Explore every episode of the podcast LYRICS FOR LUNCH

We are back with trivia this week with tough questions about mullets, La La Land, girl-power anthems, and fabricated live recordings. Can Lindsay run the trivia gauntlet?

This week, we take a look at the making of Billie Eilish’s Oscar-winning “What Was I Made For?” AKA “Barbie’s heart song” — commissioned by Greta Gerwig for the billion dollar blockbuster that takes aim at patriarchy, glass ceilings, and unattainable beauty standards…? Sublime!

In December of 1967, before the release of their biggest hit in the United States, The Zombies called it quits. Seeing a money-making opportunity, two shady promoters from Michigan created not one, but two (!!!) imposter bands calling themselves The Zombies and put them on the road. This week, Aviv and Lindsay dive into the insane true story, and ask how could this have happened in the sixties, and then somehow again in the 1980s.

Pop artist Andy Warhol famously quipped, "In the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes." This week, we meet the so-called Warhol Superstars — the gritty and glamorous entourage depicted in Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side," the poetic and unlikely Top 40 breakthrough that gave voice to people outcasted from mainstream society and immortalized them forever in song. 

This week we’re hot on the trail of the bizarre conspiracy theory claiming Canadian pop-punkster Avril Lavigne was replaced by a body double shortly after the success of her first album, Let Go. Is there any merit to this mystery? Let’s just say it’s complicated. Join us this week as we go way down the rabbit hole on the aledged replacement of the Real Avril.

What do the Avengers, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Long-haired Men, and the Traveling Wilburys have in common? They're all part of our first ever Lyrics for Lunch trivia episode! Have fun, and may the odds be ever in your favor <3

This is the story of Luke Combs, a mediocre man with a guitar, riding the coattails of Tracy Chapman, a queer woman of color. Or is it? While the latter has 4 multi-platinum albums and 4 Grammys in her own right, she’s making headlines once again as the first Black woman to win a Country Music Association (CMA) award … prompting us to ask the questions: What is still very wrong with the country music industrial complex? And what does Nelson Mandela have to do with it?

Between 1975 and 1982, a blood-thirsty gang of murderers terrorized a section of Northern Ireland. Nearly 30 years later, the Decemberists told the tale on their notable fourth album, The Crane Wife. But did they get the story right? And was it ever theirs to tell at all? We’ve got the whole story, this week on Lyrics for Lunch.

In honor of Taylor’s boyfriend heading to the Superbowl next week, we’re revisiting our All Too Well (10 Minute Version) episode where we examined all things Swiftie and some of TayTay’s less favorably remembered loves…. Enjoy!

You'd be hard pressed to ignore that something is going on with Taylor Swift this week. The release of her re-recorded 2012 album Red (Taylor's Version) sent Swiftie's on a tizzy of epic proportions. And in classic Swift "Style," Queen Tay did not disappoint: surprise dropping a short film, a new music video directed by Blake Lively, and in the time between recording this episode and uploading it, a #sadgirlautumn version of "All Too Well" featuring The National's Aaron Dessner. But why is Taylor re-recording her first 6 albums in the first place? And why is everyone so worried about the mental health of notorious scarf thief Jake Gyllenhaal? We've got the whole scoop — plus the inside story from our special guest, musician Elayna Harrison, one of the lucky few Swiftie's invited to the secret All Too Well film premier. I think it’s safe to say we Need to Calm Down.

This year on New Year’s Eve, Green Day, one of the best selling rock bands in history, changed the lyrics to their 2004 Anti-Bush anthem, American Idiot, to take a shot at the MAGA crowd. This week, Lindsay and Aviv dive deep into the band’s history, ideology, and recording style to determine when, if ever, Green Day jumped the shark.

What do Stacy's Mom, A Colbert Christmas, Tom Hanks' directorial debut, a water feature store in New Jersey, and Emmy winner Crazy Ex Girlfriend all have in common? A master composer and musical comedy writer with a legacy as joyful as they come.

This week we look at how the Pogues and Kirsty MacColl took Fairytale of New York from an elusive bet to one of the most-loved Christmas songs of all time. Happy holidays, everyone!

What started as a requiem for a glacier became a triumphant call for hope and action in the fight to save our planet. This week: How environmentalist and LGBTQIA activist Pattie Gonia teamed up with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma and trans singer-songwriter (2019 Tiny Desk winner) Quinn Christopherson to create a musical rallying cry for the most critical movement this world has ever seen. And yes, the fits were fabulous.

