Snapshots #183: A Top Ten Easter Songs

Perhaps the link was too obvious yesterday... call it an early Easter presents, as I can't give you all chocolate.

Here are the answers...

10. Blimey, Cher - it's roomy!

"Cher - it's roomy" is an anagram.

Christy Moore - Easter Snow

9. A friend of the office manager.

The office manager, David Brent, was played by Ricky Gervais.

Ross Geller was a Friend.

Ricky Ross - Cold Easter

8. Chic fella, all alone.

The Chic fella would be Nile Rogers. If he was all alone, he might well be blue.

The Blue Nile - Easter Parade

7. Not so fishy anymore.

That's Marillion, after Fish had swum off to fresh waters.

Marillion - Easter

6. Police found with drugs on calendar.

The Julian Calendar.

Cop + E.

Julian Cope - Easter Everywhere

5. Founding father of flight.

Thomas Jefferson was a founding father.

I suppose White Rabbit would have been Easter-ish (it's certainly a better song), but the one I had in mind was...

Jefferson Airplane - Easter?

4. Psycho king.

Anthony Perkins was Norman Bates in Psycho.

Elvis was the king.

Elvis Perkins - Good Friday

3. Connections.

The Associates - Tell Me Easter's On Friday

2. One step wreath.

One step is a stair.

A wreath is a garland.

Fred Astaire & Judy Garland - Easter Parade

1. Baker's man becomes metalworker.

Patty cake, patti cake, baker's man.

A metalworker is a smith.

When all the Easter Eggs are eaten, Saturday Snapshots will still be here... next week.

My Top Ten Wizard of Oz Songs

With Sam Raimi's Wizard of Oz prequel in cinemas this week, I thought I'd cobble together ten songs (mostly) inspired by the land over the rainbow... 

Special mention, of course, to Toto...


10. Squeeze - No Place Like Home

Domestic violence, Difford & Tilbrook style. Get whacked round the head by their ruby slippers.

9. Emit Bloch - Dorothy

Probably not about the Dorothy...or any of her friends.

Just be happy yourself
Don't worry 'bout nobody else
You've got problems of your own, she said
Quit your nosing around...

8. Everclear - The Good Witch of the North

A lot soppier than the title lets on, and surprisingly upbeat for the Everclear lads. Most of their songs are about Wicked Witches...

7. The Flaming Lips - If I Only Had A Brain

Wayne Coyne's version is scary-genius.

6. James - Scarecrow

It's hard to believe James were around back in 1985, in the days when everything was still in black and white.

5. Mumford & Son - Little Lion Man

OK, so I couldn't find a song called The Cowardly Lion. I did think of throwing in the awesome Coward of the County instead. But I'm saving that for later. Still, any excuse to play my favourite from Mumford and his boys. (That second album was a bit of a water-treader, but the first still holds up.)

4. The Avett Brothers - Tin Man

They see pain but they don't feel it. You can slap them as much as you like.

3. Scissor Sisters - Return To Oz

True munchkins...

He said, "Is this the return to Oz?"
The grass is dead, the gold is brown and the sky has claws
There's a wind-up man walking round and round
What once was Emerald City is now a crystal town

2. Judy Garland - Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Timeless. As is Eva Cassidy's version. And, as I discovered earlier this week, also the inspiration for the chorus of Starman by David Bowie. The leap of between octaves on "Some... where" and "Star...man" is identical.

1. Elton John - Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

Supposedly the first film lyricist Bernie Taupin ever saw, The Wizard of Oz obviously had a profound impact.

The b-side, when this was released as a 7", was called 'Screw You'. Which leads us nicely up Eminem's own Yellow Brick Road...



Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain...