Dark Side of the Moon and the Wizard of Oz

It is true. Have DSofM in your CD player ready to go on "pause". Start it at the third MGM lion's roar.

There are literally thousands of instances where the music and movie sync in near perfection. There are many websites devoted to it. It is pretty cool...I did it at a recent party and some of my guests were just amazed.
 
Oh yeah, some folks say turn the movie's sound off, and some say leave it on. I prefer to let Pink Floyd's music do the "talking", so I watch it with the movie's sound muted.

Many say to watch it first before looking at the list of syncs. But, some of us like knowing what to look for first. Here is a good list:

001) The first indicator that the setup is correct, is the change from Speak to Me to Breathe, which syncs with the fade-in of the name of producer Mervyn LeRoy.

Note: In the prologue the word "Time" (one of the songs on the CD) is written with a capital letter even though it isn't at the start of the sentence. Also you will find the word "Heart" capitalized in the middle of a sentence -- a sound particular to The Dark Side of the Moon.

002) "Leave, but don't leave me ..." Auntie Em appears to say "... Leave ..." to Dorothy, who then turns to leave, looking a bit down in the mouth.

003) Right after the words "... Look around ..." Dorothy looks around.

004) "... Smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry ..." The two farmhands holding the cart upright (Cowardly Lion and Tin Woodsman) are smiling and the farmhand below (Scarecrow) is crying. This one is not exactly on time with the "smiles you'll give" part, but because of the good timing with "tears you'll cry", it makes it worth the mention.

005) "... All you touch ..." Dorothy touches the farmhand (Cowardly Lion) holding a bucket on his arm.

006) "... When at last the work is done ..." the farmhand (Scarecrow) hits his finger with the hammer to the beat of the drum, and is done for the time, with his work.

007) (Y) Right after "... Dig that hole ..." the farm hand (Scarecrow) points to the ground as if telling Dorothy to dig a hole.

008) "... Balanced on the biggest wave ..." Dorothy is balancing herself on the fence.

009) (C) Song shifts from Breathe to On the Run as Dorothy falls off the fence.
Note: (D) At the switch to On the Run, the beginning music matches the apparent mood change of the scene and emotions of the other characters, as they are concerned with Dorothy's well being.

010) Auntie Em shows up and begins talking as the woman's voice chatters away.

011) Toto wags his tail in time to the clicking sound effect.

012) (ZZ) The rumbling at the end of On the Run lends itself nicely as the sound of distant thunder, and enhances the feeling of seeing shafts of sunlight piercing the clouds.

013) The chimes in Time begin at the appearance of Elvira Gulch, (a.k.a. the Wicked Witch of the West) on her bicycle, and the chimes stop when she dismounts. >>>> "I've got a bike. You can ride it if you like. It's got a basket ..." (Syd Barrett /Pink Floyd from Bike)

014) (WW) Uncle Henry is holding a paintbrush, and as he raises and drops it, it's as if he is ringing a bell.

015) At the first bass chord of Time the scene changes to inside Auntie Em's house.

016) (C) Dorothy and the rest of the cast appear to move and react to the rhythm and mood of the music.

017) Elvira Gulch points her finger on the bass chord.

018) "Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town", This is said just a little before Toto jumps out of the basket and onto the ground where he kicks off to go back to Dorothy in his hometown.

019) "... Waiting for someone or something to show you the way ..." Toto pops his head in Dorothy's bedroom window where she is waiting for him.

020) "... You are young and life is long ..." a reference to Dorothy's youth?

021) "... Ten years have got behind you ..." You see Dorothy's back.

022) "... No one told you when to run ..." Dorothy is running away from home.

023) Guitar solo in Time begins on scene change.

024) During the guitar solo of Time, the words "Past, Present and Future" are visible on the sign advertising Professor Marvel fame.

025) (X)+(BB)"... to come up behind you again ..." as Professor Marvel is coming up behind Dorothy.

026) "... But you're older ..." referring to Professor Marvel's older age?

027) (KK) "... Or half a page of scribbled lines ..." referring to the photo that Professor Marvel sneaks out of Dorothy's basket. A picture is worth a thousand words, and it's the size of half a page.

028) "... Hanging on in quiet desperation ..." seems to describe the way Dorothy quietly and desperately hangs on to the words of Professor Marvel.

NOTE: Song changes to The Great Gig In the Sky as Dorothy grabs her bag. This begins what is probably the most impressive segment of the whole sync.

029) (U) A guitar sound, similar to that of a storm warning siren is heard as we see an approaching tornado.

030) (voice says) "... And I am not frightened of dying ..." as the tornado heads towards a house.

031) The drums kick in as a tree is uprooted by force of the wind.

032) Clare Torry's wailing, keeps with the mood and intensity of the tornado scene and seems to display the emotions of Dorothy. Several other nifty rhythm syncs are seen during this piece, such as the door flying off its hinges, a piece of furniture or appliance falling over on the porch, Dorothy stomping on the storm shelter door, etc.

033) After Dorothy gets bonked on the head by the window, Clare Torry's singing calms down and Dorothy begins dreaming.

NOTE: The song playing during the entire tornado scene and while the house is up in the air is The Great Gig in the Sky (TGGITS).



034) The "cha-ching !" of Money is heard as Dorothy steps out into colourful Munchkin Land. Money would be associated with colour and better living, as is apparent from Dorothy's reaction.

035) "... get back ..." and the Munchkins get back in the bushes.

036) (A) "Don't give me that do-goody-good bull****." as Glinda, the (do-goody) good witch comes a-floating down, in her big, green, and then pink bubble.

037) During the guitar solo of Money, the Munchkins move to the music; when the guitar is played in a "plucky" manner, they move about in halting, hunched-over, and cautious steps -- but once the Munchkin with the tall, gray hat jumps out, the guitar solo goes wild, and all the Munchkins start dancing away. The soldiers also appear to march in time with the music.

038) (CC) "... Share it, fairly ..." As a Munchkin shares some flowers with Dorothy.

039) During the beginning of Us and Them the organ plays music similar to that of a funeral parlour, as the Munchkin Coroner unrolls the Certificate of Death.

040) (DD) At the beginning of Us and Them, various voices may be heard, and at times it appears that the Munchkin officials are the ones who are doing the talking.

041) The ballerinas from the Lullaby League enter to "Us ... Us .... Us ...".

042) (XX) The fellows from the Lollypop Guild kick and jerk a little dance to the rhythm of the music.

043) (S) "Forward he cried ..." The Munchkins officials thrust out their hands and seem to all shout "Forward!" to Dorothy.

044) (R) "... moved from side to side ..." as the Munchkins move to the left and right at the appearance of the Wicked Witch.

045) "Black and blue ..." as we see the Wicked Witch who is wearing black , and "blue" is still being repeated when we see Dorothy, who is wearing blue.

046) "... And who knows which is which ..." (Witch is Witch ... or ... Which is Witch)? -- as Glinda appears to be saying this to Dorothy.

047) "... Up and Down ..." On "up", the Wicked Witch of the West is holding her broomstick up, and on "down" she lowers it down.

048) (RR) Also on "down", the Wicked Witch of the West is bending down to retrieve the ruby slippers from her dead sister's now curling and retreating feet.

049) "... And in the end it's only 'round and 'round..." As Glinda points to Dorothy's feet which are now turning 'round.

050) (W) "... and 'round ..." as there is yet another shot of the ruby slippers and Dorothy turning her ankles round -- very strange.

051) (D) "Haven't you heard? It's a battle of words ..." as Glinda again, is whispering in Dorothy's ear, as if she is saying the line to her, and then returns to her "battle of words" with the Wicked Witch.

052) (X) "... Listen son, said the man with the gun ..." as the Wicked Witch points with her long finger, her hand held in the shape of a gun, at Dorothy.

053) "... Down and OUT ... " as Glinda heads out of Munchkinland in her bubble.

054) (LL) "...With ... Without ..." Dorothy starts her walk on the Yellow Brick Road with Toto in her arms, and then on "without", she puts him down.

