If you haven’t heard, there is this urban myth that says Pink Floyd’s album Dark Side of The Moon syncs up with the MGM film The Wizard of Oz. Supposedly if you start the album (disc) right at the third roar of the lion in the beginning it will sync up and actually appear to be a live action soundtrack. I heard about this for the first time about 12 years ago. A friend in Virginia gave me a newspaper article that described it. I’m a big Pink Floyd fan, but for some reason I never did get around to trying it myself.
Every now and then you’ll hear it come up in pop culture conversation. If you Google it there are tons of web pages about it (here’s one http://www.everwonder.com/david/wizardofoz/). There’s an episode of Family Guy where Peter and Luke Perry are chatting, and Peter says, “Oh, I’m telling you, Dark Side of The Moon totally syncs up with The Wizard of Oz.” To which Luke Perry responds, “Really? Shannon Doherty told me that once but I thought she was just being a bitch!”
I mentioned it in passing to a friend a few weeks back, and she said that she had tried it and that it actually works. Her comments were “It actually works! It's really creepy.” I thought it was time to give it a try.
I was actually kind of excited to see this phenomenon for myself. I asked the guy at the video store if he had ever tried it, and he enthusiastically said that he had and that it works. I asked, “Does it just sort of sync up, or is it dead on?” He said it was dead on. So I was expecting this total music video experience… I was disappointed.
I invited my friend over, and we started the movie and the album (disc). There is a scene in the beginning where Dorothy is balancing on a fence post and falls. At that point in the album Gilmour sings “…and balanced on the biggest wave, you race towards an early grave.” But for the most part I sat there staring at the screen waiting for something to happen that never really did.
Honestly, there are only three events worth mentioning, but they are pretty cool.
The most impressive one… During the song Us And Them Gilmour sings “Black and blue, and who knows which is which, and who is who?” At the exact moment that he sings the word “black” the wicked witch of the east appears in a puff of orange smoke all decked out in her long flowing black robe, cape, and pointy hat to top it all off. Then, as he sings the word “blue” the camera immediately goes to Dorothy in her blue dress. Then (in the same scene) when Gilmour sings “which is which?” the camera goes nicely back and forth between Glenda the Good Witch, and the aforementioned wicked witch of the east as if to suggest that the actual lyrics are “witch is witch?” That was actually pretty cool, and my friend and I both dropped our jaws and stared at each other on that one!
Other than that, there are two moments where the music starts right at a scene change. All of the clocks chime in (for the song “Time”) loudly and abruptly just as Mrs. Whatshername (the mean one who’s trying to take Toto) rides in on her bike. Also, the cash registers on "Money" start just as Dorothy pushes open the door of the house to the first color scene in the film. I don’t know exactly what (if any) the significance of “Time” and “Money” are to those particular scenes in the film, but they do sync up nicely.
I thought someone told me once that “The lunatic is on the grass” was supposed to sync up nicely with the Scarecrow dancing on the grass… But it doesn't. By the time those lyrics are being sung the Scarecrow has moved off the grass and onto the yellow brick road. You could make the argument that the whole introduction with the scarecrow (who, ironically, doesn’t have a brain) happens during the song “Brain Damage,” but that’s all.
The only other thing worth mentioning (which is actually kind of cool) is that if you put the disc on repeat play, and let it play through to the third time, the lyrics “home, home again” are sung exactly when Dorothy wakes up back in Kansas.
Admittedly there are some neat correlations, but I think it’s just a coincidence. But if you’re looking for an excuse to have a couple of friends over for an evening you could do a lot worse. Have fun!
Every now and then you’ll hear it come up in pop culture conversation. If you Google it there are tons of web pages about it (here’s one http://www.everwonder.com/david/wizardofoz/). There’s an episode of Family Guy where Peter and Luke Perry are chatting, and Peter says, “Oh, I’m telling you, Dark Side of The Moon totally syncs up with The Wizard of Oz.” To which Luke Perry responds, “Really? Shannon Doherty told me that once but I thought she was just being a bitch!”
I mentioned it in passing to a friend a few weeks back, and she said that she had tried it and that it actually works. Her comments were “It actually works! It's really creepy.” I thought it was time to give it a try.
I was actually kind of excited to see this phenomenon for myself. I asked the guy at the video store if he had ever tried it, and he enthusiastically said that he had and that it works. I asked, “Does it just sort of sync up, or is it dead on?” He said it was dead on. So I was expecting this total music video experience… I was disappointed.
I invited my friend over, and we started the movie and the album (disc). There is a scene in the beginning where Dorothy is balancing on a fence post and falls. At that point in the album Gilmour sings “…and balanced on the biggest wave, you race towards an early grave.” But for the most part I sat there staring at the screen waiting for something to happen that never really did.
Honestly, there are only three events worth mentioning, but they are pretty cool.
The most impressive one… During the song Us And Them Gilmour sings “Black and blue, and who knows which is which, and who is who?” At the exact moment that he sings the word “black” the wicked witch of the east appears in a puff of orange smoke all decked out in her long flowing black robe, cape, and pointy hat to top it all off. Then, as he sings the word “blue” the camera immediately goes to Dorothy in her blue dress. Then (in the same scene) when Gilmour sings “which is which?” the camera goes nicely back and forth between Glenda the Good Witch, and the aforementioned wicked witch of the east as if to suggest that the actual lyrics are “witch is witch?” That was actually pretty cool, and my friend and I both dropped our jaws and stared at each other on that one!
Other than that, there are two moments where the music starts right at a scene change. All of the clocks chime in (for the song “Time”) loudly and abruptly just as Mrs. Whatshername (the mean one who’s trying to take Toto) rides in on her bike. Also, the cash registers on "Money" start just as Dorothy pushes open the door of the house to the first color scene in the film. I don’t know exactly what (if any) the significance of “Time” and “Money” are to those particular scenes in the film, but they do sync up nicely.
I thought someone told me once that “The lunatic is on the grass” was supposed to sync up nicely with the Scarecrow dancing on the grass… But it doesn't. By the time those lyrics are being sung the Scarecrow has moved off the grass and onto the yellow brick road. You could make the argument that the whole introduction with the scarecrow (who, ironically, doesn’t have a brain) happens during the song “Brain Damage,” but that’s all.
The only other thing worth mentioning (which is actually kind of cool) is that if you put the disc on repeat play, and let it play through to the third time, the lyrics “home, home again” are sung exactly when Dorothy wakes up back in Kansas.
Admittedly there are some neat correlations, but I think it’s just a coincidence. But if you’re looking for an excuse to have a couple of friends over for an evening you could do a lot worse. Have fun!
3 comments:
Zero comments?! Is this not the biggest discovery since the curvature of the earth? WTF?
I agree... I don't have any explanation for the lack of interest in this post.
I'll have to try that some time... if you'll let me borrow your Floyd.
But I wonder, is it at all cool for non-die-hard Floyd fans who don't know the song titles/lyrics as well as die-hards do?
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