Lyric puzzles

[andrew_jorgensen]

Ever since the meme went around in May, I've regretted not putting up a bunch of lyrics from unidentified songs which readers could then guess. It's fair to say that this has gnawed at my heart. I enjoyed, despite my poor showing, the guessing games posted by lynnmonster and Chad Orzel, but I think my favorite set had to be the one by tahnan. Instead of just posting the words, he created ten separate puzzles from the lyrics. I know a good idea when I see one, and I am shameless enough to steal not only his idea but his puzzle forms as well. Unfortunately, I was able to solve (and, in fact, understand the mechanisms of) only eight of his ten song-puzzles, so I've had to bring in two other (much more complicated) types of puzzles.

So, following the lj-cut, there are ten puzzles, to which the answers are all lyrics from songs which have played on my MP3 player within the last three months. I won't say that the representation of my musical taste is entirely balanced (I do listen to black music made after 1972, for example, and white music made before 1976), but I like all the answers. Whether or not the puzzles are as likeable, I'll leave up to you.

To prevent the game from being ruined in the comments, I'm turning automatic screening on. If you want your answer unscreened, you should use invisotext; for example, if your answer to number twelve were "Spice Up Your Life" you might type:

Answer to #12: <font color="white">The Spice Girls, "Spice Up Your Life."</font>

Please put each answer in invisotext separately, as different solvers proceed at different speeds.

(The Spice Girls definitely don't feature in this quiz. Shut up.)

And so, without further ado:

1. MHW KUHRJ IM YJZUB / GZWAJ Q GHWXOC'B OZCGJ / MHW OQOC'B JDJC FZCB IJ ZUHWCO / ZCO CHF Q'I KZGR BH XJB MHW RCHF / Q GZC UJZXXM AYZRJ QB OHFC.

2. ark ave bew cki dki edo eli eti eti exy ght hes ims ims ite kea lal lni mes mes mov ndo ngt nob nth orb ork osh som som stu tal tto ygo (9 2 4, 4 4 1 4 / 7 3 5 3 5 / 9 2 2 3, 3 2 2 6 2 / 4 4 2 4 2)

3. You're idlin' out several alabaster their / Stayin' up up up

4. Canned know beer hugely fawn see delirious ship tech schmitt drought / contrite sphere run a scrip scanned strip bland sweat mitt scrawl zhang doubt polite / sheer ton a weigh smut flea psych.

5. T---- w-- t-- f---- t--- h--- o-- l---, / T---- w-- t-- g--- t--- h- w----- o-- o- / T--- i- t-- h---- t--- i- t----- t- s---- / T--- w-- t-- h----, b-- i- a--'- n- h---

6. I will allow you to escort me / At the central institution / I'm an adult male / Yet I do not fear lacrimation.

7. Orgiesagent, dinnertimeoat, trodminnesota, orientating / Vagrantagio, haitimoulin, iotagoblin ot uro anoint

8. mnntchrst/mnnrchst/dntknwwhtwntbtknwhwtgtt

9.
10.

