We’ve been doing our best to come up with questions for each other for a long time now. It gets harder and harder, although Abahachi’s excellent set clearly struck a chord with most of us last week. Now, I hope I’m not jumping the gun here, but I thought it might be fun if we tried to answer some of the questions that are thrown our way by musicians. Purists, please look away, they’re all music related, but not really, if you think about it.
Here’s a selection:
1. Elvis Costello wants to know: (What’s so funny ’bout) Peace, Love and Understanding?
2. Miles Davis would like you to help with this one: How Deep is the Ocean?
3. Neil Young really needs to know: Are you ready for the Country?
4. Larry Wallis is just getting down to basics: Are We Having Fun Yet?
5. That’s about as far as my limited imagination and itunes library will get on a “‘?” search! What’s your favourite Question Song? And what’s the answer?
1. The absent comma
2. As deep as my love, taking into account the lack of fish these days.
3. Yes, but I am allergic to horses.
4. WE WANT FUN AND YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT!*
*Andrew WK c2002.
5. How Soon Is Now?
5a. Yes.
Blimpy – 1. Quite right. Bad punctuation. Corrected…
We don’t do spill pints in Spain but have a night’s worth of ‘spill cañas!
Oh no! I didn’t mean to be pedantic! I thought it was a mistake on Costello’s bee half!!
No worries. Maybe I’ll learn to reread the guff I write before posting! The ‘spill cañas still stand, btw…
1. Tie-dye, tinted specs and headbands. Hysterical; just look at this
2. High tide or low tide? Sub-question; from where is the British official sea-level (‘UK Fundamental Benchmark’) measured? No Googling….
3. Yes, but is the country ready for me?
4. If you need to ask, no. Anyway, I only answer for myself.
5. ‘Did you ever wake up with those bullfrogs on your mind? Did you ever wake up laughing, laughing just to keep from crying?’
5a i) Errrr….. no.
5a ii) Errrr….. yes.
Well Maki, the only way i guess i can answer these is with songs in return.
1- Missing the point?
Instant Karma
2- As deep as Atlantis was?
3-Just the opposite, London’s Calling
4-Sadly, probably not. I don’t think there will be much big fun to have on the bayou this summer. For starters, stay away from the local crawfish for your Jambalaya.
5- Blimpy got the best question. So I’ll go for Can’t You Hear Me Knocking?
5a- Dave’s Not Here
oops, seems to be a wrong link for #4 -
Jambalaya
Maki, there’s a previous post to the above that’s apparently awaiting moderation, either i’ve been bad, or there are too many links.
This is as bad as Thursday nights.
6 -Question?
Why do we never get an answer
When we’re knocking at your door?
6 a – See 5a above.
7-Why?
7a – I don’t know, i’m so confused!
1.Never Trust A Hippy – Tenpole Tudor
2.The Sea Is A Good Place To Think About The Future – Los Campesinos
3.Country Girl Becomes Sex and Drugs Punk
4.No-One Likes A Smart Arse – Untold
5.
(Contains handclaps)
More EXCELLENT qus! Nice one, Maki.
Will give some serious thought, and hopefully reply tonight.
1) Nothing, peace, love and understanding is the way forward.
2) Deeper than you think.
3) Oh yes, off to the French country on Friday, can’t wait.
4) I will be from Friday onwards.
5) It just has to be “How soon is now?”
Oh & #6 Fave Question Song:
Robert Wyatt – Free Will & Testement
Given free will but within certain limitations,
I cannot will myself to limitless mutations,
I cannot know what I would be if I were not me,
I can only guess me.
So when I say that I know me, how can I know that?
What kind of spider understands arachnophobia?
I have my senses and my sense of having senses.
Do I guide them? Or they me?
The weight of dust exceeds the weight of settled objects.
What can it mean, such gravity without a centre?
Is there freedom to un-be?
Is there freedom from will-to-be?