As the mystery of Hall & Oates's unraveling ... unravels, we bring you everything we know about the “ultimate partnership betrayal" tearing apart the beige dynamic duo — and everything we knew before that — from green pancakes to the Son of Sam killings and beyond.

This week, by listener request, we bring you the tale of the chilling “therapy” that inspired some strange art — that inspired some strange art — that inspired some strange art.

Sixties folk icon and Sesame Street trailblazer Buffy Sainte-Marie has come under fierce scrutiny since the CBC published a bombshell exposé in late October accusing her of fabricating her story of indigenous ancestry — a story she’s been telling variations of for more than 60 years. Today we dive into Buffy’s past, her accolades, her accusations, and her fabrications.

This week we’re bringing you the obscure true story of an OG MPDG — the muse behind James Taylor’s classic "Fire & Rain."

Here's a story about Jelly Man Kelly. He sure loves Jelly.

And maybe some day, me and you, friend, we can have tea with him.

Hey hey it's our 100th episode! In celebration (or maybe not so much), we're diving deeeep into how the pop industrial complex used Britney Spears as a pawn in the ongoing scheme to oppress millennial women. 

In honor of Spooky Season, we're bringing you the frightening tale of one nepo baby with a ghastly fake accent and a fascination with voyeurism.

In 1973, California-based Rev. Jim Jones and his followers released a private-press, gospel-pop-funk LP — not-so-subtly titled He’s Able. As Rolling Stone noted, “The production values and arrangements are surprisingly top notch, the music is infectiously catchy, and the performances, especially by the lead singers, are vibrant.” That’s part of what makes the tragedy that followed so confusing and horrible — a contradiction so stark and horrific it tantalizes our deepest terrors. Want to know the whole story behind the sounds and the suicides? We’ve got it all, this week on Lyrics for Lunch.

Forty years after its release, the opening guitar lick and congenial snare response of Violent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun” remain a calling card for end of the second Millennium. This week we look at the circumstances that led to its rise a cult classic — and ask our favorite question … what is this song even about? 

The Spice Girls hit the peak of their fame in 1997 with the release of their second album, Spiceworld . It would be the last album the iconic five some would ever put out together. Their final song was Spiceworld’s chart-topper “Viva Forever,” a sultry ballad about a secret love that was lost. So who was it about? And why did the Spice Girls break up when they appeared to be just heating up? We’ve got the whole story, this week on Lyrics for Lunch.

In 1999, TV and film soundtracks were as popular as women-as-prizes plot lines. This week, we take a look at Sixpence None The Richer’s sleeper hit, “Kiss Me,” which had a starring role in multiple problematic plot lines and became 1999’s most played song in 11 countries. 

This week we pay tribute to the legendary life of Tina Turner, from her unlikely rise to stardom and her courage on stage and off.

In May 2021, a video of a teenage punk band went viral. The original song they were performing in celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month was an anti-hate original they’d written in the wake of pandemic lockdown as anti-Asian sentiments were growing among racists everywhere. “Racist, Sexist Boy” caught the attention of some heavy hitting musicians — and today the Linda Lindas have appeared in two films and are touring with Paramore. How did this all happen so quickly? We’ll give you two guesses. But even if the Linda Lindas are the new nepobabies in town, we’re here for the representation they offer to young people everywhere. And their music is pretty cool, too.

Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth have been off and on since they were teenagers. More than a decade later, Miley’s burning it all down. But what are the circumstances that led to her mega-hit breakup anthem “Flowers”? And what exactly does Bruno Mars have to do with it? Did Miley and Dolly Parton start a cult to get kicked out of elementary school? We’ve got the whole scoop, this week on Lyrics for Lunch.

In 1991, an eerie, grunge tale of teen violence swept popular culture. The rumor mill went wild: Was Jeremy about a school shooting? Revenge for childhood bullying? An evil kid with Daddy issues? But the true story of Jeremy Wade Dell is a lot more complicated than the chorus of a song. And the problems that led to his death have heart-wrenchingly only gotten worse over the past two decades. Join us this week for a rollercoaster ride of tragedies — from childhood suicide to Ron DeSantis and the saga of the Tennessee Three.

This one's for Craig and Clare.

It has been said that “Fat Cats, Bigga Fish” by the band The Coup “is to hip hop what Alan Ginsberg’s Howl is to poetry, Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” is to Jazz, or Marx’s Das Kapital is to socialist theory.” This week, Lindsay and Aviv take a deep dive into a hip hop record and a lyricist, Boots Riley, who has always weirdly been able to predict the future, maybe even 9/11. Let's just hope he's wrong about the horses...

