music meme

I'm still out of town (driving back down the coast today), but I was talking to some friends last night (I'm not in Tahoe anymore, now I'm at a wedding in Napa) and we were talking about songs we love that are typically considered terrible songs, i.e. that we think we should be embarrassed to admit to (my answer was "So Yesterday" by Hilary Duff) (it's SUCH a good song, people) and then I saw this music meme on The Sheila Variations and I wanted to do it, cuz now I'm in a music quiz mood:

(oh, and all of these answers are the first answers that come to my head as I take this quiz--I'm sure that if I took it in an hour, or tomorrow, or next week, or yesterday, my answers would be completely different) (because there are a lot of songs jingle jangling in my head, you know)

(NOTE: I am TOTALLY not done filling out this meme, but I have to go meet the wedding party for breakfast, and so I probably won't come back and finish this meme until late tonight, after I've driven the 8 hours home or whatever it is, but I'm going to go ahead and post my To Be Finished Later answers, in case anyone else feels like doing the meme) (come back late tonight or early tomorrow to read the rest of my replies) (UPDATE: Okay, I'm home now, after a loooooonnnggg day of driving, and I just finished the meme)

What's a great late night song?

anything from the Trainspotting soundtrack, but more specifically "Perfect Day" by Lou Reed.

Name 5-10 wistful/bittersweet songs:

1. "Bittersweet Symphony" by the Verve (this one's kinda on the nose) (but it's a great song) (the last time I had a headshot taken, which was, like, 9 years ago, I had the photographer play this song while we were taking pictures and it made the mood awesome for picture takin') (so maybe this isn't truly a "wistful/bittersweet" song, but it has bittersweet in the title, so I'm letting it count) (do you know that the Verve never got a single dime for this song? Because that main melody is from a Rolling Stones song and the Stones sued them. Seriously. Isn't that crazy?) (and THAT'S bittersweet, even if the tenor of the song isn't)

2. "Imagine" by John Lennon

3. "Please, please, please (let me get what I want)" by The Smiths (and the instrumental The Dream Academy version, which was used so effectively in that museum scene in Ferris Bueller's Day Off) (man, that scene kills me) (I love especially when they join hands with the group of kids) (and that moment when Ferris and Sloane kiss is also pretty great)

4. pretty much anything by Elliot Smith, but "Say Yes" in particular.

5. um, most of the songs on the Ben Folds Five album "The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Messner," but specifically: "Regrets" and "Your Most Valuable Possession" (which, techically, isn't really a song, it's a phone message from Ben's father put to music, but it's something, I'll tell ya.)

6. "Paper Bag" by Fiona Apple -- Amazing. Song. (and so fucking wistful)

7. "Big Gay Heart" by The Lemonheads. (lovely song) (as I was driving home today, I started to get tired and sleepy and then this song started playing on my ipod and I started to wail along with it and it woke me up)

8. "Return to Oz" by Scissor Sisters (this song is maybe more sad than wistful/bittersweet, but I wanted to include a Scissor Sisters song)

9. "Science Fiction, Double Feature" from the Rocky Horror Picture Show (beautiful song, my favorite Rocky Horror song)

10. either "Papillon" or "Always" by Rilo Kiley. (I just listened to both songs and decided that one of them should take this tenth slot on the list, but I can't pick.) (If I had to pick in a pinch, like, if you were holding a gun to my head, I would pick "Papillon.") (And not just because it's a French word and the French are filled with wistful melancholy.)

The 4 Best Songs Ever Written:

1. again, I'm going with "Imagine" by John Lennon
2. "Because" by the Beatles
3. "A Day in the Life" by the Beatles
4. "Hey Jude" by the Beatles
Honorable Mention: "Rocky Racoon" by the Beatles
Second honorable mention: "Stan" by Eminem

(is it cheating to only pick Beatles/John Lennon songs as the top four best written songs ever?) (i mean, they WERE the best song writers) (and I know some people might think it's blasphemous to have Eminem there with the Beatles, but those people need to listen again, because Eminem is pretty much brilliant too and "Stan" is an amazing song)

3 Current Favorite Songs:

1. "Poor Little Rich Boy" by Regina Spektor

2. "Hide and Seek" by Imogen Heap

3. "Ripple" by The Grateful Dead

Classic Early Evening Drinking Music:

I think this question wants me to say something like Frank Sinatra or Elvis Costello or Bach or something, but I'm going to go with Beck's Sea Change album.

