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Lyric of the Week: Birthday (The Beatles)

Lyric of the WeekSince I just celebrated my birthday last week, the lyric I’ve chosen this week is not the classic Happy Birthday To You by the Hill Sisters. What “birthday” song do you think should replace the standard tune?

Enjoy Birthday by The Beatles (from 1968’s The Beatles (White Album)).

They say it’s your birthday
Well, it’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

(One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight!)

Yes, we’re going to a party, party
Yes, we’re going to a party, party
Yes, we’re going to a party, party

I would like you to dance (birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (birthday)
I would like you to dance (birthday)
Dance, yeah

Whoo
Come on

I would like you to dance (birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (birthday)
I would like you to dance (birthday)
Whoo, dance, dance

They say it’s your birthday
Well, it’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

The Nickel Quiz #24: Get On With It

The Nickel Quiz

In this week’s Nickel Quiz, each of the song titles will “get” something. So what are you waiting for? Get on with it!

The year that each song was released is listed after the lyric as an extra clue. And, as usual, scoring is on the honor system (no Binging or Googling):

  • Correct Artist: 1 point
  • Correct Song Title: 1 point
  • Maximum Score: 10 points

If you like this week’s quiz, or have an idea for a future theme, let us know by commenting on this post, via our Twitter feed, or on our Facebook page. Feel free to share this post to your friends on social media.


  1. Sweet Loretta Martin thought she was a woman, but she was another man. (1969)
  2. Hey Cinderella, step in your shoe. I’ll be your non-stop lover. Get it while you can. (1988)
  3. I think it’s true that we’ve all been through some nasty weather. (1989)
  4. The more I think about it, ol’ Billy was right: Let’s kill all the lawyers, kill ’em tonight. (1994)
  5. Never seen a moon like this. Can you see it too? (2009)

[Difficulty: ♫♫♫♫  /  What are you waiting for? Christmas?]


Answers to The Nickel Quiz #23: Black Friday:

  1. “Paint It, Black” (The Rolling Stones)
  2. “Friday On My Mind” (The Easybeats)
  3. “Black Betty” (Ram Jam)
  4. “Back In Black” (AC/DC)
  5. “Friday I’m In Love” (The Cure)

Lyric of the Week: Thank You for Being a Friend (Andrew Gold)

Lyric of the WeekIt’s the end of the Thanksgiving holiday and I’m sure you’ve barely made a dent in the leftovers from Thursday. I started this blog almost six months ago. If you’ve been following along, thanks for reading. The lyric I’ve chosen this week is one of my favorites to play at Thanksgiving. What are your favorite “thank you” songs?

Enjoy Thank You for Being a Friend by Andrew Gold (from 1978’s All This and Heaven Too).

Thank you for being a friend
Traveled down the road and back again
Your heart is true, you’re a pal and a confidant

I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won’t you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party
Invited everyone you knew
You would see, the biggest gift would be from me
and the card attached would say,
Thank you for being a friend

If it’s a car you lack
I’d surely buy you a Cadillac
Whatever you need, anytime of the day or night

I’m not ashamed to say
I hope it always will stay this way
My hat is off, won’t you stand up and take a bow

And when we both get older
With walking canes and hair of gray
Have no fear, even though it’s hard to hear
I will stand real close and say,
Thank you for being a friend

(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend

And when we die and float away
Into the night, the Milky Way
You’ll hear me call, as we ascend
I’ll see you there, then once again
Thank you for being a friend

Thank you for being a friend
(I want to thank you)
Thank you for being a friend
Whoa, tell you about a friend
(Thank you right now, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)
Thank you for being a friend
(I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)
Thank you for being a friend


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

The Nickel Quiz #23: Black Friday

The Nickel QuizHappy Thanksgiving!

In this week’s Nickel Quiz, each of the song titles will contain one of the two words in the theme, Black Friday.

The year that each song was released is listed after the lyric as an extra clue. And, as usual, scoring is on the honor system (no Binging or Googling):

  • Correct Artist: 1 point
  • Correct Song Title: 1 point
  • Maximum Score: 10 points

If you like this week’s quiz, or have an idea for a future theme, let us know by commenting on this post, via our Twitter feed, or on our Facebook page. Feel free to share this post to your friends on social media.


  1. I see the girls walk by dressed in their summer clothes. I have to turn my head until my darkness goes. (1966)
  2. Gonna have fun in the city. Be with my girl, she’s so pretty. (1967)
  3. Said it weren’t none of mine, bamma-lam, the damn thing gone blind, bamma-lam. (1977)
  4. I’m let loose from the noose that’s kept me hanging around. (1981)
  5. Monday, you can hold your head. Tuesday, Wednesday, stay in bed. (1992)

[Difficulty: ♫♫  /  Nothing to do but feed all the kangaroos]


Answers to The Nickel Quiz #22: Mystery Theme II (Each song was at #1 on Billboard on November 16th of its release year):

  1. “Deep Purple” (Nino Temple & April Stevens)
  2. “Whatever Gets You Thru The Night” (John Lennon with the Plastic Ono Band)
  3. “Lady” (Kenny Rogers)
  4. “We Built This City” (Starship)
  5. “I’d Do Anything For Love (But I Won’t Do That)” (Meat Loaf)

Lyric of the Week: Middle School Frown (Josh Rouse)

Lyric of the WeekYou’ve probably never heard Josh Rouse’s music. You should. Start with 2003’s 1972 and 2005’s Nashville. This week’s lyric is from the latter.

Enjoy Middle School Frown by Josh Rouse (from 2005’s Nashville).

No it ain’t the way that your hair hangs down
And you dance like a clown
We just don’t like you around

You were a new waver, it was 1983
I was new on the scene
I just wanted everyone to like me

So I told them that we’re not friends
And I thought you were weird
What a two-faced thing to do

And you held your head high
Yeah you held your head high
When you walked down my street
Oh no

My birthday party you just showed up
We were so stuck up
We just wanted to be mean

Yeah there goes that girl with the cheap guitar
She’s a punk rock star
She’s a dying art

And you held your head high
Yeah you held your head high
When you walked down my street

And you rolled your eyes to the sky
Yeah you rolled your eyes to the sky
And you don’t feel a thing

And you held your head high
Yeah you held your head high
When you walked down my street
Oh no

No it ain’t the way that your hair hangs down
And you dance like a clown
It’s the middle school frown


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

The Nickel Quiz #22: Mystery Theme II

The Nickel Quiz: Mystery ThemeOnce again, we’re keeping the theme of the The Nickel Quiz a secret. If you can determine a few of the song titles and original artists for the five lyrics below, you may be able to determine the motif that ties these songs together.

As usual, scoring is on the honor system (do not Ask Jeeves):

  • Correct Artist: 1 point
  • Correct Song Title: 1 point
  • Mystery Theme: 5 points
  • Maximum Score: 15 points

If you like this week’s quiz, or have an idea for a future theme, let us know by commenting on this post, via our Twitter feed, or on our Facebook page. Feel free to share this post to your friends on social media.


  1. In the still of the night, once again I hold you tight. Though you’ve gone, your love lives on when moonlight beams. (1963)
  2. Don’t need a sword to cut through flowers. (1974)
  3. You have gone and made me such a fool. I’m so lost in your love. (1980)
  4. Marconi plays the mamba, listen to the radio. (1985)
  5. And some days it don’t come easy, and some days it don’t come hard. Some days it don’t come at all. (1993)

[Difficulty: ♫♫♫  /  Wouldn’t you like to know?]


Answers to The Nickel Quiz #21: One-Hit Wonders:

  1. “Green Tambourine” (originally by The Lemon Pipers, #1 on February 3rd, 1968)
  2. “In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus)” (originally by Zager & Evans, #1 on July 12, 1969)
  3. “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (originally by Vicki Lawrence, #1 on April 7, 1973)
  4. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” (originally by Bobby McFerrin, #1 on September 24, 1988)
  5. “Tubthumping” (originally by Chumbawamba, #6 on November 29, 1997)

Lyric of the Week: Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen)

Lyric of the WeekWe lost an immensely influential songwriter this week. With so many amazing songs to choose from—Suzanne, Famous Blue Raincoat, and First We Take Manhattan, just to name a few—Leonard Cohen inspired many great musicians who followed him. It was tough choosing which one to honor him with in this week’s Lyric of the Week. Ultimately, I went down the well-worn path.

Remember Leonard Cohen with Hallelujah (from 1984’s Various Positions)

Now I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do you?
It goes like this the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Your faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

You say I took the name in vain
I don’t even know the name
But if I did, well really, what’s it to you?
There’s a blaze of light in every word
It doesn’t matter which you heard
The holy or the broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

I did my best, it wasn’t much
I couldn’t feel, so I tried to touch
I’ve told the truth, I didn’t come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I’ll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah…


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

The Nickel Quiz #21: One-Hit Wonders

The Nickel QuizIn this week’s Nickel Quiz, the songs are the only hit by the artists.