In late 2004, an anonymous 18-year old uploaded a webcam video to the internet with the sole intention of making his friends smile. Little did he know he was about to define what it means to go viral. The boy? Gary Brolsma. The song? Dragostea Din Tei — an absolute banger that would turn Gary into an international superstar. Or was it the other way around? Did the song make Gary a sensation or did Gary make the song? Find out this week as we take a look at the Numa Numa song and the legend of Gary Brolsma.

Check us out on YouTube at PodcastsOnVEVO. 

Lindsay is in the driver's seat this week as we cruise down the dark desert highway. Is The Eagles' Hotel California a backmasked, Satan-worshiping pop odyssey? A cannibalistic reggae riff? A thinly veiled metaphor for a trip the the mental institution, hidden to protect copyright? Or something far more sinister, a commentary on the music industry itself? All that and more, this week...

How did a sexed-up blues ditty become a non-sensical ode to ... Italian ice cream? We've got the scoop, this week, as we we take a look at the life and times of one Richard Wayne Penniman.

There's been 10 mass shootings in the US since we recorded this episode less than 6 days ago. This week, we set out to tell the story of a misunderstood "hangover" anthem — an epic tune for every case of the Mondays with a dark origin and an unlikely killer. But as we move into this holiday weekend, we find ourselves at a loss for words. All we can say is hold your loved ones close, and your government accountable. 

Lindsay is back! This week with the unlikely story of two Germans whose quirky coping mechanisms evolved to transform the fabric of Las Vegas as we know it. That’s right, it’s Siegfried & Roy! From their humble beginnings to their real-life Jurassic Park spectacular’s 13-year run and run-ins with the law (oh, and did we mention a theme song from Michael Jackson?), we’ve got all there is to know about the rise and fall of the OG Tiger Kings.

With Lindsay down and out after a botched wisdom tooth extraction, we sadly had to take a week off from the show. But in honor of her troubles, we're calling on our friend Matt from Pick A Disc podcast, where Aviv guest hosted last year to talk about one of his favorite albums "You're My Lover Now" by The Teeth (get it?). We wish Lindsay a speedy recovery and we'll be back next week with a regularly scheduled episode of Lyrics for Lunch. For now, enjoy Pick A Disc!

This week, special guest TikTok's Patrick Hicks regales us with the tale of Mariah Carey's rise to stardom (hint: it all started at a Holiday party), her lasting influence in pop and hip-hop, and her secret Grunge project that's blowing the internet's mind. That's one talented CHICK.  

Our long awaited ABBA episode (says Aviv): The Winner Takes it All. What do you get when you take four Swedish superstars, a victim of a Nazi eugenics program, a Eurovision won, 9/11, and two doomed marriages? The greatest pop band of all time (says Aviv).

In 1987, R.E.M. released an album that would catapult the band from Slightly Obscure to Mainstream Rock Heroes — inspiring Rolling Stone to declare the Georgian quartet: "America's Best Rock & Roll Band"! And on that Little Album That Could was a 4-minute ode to the End of Days, a word salad delivered with such erratic fury that more than 20 years later, it still compels listeners in their darkest hours to fire it up and attempt to sing along. But what do the words really mean? And what does it have to do with Lester Bangs and Leonard Bernstein? Take a ride with us as we take a closer look at The End of The World As We Know It. It's fine. Everything's fine.

The Cure is perhaps as influential as 80s bands get. The post-punk groups’s emotive love songs famously evolve from despair to euphoria and back again with a casual elegance achieved by very few. So who - or what? - inspired enraptured heart-wrenchers like “Just Like Heaven” and “Pictures of You”? We’ll give you one guess :) This week when we deep dive into the band that seamlessly bridged pop, new wave, punk, goth, grunge, and dirgey rock and left a mark on the hearts of so many. 

By listener request, this supersized episode covers the history of the Sex Pistols from the perspective of their two "visionaries": Malcolm MacLaren and John Lydon (Johnny Rotten). Who was actually in creative control of the band? And more importantly, who was more full of shit? The history of the seminal punk band has a lot more twists and turns that you might think — with detours to Buster Poindexter, Judge Judy, Lizzo, and more. 

Matthew Ducey joins us once again for the thrilling conclusion to the Lou Pearlman story. In addition to fleecing two of the biggest singing groups of all time, Lou is also responsible for one of the biggest Ponzi schemes in American history. The commission of which takes us on an international manhunt. All this and more, this week on Lyrics for Lunch.