3 All Time Faves That Never Get Old To You:

1. "American Pie" by Don McLean (Sheila said this song, but I feel the same about it, so I'm going to steal her answer) (the first time I heard this song was when I went to see The Real Live Brady Bunch at the old Westwood Playhouse in, um, 1991, I think, and most of the people in the audience were baby boomers who were O.G. fans of the Brady Bunch, but I was this obsessed 14-year-old who made family members take him to the show something like 10 or 15 times, and they would play "American Pie" before every performance and everyone in the audience would sing along wistfully--dammit, I should have used this song in the list of wistful songs--and it was really this kinda wonderful feeling...I learned all of the lyrics to this song during my 10 or 15 trips to see The Real Live Brady Bunch) (I remember one of my old high school Engliteachers, Mr. Tagomi--(I totally meant to type "English teachers," obviously, but don't you love the thought of calling them "Engliteachers"??? Especially because it's such an awful bastardization of, um, English???) and I had heard that, the year before I had Mr. Tagomi, he had spent a week teaching "American Pie," and I knew he was going to be one of the coolest teachers ever (and he was) because if you spend a week talking to your English class about "American Pie," I mean, come on: you're awesome. (Though he didn't spend a week on "American Pie" with US.) (Oh, and I feel like I should note that I hate the Madonna cover version of this song.)

2. "The Rainbow Connection" by Kermit the Frog (this probably should go in the list of "best songs ever written" because it's a brilliant song, but I'm putting it here)

3. "A Boy Named Sue" by Johnny Cash (this is sort of a cheat because, yes, I'd heard this song before a few months ago, but I don't think I'd ever really listened to the song before a few months ago, so I can't really call it an "all time favorite," BUT it's probably an all time favorite for a lot of other people, and, anyway, a few months ago I heard the song and I really heard it and was blown away by it for the first time and then I just kept playing it on my ipod and I listened to it about 20 times straight, and I never got tired of it, the song just kept getting better, so, yes, I think that makes it a song that doesn't get old. For me, at least.)

Song You Want To Play (or did) At Your Wedding:

1. "Anything (I'll Give You)" by Dramarama (this song fulfills the "or did" portion of this question, so I'm going to retire this song I think) (to keep it sacred)
(so, at the next one, I want to play...)

2. "You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)" by the Beatles (the version from their Anthology discs) (I guess I'm really on a Beatles kick this morning, but [1] they're amazing, and [2] this song would be really fun to dance to at my wedding)

4 Records You Really Dug from 2005

um, yeah, I'm not really sure what came out in 2005. I can't believe this meme expects me to remember that far back. Did the Outkast double album come out in 2005? Because I loved that. (Though I don't know what the album is called.) I just decided I don't want to answer this question, even though I appreciate the word "dug." I just don't want to be limited to 2005. I defy this question.

Favorite Records From This Year So Far:

Again, I defy this question.

Good Angry Songs:

1. Hole's first album (Live Through This) is filled with great angry songs. "Violet" is probably the angriest.

2. "The Scratch" by 7 Year Bitch. (This song was on the Mad Love soundtrack. Do you remember that movie Mad Love? It starred Drew Barrymore and Chris O'Donnell and I've only seen it the one time I saw it in the movie theater, so I don't know if it's stood the test of time, and I would guess it hasn't, but when I was sixteen I thought this movie rocked. If I remember correctly, I saw it with Gina and Jesse and this was when I was dating Gina. The reason Jesse was probably there with us is that Gina and I somehow managed to date for three months [or was it four?] without ever once being alone. Anyway, I don't remember the movie much, but I loved the soundtrack and I went out and bought it after seeing the movie and I still listen to it twelve-or-so years later. There are two 7 Year Bitch songs on the soundtrack--both are good--they're the only 7 Year Bitch songs I know. "The Scratch" is the angrier of the two, so it goes here.)