+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|  1 P.|  2 G.|  3 Q.|  4 B.|  5 D.|######|  6 A.|  7 L.|  8 C.|  9 N.|
|      |      |      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|######| 10 C.| 11 N.| 12 S.| 13 B.| 14 E.| 15 D.|######| 16 H.| 17 P.|
|######|      |      |      |      |      |      |######|      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|######| 18 K.| 19 M.| 20 R.|######| 21 I.| 22 V.| 23 E.| 24 T.|######|
|######|      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |######|
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 25 D.| 26 J.|######| 27 H.| 28 C.| 29 L.|######| 30 N.| 31 L.| 32 G.|
|      |      |######|      |      |      |######|      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 33 R.| 34 Q.| 35 B.| 36 H.| 37 S.|######| 38 U.| 39 P.|######| 40 V.|
|      |      |      |      |      |######|      |      |######|      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 41 R.| 42 A.|######| 43 Q.| 44 R.| 45 K.| 46 S.| 47 V.|######| 48 G.|
|      |      |######|      |      |      |      |      |######|      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|######| 49 Q.| 50 G.| 51 H.| 52 B.| 53 A.|######| 54 G.| 55 A.|######|
|######|      |      |      |      |      |######|      |      |######|
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 56 L.| 57 R.| 58 Q.|######| 59 R.| 60 E.| 61 G.| 62 A.|######| 63 A.|
|      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |######|      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 64 O.| 65 F.| 66 H.|######| 67 Q.| 68 D.| 69 F.| 70 C.| 71 I.| 72 K.|
|      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 73 A.|######| 74 J.| 75 M.| 76 G.|######| 77 K.|######| 78 L.| 79 A.|
|      |######|      |      |      |######|      |######|      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 80 Q.| 81 S.| 82 G.|######| 83 R.| 84 U.| 85 G.| 86 V.| 87 H.| 88 N.|
|      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|######| 89 N.| 90 I.| 91 Q.| 92 H.|######| 93 B.| 94 S.| 95 H.| 96 C.|
|######|      |      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| 97 N.|######| 98 V.| 99 C.|100 O.|101 Q.|######|102 D.|103 K.|104 U.|
|      |######|      |      |      |      |######|      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|105 A.|106 Q.|######|107 A.|108 V.|109 D.|110 P.|######|111 L.|112 M.|
|      |      |######|      |      |      |      |######|      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|113 A.|######|114 M.|115 U.|116 P.|######|117 B.|118 U.|119 G.|######|
|      |######|      |      |      |######|      |      |      |######|
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|120 F.|121 K.|122 D.|123 U.|124 N.|######|125 V.|######|126 C.|127 H.|
|      |      |      |      |      |######|      |######|      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|128 V.|129 B.|130 P.|131 N.|132 I.|133 Q.|######|134 O.|135 B.|136 G.|
|      |      |      |      |      |      |######|      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|137 K.|138 S.|139 R.|140 F.|######|141 R.|142 M.|######|143 N.|144 Q.|
|      |      |      |      |######|      |      |######|      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|######|145 O.|146 V.|147 S.|148 D.|######|149 T.|150 R.|151 V.|152 S.|
|######|      |      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|######|153 Q.|154 B.|155 K.|######|156 C.|######|157 P.|158 F.|159 B.|
|######|      |      |      |######|      |######|      |      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|160 D.|161 V.|162 J.|163 H.|######|164 T.|165 S.|166 M.|167 Q.|######|
|      |      |      |      |######|      |      |      |      |######|
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|168 P.|169 Q.|170 V.|171 S.|172 I.|173 B.|######|174 S.|175 V.|
|      |      |      |      |      |      |######|      |      |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+

A. American poet (1897-1940), author of "Masque with Clowns" 
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
     6  105   62   42   63  107  113   79   73   53   55

B. Magical incantation
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
   129  117    4  154   52   35   13  135   93  159  173

C. Pedicab
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
     8   28  126   70   10   99  156   96

D. Movie starring Peter Falk and D.B. Sweeney
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
   109   68   25  160  102  122  148    5   15

E. Dobby or Legolas
   ___  ___  ___  
    14   60   23

F. Exclamation of disbelief (2 wds.)
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    65   69  120  158  140

G. Persian Prophet
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    50   85  136   54  119    2   61   32   82   76   48

H. A worshipper of chaos (2 wds.)
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    66   16   27  127   36   92   95  163   87   51

I. Having legal force; cogent, as an argument
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    90  132   21   71  172

J. Batty; deep-six
   ___  ___  ___  
   162   26   74

K. "My kingdom for a _________!" Beckett, "Endgame" (hyph.)
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    72  103   45  121   18  137   77  155

L. Little miss with arachnophobia
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    29   31   78  111    7   56

M. Chocolate soft drink introduced in the 1920s (hyph.)
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
   114  166   75   19  142  112

N. Hell-raising
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    30   89   11  143  131   97    9  124   88

O. Animal rights group founded in 1969
   ___  ___  ___  ___  
    64  134  100  145

P. Stance with toes pointed outwards
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
   130  116  168  110  157   39   17    1

Q. Force whose governing equations were codified by James Clerk Maxwell
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    91   67    3  153  106   43  144  167  169   80  133   58  101   34   49

R. Password; truism, platitude
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    33   41   44   83   59  139  150   20  141   57

S. Vendor of men's hats
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    81  147  138   12   94  174  171   37   46  152  165

T. Newt
   ___  ___  ___  
   149  164   24

U. Low-grade whiskey
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    84  115   38  104  118  123

V. Expert in herbalistic traditions
   ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  ___  
    22   98  146  128  108  161  175   47  125  170   86  151   40 

Enjoy!

