| Author | Message | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 3992 Registered: 1-2001 |
There's a song that very quickly became the highest charted single for the group that recorded it, was the top selling single the year after it was released and the top selling single of all time for the company that released the song. Actually the lyrics are mostly easy to understand, there are a few that may be misunderstood, but the group did something to clear up any questions about the lyrics. There are two unique things about this song: 1) In order to record the song, the group had to do something that only a few other groups and individuals in music had ever done before. Of all songs by groups/individuals who have done this, this song is by far the most popular and highest rated (it was No. 1 on the charts in 16 countries). 2) People who heard the song and saw the video probably assumed that the singer wrote the song about someone he knew and something he had seen. Actually, the song is about a person the singer never met and a place he'd never been. So...what's the song and why is it so unique? | ||
| Kayleetonkslupin (Kayleetonkslupin)
New member Username: Kayleetonkslupin Post Number: 5607 Registered: 9-2010 |
"16 countries"...the UK and the Commonwealth realms relevant? | ||
| Potato (Potato)
New member Username: Potato Post Number: 1364 Registered: 7-2010 |
Germany relevant? Not sure if this questions are eligible, but here goes: Is the song from the 60s? 70s? 80s? 90? 2000s? This decade? The music genre - Pop? Rock? Hip Hop? RnB? Latin? Electronical? Classic? Could the band be condiered a boygroup? Girlgroup? Did it consist of members of both genders? Did the special way of recording affect the vocals? The instruments? Any sound effects such as echoes? Was the song recorded in an unusual location? Were instruments used that are unusual for the music genre? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 3994 Registered: 1-2001 |
"16 countries"...the UK and the Commonwealth realms relevant? BLOOPER - Here is the list of where the song reached #1: Australia, Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, USA It reached the top 5 in these countries: Canada, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, New Zealand, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland and the European Hot 100. The song got as high as #18 in the UK Germany relevant? Not to the lyrics of the song, no Not sure if this questions are eligible, but here goes: Is the song from the 60s? 70s? 80s? 90? 2000s? This decade? It was released sometime after 1989. Many people speculate that, despite the supposed meaning of the song, it is actually a tribute to the 80's and nothing more. The music genre - Pop? Rock? This - it was charted under a subcategory Hip Hop? RnB? Latin? Electronical? Classic? Could the band be condiered a boygroup? Girlgroup? Neither Did it consist of members of both genders? No, it's an all male group Did the special way of recording affect the vocals? FA, there's nothing special or out of the ordinary about the recording method The instruments? No Any sound effects such as echoes? No Was the song recorded in an unusual location? No Were instruments used that are unusual for the music genre? YES | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5014 Registered: 5-2003 |
Was it recorded for a contest, such as Eurovision? Were the instruments used actually musical instruments? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 3997 Registered: 1-2001 |
Was it recorded for a contest, such as Eurovision? No Were the instruments used actually musical instruments? Yes | ||
| Tsoram1970 (Tsoram1970)
New member Username: Tsoram1970 Post Number: 1157 Registered: 6-2001 |
Did the group (or members thereof? ) have to learn to play the instruments to perform the song? Were the instruments adapted in some way? eg an electric guitar made to produce the sound of the uilleann pipes? Were the instruments played in a strange manner? eg guitar used as a drum? Were any instruments created or destroyed in the making of this puzzle/tale? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 3998 Registered: 1-2001 |
Did the group (or members thereof? ) have to learn to play the instruments to perform the song? Yes, one member had to learn how to play a certain instrument Were the instruments adapted in some way? No eg an electric guitar made to produce the sound of the uilleann pipes? No, nothing like this Were the instruments played in a strange manner? eg guitar used as a drum? No, the instrument was played as it was designed to be played Were any instruments created or destroyed in the making of this puzzle/tale? Certainly not - wouldn't want to anger the enviro-music-mentalists! | ||
| Gregoryuconn (Gregoryuconn)
