raconteurs; guessed by Slaygal1981)
24. Baby, baby it looks like it’s gonna hail. Baby, baby it looks like it’s gonna hail. You better come inside. (Jump, Jive, an' Wail - Louis Prima; guessed by Slaygal1981)
25. I had a dream, I had an awesome dream. People in the park playing games in the dark. (Say You, Say Me - Lionel Richie; guessed by Monique)

Bonus: Do you love me question mark. Please, please exclamation point. I want to hold you in parentheses. (I Love You Period - Dan Baird; guessed by Tony)

26 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  3. Like I said in the post, I'm going English Teacher and not accepting some of your answers. Tony, you had songs that were missing punctuations, not the full title, and one case just not the right song. Doug, you were missing punctuation, the full artist, and either misnumbered one of your guesses or just got it completely wrong. I have deleted your comments (maybe just temporarily) so others won't get any hints from them.

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  4. hah...that's what I get for knowing some of the stuff by being so long since I saw the CD track lists.

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  5. 3. Rocket man (I think it's going to be a long, long time) -- Elton John

    16. Everything I do, I do it for you. -- Bryan Adams (And oh yeah, typo in your song quote!)

    25. Say you, say me. -- Lionel Richie

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  6. Monique: You didn't have the proper song title for #16 (I think Tony made the same mistake). As for the typo, I guess that's what happens when I'm too lazy to proof read, expecting the spell check to catch everything even when my misspelling just happens to be an actual word. Oh well.

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  7. I cut and pasted right from amazon.com.....Lets try it again.
    Number 18 is driving me crazy because I know the artist but I can't place the song.

    16. (Everything I Do) I Do It For You- Bryan Adams
    19. (I've Had) The Time of My Life - Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes
    24. Jump Jive An' Wail- Bryan Setzer

    P.S. I added you as my friend on myspace.

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  8. 18. Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check- Busta Rhymes

    20. C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)- Quad City DJ's

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  9. 5. Higher And Higher (Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) - Jackie Wilson

    7. Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch - The Temptations

    12. Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe - Barry White

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  10. 21. Stay (Faraway, So Close) - U2

    22. Baby, What A Big Surprise - Chicago

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  11. 23. Steady, As She Goes - The Raconteurs

    24. Jump Jive An' Wail - The Brian Setzer Orchestra

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  12. 9. Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine - James Brown

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  13. 24. Jump Jive An' Wail - Louis Prima

    In case you don't want Brian Setzer

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  14. Or I saw for 9. Get Up, I Feel Like Being A (Sex Machine) - James Brown

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  15. For #7, look at the hint.
    #21, there's something still missing from the title
    #24, again look at the hint.

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  16. 7. Stay (Faraway, So Close!) - U2

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  17. 7. I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch) - The Four Tops

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  18. A couple options for 24

    Jump, Jive, An' Wail - Louis Prima

    Jump, Jive An' Wail - The Brian Setzer Orchestra

    Jump, Jive, An' Wail - Linda & the Big King Jive Daddies

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  19. 17. Lullabye (Goodnight, My Angel) - Billy Joel

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  20. I think you made no. 2 up! I googled the lyric and all the links point back to your site!!!!

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  21. I typically do the lyrics by ear and after doing some research myself it looks like I messed up a word, it should be "And each time I feel like this inside." I guess it wasn't that far off as one of the comments I deleted guessed the song correctly but I didn't accept it because he didn't give the full title.

    Maybe one of these days I'll find an proofreader who is willing to work for free so I don't have any more of these mistakes.

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  22. 2. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding - Elvis Costello

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  23. 2. You aren't kidding about multiple artists, I think I have the punctuation right, I'd still go with Elvis Costello & The Attractions but then what if it is The Flaming Lips or The Wallflowers. Better be one of them!

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  24. If that isn't the right song, I think I'm going to have to give up!

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  25. 2. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding? - Elvis Costello

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