Wow, so that is how memes happen – #songsincode

Update: I did not start the songsincode meme, I just inspired and was a catalyst of it. The guys in Frogtrade started the craziness and the full story is available here

I am quite amazed just how much the #songsincode thing is mushrooming right now on twitter. Some months ago I had posted this one:

{
'name':'Lola',
'occupation':'showgirl',
'fashion':['music','passion'],
'location':[-22.970834, -43.191665]
}

To me this retweet by Adam Hepton kicked the thing off but other people have disputed that. It would be interesting to see if mine was really the first and if Adam was the first to use the hashtag (full story is now available here).

In any case, this is more geeky fun than I had ever imagined and it is interesting to see just how many people are utterly confused by it. It is also sad to see how spammers work Twitter hard.

If you don’t get it: songsincode tries to display either a title of a song or part of its lyrics (as some songs are more known by the refrain than their title – for example there is no such thing as “all the lonely people” by The Beatles) in code. This could be PHP, JavaScript or any other language. For this, sad geeksclever people use code constructs like if statements and loops to describe conditions and repetition. If you don’t get it, don’t feel left behind, it is hard core geek.

Here are some more #songsincode from me:

Bob Marley: I shot the sheriff:

var i = {shot:{sheriff:true,deputy:false}}

The Ramones: Sheena is a punk rocker

while(Sheena.type=='punk rocker'){Riff.repeat();}

Reel2Reel: I like to move it

x=0;while(x<100){it.style.left=x+'px';x++};i.likeTo=true;

Procol Harum: A whiter shade of Pale

for(i in dance){if(i=='light fandango'){continue;}};cartwheels.turn({floor);me.feeling='seasick';crowd.call('more');

Queen: Bohemian Rhapsody

if(man.silhouetto.size=='small'){scaramouche.do(fandango);if(thunderbolt&&lightning){me.frightened=true}}

Sisters of Mercy: If you don’t see me

if(!u.see('me')||u.loc!=me.loc){me.exist=false;you.makeBelieve=1;}if(eye.see==0){heart.break=0};if(you.leave){me.disappear()}

Blood Hound Gang: The bad touch

do{if(!(you+me) >= mammals){ doit('like they do on the discovery channel') }while(theTouch == 'bad')}

Leonard Cohen: Everybody Knows

{'everybodyKnows':true,'facts':{'boat':'sinking','captain':'lied'},'co':'hen'}

Simon and Garfunkel: Sound of Silence

oldfriend='#000';talk++;while(vision<100){vision++;};sleep.seed();brain.vision=vision;r.mains='still;volume=0; #songsincode

And of course the rick roll:

if(we!=strangersToLove){u.knowRules=1;i.knowRules=1;me.think{committment:'full'};otherGuy:{type:'any',delivery:'false'};}

Keep them coming!