Contest results

Perhaps you recall the little puzzle that I announced last week. I was happy to see evidence on my stats page that a handful of people were making the attempt. But my dear friend Leigh threw her every spare moment into working on it. I should have known how she would react to the challenge; I remember how thoroughly Funny Farm possessed her soul last fall. Anyway, after innumerable hours of dogged detective work, she has identified all but one of the lyrics. That remaining one is nigh-impossible, so I name her the winner. Congratulations to Leigh, and thanks to all of you who tried!

The answers:

Won’t you stop and remember

Simon and Garfunkel: Hazy Shade of Winter

Read me like a book

10cc: I’m Mandy, Fly Me

Silver Spoons

Bob Wirth and Rik Howard: Together

With old-fashioned flavor in every bite

A Hostess jingle from the mid-1960s. This one took Leigh the longest. But ah, the feeling of satisfaction when she finally found it!

San Astrapi

Manolis Lidakis: San Astrapi (Like Lightning). Hooray for puns in Greek. Ka-chow!

White Noise

Everclear: White Noise (the full lyric is “You live in white noise.” Spooky.)

Eat It

Weird Al Yankovic: Eat It

Feed me, Seymour

Feed Me, from the musical Little Shop of Horrors

Back in the USSR

The Beatles: Back in the USSR

The Melting Point of Wax

Thrice: The Melting Point of Wax

I’ve searched everywhere

I’m Looking For Something, from the play The House of Blue Leaves by John Guare. This is the impossible one. It’s a ringer; if you go to a lyrics search engine and search for “I’ve searched everywhere,” all of your results will be other people’s queries. It was mean of me to include it.

Cat People

David Bowie: Cat People

The Golden Age

Beck: The Golden Age

Rocket Man

Elton John: Rocket Man

Friendly Fire

UB40: Friendly Fire

Hair

from the musical Hair

Heavy Metal

Sammy Hagar: Heavy Metal

Hey, Miss, understand me.

Too Much Joy: Crush Story

The Story Goes On

from the musical Baby. This is my favorite musical of all time. Amazon sells the original cast recording; their sample of this track is pretty good. To quote from their review: “In the emotional centerpiece of the show, The Story Goes On, Callaway reacts after feeling her baby kick for the first time.”

Though I’m far away

Sophie B. Hawkins: As I Lay Me Down

He set them all in motion

The Lads: Creator

The Drops From The Faucet

Nanci Griffith: Drops From The Faucet

I want a new drug

Huey Lewis & the News: I Want A New Drug

Living my life in yesterday

Barbra Streisand: Heart Don’t Change My Mind

In other words

Frank Sinatra: Fly Me to the Moon

Let nothing you dismay

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (traditional)

Baby Likes Burping

Weird Al: Baby Likes Burping

i think of you day

Blur: Birthday

Holiday Road

Lindsey Buckingham: Holiday Road

Tradition

from the musical Fiddler on the Roof

They keep things loose, they keep things light

King Harvest: Dancing in the Moonlight

They’re meaningless and all that’s true

The Police: De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da

You are not alone

No one is alone, from the musical Into The Woods

oh God can’t you keep it down

til tuesday: Voices Carry

Sweet Caroline

Neil Diamond: Sweet Caroline

The Water is Wide

traditional Irish song

And that laugh that wrinkles your nose

Frank Sinatra: The Way You Look Tonight

When you wish upon a star

from the Disney movie Pinocchio

Come Sail Away

Styx: Come Sail Away

Sominex

from the musical Little Shop of Horrors

Smile, and maybe tomorrow

Nat King Cole: Smile

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

Scarborough Fair, traditional English ballad

Are you experienced?

Jimi Hendrix: Are You Experienced

Independence Day

Elliot Smith: Independence Day

And the seasons, they go round and round

Joni Mitchell: Circle Game

Waiting to sail your worries away

Hushabye Mountain, from the Disney movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Sarah used to sing this lullabye to Nate when he was an infant. Even then, I couldn’t listen to it without tearing up.