[stan] 12:27 p.m. - Song

Song: Too Many Walls
Artist: Cathy Dennis

Why: I wish I could say that I heard it on the radio and that it got lodged into my hippocampus from there. But no, that would be a lie. The truth is, it just came out of nowhere. Well, nowhere except some abstract post-high school memories, I suppose.

*Sorry about the Myspace link. The Wiki page for Cathy Dennis was doing weird things.

[stan] 8:16 a.m. - Song

Song: Every Breath You Take
Artist: The Police

Why: It was just on the radio again. The other day when it came on, I was walking by my co-worker's desk and I casually quipped, "You know this song is about a stalker, don't you?" She then told me that from then on the song was ruined for her. Well played, Stan.

So just now when it came on again, I swear I heard her groan a little because she remembered what I said, and was starting to hear the stalker's voice in the lyrics. It thrills me to no end. That's the gift that keeps on giving.

[nicole] 7:23 a.m. - Song

Song: We Belong
Artist: Pat Benatar

Why: Honestly, it just popped into my head while I was reading the latest Olympic news. I don't know where it came from.

[stan] 8:17 p.m. - Song

Song: (There's) Always Something There to Remind Me
Artist: Naked Eyes

Why: I don't know.

[stan] 6:40 a.m. - Song

Song: Out of the Woods
Artist: Nickel Creek

Why: It's unusual that I would have this version of the song in my head, as I've only heard it a couple of times. I have, however, heard the version sung by the writer and original performer, Sinéad Lohan, about a thousand times.

[stan] 3:47 p.m. - Song

Song: I Just Called to Say I Love You
Artist: Stevie Wonder

Why: I just won an endurance race against a hospital billing department's phone system - I was on hold for at least 20 minutes and I stuck it out. They kept coming back on the line, asking, "Do you want his voice mail, or do you want to continue to hold?" and each time I was more and more determined to outlast them. It was like being in the Customer Service Olympics, and I was competing in the Men's 800-meter Being On Hold, and God bless America, I was going for the gold!!!

During that time, the only actual song I recognized was this Stevie Wonder song. Granted, the vocals were replaced by a flute, and the rest of the instruments were played by a Walgreens bag full of moist Ex-Lax, but that just added to the degree of difficulty.

USA! USA! USA!

[stan] 5:08 a.m. - Song

Song: If You're Gone
Artist: Matchbox 20

Why: I don't know, but I wish it would go away. I have never liked Matchbox 20, and I think it's primarily because they've ruined the name Matchbox for me. I played with Matchbox cars as a wee lad (well, maybe not so wee, it was up until junior high), and I was perfectly happy with the name association until these doofclowns came along with their stupid I-want-to-push-you-around-at-3-a.m. songs.

Now I want to go outside and play cars in the dirt. I love to make the roads.

[stan] 5:30 a.m. - Song

Song: In the Highways
Artist: Leah, Sarah, and Hannah Peasall (as the Wharvey Gals) from the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack

Why: Nicole and I saw the film a few days ago, and this song came back to my head this morning.

[stan] 8:54 p.m. - Song

Song: Keep A-Knockin' (But You Can't Come In)
Artist: Rev. Richard Wayne Penniman

Why: I don't know how it got into my head, but I don't mind it at all. This is, in my opinion, Little Richard's greatest song. The energy in "Keep on Knockin' is unparalleled my most rock and roll songs—it's just a relentless, sweaty torrent of sound. This is the song you want on your party mix CD.

By the way, the drum intro is the direct inspiration for the intro to Led Zeppelin's "Rock and Roll"—you know, the one that was nearly ruined by being in all of those dumb Cadillac commercials.

[stan] 8:09 p.m. - Song

Song: How Bizarre
Artist: OMC

Why: I don't know. Just popped in there.

[stan] 12:25 p.m. - Location

Location: West Burnside Street in Portland, at the end of the North Park Blocks.

Why: Not sure why. Just remembering all the times I drove up and down that street over the years, I guess.

