Pi Day Music

March 6, 2009 11:19 AM

What would be some good music with a theme of circles for pi day (3/14)?

I'm a high school librarian and we are having a celebration in our library on Friday 3/13 for 3/14 (pi day). We're looking for some music that has a circular theme or pie (pi) theme.

Our list so far is:
Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
Proud Mary - Creedence Clearwater Revival
Spinning Wheel - Blood Sweat and Tears
American Pie - Don McLean
Round and Round - Ratt
Dizzy - Tommy Roe
Round Here - Counting Crows
Round Here - Temptations
Circle of Life - Elton John
I Get Around - Beach Boys
Around the World - Daft Punk - (Radio edit)
Red Rubber Ball - The Cyrkle
You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) - Dead or Alive

It has to be clean since we are a high school library and the song has to be loosely related to circles and pi (round, around, circle, dizzy, ring, etc...).

Extra points for a clean punk song that I can use.

posted by crios to media & arts (42 comments total)

Joni Mitchell , Circle Game
posted by canoehead at 11:21 AM on March 6, 2009

Walk around in Circles - Soul Coughing
Circles - The Autumn Defense
posted by borkencode at 11:25 AM on March 6, 2009

John Lennon, Watching the Wheels
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 11:26 AM on March 6, 2009

If you run into a situation where you need to clear out the library right quick, try Wild Man Fischer's Merry-Go-Round. BOOP BOOP BOOP
posted by Spatch at 11:27 AM on March 6, 2009

I hate to say it, but Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it) could work. So could Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel," if you're not averse to using a bluegrass song.

There's also:
Wilco's "I'm a Wheel"
The White Stripes' "Red Bowling Ball"
Damien Rice's "Cannonball"
The Dixie Chicks' "The Long Way Around"
Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around Comes Around"
Motion City Soundtrack's "When You're Around"
posted by runningwithscissors at 11:46 AM on March 6, 2009

Billy Preston "Will It Go Round In Circles"
posted by lordrunningclam at 11:55 AM on March 6, 2009 [1 favorite]

Wheel in the Sky - Journey
Round and Round - Ratt
Will it Go Round in Circles - Billy Preston
posted by Brettus at 11:57 AM on March 6, 2009

Circles - Incubus
posted by Brettus at 12:00 PM on March 6, 2009

sunny day real estate - "in circles"
posted by austere at 12:00 PM on March 6, 2009

REM's "Perfect Circle," from the great Murmur
posted by Dr. Wu at 12:02 PM on March 6, 2009

Sorry - I should have read Round and Round by Ratt in your list. My apologies.

Roundabout - Yes
posted by Brettus at 12:04 PM on March 6, 2009

The Who's "Circles."
posted by ricochet biscuit at 12:05 PM on March 6, 2009

The page seems to be down for me right now, but at homestarrunner.com, look around for a song called "Circles". Probably under toons, might be in one of Strong Bad's emails. Short and funny.
posted by attercoppe at 12:09 PM on March 6, 2009

The Windmills of Your Mind.
posted by tallus at 12:09 PM on March 6, 2009

Bobby McFerrin - Circlesongs
posted by [user was fined for this post] at 12:11 PM on March 6, 2009

The Merry-Go-Round's "Come Ride, Come Ride."
posted by rhizome at 12:27 PM on March 6, 2009

Hard 'n Phirm - Pi
posted by vernondalhart at 12:28 PM on March 6, 2009

Pi - Kate Bush

Runaround - Van Halen

Warm Wet Circles - Marillion

Circles - Josh Todd (of Buckcherry)

Circle - Paramore

Circle Song - Jewel

Circle of Friends - Edie Brickell
posted by skypieces at 12:34 PM on March 6, 2009

Hrm. On re-listening to that song, at least the video might be verboten, since the word "shit" does occur. Maybe there's another version of the song without the middle section? Damn.
posted by vernondalhart at 12:41 PM on March 6, 2009

Seconding Windmills of Your Mind.

Round, like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel.
Never ending or beginning,
On an ever spinning wheel
Like a snowball down a mountain
Or a carnival balloon
Like a carousel that's turning
Running rings around the moon

Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes on its face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind

Like a tunnel that you follow
To a tunnel of its own
Down a hollow to a cavern
Where the sun has never shone
Like a door that keeps revolving
In a half forgotten dream
Or the ripples from a pebble
Someone tosses in a stream.

Like a clock whose hands are sweeping
Past the minutes on it's face
And the world is like an apple
Whirling silently in space
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind

Keys that jingle in your pocket
Words that jangle in your head
Why did summer go so quickly
Was it something that I said
Lovers walk along the shore,
Leave their footprints in the sand
Was the sound of distant drumming
Just the fingers of your hand

Pictures hanging in a hallway
And a fragment of this song
Half remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong
When you knew that it was over
Were you suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color of her hair

Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning,
On an ever spinning wheel
As the images unwind
Like the circle that you find
In the windmills of your mind

Pictures hanging in a hallway
And the fragment of this song
Half remembered names and faces
But to whom do they belong
When you knew that it was over
Were you suddenly aware
That the autumn leaves were turning
To the color of her hair

Like a circle in a spiral
Like a wheel within a wheel
Never ending or beginning,
On an ever spinning wheel
As the images unwind
Like the circles that you find
In the windmills of your mind
posted by marsha56 at 12:42 PM on March 6, 2009

Around the World in a Day - Prince

The Germs' GI features a really cool circle on the cover, but, alas, no songs that seem to fit the bill. You could display the album cover though.

