Random Lyric Public Holiday

As is the tradition with me, it's a public holiday and on my facebook page I post random song lyrics. I could do random movie lines, but that would be just silly. Well, sillier than posting random song lyrics, but as I like this ritual, and I'm stuck in front of a computer for most of the day writing and editing, so it's a nice diversion. Some songs are a bit ear wormy. Some songs mean a lot to me. Some songs just come off my iPod and that's it. The only guarantee is that somewhere in the 24 hours there will be Pixies song mentioned.

So let's see what comes up this time round.

Wednesday 25/1/12, 22.43 p.m.

"Quesadillas made with cheese and a rock band who went Japanese."

"Ripe", Ben Lee

This some was discovered in the car when driving one day. A friend loaned me a Ben Lee CD and this was the last track on the album. I wanted to pull over and just listen. Still reckong Ben Lee is one of the most underated songwriters and performers to leave Australia.

January 26/1/12 ; 08.00 am

"You're so pretty when you're unfaithful to me."

"Bone Machine" The Pixies.

Ah, told you there would be a Pixies song in the mix. Bone Machine is one of there better mosh pit songs. I have memories of being among the mix up near the front of the stage with a group of other like minded late 30/early 40 somethings, howling the chorus, then going nuts in the coda.

I love the Pixies for their what I refer to as 'groin factor'. Their music gets to your kundalini and winds its way through you. It spurns you on to get into mischief. And getting into mischief is one of my favorite things.

The Pixies have always, and will always appeal to my very latent, unexercised wild creature. Love em.



9.35 am.

"There's a ghost in my lungs that sighs in my sleep."

"I'm Not Calling You a Liar"  Florence + The Machine

Introduced to this band in the gym, there was something about the unusual lyrics and blended sound that got to me, so I bought the album on spec. One of my best purchases of last year.

This song is one of my favorites - Florence in a bit of downtime.

11.36 a.m.

"We'd like to know a bit about you for our files. We'd like to help you learn to help yourself."

"Mrs Robinson" Simon and Garfunkel

Always a standby for the car. Guaranteed to get you humming along, you can't go wrong with these guys.

I came to Simon and Garfunkel late - as my parent's music tastes ran to Bing Crosby and Hooked on Classics (remember those awful albums with Classical Music and an electronic drum beat - dire!) I bought their "Bookends" album on cassette on the back of the greatness that is Paul Simon's "Graceland" album - the latter which was played to death. Found out that they were the ones who penned 'Hazy Shade of Winter" - which I knew from The Bangles. Doh.

A song that you want to sing along to, but you probably only know a quarter of the lyrics. And then if you don't know the words you can just go, "do dee doo doo doo doo doo doh."

1.49 p.m.

"The Captain's name was Morgan, by heck he was a gorgon."

"The Good Ship Venus" aka "Frigging in the Rigging". Traditional but covered by the Sex Pistols and many, many rugby clubs.

I've got a reasonable repertoire of rugby songs tucked away in the back of my brain, joys of a mis-spent youth and a not particularly politically correct father. There was a tape of me aged about five singing "I'm glad that I'm an Australian, I'm glad that I am free, but I wish I was a little doggie, and Whitlam was a tree." Cheers, Dad. (If my father ever got wind that you more likely to get me using heroin than voting Liberal his ashes would be stirring in that ugly columbarium in which he rests.)

Still, I get a giggle out of this song, which I've been known to hum along on car trips, shock the pants off the lady freemasons and generally show that I'm not as nice a girl as people think I am.

Found this version of the song, which you CAN play with children in the room. It's the PC version of this very traditional song.



2.58

"I'm a lot like you so please, hello, I'm here, I'm waiting."

"El Scorcho" Weezer.

Another car song. I do a lot of singing in the car. I get caught a lot at the lights singing along to something or other that's pretty daggy. The best car songs are the ones which allow you to moan, yowl, scream and sing at the top of your lungs - and this song fits the bill pretty well. It never gets flicked to the next song on the iPods random shuffle - unlike the Arctic Monkeys...



17.15

"I could have been a common thief sitting in the dirt quite happily"

"Coin Laundry" - Lisa Mitchell

Possibly the only decent talent to come out of Australian Idol in eight years. I'm ready to strangle Guy Sebastian and Stan Walker as they're all that dag radio at work plays (along with a lot of Adele, who I used to like, but I can't stomach any more through over playing, and I want to garotte Beyonce and Rhianna...)

Lisa Mitchell probably never should have made it onto that stupid show. She's alternative, smart, savvy and she's got a wicked view on the world at a very young age. Her "Wonderland" album is fantastic - and this song is very ear wormy. Once this gets in my head I sing it for days.

5.27 p.m.

"Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, wiggle, yeah."

"Sexy and I Know It."  LMFAO

This song is soooooo wrong on soooooo many levels. It's always on in the gym. Pinochet always sings along to it, normally when you're lugging round some heavy weight, which makes you want to clobber him more. Sometimes Pinochet even does the movements - which is just wrong. To me, it's just proof that boy bits should stay tucked away in underpants and only brought out when absolutely necessary and preferably in the dark.

I'm posting the Elmo version instead. Much better. Tickle, tickle, tickle, tickle....

8.31 p.m

"I was guessing at numbers and figures pulling the puzzles apart."

"The Scientist"  Coldplay

I have a theory about Coldplay. Just like Aha, Spandau Ballet, Pat Benetar, Cold Chisel etc etc, in twenty years time their songs are going to be played over the tannoy on dag radio in the data centre of Bastard Bank.

Until that happens, I'm going to continue to enjoy Coldplay, because as soon as anything gets played over the loudspeaker at the Bastard Bank data centre, I automatically hate it. (Thankfully I only have three days left there... yay!)

I've always loved this song - just as I've always loved "Yellow" and quite a few more of their songs. Still not sure about their latest album, but it's growing on me.

9.41 p.m.

"Nothing can interfere with a dream of dreams so near"

"Man with a Gun" Jerry Harrison

This song brings memories of the late eighties, of a person that had to be left behind, of new love, of drunken nights on summer streets and the promise of more.

Jerry Harrison is ex-Talking Heads (another favorite band) Another song I find myself singing when I'm out running. It reminds me of good things. Of nice things. Of a person on a promise. Ah to be twenty again.

10.28 p.m.

"Gentleness, sobriety are rare in this society"

"An Englishman in New York" - Sting

This was my theme song for many years.

From 1993-1999 I lived in London, working for an now defunct international banking house, without a valid visa to my name. I was an illegal alien. However, as I have an "English" name, a varying English accent and I paid my taxes and national insurance, I got away with it. This was over ten years ago. I wouldn't do it again, but I have no regrets.

This song came on the radio regularly  - it still comes on the radio quite often - and it reminds me of Liverpool Street Station and my time in London.

And I've always loved Sting and the Police - unlike Spandau Ballet, they haven't got banal and daggy over time.

Well there you go. Another public holiday, another round of random song lyrics to amuse, infuriate, stump and annoy.

Happy Stralya Day!

Pandx