[stan] 7:21 a.m. - Song

Song: Money for Nothing
Artist: Dire Straits

Why: Someone sent a "fun fact" type email to our department at work, and it was about old computers. One of the links in the e-mail led to a page on the Commodore Amiga, where I discovered that it was the computer used for the graphics in Weird Al's parody of the song.

[stan] 9:16 a.m. - Song

Song: Bugler's Dream (Olympics theme)
Artist: Leo Arnaud

Why: Finally, one that makes sense. We watched the opening ceremonies yesterday, and of course, I heard this song a lot. The part repeating in my head is just the very beginning, with the timpani and the opening notes. It's quite powerful, and believe it or not, it actually doesn't invoke images of athletics at all.

Bugler's Dream would be a great car horn, though. Hmm, I think I may have just invented the next trend—downloadable car horn "honktones". Imagine someone cutting you off in traffic and the next thing they hear is that "Hey! Hey!" from the beginning of Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me." Sweet.

[stan] 6:23 a.m. - Song

Song: I Had a Little Chickie
Artist: Unknown

Why: Beats the heck outta me. It just popped into my head out of nowhere - I'd literally not heard this little tune since I was a kid.

The way we always sang it was:

Well, there once was a chickie
And she wouldn't lay an egg,
So I poured hot water
Up and down her leg,
Well, the little chickie cried
The little chickie begged;
And the poor little chickie laid
A hard-boiled egg.

Boom-diddly-yada, hot chick.

Well, there once was a chickie
And she wouldn't lay an egg,
So I poured gun powder
Up and down her leg,
Well, the little chickie cried
The little chickie begged;
And the poor little chickie laid
A hand grenade.

Boom-diddly-yada, no chick.

The weird things we remember...

[stan] 5:41 p.m. - Song

Song: Quickfast - except done in a extremely up-tempo, lyric-yelling, punk style
Artist: ABC's The Bod Squad (and in my brain, maybe Green Day?)

Why: During my prime Saturday morning cartoon watching years in the late 70s and early 80s, ABC aired these cartoon PSAs called The Bod Squad . They were in the same vein as Schoolhouse Rock, except, I guess, ABC figured they didn't fall under a "schoolhouse" umbrella theme, so they got their own name.

I don't know what made me think of the song - but why on earth did my brain punkify it? And, more importantly, has anyone ever recorded it that way?

A piece of toast and one of these:
Peanut butter or a slice of cheese
Milk or juice to wash it down
It's the fast fast quick fastest breakfast in town!

[stan] 5:20 a.m. - Song

Song: Smoke on the Water
Artist: Deep Purple

Why: I woke up with it. I don't know why it's there, but I really wish it'd go away. I don't like this song at all.

One of the things I like about doing this blog is that if one day there's some song stuck that I don't like, I can read an earlier post with a good song, and that will probably replace the one that's in there. See, my brain's already hearing, "I'm all outta love, I'm so lost without you..." Oh, wait. That's not a good replacement.

[stan] 12:26 p.m. - Location

Location: SW Vista Ave. in Portland, right about here by the school, right around dusk on a rainy fall evening.

Why: Strangely specific with the time and weather. I don't know where that came from...maybe I'm just looking forward to fall?

[stan] 6:47 a.m. - Song

Song: The Blower's Daughter
Artist: Damian Rice

Why: No idea. Just kind of woke up with it.

[stan] 11:27 p.m. - Song

Song: Bohemian Polka
Artist: "Weird Al" Yankovic

Why: No idea why. But as a fan of the original Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen, I think that this polka-soaked rendition is hilarious and awesome. Not to mention the fact that I just invented the adjective, "polka-soaked."

[stan] 3:02 p.m. - Song

Song: All Out of Love
Artist: Air Supply

Why: On the radio behind me. I absolutely dare you not to think about the SNL spoof of this song. "I think I dig your stuff..."

[nicole] 7:00 a.m. - Song

Song: Baby, I Believe in You
Artist: New Kids on the Block

Why: Early this morning, either just as I was waking up, or earlier when I woke before the alarm, I had the song "Love Me Sexy" from Semi-Pro in my head. Somehow, that migrated into "Baby, I Believe in You". There is similar beat in both songs.