Let's take a dance break, library people!
The rules are simple:
Shelve the following ten songs under their proper Dewey class number. Provide a short explanation and/or example to support your classification.
Here's an example:
"Karma Chameleon," Culture Club, 1983.
Boy that's tough to watch. We have learned a thing or two about lip-synching since those days, haven't we? Anyway. Where would you put this song if you were shelving it in the library?
ANSWER
Class number: 294.5 (Hinduism)
Alternate class: 597.596 (Chameleons)
That's right! Although if there were a call number for 'there's individuality, and then there's looking like a large painted rock festooned with prayer flags' I would also accept that as an answer.
We're cataloging mainly the content of the song itself, so in this case a classification of 976.81, which is where you'd put a book about Mississippi River steamboats, would get you points for having sat through the video, but would not technically be correct.
Of course, nobody's keeping score, so who cares?!
You may ask why we're doing this. Part of it is me getting used to a new library. Once you've worked in a library for a while, your body remembers where, for example, schizophrenia is without your brain having to get involved. You don't have to think, "616 is diseases, 616.8 is mental disorders... oh yeah schizophrenia is somewhere in 616.85." I couldn't find pregnancy the other day - what the hell, pregnancy? How can I not walk straight to those books? So I'm quizzing myself.
And lately I have found myself singing in my head while I shelve - and it's all 80's music! I swear, I am not one of those people who only likes the music of her youth. I like Mika. I like Ben, l'oncle Soul. But when I'm shelving replacement copies of Dean Koontz, I find myself humming "Mr. Odd" by The Jazz Butcher. Shifting romance, I'm singing "I see you crying and I want to kill your friends," from "Oblivious" by Aztec Camera. And when I'm putting our copies of The Walking Dead in order, I've got Shriekback in my head. Everybody's happy when the dead come home.
So put your nerd hats on and let's enjoy some early MTV and some big big hair...
I Confess, The English Beat, 1982.
"I know I'm shouting I like to shout!" What a great song, right? Dave Wakeling (the blonde) looks so much like Westley from The Princess Bride that I can't even remember what he actually looks like, and I just watched this video. He sings really well for somebody that good-looking, don't you think?But enough of ogling the blonde. Where does he go on our library's shelves?
"The Globe" by Big Audio Dynamite, 1990. It's party time!
Those first couple of Big Audio Dynamite albums are still some of the best car music of all time. This one's a little tricky - where would you shelve it?
"China Girl" by David Bowie, 1983.
Oh my lands I had a crush on early-80's David Bowie. He's running! In a long coat! Loosening his tie! He's either going to save a young model from gangsters, or there's a benefit at the U.N. he forgot about. Also, he doesn't look like a geek, running, which - think about it - would you expect David Bowie to be able to run? Like, at all? He's British, I'd expect him to look like a Python when he runs, I don't care how well he dances, which by the way is not as good as you remember.
What's your classmark for this song?
"Pop Muzik," M, 1979, which is the EVE of the 80's, so I'm allowing it.
DON'T COMPLAIN. You are just lucky I don't get Kraftwerk stuck in my head when I'm in the library. Wait, now that I think of it, I do. What's that song that they count in, speaking in English, Japanese, and German? You know you're bad at lyrics when some of them are just counting.
Where do you put M's pop masterpiece?
"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" by Warren Zevon, 1978. Also just pre-80's, but this is one of those songs that filters into my head when I'm shelving.
Also - this is the last song Zevon performed before his death. Such a beautiful voice, and it's nice with the Letterman band behind him. Horns are never unwelcome. Paul Shaffer should SHUT UP though.
I know where I'd put this song in the library, where would you?
"Hot House," X, 1983. Letterman again! Back when he still talked to bands. And oh my don't the kids look so young. Exene seems pretty nervous, or else maybe a little cokey? I wonder if this was back when she was married to Viggo Mortensen? You'd think that would keep a girl pretty relaxed.
