There’s a quiz show over here:
Richard Osman’s House Of Games.
Over the course of five shows, it pits four celebrities against each other in a series of games that can be loosely defined as general knowledge…
…with a twist.
One of those games is Singonyms:
In which the contestants guess the song from seeing the lyrics. Except:
The lyrics are completely changed while retaining the same meaning. I thought I’d have a go at coming up with my own Singonyms.
Some came easier than others.
- I would like to thank the Thesaurus writers of the world for their invaluable assistance in compiling these.
- I would also appreciate it if songwriters could stop using the word ‘baby.’
As well as being a little creepy, it demonstrates a lack of imagination and is really annoying at having to find ever new alternative words to it.
For a readership of music aficionados, this shouldn’t be too hard – but see how you get on. I’ll be back later with the answers.
And feel free to take up the challenge to come up with your own.
I traversed the arid sandy lands astride an untitled equine
There was pleasure to be had in the lack of precipitationThe arid sandy lands affect the memory of what you’re called
As people are not present to provide discomfort{melodic filler}
{melodic filler}
During daylight hours perspiring in the road
The fugitive ideal that every citizen of the United States should have an equal opportunity to achieve success and prosperity through hard word, determination and initiative
During hours of darkness driving past large houses of renown within self immolation vehicles Bouncing out of barred enclosures that are a feature of the road numbered between 8 and 10
Shiny metal rings, propellant administered, walking across the boundary
Hey, infant the conurbation tears out your spineRepresenting a threat to life, a hara-kiri rebuke
It is imperative to depart in our adolescenceAs vagrants such as we are, newborn, our birth was with the intention of sprinting
Emerging from an uninhabited region
By any means finding my way outThere was no indication of my disorientation
Before coming upon thee
Defeated, unfinishedBamboozled me, making me down plus disconsolate
However thou compelled myself towards sensationsDamn right, compelled myself towards sensations
Gleaming as well as freshHmm, akin to a person with their virtue intact
Handled in a way that’s a wholly new experienceAkin to a person with their virtue intact
While our life giving organs thump side by side
Collect your firearms, fetch your buddies
There’s merriment in defeat and make believe
The lady is stupefied but confident
Whoops, I am familiar with vulgar languageHi, greetings, howdy, what depth
Hi, greetings, howdy, what depth
Hi, greetings, howdy, what depth
Hi, greetings, howdyIn the dark, it is safer
The gang is all here, perform please
My intelligence is lacking and I’m infectious
The gang is all here, perform please
Purchasing baked goods sold by a chap from the Belgian capital
193.04 centimetres tall while totally ripped
Posing him a question “parlez-vous Anglais?”
A grin was proffered by him along with a sanga containing a thick black yeasty extraction.
The man enunciated;
“This cobber originates in the country way below
There the amber nectar pours forth while Bruce’s barf
Is the sound audible, is the sound audible of airborne rumblings?
Its best to make yourself scarce, its best to go to ground, alright
Operate that
Construct that
Undertake that
Compels ourselves
Stiffer
Superior
Quicker
Brawnier
Operate that more proficiently, construct it to a higher quality
Undertake that with rapidity, compels to indestructability
Increase over eternity, one 60 minute period after another
Labour endures forever
One’s flavoured dairy drink attracts young men within this enclosure
Also they vocalise, that’s superior to others
Certainly that’s superior to others
Instruction will be provided, though there will be a demand for payment
So, a helmeted French EDM duo are performing where I dwell, I dwell
I will exhibit the cords child, exhibit the cords
There’s a coach and caravan outside where I dwell, I dwell
I will exhibit the cords child, exhibit the cords
A substantial amount of alcohol has been purchased to accentuate where I dwell, I dwell
The entirety of the household goods are stored in the car port
So, a helmeted French EDM duo are performing where I dwell, I dwell
They must be positioned appropriately youngster, positioned appropriately
Punt that
Released from slumber not punctual enough for your education establishment, fella you’d rather not attend
Asking your mother, kindly? Though the answer remains a negative
It’s a no show for a couple of lessons, with a lack of after school assignments
Yet the educator addresses the form as though they take you to be a halfwit
It is imperative to maintain the struggle in order to carouse
Twenty-four seven, aiming to usurp you
Double crossers (double crossers)
(Beaming at ones visage)
Perpetually, aiming to usurp you
Double crossers (double crossers)
Men as a whole that are in a loving relationship, affirmative, affirmative
So those men as a whole should take guard, affirmative affirmative.
So, father vacated the family abode before I was four
Left barely anything for mother or myself
Just an aged stringed instrument along with a fully drained alcohol receptacle
At present I’m not holding him accountable for hightailing it out of here
Though in terms of cruelty the worst of father’s actions
Prior to departing, was to assign the moniker of Susan to myself.
