Eight months after the last time, I watched a movie in a New Orleans theatre. Last night, I saw Capote at Canal Place Theatre … and my eyes were glued to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s lips the whole time as he pursed them in that characteristic sneer to perfect Truman’s haute-nasal voice. I loved Hoffman in The Fifteen Minute Hamlet and even as the obsequious Brandt in The Big Lebowski, but this was different. This was eerie. Not the premise of the movie (there is no doubt the suspects were guilty), but the seamless merger of Hoffman and Capote. In different eras, both of them pulled off scared-country-boy-turned-scared-literatus to the point where I didn’t care who was who and when any more. All that was left was a quiet understanding of one of Capote’s more famous quotes, “I am a homosexual, I use drugs, I am a wunderkind.”
At the least, it was something different to think about besides the reality of New Orleans. For one, I watched the movie in one of the city’s more ritzy malls, which burned and was looted two days after the hurricane hit. There I was seven months later walking out of the same place, cleaned and restored. What amazes me is the varying nature that one place can take on over time. This concept drives home quickly when I stand on an outcrop of thick limestone and realize that, millions of years ago, a reef thrived under my feet. Or when I put my hand on the wall of an Indian temple and feel what my ancestors did thousands of years ago. And there I was, last night, walking out of a place that was the scene of utter chaos and destruction just seven months ago.
Same place, different moment. What separates us is the space of time.
After dwelling on that thought and the ones that went into this morning’s Metroblogging post, I retreated to the comfort of a low-carb frozen mocha (with whipped cream and sugarless chocolate syrup) and my iPod. I believe it’s time to unleash a brimful-style music quiz on my loyal readers. Follow the game, most of the rules of which I have shamelessly cribbed from ms. b herself :
The idea is that you take your mp3 player or iTunes (or multi-CD player for those of you who haven’t entered the 21st century), set it on random and write down the first line of the next twenty songs that play, regardless of embarassment quotient. If the title of the song is the first line, it must be excluded. Songs from the same artists should also be excluded. Then, you ask your readers to give you the artist and title.
Rules:
* No Googling. We work on the honor code. Leave your guesses on which songs are represented below, and I cross them off as you get them right.
* I will annoy everyone by tagging them. You’re all tagged, all of you.
* D is disqualified from playing as he possesses an intimate knowledge of my music collection. Good thing this isn’t an electro-techno sound bites quiz or Julie would have to be kicked out of play as well.
So, here are the results:
1. you sure you want to be with me I’ve nothing to give – maisnon
2. I’m a king, yes, I’m a head of state – rcs
3. don’t stand around like friends at a funeral, eyes to the ground
4. I see the shapes, I remember from maps – endoking reads my blog?! wow!
5. speak, I’m listening
6. sometimes, i feel i’ve got to run away – ads followed by andrea
7. I wish I would’ve met you now it’s a little late – brimful wins in the persistence department
8. my promise could be your fiend, a given end to your dreams
9. it could all be so simple, but you’d rather make it hard – ads
10. oh, amigo, here we do things slow – dave, a little slow on the uptake
11. she“s mighty, mighty just letting it all hang out – andrea
12. sell the kids for food – brimful!
13. you look like a perfect fit for a girl in need of a tourniquet – ads, who also digs Aimee Mann!
14. hearts of fire creates love desire – ray
15. mama says the truth is all that matters
16. I let the beast in too soon, I don’t know how to live – maisnon, mais oui!
17. those city lights might be shining on you tonight – my sweet cousin bina strikes again!
18. I woke up and called this morning – dave
19. on the corners of boulevards I call your name – full of joy that andrea loves this beautiful song by Thomas Dolby, too, and got it!
20. there is a child sleeping near his twin
Good luck! Keep checking in for results as they trickle … I mean … pour in.
P.S. I almost forgot. An extra point goes to the reader who can correctly identify the artist that goes with the title of this post. Again, D is verboten from answering as it is one of his theme songs.
Hey, I actually know some of these!
6. Soft Cell, “Tainted Love”
9. Lauryn Hill, “Ex-Factor”
13. Aimee Mann, “Save Me”
I missed 4 BTW…..
6 – Tainted Love
11 – Brick House
19 – BUDAPEST BY BLIMP – this is in my list too ;)
And I know I know 14 and 15 but they are slipping my mind right now.
D, you liar poop. You did not get 1, 3 and 17. And I’m startled at your having missed 4. For shame.
I recognize only #18, “My Favorite Mistake” by Sheryl Crow
#17 sounds like something I should know, but I can’t think of it if so.
D, you mean #4 or 4/20?
Yeah, he missed 4 out of 20. My bad. I’m still allowed to call him a liar poop, though.
Hmmm … he doesn’t know approx. a fifth of my collection. Wow. Well, this isn’t quite the representative list.
14. Earth Wind & Fire. Uh, “Way of the World”?
I’m pretty sure I’m wrong but I have to guess:
is #16 audioslave ?
Sure sounds like a morose Chris Cornell lyric, doesn’t it? But, alas, you’re wrong. A hint: try equally angsty female.
1. Massive Attack – “Karmacoma”
16. Fiona Apple – “Fast as You Can”
The line from number 9 is one of my favorite of all-time.
Dude. Did that totally rhyme, or is it just me?
I only know one (I think) – #2 is XTC, “Merely A Man,” from “Oranges & Lemons.”
Oh, and awesome on #19! I’m a big Thomas Dolby fan :)
Late to the party, so all I’ve got is (actually, that might have been all I got anyway!):
12. Nirvana’s “Bloom”
Always thought that Hoffman would make a perfect Ignatius if they ever get that Confederacy movie made.
The force is deep in you, young brimwalker, concentrate harder on 7.
Lord, this is one of those things that, the harder you concentrate, the more it eludes you!
rcs, good job on #2. Do I know you?
brimful, walk around in a surly mood and utter the words to #7 in a slow and utterly bitter fashion. Perhaps then the Muse will help filter the contents of your mental musical database.
#17 is wilco’s “far, far, away” which i am right now…this is a good game. i’m coming home! see you soon.
rcs, good job on #2. Do I know you?
We haven’t met, Maitri, but I’ve been reading (and enjoying) your blog for, oh, maybe three months now. I comment on the metblogs site every now and then too. Not much to say, generally (that someone else hasn’t already said!) but I do know my XTC :)
Okay, this is a shot in the dark (because I can’t remember if he says “now it’s a little late”), but what the hey- is it Hey Man Nice Shot by Filter?
If it is, I love that you have it.
Holy cow, no one’s got #4 yet?
Talking Heads, the Big country
Ooh, I know #10. “Mexican Moon” by Concrete Blonde, one of my favorite bands.
Was that there before and I missed it? Doh!
It was always there, and I shuddered at the thought of none of my friends knowing the lyrics to Concrete Blonde songs. Well, Anne does, but for some reason, she didn’t take this quiz.
Slow on the uptake: guilty as charged.