Bruce Springsteen sang a lot of songs about places -more than you realize until you see Springstreets. Daniel Cassaro created a map of those places enshrined in song lyrics.

Warning: Springstreets is not to scale and should not be used while on a drive, last chance power or otherwise. The only thing you can really use this map to find is yourself.

The image here is cropped; see several larger images with more detail at the artist’s site. Link -via Nag on the Lake

YouTube link

Many famous songs that originated in movies or Broadway musicals were preceded by an introduction that was sung rather than spoken.  These verses, properly considered part of the lyrics, are often omitted when the song is covered by other artists or presented outside the setting of the movie.  Barbra Streisand’s original rendition of “People,” embedded above, began with these words:

We travel single-o,
Maybe we’re lucky, but I don’t know.
With them just let one kid fall down and seven mothers faint
I guess we’re both happy, but maybe we ain’t . . .

In a column at MinnPost, Don Effenberger has assembled the introductions to “When You Wish Upon a Star,” “Getting to Know You,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” “Night and Day,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” and 10 others, and has arranged them in a quiz format, inviting you to match the introductory phrases with the famous song.  Links are provided for video or audio versions which include the introduction.  Some of pairs in the quiz are quite difficult; others – such as this one – you must remember:

This day and age we`re living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like third dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein’s theory
So we must get down to earth at times
Relax, relieve the tension
And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed . . .

Quiz link.

How many lobes must a ghoul gulp down
Before he eats the whole brainpan?
How many skulls must a sniper nail
Before her rifle has jammed?
Yes, n’ how many bites must I take of this guy
Before I’ve digested his hand?
The zombies my friend, are rippin’ off your skin
The zombies are rippin’ off your skin

Yes, n’ how many folks must cease to exist
Before it’s called a “killing spree”?
Yes, n’ how many years in this mall can we subsist
‘Til we’re forced by bikers to flee?
Yes, n’ how many towns must shamblers infest
Before they all turn to debris?
The zombies my friend, are rippin’ off your skin
The zombies are rippin’ off your skin

Other songs that he’s rewritten include Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler“, Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U“, “Jack & Diane” by John Mellencamp, and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen.

Link via Boing Boing

Image by flickr user ingridjee used under creative commons license

"Misheard" lyrics, that is…

– via reddit

From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Minnesotastan.