So I posted this little lyrics quiz a few days ago. Now let’s review the answers.

Lyrics for which no one had the answer are shown in bold.

1. Let’s make Friday part of the weekend and give all of these people chocolate éclairs
Moxy Fruvous, King of Spain
Correctly guessed by linnaeus and sumatrae (aka, that wacky Growltiger)
This one had to be in there. Moxy is a fun band, though regrettably probably it is no more. Jian was last seen hosting “Play” on the CBC, and Murray recently joined Great Big Sea as their bass player.

2. She tries to forget but she hasn’t yet, not a single day goes by, that feeling again reminds her of when I held her tight, it felt so right
Blackhawk, Every Once In A While
Correctly guessed by vilejynx (aka Janet, Rob’s wife and keeper of the Vilelings)
A leftover from my country music day(s), proof that I’m a sucker for great harmonies and a mean guitar hook.

3. Cause rockin’ and rollin’, it’s only howlin’ at the moon
Kansas, Magnum Opus
Correctly guessed by mwalimu
I’m a Kansas fan from way back, and at one time owned all their albums (yes, even “In the Spirit of Things,” which had approximately two listenable songs). One of two bands I used to be a completist about, the other being Alan Parsons Project. Sadly, I’ve given up on both, since they changed too much for my tastes over time.

4. I’ve done everything as you say, I’ve followed your rules without question. I thought it would help me see things clearly
Hoobastank, Out of Control
Yes, I even like music not even aimed at my demographic. This is my current “play loud, drive fast” song.

5. If I follow along, does it mean I belong, or will I keep on feeling different from everybody else?
Blue Man Group, Sing Along
Tsk – I was surprised no one got this one. If you haven’t heard The Complex, by all means check it out. And the DVD of the concert is absolutely stellar (and holy cow! Amazon has it for $10.49!).

6. Allen baby, why so jaded? Have the boys all grown up and their beauty faded?
10000 Maniacs, Hey Jack Kerouac
Correctly guessed by rasslor
I’ve been really enjoying older 10,000 Maniacs of late, though I don’t much care for their post-Natalie-Merchant stuff. This song and “Eat for Two” are just plain great song writing and performance.

7. And the last one out of the circus has to lock up everything or the elephants will get out and forget to remember what you said
Counting Crows, Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby
Another one of my favorite bands, even if white boys with dreads creep me out. Hard Candy had some gems on it too, but their albums since August and Everything After have never had much staying power on the charts.

8. There’s a cold wind blowin’ through the old east side and it cuts with the devil’s curse
Spirit of the West, Profiteers
Stalwarts of Vancouver, Canada. Stylistically, they’ve veered between folk and rock over the years, with some extremely powerful music resulting. This is from one of their earlier albums, 1988’s Labour Day – their folkiest and most accessible record.

9. Daylight waits to shine until the moment you awaken so you never miss the dawn
Great Big Sea, When I am King
Hailing from “the tropical island of Newfoundland,” these boys have a fantastic Celtic-rock sound and are downright amazing in concert. Check their website for a clip of this song off their newest album, Something Beautiful*.

10. Folks roamed the earth like big rolling kegs.
Hedwig and the Angry Inch, The Origin of Love
See this movie, it will rock your socks off. Trust me on this.

11. Here comes the helicopter — second time today
Bruce Cockburn, If I Had A Rocket Launcher
Correctly guessed by plonq
Nobody does a slow burn like Bruce Cockburn. And he just gets better as the years go by.

12. Jenny came over and told me about Brad. “He’s such a hairy behemoth,” she said
Jill Sobule, I Kissed a Girl
Correctly guessed by linnaeus
It’s a real shame Jill hasn’t seen much success since this, her one hit single. She’s a gifted singer/songwriter with a gift for quick character sketches and quirky descriptions.

13. We used to say that come the day, we’d all be making songs or finding better words. These ideas never lasted long.
Fairport Convention, Meet On The Ledge
The seminal English folk-rockers. Sadly, not aging very gracefully, but their older stuff from the 60’s and 70’s is just dynamite.

14. When they gathered around and started talkin’, that’s when Billy would take me walkin’. Out through the back yard we’d go walkin’.
Cam Clarke, Son of a Preacher Man
Correctly guessed by atara and sumatrae
From Clarke’s album Inside Out, a fun album of romantic ballads that lets the (very gay, and very cute) Clarke put a queer spin on a number of standards.

15. A dewdrop can exalt us like the music of the sun and take away the plain in which we move
Yes, Close to the Edge
Don’t feel bad. I’ve heard this song hundreds of times and never knew what the hell he was saying. And it still doesn’t make sense. Jon Anderson is a freak. A talented freak, but still a freak 🙂

16. May I die before a while, maybe you can tell me why all that you scream is so divine
Fuel, Prove
Another song from outside my demographic, but still a damn fun one to turn up real loud. Fuel’s Something Like Human is just a fantastic album.

17. We hear the playback and it seems so long ago and you remember the jingles used to go.
Presidents of the United States of America, Video Killed the Radio Star
Correctly guessed by sumatrae
This song really needed the crunchy guitar licks provided by this fabulous cover version.

18. Now security they did not see him, they just hovered ’round his tomb
Mark Cohn, Walking in Memphis
Correctly guessed by atara and sumatrae
I thought this might be just out-of-context enough to trip people up. The first track to a fantastic album by Cohn.

19. I am Jeremiah Dixon, I am a Geordie boy
Mark Knopfler, Sailing to Philadelphia
This tale of the people behind the establishment of the Mason-Dixon Line is a great start to a wonderfully understated album by former Dire Straits lead Knopfler (who also does some great soundtracks, like a little movie called “The Princess Bride”)

20. She’ll turn once more to Sunday’s clown and cry behind the door.
June Tabor and The Oyster Band, All Tomorrow’s Parties
This is a great smoky cover of a song done originally by Lou Reed’s Velvet Underground. Freedom and Rain is a fantastic album and shows off the talents of both Tabor and the Oysters very well.

Thanks to everyone who gave it a shot! Hopefully you were as entertained by this as I was. And hey, if you haven’t tried it yet, it’s not too late to go back and give it a shot!