Music Meme / Writing Prompts -- January

Hi folks -

Well, it's been about a week, so it's time to post the answers.  For some reason I just happened to get a lot of Canadian singers/bands this time around -- wholly on accident / randomly I assure you.

--Olivia

Music Meme / Writing Prompts -- January

 

This is how it works, as always.  Set iTunes, your Ipod, or other music device to "shuffle" or "random", then write down the first line of every song played for 10 - 20 songs.  I'm going to list 15 here.  Then, guess or try to figure out what the song title is and who the artist is who sings it.  Answers posted below.  Also, the quoted lines may be used as inspiration for fanfic.  If you complete a fanfic using the prompt as your starting point or idea, please let me know and provide a link to the story.  Thanks and have fun!

 

1. "When the dark wood fell before me."

"Dante's Prayer", Loreena McKennitt, The Book of Secrets, Irish Folk (Canada) / New Age

 

2. "Mother teach me to walk again."

"Into the Fire", Sarah McLachlan, Solace, New Age (Rock)

 

3.  "You can't stay here, the company's good, I know, but I must wake up alone and the party is over."

"You can't stay here", Stan Rogers, Northwest Passage, Irish Folk (Canada)

 

4.  "Well, the pizza biz ain't what it used to be."

      "Domino Death", Tom Smith, Tom Smith and His Digital Acoutic Compiliation, Filk

 

5.  "Well, my baby and me went out late Saturday night."

     "Rock This Town", Stray Cats, Entertainment Weekly 80's Wave (compliation - Disc 2), Rock

 

6.  "How old did you say your sister was?  Sister was, Sister was?"

      "She Hangs Out", The Monkees, Listen to the Band, Rock

 

7.  Give Away Number 1 "Oxygene Part IV" (Instrumental) Jean-Michel Jarre, Pure Moods, New Age

 

8.  "Well, I see you in the morning putting on your pretty clothes."

      "When in Rome", Billy Joel, Storm Front, Rock

 

9.  "If elephants could fly, I'd be a little more optimistic, but I don't see that happening anytime soon."

"When", Shania Twain, Come on Over, Country (yes, one of two albums I own, eep, the other being "The Essential Johnny Cash")

 

10.  "How many times?  Have you heard someone say - if I had enough money I'd do things my way."

      "Satisfied Mind", Ian & Sylvia, Play One More, Folk

 

11.  "Happy Jack wasn't told but he was a man."

       "Happy Jack", The Who, Who's Better, Who's Best, Rock

 

12.  Give Away #2 "An Gabhar Bán" Clannad, An Diolaim, Irish Folk (Ireland) - Entire song is sung in Irish, no way am I trying to transliterate it.

 

13.  "I know my rider is going to miss me when when I'm gone."

       "Rider", The Big Three, Troubadours of the Folk Era, Volume 3, Folk

 

14.  "See there, past the far off hill - A tower held the sky."

        "The Gates of Istanbul", Loreena McKennitt, Irish Folk (Canada) / New Age

 

15.  "32 down on the Robert MacKenzie."

       Paul Gross, Due South (Soundtrack) Vol. II, Soundtracks

 

16.  "Isn't it amazing?  Isn't it amazing?  We follow a winding path, through towns of  tears in laughter, moved by the one spirit, and and spirt's moving faster."

Hothouse Flowers, "Isn't It Amazing?",  Songs from the Rain, "Alternative/Punk", (I'd call it Irish Folk (Ireland) or even just Rock)

 

17.   Chess, overture, instrumental

 

18.  "Thunderbirds" (Theme) Barry Gray, SFX Star Tracks (compliation), Soundtracks.

 

19.  "Raiders of the Lost Ark - March", John Williams: Boston pops Orchestra, Encore!  (Classical CD recording, Soundtrack for the song)

 

20.  "Yesterday a child came out to wander, caught a dragonfly inside a jar.  Fearful when the sky was full of thunder and tearful at the falling of a star."

"Circle Game", Ian & Slyvia, Greatest Hits, Folk


And the Canadians are:

Loreena McKennitt -- From Hamilton, Ontario (a small town in the Ontario Peninsula between Toronto and Windsor), she sings in a Enya-like style so you can usually find her stuff in the New Age or Folk sections.  She also sings a lot of traditional ballads.

Sarah McLachlan  -- Another traditionally New Ager; "Into the Fire" is more of a rock ballad (eg it could easily have been recorded by Natalie Merchant or Annie Lennox).

Stan Rogers - A Maritime folk singer from the 1960s, who unfortunately was killed in a plane crash in the 1970s.  I think his province was Nova Scotia but I'm not sure - definately that part of Canada, tho'.

Ian & Sylvia - A folk duet from the 1960s.  Their CDs (I have 4 or 5) got into my collection from Mom.  Still, they sing really good folk music, including a few songs in French and in Spanish.  There slightly later stuff has a distinctly Western twang to it.

Paul Gross - an Toronto-based Canadian actor who can also sing.  Played the fish-out-of-water Mountie in Due South.  He wrote and performed two songs on the show, "Ride Forever", which is on the first soundtrack, and the one listed here, "32 Down on the Robert MacKenzie" from the 3rd season 2-parter "Mountie on the Bounty" (Ghost ships, pirates, and singing - all on the Great Lakes -- it was great!).  Paul Gross also had a semi-regular role on The Red Green Show.

Enjoy!  And check out some of the music, it's pretty cool!

--Olivia