Too bad about the "clean" requirement though, as a few more totally unsuitable selections come to mind.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 12:47 PM on March 6, 2009

Right Round by Flo Rida
posted by hal_c_on at 12:52 PM on March 6, 2009

Ooh, ooh. I thought of another one:

Love is All Around (the theme from The Mary Tyler Moore Show) - Joan Jett
posted by SuperSquirrel at 12:53 PM on March 6, 2009

Circle Dream 10,000 Maniacs
posted by Fuzzy Skinner at 1:00 PM on March 6, 2009

There's also They Might Be Giants' "Spiralling Shape".
posted by Spatch at 1:01 PM on March 6, 2009

Will the Circle Be Unbroken - by every country act ever at some point, but notably June Carter Cash and/or the Carter Family
posted by SuperSquirrel at 1:06 PM on March 6, 2009

Not circle-themed in any way, but you can make your own music from pi.
posted by spamguy at 1:11 PM on March 6, 2009

The first track from the Boredoms' Vision Creation Newsun, which is called "◯" (more commonly know as "(Circle)"). Fischerspooner also covered it on Odyssey.

It may not quite be what you're going for -- no bad lyrics, but awesome Japanese hippie weirdness, which isn't for everyone. But trust me, you play Boredoms for high school students, you will the COOLEST HIGH SCHOOL LIBRARIAN EVER.
posted by darksong at 1:23 PM on March 6, 2009

Anything by Russian Circles or Soft Circle.

"The Desert is a Circle" by Six Organs of Admittance
"Circle of Cysquatch" by Mastodon
"The Width of a Circle" by David Bowie
"Wheels of Confusion" by Black Sabbath"
"18 Wheels" by Murder City Devils
"Wagon Wheels" by Sonny Rollins
"Wheel Me Out" by Was Not Was
posted by The Michael The at 1:40 PM on March 6, 2009

Circles 'round the Moon - Nana Grizol
Circles - Sandro Perri
Running in Circles - The Apples in Stereo
Ezekiel Saw The Wheel - Woody Guthrie
May the Circle Remain Unbroken - 13th Floor Elevators (and no, it's not the same as the Carter Family one)
posted by scruss at 1:43 PM on March 6, 2009

I haven't yet seen anyone else post it yet, so:
Dead or Alive's You Spin Me Round
(This link is video, this link is the lyrics).
posted by SocialArgonaut at 1:54 PM on March 6, 2009

This may be completely appropriate, as it is 80's - Belinda Carlisle - Circle In the Sand
posted by niccolo at 1:55 PM on March 6, 2009

Wait, You Spin Me Round was in the original list. Please excuse me for not reading you OP more closely.
posted by SocialArgonaut at 1:55 PM on March 6, 2009

Revolution - The Beatles
(Lots of other songs with "revolution", like Revolution Rock by The Clash, but the Beatles one is easily the best for this purpose. You say you want a revoluuutioooon....)

The Great Curve - Talking Heads

Circle of Birds - Circle of Birds

Spiral - XTC

The World is a Disco Ball, Bathysphere - Future Bible Heroes
posted by painquale at 2:04 PM on March 6, 2009

Wheels by Cake, although only the chorus(Wheels keep on spinning 'round, spinning 'round, spinning 'round). The verses are clean, just not circle related.
posted by owtytrof at 2:25 PM on March 6, 2009

The Wonderstuff - Circlesquare
posted by sian at 4:07 PM on March 6, 2009

I would recommend the group "A Perfect Circle" but I don't think it is appropriate for kids. Even if you find one song of theirs that isn't objectionable, the connection to their other tunes could get you in trouble.
posted by Piscean at 6:46 PM on March 6, 2009

The Four Tops- Sugar Pie Honey Bunch
posted by Piscean at 7:21 PM on March 6, 2009

(Actually the Four Tops song is "I Can't Help Myself," I believe)
posted by Piscean at 7:22 PM on March 6, 2009

attercoppe refers to the Kinda Long Haired Band song "Circles", a classic strongbad piece.

Grateful Dead - The Wheel
Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around
Total Eclipse of the Heart (tuuuurn arouuuuuundd)
Chuck Berry - Around & Around
TMBG - Turn Around
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
posted by knile at 9:06 PM on March 6, 2009

Oh my god, I love how nerdy MeFi is. <3>
Oh, right suggestion. Ummm... Lacuna Coil - Circle? Not my type of music, but the lyrics go:

What is it for?
What is sacred?
In my circle of regrets
Circle of regrets

Today I'm drawing circles
In my memory, in the pages of my life

That's me for a long time
I can't run away... (long time)

These stone tears are falling down on me, all my regrets
My regrets (I don't want this feeling)

I need more
All I want is to break
My circle of regrets
Circle of regrets

Is there any solution?
I want to find the way to escape... to go away

As a math major, sure, I identify a little. ;)
posted by thatbrunette at 9:54 PM on March 6, 2009

Bill Callahan - The Wheel ("The wheel has turned one full circle.")
Brian Eno - The True Wheel (oblique lyrics don't mention wheels or circles, but do repeat "Looking for a certain ratio.")
Friends Of Distinction - Going in Circles
posted by hydrophonic at 10:06 PM on March 6, 2009