Got up, and discovered that my download of the Synched “Dark Side of the Moon / Wizard of Oz” was done… I’ll be darned, but it surely does have a lot of similar time cues.
Album cover shows a beam of light hitting a prism and splitting into a spectrum – the movie starts in black and white (actually it is sepia), and turns to color.
As Dorothy approaches the farm house. notice the metal triangle hanging from the tree. It looks like the prism on the CD cover above!
“Balanced on the biggest wave” – Dorothy is balancing on a fence, and falls off into the hog pen. “And race toward an early grave” – some people say this refers to Judy Garland dying young, but another interpretation is that a young girl falling into a hog pen was in serious danger of being killed by the hogs. Notice the music changes right at this point.
The first alarm clock goes off at the beginning of “Time” right as Mrs. Gulch (aka the Wicked Witch) rides up on her bike. If the alarm sounds about a second early (that is, you hear the alarm about a second before you see Mrs. Gulch), you’re synched up correctly.
“Tired of lying in the sunshine” – Dorothy is lying in the sunshine.
“No one told you when to run” – Dorothy and Toto run away
During the song “Time”, Dorothy runs into Professor Marvel, on the side of his wagon it says “Past, Present, and Future” (ref. the song title “Time”) “come up behind you again” – Professor Marvel is coming up behind Dorothy as they enter the wagon.
In Professor’s wagon, he pulls out a crystal ball and starts to tell Dorothy about her home. The lyrics from “Breathe… Reprise” say “Home, home again…”
Dorothy runs out of the wagon to go back home…. Music mood change here
This song, when the tornado comes, has no words. Notice how perfectly it matches the movie, and notice the song title “The Great Gig In The Sky”
During The Great Gig In The Sky, Dorothy makes it back home… the twister is coming… the mood is very frenetic. Dorothy runs back into the house & the window blows in on her, she passes out on the bed. Exactly at this point, the mood of the music changes & becomes dreamy & languid.
The house lands, Dorothy gathers herself. She opens the door, things are in color, she’s in Oz, and you hear the “ka-ching!” at the start of the song Money. The first side of the album (remember albums had sides back then!) is *exactly* as long as the B&W portion of the movie.
(ok, this is a minor one) “Money….. get back” – you see Dorothy’s back
“Don’t give me that do goody-good…” – Glenda the Good Witch appears.
(another minor one) “But if you ask for a ride…” – Dorothy is being taken for a ride
In the song Us and Them, watch during the lyrics “Black (black black black….) ” This is maybe the best match! Notice who is black and who is blue! Even the next line “and who knows which is which” (witch is witch?) is suggestive.
“Up (up up up)” – the wicked witch raises her broom up – “and Down (down down down)” – the wicked witch looks down.
“Haven’t you heard, it’s a battle of words” – the witches & Dorothy are arguing.
“Down…. And Out (out out out out)” – Glenda the good witch fades out
Dorothy waves bye & begins to walk the yellow brick road right as the song changes.
This is another instrumental song, title is “Any Color You Like” – could be a worse title match!
The scarecrow begins to sing “If I only had a brain” as the next song – “Brain Damage” – begins
“Got to keep those loonies on the path” – Scarecrow is on the path
“The paper holds their folded faces to the floor” – Scarecrow has a folded face.
They meet the Tin Man, and the last song (Eclipse) fades out with a heartbeat, right as Dorothy puts her ear to the Tin Man’s chest to try to listen to his (non-existent) heart. You’ll have to crank the CD to hear the heartbeat, it is faint.
Some of the time cues are *perfect*… coincidence? Sort of a funny thing to keep a secret for all these years, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it was something that PF did.
either way, rubber trees throwing apples at little girls and scarecrows makes me laugh.
Tuning into the time tunnel now.. that and Secret Agent Man Radio are great to get ready to work by.
Raining nicely… time for me to get a poncho or big umbrella to walk with.
See you post shower, and maybe post-work, dear journal.