Bonus - the cover of "Breathless" that they recorded for that terrible 1983 remake of the wonderful Godard film. As terrible as it was, I had a poster from that movie in my dorm room freshman year.
"The Human Jungle" by my buddy Pat Fish, the Jazz Butcher. One of the loveliest songs of the decade, and if you've never heard it, well, you're welcome.
Kind of a klutzy live version, but it's a hard song to play.
Haunted (When the Minutes Drag) by Love & Rockets, 1985.
Man, the post-Bauhaus cottage industry was raging in 1985.
"Must I Paint You a Picture," Billy Bragg. Billy Bragg is one of those fellows who has aged well. No way when he was young would you imagine he would grow up as handsome as he is now.
"Armageddon Days" by The The, 1988.
Well crap there's NO video for this song available online. If you don't know the song, you can skip this one.
The lines at the beginning of this song, "Are you ready, Jesus...?" parody "Ballroom Blitz," (1973!) which tickles the hell out of me even 25 years later. I love Matt Johnson for being totally unafraid to put it out there. "If the real Jesus Christ was to stand up today, he'd be gunned down cold by the C.I.A." Plus you can dance to it!
This one's a gimme. There's pretty much only one place to put it.
But that means we get a bonus: "Party at Ground Zero," the 1985 Fishbone song, performed back when we were all young and had excellent hair.
Click below for the answers I came up with! Leave a comment with yours!
I Confess, The English Beat, 1982.
Class number: 363.2 - Criminal investigation
Alternative: 795.4 - Card games (because "It's not a joke / It's cards on the table time")
"The Globe" by Big Audio Dynamite, 1990.
Class number: 822.33 - Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Homes and haunts -- England -- London
Alternatives: Either 910 - Geography or, extra points for creativity here (if we were giving points): 616.2 - Diseases of the respiratory system ("Achoo!" "Bless you")
"China Girl" by David Bowie, 1983.
Class number: 951 - China
Alternative: 325.3 - Postcolonialism
"Pop Muzik," M, 1979.
Class number: 914 - Europe -- Description and travel.
Almost impossible for me not to think of this song while I'm shelving travel guides.
"Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner" by Warren Zevon, 1978.
Class number: 967 - Africa, Central -- History
Alternative: 623.4424 - Thompson submachine gun -- History
"Hot House," X, 1983.
Class number: 635 -- Horticulture
Orrrr: ??
"The Human Jungle" by the Jazz Butcher.
Class number: 578.73 - Jungles
Alternative: 641.874 - Cocktails.
I'd say anything Pat records could be alternatively shelved under some drinking-related shelfmark.
Haunted (When the Minutes Drag) by Love & Rockets, 1985.
Class number: 133.1 - Ghosts
Alternative: 529 - Telling Time
"Must I Paint You a Picture," Billy Bragg
Class number: 951.422 - Painting -- technique
Alternative: 551.55 - Thunderstorms ("And there's you / A little black cloud in a dress")
"Armageddon Days" by The The, 1988.
Class number: 220 - Religion
Told you there was really only one place to shelve it.
"Party at Ground Zero" by Fishbone, 1985.
Class number: 355.0217 - Nuclear weapons
Alternative: 784.472 - ATOMIC SKA
That was super fun, for me, anyway! Do you have any suggestions? I'd love to hear them!
Don't worry, I'll get back to reviewing picture books and teen novels and whatnot. Just as soon as my body starts automatically walking eastward when someone asks me for piano instruction books.
So confused. I graduated high school in 1983, yet none of these sound very familiar. Was I living under a rock? Why do I know so many 1960s songs? This was fascinating, even though I didn't know enough content to categorize them! Good luck in navigating. Itdoestake a while!
Posted by: Ms. YinglingMsyinginling | Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 10:41 AM
I went to a university with a REALLY GOOD college radio station, and that made all the difference! WRUW 91.1: "More music, fewer hits" :)
Posted by: :paula | Thursday, July 26, 2012 at 12:48 PM