055) (J) "... Out of the way, it's a busy day, I've got things on my mind ..." as Dorothy passes through the Munchkins, she indeed has a busy day, and lots on her mind as she's off to see the Wizard.

056) Scene changes at the same time that Us and Them changes to Any Colour You Like

057) "... The lunatic is on the grass ..." The Scarecrow isn't on the grass but he is made of grass and he is certainly dancing around like a lunatic.

058) "... You raise the blade ..." as the Toucan in the tree raises his bill, which rather resembles the blade of a knife.

059) "... Thunder in your ear ..." as the Appletrees are thundering in Dorothy's ear for taking an apple.

060) (CC) "... all that you touch ..." Once again Dorothy is touching a man's arm (see #5).

061) (CC) "... all that you see ..." as Dorothy and Scarecrow see the oil can -- which is something that the Tin Woodsman would like a taste of in order to feel better.

062) During the heartbeat at the end of DSOTM, Dorothy listens for a heartbeat (or lack thereof) in the Tin Woodsman's chest.
Note : The CD returns to the beginning, with the heartbeat, as the Tin Woodsman is singing If I Only Had a Heart.

Nothing is quite as good as the first play-through of the CD but the second play-through and partial third are still rather fun. Results as this point will vary due to return speeds on your particular CD players -- unless you have the Definitive version of a pre-recorded sync of DSOTR.



Second Play-through

063) (MM) At the transition from Speak to Me to Breathe the Tin Woodsman straightens out his leg, and begins dancing, somewhat, to the music.

064) (CCC) Tin Woodsman sways to and fro to the sound of Dave's bending guitar strings.

065) "... and high you fly ..." As the Wicked Witch stands on top of the house with her high flying broom.

066) "... Run, rabbit , run ..." as the Wicked Witch throws a fireball at Scarecrow and he's trying to run away from it..

067) (TT) A weird laugh is heard as Dorothy, Scarecrow and Tin Woodsman jump back in fright.

068) Cowardly Lion laughs and a laugh is heard.

069) "... And there is time to kill today ..." as the Wicked Witch seeks to kill Dorothy with the deadly Poppies.

070) "... Shorter of breath and one day closer to death..." as Dorothy and Cowardly Lion appear to be dead.

071) During this segment, the diminutive cries from Clair Torry seem to go along with the sadness and hopelessness that Scarecrow is experiencing, as he fears that his friends have died in the poppy field.

072) (G) "... Home, home again ..." As the camera pans over to the Tin Woodsman, who is, once again, frozen in his rusted state, just as he was when Dorothy & Scarecrow found him.

073) (DD) "Far away across the field ..." The Fearless Foursome are in a poppy field and can see, the Emerald City, far away across the field.

074) (AAA) "... The tolling of the iron bell ..." All four look around as if they've heard the sound of a bell.

075) "...calls the faithful to their knees ..." the Scarecrow stumbles to his knee.

076) Last chord of TGGITS is played when we see the writing in the sky.

077) "Cha - ching !" The message SURRENDER DOROTHY is seen in the sky, written in smoke from the broom of the Wicked Witch.

NOTE: (GG) Money is playing while in the Emerald City -- again, a reference to the colour of money (American at least) and to the higher standard of living than that which Dorothy is accustomed.

078) "I'm in the high fidelity class ..." Cowardly Lion raises his hand high. There are more connected actions between the song and the movements of the Lion which are better seen than described.

079) During the scene where the Fearless Four (and Toto too) are entering the Temple of the Wizard of Oz, somber is playing, giving it a religious aire.
NOTE: The working title to this tune, later changed to The Great Gig in the Sky, was the "religious track" by the members of the band during the recording of DSOTM.

080) (DDD) "And after all, we're only ordinary men", seems to be the emotional response from the Four as they stand trembling in the presence of the great and terrible Oz, whom they believe is more than ordinary.

081) (G) "Black and blue ..." The Wizard is seen in the midst of the blue smoke.

082) (F) Scarecrow is on his knees as if seeking the counsel of what he perceives as God.

083) "... round and round ..." as we read the sign pointing to the home of the Wicked Witch that says "If I were you I'd turn back". Maybe they should turn 'round?