This week, for our extra spectacular 50th episode, we are joined by Matthew Ducey, producer of The Boyband Con: The Lou Pearlman Story. In this long awaited episode, we discuss the rise of Lou Pearlman, creator (and sixth member) of the Backstreet Boys, N*Sync, LFO, O-Town, and many more bands. We explore Pearlman's humble beginnings from bling crashing and insurance fraud to becoming one of the biggest record producers of all time. And it's all thanks to a chance encounter with New Kids on the Block. Now that's what we call, the Right Stuff. 

Are you a bitch? a mother? a goddess under cover? Do you know where there this earworm of empowerment even came from? Did you think it was Alanis Morissette? This week, we welcome guest host Amory Sivertson of the Endless Thread podcast to enlighten us about the origins of Meredith Brooks’ angsty ode to feminine multiplicity. We know you wouldn't want it any other way.

What do time travel, tinfoil hats, Russian TV, Dan Rather, and the plot of Twelve Monkeys all have in common? This episode, of course. Listen this week as we uncover the many mysteries surrounding one of R.E.M.'s most popular jams. 

This week, Aviv gives Lindsay the best gift of all: the knowledge that this song exists, Accidental Racist by Brad Paisley and LL Cool J. How could this have happened? Is it possible that a song *on its face* allegedly meant to promote racial understanding does way more harm than good? Spoilers: YES. And what does all this have to do with Cracker Barrel? We have the unfortunate details. 

This week, Aviv ruins another childhood favorite of Lindsay's: Ace of Base. How much of their sound do they owe to the reggae band that practiced next door to them? What made their lead singer want to give up touring? And just how many of them were white nationalists? We’ve got the upsetting details.

You'd be hard pressed to ignore that something is going on with Taylor Swift this week. The release of her re-recorded 2012 album Red (Taylor's Version) last Friday — complete with 14 never released tracks and a 10-minute version of fan-favorite heartbreak anthem "All Too Well" — sent Swiftie's on a tizzy of epic proportion. And in classic Swift "Style," Queen Tay did not disappoint: surprise dropping a short film, a new music video directed by Blake Lively, and in the time between recording this episode and uploading it, a #sadgirlautumn version of "All Too Well" featuring The National's Aaron Dessner. But why is Taylor re-recording her first 6 albums in the first place? And why is everyone so worried about the mental health of notorious scarf thief Jake Gyllenhaal? We've got the whole scoop — plus the inside story from our special guest, musician Elayna Harrison, one of the lucky few Swiftie's invited to the secret All Too Well film premier. I think it’s safe to say we Need to Calm Down.

In 2013, Robin Thicke catapulted to stardom with an R&B single that spent 16 weeks at number 1 — becoming the biggest hit of the entire year. Mired in controversy from the get-go, the song (and its x-rated video) was quickly recognized for its creepy, coercive sexual messaging and banned by everyone from student unions to YouTube. Eight years later, after a nearly decade-long copyright battle with the Marvin Gaye estate, the song is in the news once again thanks to a leaked excerpt from a forthcoming collection of essays from "Blurred Lines" supermodel Emily Ratajkowski revealing that Thicke not only wrote a song promoting sexual assault (...or did he?), he also committed it on the "Blurred Lines" video set. Did all these "blurred lines" spawn a feminist movement? We think not, but the UK's Telegraph isn't so sure. Plus! Aviv gets his mind blown by the second-biggest single of 2013 — Macklemore & Ryan Lewis's "Thrift Shop" (smells like R. Kelly's sheets!). YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT!

Thanks to listener Jenna for writing in with this week's song suggestion! In this episode, Aviv and Lindsay discuss one of the most recognizable songs of all time, "You Are My Sunshine." Despite its familiarity, the song has 5 verses that are much harder to recall. The authorship of the yodely lullaby is most often credited to two-time Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis, but the song's true origin is a bit more of a mystery. We're here to take you on the long journey of the song's history and the psychological reasons we sing sad songs like this to our kids!   

In 1998, Ben Affleck brandished brand-new pearly whites in an end-of-the-world asteroid movie so nice they made it twice (well, kind of). Despite having more plot holes than questionable one-liners, the apocalyptic blockbuster earned over $553 million globally. The movie's theme song, surprisingly inspired by a certain gay icon's heterosexual romance, spent 77 weeks on the charts. This week, we've got the scoop on how arena rock band Aerosmith finally made its way to number 1 after decades of not-quite-number-1 hits -- and all it took was Steven Tyler sweetly serenading his daughter while she made love to a cookie.