I used to play this game fairly regularly with two bachelor friends. We were bemoaning the fact that most pop songs seemed to be about love, and we thought there were many far more interesting topics that were not covered in popular music.
We decided therefore to re-interpret some well-known song titles and then to convert them into Civil Service speak. One of us would pick a song title and ‘translate’ it and the other had to guess it! For tricky ones we would give a clue like the artist or year.
This is how it works:
The word “love” in a song title is always understood as referring to the late orchestra leader Geoff Love, who used to make lots of “Greatest Hits” records in the 1970s.
The word “heart” in a song title is considered to be “hart” mis-spelled, and therefore always translates as “male red deer”.
The word “young” is always understood as referring to Lord Young, the British Tory politician, and therefore is translated as “former trade and industry secretary”.
The word “home” is always understood as referring to Alec Douglas Home, the former British Tory prime minister.
The word “baby” always means literally that – an infant or small child.
The words “sun” and “mirror” are assumed to refer to the Sun and Daily Mirror newspapers, so become “tabloid paper”.
Not so common - but the word “mine” is always understood to refer to a deep pit from which minerals are extracted, or the verb meaning to work in one.
For example…
“Love is in the Air” becomes The orchestra leader is going skydiving
Queen’s track “I’m in love with my car” becomes Me and my automobile have been swallowed by the orchestra leader
Lou Christie’s 1969 smash “Baby, I’m gonna make you mine” becomes I will force a small child to work in a deep pit extracting minerals
Kenny’s 1973 hit “Heart of Stone” becomes Statue of a male red deer
“Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles becomes The tabloid paper is being delivered
Now – can you work out these ones? To make it easier, I’ve named the artistes with whom the songs are usually associated!
1. You have been swallowed by my male red deer (Rod Stewart)
2. The orchestra leader has moved house (Rose Royce)
3. A tabloid newspaper invariably emits a glow when placed on top of a television receiver (A-ha)
4. The former trade and industry secretary has a herd of wild male red deer (Candi Staton)
5. On the occasion that you are the former trade and industry secretary and have been swallowed by the orchestra leader (The Marvelettes / the Flying Pickets)
6. The immaculate lawn belonging to the former Tory prime minister (Tom Jones)
7. The only thing you require is the orchestra leader (Beatles)
8. Define the concept: “Orchestra Leader” (Howard Jones)
Now it’s up to Forum members to suggest a few!