The year that each song was released is listed after the lyric as an extra clue. And, as usual, scoring is on the honor system (no Binging or Googling):

  • Correct Artist: 1 point
  • Correct Song Title: 1 point
  • Maximum Score: 10 points

If you like this week’s quiz, or have an idea for a future theme, let us know by commenting on this post, via our Twitter feed, or on our Facebook page. Feel free to share this post to your friends on social media.


  1. Watch the jingle jangle start to shine. Reflections of the music that is mine. (1968)
  2. Now it’s been ten thousand years, man has cried a billion tears. (1969)
  3. So he went home and finally found the only thing Papa had left him and that was a gun. (1973)
  4. The landlord say your rent is late. He may have to litigate. (1988)
  5. He drinks a whiskey drink. He drinks a vodka drink. He drinks a lager drink. He drinks a cider drink. (1997)

[Difficulty: ♫♫♫♫  /  One and done]


Answers to The Nickel Quiz #20: Home:

  1. “Our House” (originally by Madness)
  2. “Dancing on the Ceiling” (originally by Lionel Richie)
  3. “Burning Down the House” (originally by Talking Heads)
  4. “Toys in the Attic” (originally by Aerosmith)
  5. “Sweet Home Alabama” (originally by Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Lyric of the Week: Debbie Loves Joey (Helen Love)

Lyric of the WeekI believe I first heard this week’s Lyric of the Week on a CD Tree I participated in several years ago. Always a favorite track when it comes up randomly on my iPod.

Enjoy Debbie Loves Joey by Helen Love (from 2007’s It’s My Club And I’ll Play What I Want To)

They met in 1980 at the school disco
He kissed her for the first time on the last bus home
He said “You be Debbie Harry, I’ll be Joey Ramone.”

She saw shooting stars flash by
The moon exploded in the sky
Her heart flipped when they kissed
Star dust on her lips
Special pact in the dark
Getting pissed in the park
She’s in love, she’s in love

And when they walked downtown all the people would stare
They used to laugh at her clothes and the color of their hair
She was 17 and she didn’t care
‘Cause baby’s gonna take her everywhere

‘Cause he said they’d live in New York
And the stars would be their own
She was Debbie Harry and he was Joey Ramone
Yeah he said they’d live in New York
And the stars would be their own
She was Debbie Harry and he was Joey
He was Joey Ramone

When she met him she was standing in a pure white light
He said “You like the Sex Pistols, have you got a light?”
And all the stars were shining on a perfect Saturday night
Holding him tight

Kissing him in the dark in the back of daddy’s car
Have a drink, have a laugh
Do you want my autograph?
No school, summer’s out
Make me wanna twist and shout
Down on the beaches, lookin’ at the peaches.


If you have a favorite song that features entertaining lyrics which you’d like to see featured as a Lyric of the Week, drop me a line in the comments (or email me at ed@suitcasefullofdimes.com) and tell me what you find special about the song.

The Nickel Quiz #20: Home

The Nickel QuizIt’s November and November is all about Homecoming. The titles in this week’s Nickel Quiz contain home-y words.

The year that each song was released is listed after the lyric as an extra clue. And, as usual, scoring is on the honor system (no Binging or Googling):

  • Correct Artist: 1 point
  • Correct Song Title: 1 point
  • Maximum Score: 10 points

If you like this week’s quiz, or have an idea for a future theme, let us know by commenting on this post, via our Twitter feed, or on our Facebook page. Feel free to share this post to your friends on social media.


  1. Sister’s sighing in her sleep. Brother’s got a date to keep. He can’t hang around. (1983)
  2. The people startin’ a climb the walls, ooh, it looks like everybody is having a ball. (1985)
  3. Here’s your ticket, pack your bag, time for jumping overboard. (1983)
  4. Voices scream / Nothing seen / Real’s the dream (1975)
  5. I hope Neil Young will remember, a Southern man don’t need him around anyhow. (1974)

[Difficulty: ♫♫  /  A discouraging word, seldom heard]


Answers to The Nickel Quiz #19: About a Boy:

  1. “Brian Wilson” (originally by Barenaked Ladies)
  2. “Levon” (originally by Elton John)
  3. “Vincent” (originally by Don McLean)
  4. “Ziggy Stardust” (originally by David Bowie)
  5. “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” (originally by Paul McCartney & Wings)