Stinkin' up the ashtrays, smokin' up the alleyways
If you think back really hard, you might remember this totally-already-dead music meme:
Want a letter? Ask for a letter! I'll give you a letter, and you list your five favorite songs beginning with that letter!
It took me a week and three or four temptations encounters before I finally broke down and asked ladybracknell for a letter. She gave me P. (P is for procrastination, and procrastination is for me!)
Then it took me another week to post this. This is largely because I thought I would make my own damn videos of Blake Shelton's "Playboys of the Southwestern World" and the digitally remastered version of the Who's "The Punk and the Godfather." Finally this morning I decided, screw it, this feels like work, there's plenty of other good songs to pick from.
#5: The Pennsylvania Polka (Frankie Yankovic, but almost any version, really)
Sorry for getting this stuck in your head ALL DAY. But studies have shown no native Pennsylvanian can resist a song that mentions Scranton. Trufax.
I have no idea how to polka. This doesn't prevent me from attempting to dance every time I hear this, which is awkward, because I usually hear it performed in auditoria at fundraisers. So far can only dream of hearing it outdoors like it goes down in Groundhog Day. (And since moving across the country it's become even more of a dream.)
#4: Paint It Black (Rolling Stones)
I don't care if it's overplayed and overrated. The first time I ever paid attention to it, I got chills. Sometimes I still do. I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes/I have to turn my head until the darkness goes. It's never quite as good after that lyric, but then, it doesn't have to be.
#3: Poor Unfortunate Souls (Pat Carroll vocals only and forever)
It really only gets good about three min & twenty seconds in. I toyed with other versions to avoid getting Disney cooties all over my LJ but, ultimately, Carroll and Carroll alone still completely owns this.
#2: Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin)
I'm a sucker for raw, defiant heartbreak. It's here in spades in this song Janis's freakin' amazing voice. Yeah, that's right, take it.
#1: Paper in Fire (John Cougar Mellencamp)
a.k.a. "unadulterated awesome in a 3:57 package" I adore this song. First, it strikes out on its own, instead of recycling one of the "approved" mainstream themes (seriously, half the fun is the Youtube commenters going "dude is this song telling me not to follow my dreams WTF????? this is stupid") Second, IT'S GOT A FIDDLE. I ♥ violins and this has got to be one of the best pop uses of one. Third (a), it's danceable. Third (b), it's kickass. I know "Cherry Bomb" gets much more exposure, but this is like that song's quieter but even more attractive brother. [Reasons #4-#50 have been cut for space.]
The background vocals don't come through as clearly in this vid as they do on the CD I have, but that's still not nearly enough to knock this song off its pedestal IMHO.
So you see I've conclusively proved it's never too late to ask for a letter. Get one of your own. Share the love. Coz who's to say the way a man should spend his days?
Want a letter? Ask for a letter! I'll give you a letter, and you list your five favorite songs beginning with that letter!
It took me a week and three or four temptations encounters before I finally broke down and asked ladybracknell for a letter. She gave me P. (P is for procrastination, and procrastination is for me!)
Then it took me another week to post this. This is largely because I thought I would make my own damn videos of Blake Shelton's "Playboys of the Southwestern World" and the digitally remastered version of the Who's "The Punk and the Godfather." Finally this morning I decided, screw it, this feels like work, there's plenty of other good songs to pick from.
#5: The Pennsylvania Polka (Frankie Yankovic, but almost any version, really)
Click to viewSorry for getting this stuck in your head ALL DAY. But studies have shown no native Pennsylvanian can resist a song that mentions Scranton. Trufax.
I have no idea how to polka. This doesn't prevent me from attempting to dance every time I hear this, which is awkward, because I usually hear it performed in auditoria at fundraisers. So far can only dream of hearing it outdoors like it goes down in Groundhog Day. (And since moving across the country it's become even more of a dream.)
#4: Paint It Black (Rolling Stones)
I don't care if it's overplayed and overrated. The first time I ever paid attention to it, I got chills. Sometimes I still do. I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes/I have to turn my head until the darkness goes. It's never quite as good after that lyric, but then, it doesn't have to be.
#3: Poor Unfortunate Souls (Pat Carroll vocals only and forever)
It really only gets good about three min & twenty seconds in. I toyed with other versions to avoid getting Disney cooties all over my LJ but, ultimately, Carroll and Carroll alone still completely owns this.
#2: Piece of My Heart (Janis Joplin)
I'm a sucker for raw, defiant heartbreak. It's here in spades in this song Janis's freakin' amazing voice. Yeah, that's right, take it.
#1: Paper in Fire (John Cougar Mellencamp)
a.k.a. "unadulterated awesome in a 3:57 package" I adore this song. First, it strikes out on its own, instead of recycling one of the "approved" mainstream themes (seriously, half the fun is the Youtube commenters going "dude is this song telling me not to follow my dreams WTF????? this is stupid") Second, IT'S GOT A FIDDLE. I ♥ violins and this has got to be one of the best pop uses of one. Third (a), it's danceable. Third (b), it's kickass. I know "Cherry Bomb" gets much more exposure, but this is like that song's quieter but even more attractive brother. [Reasons #4-#50 have been cut for space.]
The background vocals don't come through as clearly in this vid as they do on the CD I have, but that's still not nearly enough to knock this song off its pedestal IMHO.
So you see I've conclusively proved it's never too late to ask for a letter. Get one of your own. Share the love. Coz who's to say the way a man should spend his days?