3. "Rid of Me" by PJ Harvey. (I feel like I've told this story on the blog before, so I apologize if I'm repeating myself, but my friend Vicky from college) (who I've completely lost touch with and I miss and I'm going to type her whole name here in the hopes that maybe she'll self google and find my blog and we'll be able to get back in touch) ("Vicky Valencia") (I have a feeling that she's married though--the last time I saw her, five years ago, she was in love and it was serious and I just have this feeling they've gotten married) (which would mean her name might not be "Vicky Valencia" anymore) (and her name wasn't actually ever really "Vicky Valencia," we just called her Vicky--her real name was "Virginia Valencia") (anyway, Vicky was in this band called Bitch and Moan, and I went to go see them play at this club, and the club owner had originally said they could have a 40 minute set, but he overbooked the evening, and as Vicky's band was walking up onstage, the owner told them they could only sing two songs, which was way less than a 40 minute set, and he hadn't shortened the sets of any of the other bands, and so Vicky's band performed two songs and then as the club owner was motioning for them to get off-stage, they started to sing "Rid of Me." The chorus is repeated chant of "you're not rid of me!" It was an awesome sight watching them refuse to leave the stage and singing this song. It was so rock-and-roll.)

One of Your Favorite Lyrics:

I have to pick the lyrics to Imagine, seeing as how I've already chosen it as the best song ever written.



5 Cover Songs Arguably Better Than the Original:

1. "Ms. Jackson" originally by Outkast, covered by The Vines (I love OutKast, but when they sing this song I don't believe that they're truly sorry--The Vines, on the other hand...I feel it)

2. "Bitches Ain't Shit" originally by Dr. Dre, covered by Ben Folds (Ben Folds goes beyond ironic and actually makes this song kinda sweet)

3. "Mad World" originally by Tears For Fears, covered by Gary Jules (I love TFF, but the Gary Jules version is way more haunting)

4. "Mr. Bojangles" originally by Jerry Jeff Walker, covered by Nina Simone

5. "No Woman, No Cry" originally by Bob Marley, covered by Ty Taylor on RockStar:INXS, and I know this is a random pick because it's never been recorded, but it was an amazing performance and it deserves to be on this list (whatever happened to Ty Taylor, anyway???)

Ironic Song to Brutally Murder Someone to in a movie:

any TV show theme song...Growing Pains, Facts of Life, Family Ties...uh, Ducktales?...

Great Dance Song You Maybe Never Realized Was a Great Dance song Back in the Day:

I don't have an answer to this one right now. "Stay" by Lisa Loeb?

Good Albums To Workout To:

Hole's album Live Through This (not only is the title of the album thematically appropriate, when Courtney Love rocks I want to keep pushing myself)

Good Album to Clean The House To:

The only band that gets me in the mood to clean the house is The Lemonheads. It can be any Lemonheads album. It's really weird. But The Lemonheads make me really, really happy and I really don't like cleaning, so the "really, really happy" feeling I get from The Lemonheads works to cleaning's advantage.

Good Dining Music:

I think the quiz wants me to say something mellow. But what kind of dining are we talking about? Like, a romantic dinner? Or are you having a group of friends over? Or your parents? Or are you at a restaurant? I want this question to be more specific.

Good Album To Have Sex To:

1. again, the Trainspotting soundtrack

2. and Sheila said "anything by Prince" and I'm going to agree with her.

A Good Album To Put You In the Mood (that is NOT Sade, Marvin Gaye or Barry White):

Jeff Buckley, Grace

Good Album To Sleep To:

I can't sleep with music on because I just lay in bed listening to the music and then I realize I've been listening to the music for an hour and I haven't gone to sleep and then I turn the music off.

