We just finished solving a White Raven hint for Room 21 and the answer was “turn around.” I’m still not sure what I think about the solution, but the room playlist now practically writes itself! Here are my picks to accompany your musings on Room 21, in no particular order:
“Turn the Beak Beat Around”, Gloria Estefan cover
Sorry, sorry, sorry. It was impossible for me to resist. I chose the Gloria Estefan cover, mostly for the awesome skyscraper-top jazz flute action, not to mention the appearance of SLY, but the original, performed by Vicky Sue Robinson, is here for the purists.
“Anywhere Is” by Enya
I’m just going to say it: I like Enya. Okay? Happy? I do. I listened to my Watermark CD on infinite repeat in university during all-nighters and it kept me alert yet calm without distracting me from what I was doing. Usually I can’t work to music that has words but the great thing about Enya is that most of the time you cannot tell what the fuck she is saying. Her voice is like some new-agey woodwind that makes lovely sounds that occasionally resemble words. It’s so soothing. You can pick out the odd word, however, and as I was getting through some work recently with “Anywhere Is” on in the background the word “turn” popped out at me a few times. I checked out the lyrics, and wouldn’t you know it, they are very Mazey! Just take the first few lines: “I walk the maze of moments/ But everywhere I turn to/ Begins a new beginning/ But never finds a finish…” Take a look at the final verse-it fits Room 21 like it was written for it.
It’s worth mentioning that Enya lives in a castle named Manderley, heavily fortified to protect her from crazy stalkers such as the superfan who stabbed himself outside a pub owned by her parents while wearing a picture of her around his neck. Her castle is possibly very Mazey inside but we will never know. She is obsessive about her privacy and prefers to let her work speak (sing, I guess) for itself – sound familiar?
“Over Under Sideways Down” by the Yardbirds
It’s a YARD, see, and there’s this BIRD…
Yes, there’s more to my recommendation than that-I do also feel that the title and chorus are appropriate for a visitor stuck in the Loop: “Over under sideways down,/ Backwards forwards square and round./ When will it end, when will it end./ When will it end, when will it end.” This thing is weird, groovy, psychedelic-enjoy!
“Turn! Turn! Turn!” by the Byrds (written by Pete Seeger and King Solomon)
Again, my apologies for my inability to resist these bad jokes. Great song, though.
“Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler
TURN AROUND, BRIIIIIIIIGHT EYES! Any time I hear the phrase “turn around” this song belts its way into my head and stays there for days, but I don’t mind-it brings back very fond memories. If you haven’t howled this classic into a karaoke mic at 2 am then you haven’t lived, in my opinion. Although I am intimately familiar with the song, I had never seen the video before watching it for this post, and by Manson if it isn’t Mazey in the extreme. A big house with mysterious doors! White birds! Shirtless men with swim goggles! Possessed choirboys with glowing eyes…?Dancing ninjas?!? Okay, it’s basically a surreal mess, but it’s a fun ride.