All of the ballyhoo surrounding the start of classes made me lose sight of my blogoversiary. I have been using the internet tubes to spread my gravitas since September 1, 2005. For two years, we have shared triumphs and tragedies. Together, we have started the complicated work of building a massive media empire for GayProf. I am sure glad that we get to spend this special time together. It's such a good feeling, a very good feeling. The feeling you know that we're friends. And I'll be back, when the day is new. And I'll have more ideas for you. And you'll have things you'll want to talk about. I will too. It’s such a good feeling.
Normally when we hit a milestone at CoG, I encourage my readers to consume liquor (usually quite heavily). I still do (Are you drinking enough, son?). This time around, some sort of prize seemed in order. I already did a fairly recent quiz, though, about things you could know about me from the blog. So I had to think.
Last night, as I was driving home from work, I was listening to Neko Case. As I sang along mindlessly with the lyrics to “Favorite,” I suddenly stopped and asked myself, “Did I just sing ‘Last Night I dreamt that I hit a deer with my car’?” Given that I am often wrong about lyrics, I Googled them. Indeed, Neko Case does sing about cervidaicide. Huh.
It reminded me how we often ignore the lyrics to songs we enjoy. Lyrics, in my mind, are critically important to enjoying the music. I consider myself a more attentive listener than other people I know, but I still often fumble things. Sometimes vital words to songs just pass through our ears over and over again without us noticing. Indeed, I have often hid lyrics to songs within many entries on CoG. To date, only three people have ever noticed (or cared enough to comment on it).
In some instances, not paying attention to a song’s lyrics can really miss the point. Billie Holiday, for instance, used to complain that people would request her anti-lynching song “Strange Fruit” by asking for “that sexy song about black bodies swinging.” She was not impressed.
This thought-train reminded me of a meme that Rebekah posted a few weeks ago. She listed the opening lyrics to several songs and asked her readers to give the correct corresponding artist/title. At most, people could guess maybe one or two each. Thus, I decided it would be an ideally arcane means to give out a prize.
Here are the [adapted] rules for the meme:
1) Put your mp3 player or music player on your computer on random.
2)Post the first four lines from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song (Skip repeat artists).
3) Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Add your guesses to the comments section. The first person to guess them all (which is highly unlikely) will win a prize. The more likely outcome is that I will send it to the person who has the most songs right by the next time I write an entry. This means even an individual with just one right answer could potentially be one of life’s winners (if everybody else refuses to participate or really gets things wrong).
What will you win? Well, it will be similar in theme and content to the prize modeled by CoG’s official glamour model, VUBOQ:
Remember: The eye of Hera is upon you. Looking lyrics up on Google or any other search engine is cheating. CoG operates on an honor code and GayProf doesn’t tolerate academic dishonesty.
Do you hear what I hear? If so, name that song and artist:
1. So Your Girlfriend Wants to be a Popstar
And Beat the Charts Outta Me
She Wants to Move a Million Units, Man
Probably Just to Prove She Can
2. Starry nights, city lights coming down over me
Skyscrapers and stargazers in my head
Are we we are, are we we are the waiting unknown
This dirty town was burning down in my dreams
3.Home for Sale
That’s Much Too Large
Too Many Rooms
Big Ol’ Empty Yard
4. Quiero Bailar, Quiero Sentirme Hermosa
Quiero Cantar, Ver el Amanecer
Quiero Sentir sólo Tu Dulce Boca
Y Bailar, Quiero Sentirme Bien
5. In My Solitude
You Haunt Me
With Dreadful Ease
Of Days Gone By
6. I Get Really Sick and Tired of Boys Up in My Face
Pick-Up Lines Like "What's your sign?" Won't Get You Anyplace
When Me and All My Girls Go Walking Down the Street
It Seems We Can't Go Anywhere Without a Car that Goes "Beep-Beep"
7. Give Your Heart to the One
Who Gave Her Heart to You
If You Must Play the Game
Play it Fair (Play it Fair)
8. How Do I Look?
How Do I Look?
Woke Up This Morning, It’s a Brighter Day
I Looked in the Mirror, Saw a New Face
9. I Wasted My Tears
When I Cried Over You
I Should’ve Known
You Would Never Be True
10. The Tide is High, But I am Holding On
I am Going to be Your Number One
I am not the Kind of Girl Who Gives Up Just like That
Oh No!
11. You Know, There are Two Sides to Every Story
See, I Don’t Know Why
You are Cryin’ Like a Bitch
Talkin' Shit Like a Snitch
12. You Say You See What's Under Me
That the Gloss has Washed Away
But You're the One Whose Color's Gone
From Love to Dirty Grey
13. Funny Cause for Awhile
Walked Around with a Smile
But Deep Inside, I Could Hear
Voices Telling Me "This Ain't Right"
14. I Wish You Could Swim
Like the Dolphins
Like Dolphins can Swim
Though Nothing
Will Keep Us Together
15. But She had to Go and Lose it at the Astor
She Didn't Take Her Mother's Good Advice.
Now There Aren't So Many Girls Today Who Have One
And She'd Never Let it Go for Any Price
16. Sweet Dreams are Made of This
Who am I to Disagree?
Travel the World and the Seven Seas
Everybody's Looking for Something
17. I’m Coming Out
I’m Coming
I’m Coming Out
I’m Coming Out
18. I Won’t Let You Down
I Will Not Give You Up
Gotta Have Some Faith in the Sound
It’s the One Good Thing That I’ve Got
19. Non, rien de rien
Non, je ne regrette rien
Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait, ni le mal
Tout ça m'est bien égal
20. See My Days are Cold Without You
But I'm Hurtin’ While I’m with You
And Though My Heart Can't Take No More
I Keep on Running Back to You
***Bonus:***
All the World's Waiting for You,
And the Power You Possess.
In Your Satin Tights,
Fighting for Your Rights