New member Username: Gregoryuconn Post Number: 1936 Registered: 9-2010 |
Wild guess..... "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was written by a Scottish group who had never been to West Virginia. But I don't see who the person is (other than maybe "Mountain Mama", who isn't actually a person). And I think the time's wrong too. So I'm probably wrong. | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 1053 Registered: 6-2003 |
The sub category of rock: hard rock? pop rock? ethno rock? psychedelic rock? punk rock? folk rock? Was the band from Germany? from Europe? Does the band still exist? Was it a string instrument? a percussion instrument? brass? woodwind? electronic instrument? Was it a traditional instrument? that is nowadays hardly ever used outside traditional (folk) music? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4000 Registered: 1-2001 |
Wild guess..... "Take Me Home, Country Roads" was written by a Scottish group who had never been to West Virginia. But I don't see who the person is (other than maybe "Mountain Mama", who isn't actually a person). And I think the time's wrong too. So I'm probably wrong. Well this isn't the song, but a great guess and good logic! Actually the idea of the song in the puzzle is somewhat similar to this... The sub category of rock: hard rock? pop rock? ethno rock? psychedelic rock? punk rock? folk rock? "Pop rock" is closest Was the band from Germany? from Europe? No, they are from the USA Does the band still exist? Yes Was it a string instrument? Yes a percussion instrument? brass? woodwind? electronic instrument? Was it a traditional instrument? I'm not sure what you mean by "traditional", maybe the next answer will help that is nowadays hardly ever used outside traditional (folk) music? YES - one of the group members played an instrument that is hardly ever used in this style of music, and is much more common in folk music. Interestingly, two other songs that charted highly in recent years have featured the same instrument - one song made the top 50 in the US and was number 1 in France and Germany and is one of the top downloads of all time. The other made the top 10 in the US and stayed on the charts for 76 weeks which is a record for length of time on Billboard charts in its category (which is the same category as the song in this puzzle) | ||
| Shez (Shez)
New member Username: Shez Post Number: 3107 Registered: 2-2011 |
a banjo? ukelele? | ||
| Jenburdoo (Jenburdoo)
New member Username: Jenburdoo Post Number: 5029 Registered: 5-2003 |
Dulcimer? Harp? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4005 Registered: 1-2001 |
a banjo? ukelele? Dulcimer? Harp? Hmmm...hold that thought for now and try another path. | ||
| Sundowner (Sundowner)
New member Username: Sundowner Post Number: 1054 Registered: 6-2003 |
Another path: violin? viola? cello? gamba? domba? gudok? fiddle? hurdy gurdy? any other type of bowed string instrument? or maybe: gusli? zither? bandura? balalaika? kantele? any other type of plucked string instrument? Can the type of folk music where this instrument is used be narrowed down a bit to .. Irish folk? British folk? (Continental) European folk? East European? Balkan? Mediterranean? African? Indian? Arab? Latin American? Chinese? Japanese? Russian? Jewish? Scandinavian? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4009 Registered: 1-2001 |
Another path: violin? viola? cello? gamba? domba? gudok? fiddle? hurdy gurdy? any other type of bowed string instrument? or maybe: gusli? zither? bandura? balalaika? kantele? any other type of plucked string instrument? No, what I mean is to try another path besides guessing the instrument Can the type of folk music where this instrument is used be narrowed down a bit to .. Irish folk? British folk? (Continental) European folk? East European? Balkan? Mediterranean? African? Indian? Arab? Latin American? Chinese? Japanese? Russian? Jewish? Scandinavian? The most common would be American folk music, and apparently it is common also in Japan, although it may not be used only in folk music there | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4010 Registered: 1-2001 |
If you're stumped as to another path to take, you may want to ask about what the group did to make sure the lyrics were clearly understood, and why some people think the song is simply a tribute to the 80's and has nothing to do with the singer meeting a person. | ||
| Slatebluegrey (Slatebluegrey)
New member Username: Slatebluegrey Post Number: 8 Registered: 6-2012 |
Did what the group did was relevant? Did what the group did involve people outside of the band? (that is, people who are not the band members, the vocalists and the managers and crew) | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4014 Registered: 1-2001 |