Provide yours truly with that, kiddo
Oh yes, oh yes!
The entirety of young ladies proclaim me rather dapper for a pale dude
One, two, three, four, five, five, six
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Okay. I’ve been sitting here for ten minutes feeling very inadequate. Kudos to anybody who deciphers three to five of these, or just one. I just know it’s going to be so obvious when you reveal each song’s identity. I just put the fan on. No. That’s not helping.
I’m 8/12 so far, and I’m not sure that score is going to improve. Number 6 is particularly baffling!
Here’s me worrying it might have been too easy!
Number 6 is probably the least well known on its own terms though it has made its mark in others work. That’s as much of a clue as I can give.
Is it common for people to do this all the time? I do this in my head all the time, though not likely as skilled as JJ has things spelled out here. I love it.
One of the reasons it’s fun is to deflate the pomp and self-importance of rock/pop music by exposing the mundane topics that we are all shouting at the top of our lungs.
Profanity laden songs are especially fun to poke at using literal synonyms. It can get uncomfortable. And silly.
I dont know about skilled but I’ll take the compliment, thanks Link. I entertained myself doing it so if anyone else enjoys it thats just a bonus. There are some lines in amongst them that I was particularly happy with. Number 1 had me stumped for an alternative ending til I arrived at ‘melodic filler’.
If I ever compile another round I’ll be sure to deflate some of the more pompous artists.
This is cool! I have gotten everything except #7.
And then I thought about synonyms for the last line and I immediately figured out what #7 was.
Well done! Your prize is a sense of achievement and self worth.
I’ll post the answers for anyone stuggling before i turn in for the night, UK time.
This is fantastic. I had to work at some of them, but I think I got all of them except #10.
You’ll kick yourself, its a TNOCS classic.
It’s fine. Perfection scares me. And of course, now with that giant hint, I got it immediately
#6 had me stumped so I cheated. I Googled what I thought the translation might be and found that it’s a group I haven’t listened to much.
This was fun, JJ! Any thoughts about making it a regular series?
There are plenty more songs out there and it was fun doing it so I think could be persuaded to give it another go.
Though I’ll be staying clear of songs that have lots of ‘I’ and ‘You’ in them. Trying to keep it varied and come up with different ways of saying them tested me. Baby may be overused but at least there are plenty of inventive and amusing ways around that one.
There are plenty good reasons to steer clear of Gary Glitter but this chorus of his would be a challenge
I love you, love
You love me too, love
I love you, love me, love
I love you, love
My only true love
I love you, love me, love
I got em all. 😎
Great job!
🙂
OK, I got all of them EXCEPT for #8.
(I knew what #6 was, but couldn’t really remember the name of the song)
Tom in the adjacent cube had to help me with #4.
I got 10 out of 12. Love this!!
I laughed out loud several times as I had to try not to read them like poetry which makes them sound hilarious.
Also, I could imaging the performer The Streets doing several of these in his voice with these lyrics.
Thanks! Reading number 6 back has me thinking of a communist exhortation to the collective to increase production. Imagine it in the voice of Stalin rather than The Streets.
Here we go with the answers – look away now if you’re still playing
1. America – A Horse With No Name
2. Bruce Springsteen – Born To Run
3. Madonna – Like A Virgin
4. Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
5. Men At Work – Down Under
6. Daft Punk – Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
7. Kelis – Milkshake
8. LCD Soundsytem – Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
9. Beastie Boys – (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)
10. The O’Jays – Backstabbers
11. Johnny Cash – A Boy Named Sue
12. The Offspring – Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)
As per TNOCS lore, Backstabbers could not be anything other than 10.
#2. (hangs head in shame)
“10th Avenue Freezeout” is my RINGTONE.
Got #6 wrong and missed out on #10 of all things until JJ threw a giant clue at me. Got everything else. This was amazing. Thanks, JJ.
This was so rad – 8/12 correct (fell apart on the last three).
My entry:
I wish to impart knowledge upon you
That I derive pleasure from your pleasure
I desire nothing more than
Happiness and satisfaction for you and your partner
A newer model than I
Is she twisted in the loins like I am?
Would she perform mouth sex on you while watching a live performance?
Does she speak well and true?
Would she produce your offspring?
I am confident that she would raise children in a satisfying manner
Because the emotional bonding you provided and that we shared
Was inadequate for you to expose your thoughts and feelings
And every moment that you mention her legal first and surname
Is she made aware that you impressed upon me
That we would remain embraced until you passed away?
Until you passed away – but still you walk the Earth in good health!
I am present to help you recall
Of the clutter that remained when you departed
It is inequitable to keep from me
The torturous grudge I carry
You, you, you should really be more aware