Sheer momentum makes us act this way or that way.
We just invent or just assume a motivation.
I would disperse, be disconnected. Is this possible?
What are soldiers without a foe?
Be in the air, but not be air, be in the no air.
Be on the loose, neither compacted nor suspended.
Neither born nor left to die.
Had I been free, I could have chosen not to be me.
Demented forces push me madly round a treadmill.
Demented forces push me madly round a treadmill.
Let me off please, I am so tired.
Let me off please, I am so very tired.
Musical Hamlet. Good tune too. Genius.
1. Nothing, so long as they don’t end up becoming a distraction from the pursuit of freedom and justice.
2. Depends where you measure it.
3. Well, I’ve been in it for the last ten years… I suppose the one point of doubt is that I still have occasional warm feelings towards the badgers frolicking in the field next door, despite their regular devastation of my vegetables, whereas all true country folk are currently in mourning about the fact that the cull in Wales isn’t going ahead.
4. A long, long way away from that at the moment.
5. Q: How many more times treat me the way you wanna do?
5. A: I don’t know…
1. To the decent amongst us, nothing at all.
To the 1% of greedy bastards running the world (who cynically and clinically use ideals like P,L&U as the opium to keep the masses’ distracted from what they’re doing), it must be the “funniest” thing since the bank bailout.
2. Bloody deep, but still not deep enough for burying nuclear waste in, ya hear?!!
3. Unfortunately, no. I’m a townie born & bred, and am completely dependent on others to put oxygen in my air and food in my shops. I’m not proud of it, but it’s the truth.
4. If we can’t find ways of extracting fun from our lives, then we’re sad humans indeed. Find it where you can, but don’t ruin others’ fun in achieving it, please. Ooh, we’re back to Qu#1 again!!
5. When I was young, I’d have said either:
“Can I Sit Next To You, Girl?” (AC/DC – Bon Scott at his most lecherous), or the classic “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?”. The cynic in me that answered Qus#1-3 would pick Black Crowes “Could I’ve Been So Blind?”.
More recently, and in line with my answer to Qu#4, my favourite musical title question has to be this:
(I hope that worked; I’m at a client site that bars youtube.)
Great answers, DsD. Hope you don’t mind my tweaking the youtube link!
Don’t mind at all, mate. Thanks.
Handclap A-list is up, btw, and at first glance I *gasp!* have no problem with it at all. Nicely written column, good mix of tunes.
What’s love got to with it?
How high the moon?
J’ai deux amours….
I want to see the bright lights tonight
Dunno (actually, I’m cheating here anyway – it’s the first ‘questioning’ song I thought of)
Who? – Gene Krupa
What? – ATCQ
Y? – Pharcyde
Shoey: Thanks for that one, I’d never heard it before. I checked Spotty and then spent an hour with RW. I think Free Will would work better if delivered in the style of Stalingrad, very complex and interesting lyrics, he reminds me of Spike Milligan
See where you’re coming from re Spike, but no you can’t change the tune. It’s perfect.
1 Nothing. However, finding things funny should be on the list.
2 It’s deeper than Everest is high!
3 Always
4 I would be, but I’m at work.
5a How Many Times Do You Have To Fall?
5b Many. Especially if you’re my younger grandson.
Hey Maki,
Don’t know about answers……………they always lead to more questions.
Like these.
Who?
Who Do You Think We Are?……………….Alice Cooper
Who’s Gonna Stop The Rain?…………….Anastacia
Who’s Zooming Who?………………………Aretha Franklin
What?
What Kind Of Fool Am I?……………………Anthony Newley
What Do You Want?…………………………Adam Faith
What’s Love Got To Do With It?………….Tina Turner
When?
When Will I See You Again?………………..3 Degrees
When Will I Be Famous?……………………..Bros
When Will I Be Loved?………………………..Everley Brothers
Where?
