So either these were harder than I thought, or I need more readers.

I’m going to do this again soon, whether or not anybody still wants to play. It’s fun, in that extremely wanky blog way. Meanwhile, here are the answers to the first one. The ones no one got are in bold.

1. How often she has gazed from castle windows o’er, and watched the daylight passing within her captive wall—Sandy Denny, “Fotheringay.”. Somewhat surprising that Phillip didn’t get this one.

2. So close and yet so far away and all the things Iâ¿¿d hoped to say will have to go unsaid today—Townes Van Zandt, “Tower Song.”

3. With the shipwrecked sailors searching for some foolsâ¿¿ gold—Soul Asylum, “Ship of Fools.” Note: I’m not completely sure about the first word; it could be “we’re.” I tend to assume that I know all the words to every SA song from “Say What You Will” through “Hang Time,” but that’s actually not always the case.

4. Standing here now you wash over me—The Spinanes, “Noel, Jonah, and Me.” A recent happy rediscovery, one that I think is going to earn its own blog post soon.

5. Close my eyes, feel the fire—Sebadoh, “Temptation Tide.” I’d have been seriously impressed if anyone had gotten this one based on just that rather generic first line. Cool song, though. It’s the Bob Fay song on “Bakesale”—the song I always forget about when I’m thinking of the record, not because I don’t like it but because it isn’t a lovelorn Lou song or a crunchy Jake song.

6. Here she comes across the street but I’m already there downstairs to meet with her—Buffalo Tom, “Velvet Roof.” So I guess no one else listened to this song over and over and over again for a year or so after “Let Me Come Over” was released, hm? This song still thrills me, howevermany years later.

7. Two days past 18, he was waiting for the bus in his army green—Dixie Chicks (or Bruce Robison), “Travelin’ Soldier.” (Jason)

8. In 1649, to St. George’s Hill, a ragged band they called the Diggers came to show the people’s will—written by Leon Rosselson, recorded by Billy Bragg and Karan Casey, among others, “The World Turned Upside Down (The Diggers’ Song).” (Marcia)

9. Within the fire and out upon the sea—Fairport Convention, “Crazy Man Michael.” The iPod was in a Fairport-related mood that night, clearly.

10. She said she was leaving so I went to follow—Robbie Fulks, “Georgia Hard.” I’m telling Robbie on all of you.

11. A teenage dream so hard to beat—The Undertones, “Teenage Kicks.” (CK, Tom, Chris)

12. So messed up, I want you here—Iggy/Stooges, “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” (Tom, CK)

13. I’m gonna hide if she don’t leave me alone—Shangri-Las, “I Can Never Go Home Anymore.” If you’ve never heard this masterpiece of symphonic sentimentality, you really should. It’s impossible to describe just how over-the-top it is.

14. This place is a prison and these people aren’t your friends—Postal Service, “This Place Is a Prison.” No Postal Service fans here? That’s terrible.

15. I’m quitting, giving up on being good enough—Dolorean, “Violence in the Snowy Fields.” Such a great song.

16. Bad liquor, bad liquor, who took the good out of the bottle?—American Music Club, “Bad Liquor.” (Jason)

17. You’ve finally gone and done it, broke it right in two—Allison Moorer, “No Next Time.” If only she would make another record half as good as the one this song comes from⿦

18. In your white lace and your wedding bells, you look the picture of contented new wealth—The Jam, “The Bitterest Pill (I Ever Had to Swallow).” (Chris, Tom)

19. This is the lotus hour, it’s time for us to leave—Dolly Varden, “The Lotus Hour.” The good news: there’s a new Dolly Varden record on the way. The less good news: …in January 2007. (Tom)

20. You can say the sun is shining if you really want to, I can see the moon and it seems so clear—Nick Drake, “Road.” I’m a little bit shocked that no one got this.

21. On a night like this you can’t brush away all the faces in the street—The Clientele, “Missing.” I now have almost as many Clientele songs on my iPod as Delgados songs, i.e. a whole lot, so the odds of a song of theirs coming up during this exercise were excellent. Odd that there were no Delgados songs, come to think of it.

22. Well I wish I’d known your name—Bettie Serveert, “Palomine.” (Phillip)

23. I am a dull and simple lad—The Kinks (or the Jam), “David Watts.” (Jason)

24. We used to say “There’d come the day we’d all be making songs”—Fairport Convention, “Meet on the Ledge.” One of the greatest songs ever written. And that’s not even hyperbole. (Marcia; partial credit to Phillip)

25. I jumped straight at it when I had the chance—Scott Miller, “Red Ball Express.” Arguably the best song on the slightly subpar but nonetheless unfairly underappreciated “Upside Downside.” (Jason; partial credit to Tom)

Thank you all for playing. Try to do better next time. :)