ETA: It is traditional in these memes to outlaw Googling, but I figure that if you've done the work of solving the puzzle, you shouldn't get frustrated because you don't recognize the lyric.

Now, Googling to solve the acrostic? That action rests on a moral foundation made of sand.

Comments

[anadamous.livejournal.com]

HA HA HA!!! You are awesome times one million!!

I will definitely think about working on these. Yes yes yes.

Thank you!

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

The other puzzles I don't much care about; it will break my heart if no one does the acrostic.

Re: Thank you!

[anadamous.livejournal.com]

Look, I did the rebus, because it was in bright colors: Family Affair , by Steve Winwood

I'm pretending to be working now, though, so I should go back to that.

Re: Thank you!

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Excellent! .

Re: Thank you!

[rebekahroxanna.livejournal.com]

The acrostic was/is the only one I have a hope of doing (OK, the rebus was fairly easy, but the song????). The least you could do is use lyrics from your first musical loves--you know when you thought there wasn't music before the 70s. Of course that was in the 70s when indeed there was no music.

Re: Thank you!

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

.

Re: #10

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Excellent!

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

! I'm glad it pleased you!

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

I busted number 1 faster than I could get onto the site last night. But, lyrics? No chance, I'll figure out the song for any of them!

I love anacrosstics, but don't have much hope I'll solve yours. I'm trying, though.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

Hmmm, that's troubling, as because I've never built an acrostic before, I'm not sure how fair it is. I had hoped that it would be reasonably solvable (I'm not out to screw anyone), but the really obvious answers are probably too few and too short to give anyone a toehold.

.

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

About noon I sat down and worked out the acrostic. You did a fine job. The clues were much better than I usually see in magazines, without being pushovers. As usual I had to do most of the work by guessing the target rather than the clues, but I didn't cheat even a little bit. (Okay, I had to look up the spelling of one of the answers to the clues, but I did know the word.)

Making one of those up has to be a lot more challenging than solving one, and I've seen too many that I couldn't solve short of peeking at bits of the answer, because the clues were awful or just too obscure.

Good job, d'Herb!

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

It gladdens me greatly to hear that. I'm always a little disappointed when The New York Times runs an acrostic as its second Sunday puzzle instead of a diagramless or a cryptic, but having written this, I have new respect for the legacy of Thomas H. Middleton.

[anneth.livejournal.com]

Look, it's very naughty of you to post such tempting distractions while some of us are trying to learn. If you do it again, you'll have to go sit in the corner.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

God forbid I should deprive the world of another Bar-certified attorney.

[anneth.livejournal.com]

1) The Dave Clark Five, "Do You Love Me (now that I can dance)?" "You broke my heart/'cause I couldn't dance/you didn't even want me around/but now I'm back to let you know/I can really shake it down."

9) Steve Winwood, "It's a Family Affair" "You can't leave me 'cause your heart is there"

Still working on the others.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

The songs are correct! The artists though are respectively and , not that there's anyway to tell that from any information I actually bothered to include, so it's really unfair of me to expect people to correctly guess from the many artists to cover the songs. .

[anneth.livejournal.com]

Huh. I thought it was Sly but I googled it to check and got the other, and then I checked Anadamous' answer and copied her. Because, you know, I have no soul and am therefore evil. And evil people copy.

[anneth.livejournal.com]

10) Warren Zevon (?), "Hit Somebody" "There were Swedes to the left of him/Russians to the right/A Czech at the blue line looking for a fight/brains over brawn/that might work for you/but what's a canadian farmboy to do?/What else can a farmboy from Canada do?" That was awesome! I've never done one of those before.

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

So glad you enjoyed it!

[anneth.livejournal.com]

6) So, um... I translated this one, and got "you can take me/(somewhere)/I'm a full-grown man/but I ain't afraid to cry" and googled it, because it wasn't familiar. I got Beck, Sex Laws, "I'll let you be my chaperone/at the half-way house/I'm a full-grown man/but I'm not afraid to cry." Is that right?

[dherblay.livejournal.com]

That is very much correct. Obviously, I may have taken some liberties with that one!