Where Is Your God?……………………………Infernal Majesty
Where Is The Highway Tonight?……………Neil Young
Where Is The Line?……………………………..Bjork
How?
How Deep Is Your Love?………………………BeeGees
How Long’s A Tear Take To Dry?……………Beautiful South
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?…Lita Rosa
Why?
Why?…………………………………………………Annie Lennox
Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?…………..Moby
Why Does It Always Rain On Me?…………..Travis.
No further questions your honour.
All those years in Almería BP and yet you seem Gallego! Answering questions with questions! Nice one!
1) Nowt whatsoever
2) 11,034 metres (the depth of the lowest point of the Mariana Trench, according to Wikipedia – (sorry Abahachi))
3) Depends on which Country
4) Occasionally
5) ‘What Do I Get?’
Answer: ‘Nothing at all, at all, at all, at all, at all,……..’
BTW, can somebody provide (or point me towards) idiot proof instructions on how to create a post on here?
I found this very useful at the start. For posting music take a look at my music player post from last April. Hope this helps.
1. This:
2. As deep as the Bee Gees’ love.
3. Sure, but I’m livin’ for the city
4. We can only try
5. Where Is My Mind? Rarely where it should be.
¿Y Tú Qué Has Hecho? Not much to be honest
Why Can’t There Be Love? It’s there, you have to find it.
Where Did You Sleep Last Night? In the pines
Where Are We Going? To a funky Space reincarnation.
How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore? Battery’s dead
How Can You Mend A Broken Heart? Dee Edwards will sort you out.
Do Fries Go With That Shake? You know it baby!
Here’s my latest question discovery, only yesterday:
Loved that, too! John Ziegler? When? Who?
No idea of the who, what, how & where, I heard it on the blog, but there must be a clue in the image on that clip.
Ha! Some top detective work took me here:
http://rootstrata.com/rootblog/?p=950
Hee hee, it’s FURRY Lewis, not funny.
I can’t find much information about John Ziegler, but I like this track, and most of those other musicians, so I’ll keep looking.
Here’s a biography. Bad news in that he is no longer with us. I think this page links to other stuff too.
I’m still trying to download that mixtape, but it seems to take longer and longer…
Thanks Maki, got it.
GOod detective work, Maki. I very excitedly tried to download all the tunes listed there, but the files are gone. Shoot.
John Ziegler IS my cup of tea.
Ejay and Steen the MCR 8 mixtape is going in the box as I type. The quality is pretty poor but I’ve filtered, reformatted etc and it’s the best I’ve been able to do. Hope you like it!
Great questions!
1. Never mind that, Williamsbach, where did you get that photo of me and Mr Munday??
2. Not deep enough to absorb all the crap we and BP chuck into it
3. Sure, I’m going up the country (one for Gordonimmel):
4. No, I haven’t got any beer
5. Q:Does your chewing gum lose its flavour on the bedpost overnight?
A: I don’t know but in my days of yore when I slept on a mattress on the floor I nearly ate a woodlouse because I thought it was a raisin out of my breakfast in bed.
where did you get that photo of me and Mr Munday??
Ha, that’s awesome! I knew you were cool.
That woodlouse story made me gag! (It also brought back memories of my bedsit days!) Love your comment regarding WB’s picture which I have now embedded in his comment – did the same with your youtube links – hope that’s OK.
Maki – this subject was the one that went up to my sons 1st birthday –
it hit a nerve so I’ve produced a HUGE answer for you over on the
Sane Asylum:
http://saneshane.wordpress.com/2010/07/15/question/
8.-Why must i feel like that? Why must I chase the cat?
8a – It’s the Dog in Me
Some great answers and questions, too! I’m looking forward to following links and listening to this stuff! Thanks to shane for the post over on the asylum. Boy do i have my homework cut out this weekend!!
Maki, that embedding is very clever, I thought it was just ‘cos I’m using the laptop!!!
And Amy, that’s the first time I’ve evr been called ‘cool’. Wow.