Following Scrivener’s lead, I’m giving y’all more context on these lines…because I’m not quite ready to retire this post yet.

Because, you know, this has been a crappy day. GB woke up in a rotten mood, and mine wasn’t much better, and overall this day has been frustrating and annoying and disappointing. So a meme seems like a good plan.

(This is kind of weird, actually, because I shuffled through all the songs on my iPod, instead of one of my playlists…and there’s actually a bunch of stuff on here that I don’t really know, and some kind of obscure stuff. Some, on the other hand, are downright gimmes.)

As seen first at Anastasia’s…

Step 1: Put your MP3 player or whatever on random.
Step 2: Post the first line from the first 25 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song.
Step 3: Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
Step 4: Strike through when someone gets them right
Step 5: Looking them up on Google or any other search engine is cheating.

1. I shake and I shudder and I shiver
In my bath while it’s cold and my windows are broken,
As my poor dog lays a-chokin’ on the floor.

2. Well I remember every little thing as if it happened only yesterday
Parking by the lake and there was not another car in sight
and I never had a girl looking any better than you did
and all the kids at school, they were wishing they were me that night. (“Paradise by the Dashboard Light,” Meatloaf)

3. Davenports and kettle drums
And swallow tail coats
Table cloths and patent leather shoes
Bathing suits and bowling balls

4. Rifle in hand and two in the bush (“Gunshy,” Liz Phair)
5. London calling to the faraway towns (“London Calling,” The Clash…though the one on my iPod is actually a live Pogues version)


6. God of the rich man ain’t the God for the poor
God men and the state hospital is closed
and wouldn’t you know
winos and office girls in the park
wanted you alone to walk beside her
wanted you alone to live beside her

7. The colors are flowing from the wall to the floor
And only an outline still remains
Cause the roof’s got a hole in it
And everything’s been ruined by the rain

8. (uh, an instrumental song came up for this…trying the next one…) Come you masters of war, you that build the big guns (“Masters of War,” Bob Dylan)

9. It’s the same old tune, fiddle and guitar
Where do we take it from here
Rhinestone suits and new shiny cars
We’ve been the same way for years
We need to change (“Are you sure Hank done it this way?”, Uncle Tupelo (or Steve Earle, or Waylon Jennings))

10. I don’t like you, but I love you
Seems that I’m always thinkin’ of you
Oh, ho, ho, you treat me badly
I love you madly

11. I am on a lonely road and I am traveling, traveling, traveling, traveling (“All I Want,” Joni Mitchell)

12. To the river of Jordan our savior went one day
And we read that John the Baptist met Him there
And when John baptized Jesus in Jordan’s rushing waters
The mighty power of God filled the air.

13. There were barefoot dreams of catching outlaws
There were school dreams of catching footballs
There were young dreams of finding great romance
There were armies and I took the chance

14. It’s the shadow in the dark
it’s the silver in the park
it’s the broken, faded bird
you’ve learned to call your heart

15. He never left a trace
They only found a note
Take the past nine years
Back from where they came
People call that suicide
But I see him on the street today

16. (weird–another instrumental! Second try…) So many long days, in so many ways
I try to get through to what lies deep inside of you.
Oh, baby. I said, you’re breaking me up, woman.
Yeah, you’re breaking me down.
You’re lying in little pieces —
Scattered all around.

17. Went to the movie matinee
To see the blue coats try to get away
From a smoke signal
Above the trees
A smoke signal
Shifting in the breeze

18. Let us pause in life’s pleasures and count its many tears (“Hard Times,” and yep, the Dylan version was the one I have)

19. Sit back, matter of fact
teasing, toying, turning, chatting, charming
hissing, playin the crowd
play that song again
another couple caught up in a nod, a glance, a half-hearted bow

20. Well you hate those diesels rollin’
And those Friday nights out bowlin’
When he’s off for a twelve hour lay over night
You wish you had a dollar
For every time he hollered
That he’s leavin’
And he’s never comin’ back

21. The minstrel in the gallery looked down upon the smiling faces
He met the gazes — observed the spaces between the old mens cackle.
He brewed a song of love and hatred — oblique suggestions — and he waited. (“Minstrel in the Gallery,” Jethro Tull)

22. 22. We sail tonight for Singapore (“Singapore,” Tom Waits)

23. Darkest of night with the moon shining bright (“Superfly,” Curtis Mayfield)

24. Woke up this morning with love in mind (“Love in Mind,” Neil Young)

25. Should I fall out of love, my fire in the light (“All My Love,” Led Zeppelin)

(Actually, it’s kind of weird how many artist repeats I had, considering there’s almost 6400 songs there to choose from…)