venta

So, Friday's lyrics quiz:
1. She dances on the beach a lot. Just like, er, a river. What's her name ?

Rio

From "Rio", by Duran Duran.

Her name is Rio and she dances on the sand,
Just like that river twisting through a dusty land

I've never been sure how someone dances like a river. Damply, I imagine.

2. What's the spiderman having for dinner tonight ?

Me

From "Lullaby", by The Cure.

And there is nothing I can do when I realize with fright
that the spiderman is having me for dinner tonight!

Owing to some confusion over what person the answers should be presented in, I was quite happy to accept "You" as an answer because it was, well, me. Which is you when you answer. If you see what I mean.

3. What the hell am I doing here, I don't belong here. What am I ?

A creep or a weirdo.

From "Creep", by Radiohead.

But I'm a creep
I'm a weirdo
What the hell am I doing here?
I don't belong here

4. It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care. Why can't I go out tonight ?

I haven't got a stitch to wear

From "This Charming Man", by the Smiths.

I would go out tonight
But I haven't got a stitch to wear
This man said "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"

I didn't require word-perfectness, so any remark about a general shortage of garments was fine.

5. I'm moving to the country, what will I eat a lot of ?

Peaches

No, this was nothing to do with Blur. It was in fact "Peaches", by the Presidents of the United States of America.

Moving to the country, gonna eat a lot of peaches
I'm Moving to the country, I'm gonna eat me a lot of peaches

Many thanks to all of you who told me both where I could find such peaches, and how they got there :)

6. I'd like to change the colour of my hair, but I don't want to use one of those dyes you buy in shops. I'd like my hair to be real orange. What should I use ? (Bonus points on this one if you spell the answer correctly, that is to say the way I want it spelled).

Ta-a-a-angerines

"(She Don't Use) Jelly", originally by the Flaming Lips, though I only really know a cover by Drugstore. More on this next week.

Shes always changing
The color of her hair
She don't use nothing
That ya buy at the store
She likes her hair to be real orange
She uses tangerines

Special mention to

bluedevi who is the only one who spelled it with extra a's.

7. I've put a latch on the door. What am I doing that I don't want Momma to know about ?

Downloading porn. With my friend, Davo.

Put a latch on the door so Mama don't know
That I'm downloading porn with Davo

I expected this to be hard, since I didn't think many people would know "Downloading Porn With Davo" by The Moldy Peaches. You surprised me, though.

Expect the Moldy Peaches to be big this summer. I blame Juno.

8. That girl's got no clothes on! She's running around trying to borrow a quid. What does she want to spend it on ?

A condom.

This question proved to be harder than expected. I reckon you know this song really. It's "I Predict a Riot", by the Kaiser Chiefs.

Girls scrabble round with no clothes on
To borrow a pound for a condom

9. My brother met some guy in the Peoples' Park. He was eating mushrooms. Who was he ?

He was, of course, Karl Marx.

From "Where's Me Jumper", from the marvelous Sultans of Ping FC.

My, brother knows Karl Marx,
He met him eating mushrooms in the peoples park

I'm not quite clear who was eating the mushrooms, actually. Maybe both of them.

10. What do I choose to do to achieve consciousness expansion ?

I go to my local tabernacle, and I SING!

I expected this to be hard, but was delighted a few people got it. Shame on the rest of you, especially you who own Exile from Coldharbour Lane and still didn't get it. "Ain't Going To Goa", by Alabama 3, is a top song.

'Cos the righteous truth is, there ain't nothing worse than
some fool lying on some Third World beach wearing
spandex, psychedelic trousers, smoking damn dope
pretending he gettin' consciousness expansion. I want
consciousness expansion, I go to my local tabernacle
an' I sing with the brothers and sisters

11. The devil's going to drag you under! By your lapels! Why is sitting down an advised course of action ?

Because you're rockin' the boat.

"Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat", from Guys and Dolls was made popular by Stubby Kaye. I think it's a great song, with some really fine lyrics. Sadly, very few people know much of it but the "Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down" line.

And the devil will drag you under
By the sharp lapel of your checkered coat;
Sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down
Sit down you're rocking the boat.

12. If you trade your heroes, and get ghosts in exchange, what might you swap for hot ashes ?

Trees

According to Pink Floyd in "Wish You Were Here".

And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?

13. What question does the whole world, once again, have to answer right now ?

Who's bad?

As asked by Michael Jackson in "Bad".

And The Whole World Has To
Answer Right Now
Just To Tell You Once Again,
Who's Bad

14. I could eat my dinner at a fancy restaurant, but I wouldn't enjoy it. Why not ?

This wasn't a great question, as the answer can take many forms. I was willing to accept nothing compares 2 u, nothing can take away those blues, or any answer or any answer that indicated I'd be there by my lonesome because you've taken your love away.

Since you been gone I can do whatever I want
I can see whomever I choose
I can eat my dinner in a fancy restaurant
But nothing
I said nothing can take away these blues
`Cause nothing compares
Nothing compares to you

15. How many prostitutes are there in that room next door ?

25

Sisters of Mercy, "Vision Thing".

Twenty-five whores in the room next door
Twenty-five floors and I need more

Though actually a few people whom I'd have expected to get this right said 24, so if anyone can make a convincing case for there being a second version with different lyrics you can have the points.

The idea that I need more floors rather than more whores is new to me, and I fear it may be an internet typo. If anyone's got a reliable source of Sisters' lyrics and can check for me, that'd be great.

16. What were you doing when I first met you ? I knew that there could only be one outcome: you and me against the world.

No, you weren't working as a waitress in a cocktail bar. Because I don't think either with or without you is much of a declaration of solidarity against the world.

You were, in fact, hanging knickers on the line as a few people correctly answered.

"Me and You vs. The World", by Space.

I first met you hanging knickers on the line
Fom that moment on I knew that
There could only be one outcome
Me and you against the world forever

17. We'll all take turns, even me. Where has that monkey gone ?

Heaven.

"Monkey Gone To Heaven", by the Pixies.

It was touch and go whether

mejoff got the point for the rather flowery "It is an ex monkey, has shuffled off it's mortal coil and joined the choir invisible", but I decided he probably did know really.

18. Which underground station do millions of people swarm around, like flies ?

Waterloo

According to The Kinks, in "Waterloo Sunset".

Millions of people swarming like flies 'round Waterloo underground
But Terry and Julie cross over the river
Where they feel safe and sound

19. What did Ziggy play ?

Guitar

"Ziggy Stardust", by David Bowie.

Ziggy played guitar, jamming good with Weird and Gilly
And The spiders from Mars, he played it left hand

20. What is it called when people from the city have lunch in the park ?

Al fresco

"LDN", by Lily Allen.

There was a little old lady, who was walking down the road
She was struggling with bags from Tesco
There were people from the city having lunch in the park
I believe that it's called al fresco

... which is truly the most heinous rhyme allowed out in public last year.

High score accolades go to:

undyingking with 16,

davefish with 15, and

valkyriekaren and

bluedevi both with 14. Possibly also

bibliogirl (with 18) but she mentioned using google, which I feel is implicitly banned in quizzes :) Every question was answered by at least one person.

Thanks all.