084) (B) "Listen son, said the man with the gun ..." Scarecrow has a gun.

085) "... Down ..." the flying monkeys swoop down to capture Dorothy.

086) "... With ... without ..." Dorothy is with the flying monkeys, but Tin Woodsman, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow are without her. . . And who'll deny she's what the fighting's all about?

087) "Out of the way ...", the Wicked Witch appears to be telling Dot to get out of the way and she moves aback.

088) "... You raise the blade ... You make the change..." is said shortly before the blades of the Lances are raised by Scarecrow, Lion and Tin Woodsman after they have changed into the uniforms of the three Winkies (witch's guardsmen).

089) The beat of the drum works well with the axe whacks to the door, and the music reaches a climax as Dorothy is set free from her prison.

090) "... All that you hate and all you mistrust ..." during which the hateful and mistrustful face of the Wicked Witch is seen.

091) "... and all that you save ...", as we see the Four who certainly need saving from the Wicked Witch.

...to be continued...
 
Third Play-through

092) "...and tears you'll cry..." As Dorothy is seen with tears streaming down her face.

Note: "Run, rabbit, run" is heard for the third time, and each time, the main focus is on Scarecrow.

093) (AA) The Wizard points and an explosion is heard.

094) (JJ) Glinda emerges from her bubble the moment the words to Time begin.

095) "... to come up behind you again ..." as Glinda is behind Dorothy waving her wand.

096) "... come - to - naught ..." sync with the tap - tap - tap of Dorothy's ruby slippers.

097) "The time is gone, the song is over..." and so is the trip to Oz.

098) "... Home, home again ..." after Dorothy has awakened back in her home in Kansas.

099) "across the field ...", a field can be seen through the window.

100) (P) "... Calls the faithful to their knees ..." as Auntie Em comes to Dorothy with water and is on bent knee.

101) (Z) "... To hear the softly spoken magic spell." and then Dorothy speaks the magic spell that brought her back home which is "There's no place like home".
 
I've never heard of this before, but well... interesting. I'll have to try it, unluckily I don't own the Wizard of Oz though.
 
Well, the band has been asked this direct question, and, in typical Pink Floyd fashion, they give a non-answer.

However, there is a traveling Pink Floyd laser show that comes to town once a year, and the show is closely associated with the band.

Last year they did the entire Wall movie with lasers and pyro, but, right in the middle, when the wall is built, the show went into the Dark Side of the Moon synced up with the Wizard of Oz on the big screen!! The played almost the entire album before going on with the second part of The Wall and the tearing down of it in the movie.

Quite an entertaining show, and honestly, I wouldn't put it past the band. Even Alan Parsons, as engineer for DSotM, said in recent interviews that "one never knows".
 
Hash is a great drug for making everything seem linked.

Imagine making an album completly in sinc with a movie and not telling anyone.
Imagine that movie was the wizard of oz.

Its probably true, but if the urban legend was some other movie and you were stoned enough....it would probably work too.
 
Time for the Mythbusters to tackle this Urban Legend.
 
Originally posted by cgannon64


I dunno...the fact that certain things sync three times - as in the same moment in a song syncs with something all three times you play it - seems beyond coincidence to me.

Believe what you will -- Pink Floyd has never confirmed it or denied it. I tend to think it's a coincidence, and appears profound thanks to copious use of weed by some potheads.

In fact I think that it's a good rebuttal for all those conspiracy theories flying around about other topics. Sometimes it really is a weird coincidence.
 
Pink Floyds magistral music is an exemple of the creation power of ''alterated state" and psychedelic introspection.

I will always remember my firsts trip on ummagumma's music.

I am sure the realtion between DSOTM and wizard of oz isnt a coincidence but one of the many multidimensional aspect of their music.

Pink floys member were truly genius.:smoke: :hmm: :saiyan: :band:
 
ya know, i trhink your all over looking the obvious- Pink Floyd was WATCHING the wizard of Oz when they made the songs for DSOTM ;), any use of drugs during that time,however, is up for debate ;)
 
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