Did what the group did was relevant? Well the way they clarified the song lyrics is relevant and may be helpful in identifying the group Did what the group did involve people outside of the band? (that is, people who are not the band members, the vocalists and the managers and crew) Yes | ||
| Biograd (Biograd)
New member Username: Biograd Post Number: 2073 Registered: 6-2008 |
Do some people think the song is a tribute to a particular famous person from the 80's? a particular 80's band? a specific event from the 80's? or just the era in general? Do these people misunderstand the reference to the person? to the place? Do they think a different person or place is being alluded to? or that something inanimate is being personified or a non-place "locatified"(that should be a word!)? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4015 Registered: 1-2001 |
Do some people think the song is a tribute to a particular famous person from the 80's? Yes, and...a particular 80's band? ...this too. a specific event from the 80's? No, but... or just the era in general? ...based on the references above and some others in the lyrics, yes, some believe that Do these people misunderstand the reference to the person? If they think that the song is addressed to one specific person then yes, the reference is misunderstood to the place? No - although the song is about a place the singer has never been, the place isn't mentioned anywhere in the lyrics Do they think a different person or place is being alluded to? Maybe. The song is, according to the artist and the writers, about a person that could be found at a specific place. There's no way to guess who the person or the place is based simply on the lyrics, but if you were to hear an explanation of the lyrics you'd say, "Yes, that makes sense." or that something inanimate is being personified or a non-place "locatified"(that should be a word!)? Well the people who think the song is a tribute to the 80's think that the singer is personifying that era, assigning a name and gender to the 1980's and making the song a tribute to that decade. Those who think the song is about an actual person would either assume that it is someone that the singer has met and had at least some conversation with or that the song is describing a certain category of persons. I like the word "locatified!" The song does not mention or indicate any specific place or type of place. When asked about the song's meaning the group's members described a person at a certain place that the lyrics were describing, and that the singer wanted to make a song about this person and the place even though he'd never been to the place or seen the person. HINT: The method by which the group clarified the song's lyrics also indicated two possible locations where the singer could have met and/or observed the person. | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 267 Registered: 10-2011 |
Did the group clear up the lyrics through the music video? Through the title of the song? The style of it? By playing it in some specific context? Through an interview? By making a follow-up/spin-off song? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4017 Registered: 1-2001 |
Did the group clear up the lyrics through the music video? Yes Through the title of the song? No The style of it? No By playing it in some specific context? No Through an interview? Well yes, this too, but the interview mainly explained the subject of the song and mostly referred to the chorus and not so much the verses By making a follow-up/spin-off song? No | ||
| Beachbum (Beachbum)
New member Username: Beachbum Post Number: 222 Registered: 2-2012 |
I'm sure someone must have asked this alredy, but I'm not seeing it.So... is the particular venue where this was recorded relevant? If so, A church? A cathereral? At some historic landmark? Underwater? In outer space? | ||
| Beachbum (Beachbum)
New member Username: Beachbum Post Number: 223 Registered: 2-2012 |
I'm sure someone must have asked this alredy, but I'm not seeing it.So... is the particular venue where this was recorded relevant? If so, A church? A cathereral? At some historic landmark? Underwater? In outer space? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4019 Registered: 1-2001 |
I'm sure someone must have asked this alredy, but I'm not seeing it.So... is the particular venue where this was recorded relevant? Well it may help jog your memory if you've seen any of the video...(and no one has asked about it) If so, A church? A cathereral? At some historic landmark? This is one of the places that appears in the video. While not of any historic significance, the location is a local landmark and gained more fame after the video was released. The place's name isn't clearly displayed in the video but it's clear what kind of place it is Underwater? In outer space? No to the rest There are two kinds of places shown in the video, and only two places. While both are meant to be generic, only implying two places where the singer would have met and/or talked with the other person, the landmark would have been recognized by people from that city and anyone who had ever visited the location. The other place isn't meant to be anywhere specific and is only used as a representation of a type of place. | ||