5 Good Songs That You Can Dance To:

1. It's impossible not to groove when you hear "Hey Ya" by Outkast.

2. Ditto with "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley.

3. And tritto with that Gorillaz song, "Feel Good Inc."

4. Old school dance fave: "Things That Make You Go Hmmmm" by C + C Music Factory

5. "Diplo Rhythm" by Diplo. The only reason I know this song is because I heard it on Grey's Anatomy and it's such a fucking kickass dance song. (I can't talk about the context of when the song was played on Grey's because Urp hasn't seen the second season of Grey's yet and I'm trying to shield her from any and all spoilers, even small spoilers, like the context of this song) (which really wouldn't spoil much, but it would spoil enough)

Song That Is Too Damn Sad:

"107 Steps" by Bjork

Great Love Song:

I don't mean to double up on the Bjork answers, but one of the greatest love songs has to be: "Possibly Maybe" by Bjork.

Oh, dammit, or: "Cocoon" by Bjork

An Album Full of Tenderness:

Am I taking the easy way out by saying Bjork three times in a row? Bjork's album Vespertine is one of the tenderest albums out there.

Song To An Ex That Isn't Meanspirited:

"All You Get From Love Is a Love Song" by The Carpenters

Song To An Ex That Is Kinda Meanspirited:

"You Oughta Know" by Alanis Morrissette (this is probably an obvious answer, but I can't think of any other songs to exes right now, mean or otherwise)

Song to Listen to While in The Country Looking at Stars:

anything by Imogen Heap, her voice (especially when it's being pumped into your ears through your ipod headphones) makes you feel like you're up there in the sky with those stars, if that makes any sense

Song to lose your Mind to:

(okay, again, I love Sheila's answer: "Crazy on You" by Heart)

I will add: "Sycamore Trees" by Angelo Badalamenti from the Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me soundtrack.

Song To Cry In Your Pillow to:

"Us" by Regina Spektor

Songs That Make You Feel Amped and Inspired:

"Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen

Great Semi-Obscure B-side:

I have this bootleg from a Counting Crows concert in 1992 that's I still can't stop listening to 14 years later.

Song That Makes You Miss Your Mom:

the Gilmore Girls theme song

That's Baby Makin' Music (No, Really):

Did I already answer this question? Jeff Buckley. Grace.

Criminally Underrated Band That Didn't Get Attention and Then Broke Up:

I'm not that hip.

Best Fuck You I Am a Teenager in Pain Song:

"Gimme the Car" by the Violent Femmes

Feel No Shame: Great Current Pop Songs:

"S.O.S" by Rianna (or however you spell her name)

Emo Album You Actually Like:

When I first read this, I thought it said "Elmo album." I know that "Emo" is short for "Emotional," but I don't know what actually constitutes "Emo music"

Good, But Overrated Cause Of Indie Revisionism:

Sheila didn't understand this question and I don't either. What the hell is this question awking??? (asking, asking, asking)

5 Desert Island Discs off the top of your head (30 sec clock):

again, what is this question asking?

3 Contemporary Artists That Were Your Faves 10 Years Ago:

Ten years ago all I listened to was Counting Crows.

Music That Makes You Feel Sophisticated:

The soundtrack for "Sleepless in Seattle," which is probably a not-very sophisticated answer to this question, but whatever.

Fave Electronic Record You Own:

I don't own any.

Fave Hip-Hop Record You Own:

Is Eminem Hip-Hop?

Hip-Hop Song You Know All the Lyrics Too:

None.

Random Album You Loved In High School But Are Afraid To Admit It:

I'm not afraid to admit anything. In high school, my favorite album was probably the Into The Woods soundtrack. That's kinda embarrassing, I guess. But I was a drama dork, so what do you expect?

Album You May Have Listened To More In High school than Any Other Album:

the Into the Woods soundtrack, the Chorus Line soundtrack, and August and Everything After by Counting Crows

If You Could Enter A Wrestling Ring to a Song It Would Be:

"Operate" by Peaches

Album To Clear A Room With:

Probably Hilary Duff's album, but I've said it once and I'll say it again: "So Yesterday" is a great song.