| Jondahr (Jondahr)
New member Username: Jondahr Post Number: 291 Registered: 10-2011 |
The specific place, is it in North America? South? Central? Europe? Asia? Africa? Australia? The two types of places, is either of them in the city? In a small village? In the countryside? In the forest? The mountains? By the sea? Open plain? Hills? By a river? On a field? By a road? Inside/outside a specific kind of building? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4023 Registered: 1-2001 |
The specific place, is it in North America? Yes - in Los Angeles, California The two types of places, is either of them in the city? The "landmark" place is, it's uncertain about the other place (see below) In a small village? In the countryside? In the forest? The mountains? By the sea? Open plain? Hills? By a river? On a field? By a road? Inside/outside a specific kind of building? The other location is inside an apartment, and it would seem that, based on how it is decorated, it's in the same area as the other place shown in the video | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4024 Registered: 1-2001 |
TWO HINTS: http://laist.com/2008/04/04/chango_gets_its.php The instrument that the band member learned to play for this song is a ukulele. | ||
| Beachbum (Beachbum)
New member Username: Beachbum Post Number: 235 Registered: 2-2012 |
Is this solvable without watching the video? Was one of the locations in the video the Chango? Is "change" a prominent word in the lyrics? Some people might think this is a tribute to the Eighties decade because of references to Politics? to Rock and Roll? to Other historical events? "City of Angels" relevant? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4027 Registered: 1-2001 |
Is this solvable without watching the video? Yes - this song is one of the highest charted pop songs ever to feature a ukulele (there are really only 2 in recent years that have achieved the top place in pop charts...one of those songs is by Jason Mraz, this is the other one). Was one of the locations in the video the Chango? Yes Is "change" a prominent word in the lyrics? No Some people might think this is a tribute to the Eighties decade because of references to Politics? No to Rock and Roll? Yes, some specific references to this to Other historical events? No, not events "City of Angels" relevant? No The song, which features a ukulele, is about the singer meeting someone and the lyrics include references to specific people involved with 80's music. Does this help? | ||
| Balin (Balin)
New member Username: Balin Post Number: 17296 Registered: 4-2010 |
Hey, Soul Sister? | ||
| Ixoye724 (Ixoye724)
New member Username: Ixoye724 Post Number: 4029 Registered: 1-2001 |
Hey, Soul Sister? ****** SPOILER ****** Yes! According to the group, the song describes one of several women dancing at an annual festival held in California. Although the singer has never been to this festival, he heard about it and imagined how the women must look at this festival and wanted to sing about meeting one of them. The group tried several different sounds for the song and it was finally decided that a ukulele lead would make the song unique. So, the guitarist had to learn how to play a ukulele in order to record and perform the song. The video for the song (which is somewhat fun to watch) features the outside of Chango Coffee where the group performs the song. In addition to showing the band, some couples are shown sitting at tables outside the shop. There are also scenes of a young-ish man and woman in an apartment. These scenes appear to show how the singer and the woman may have met and spent time together. Throughout the video, the song's lyrics appear painted on walls, on the ground, on clothing and elsewhere in many scenes. The reason some people think the song may be simply a tribute to the 80's is the mention of Madonna and Mr. Mister in the lyrics, as well as the game show "Love Connection" and playing music on a stereo. The group says that they've heard about this interpretation and also one by which people interpret the song being sung and dedicated to a residents of a (soul) sister city. Nice job! | ||
| Beachbum (Beachbum)
New member Username: Beachbum Post Number: 250 Registered: 2-2012 |
hehe I went on songmeanings.net only to find a much more complex interpretation of the song. Took me a while to realise I had gotten trolled. |
