BUCKET LIST UPDATE No. 187: Watch “The Wizard of Oz” while listening to “Dark Side of the Moon”

Many moons ago when I was in junior high school, I learned of an unusual urban legend involving the movie “The Wizard of Oz” and the famous Pink Floyd album, “Dark Side of the Moon.” 

According to this urban legend, if you start the album when the MGM lion roars for the third time at the beginning of the movie, the music follows the movie, almost like a creepy, alternate soundtrack. I’d always wanted to put this urban legend to the test, which is why I put it on my “bucket list” a couple of years ago.

Yesterday, I found myself with a little time to kill, so I fired up the movie and the CD, and I was more than a little surprised by the results. To say that I was shocked by how the album corresponded to the movie would be an understatement. It was one of the coolest things I've seen in a long time, and I can see how this urban legend has gained traction over the years.

Here are just a few ways that I noticed that the movie and album sync up. I’m sure there are many more.

· During the scene at the beginning of the movie when you see Dorothy balancing on a fence, you hear the lyrics “Balanced on the biggest wave.”

· The song, “The Great Gig in the Sky,” begins playing as soon as the tornado appears on screen as it makes its way toward Dorothy’s house. It continues to play as Dorothy's house flies through the air.

· The end of the last song on the original A-side of the album corresponds to the movie’s transition from black-and-white footage to Technicolor.

· The song, “Money,” begins playing as soon as Dorothy steps out of her storm-displaced house and onto the yellow brick road, which looks like it’s made out of golden bricks.

· If you listen closely to the lyrics that are playing when the Wicked Witch of the West makes her first appearance, you’ll hear the words “which is which.” You’ll also hear the words “black, black, black,” which is the color of the witch’s dress. Next, you’ll hear “blue, blue, blue,” which is the color of Dorothy’s dress.

· Many of you will remember that the scarecrow character wants a real brain, and the song that’s playing when he makes his first appearance in the movie is “Brain Damage.”

· At the very end of the album, when you hear a loud heartbeat, you see Dorothy listening to the Tin Man’s chest. And as everyone who has seen the movie knows, the Tin Man is after a real heart.

· Also, the album’s cover prominently features a rainbow, which hints at the famous song from the movie, “(Somewhere) Over the Rainbow."

With all that said, the members of Pink Floyd have denied for years that there is any truth to this urban legend or that they intentionally tried to create an alternate soundtrack to the film. One thing that shores up these statements is the fact that the album is only 43 minutes long, while the movie is an hour and 41 minutes long.

In the end, how many of you have ever tried watching “The Wizard of Oz” while listening to the “Dark Side of the Moon”? What did you think about it? Do you know of any other movies that sync up with famous albums? If so, let us know in the comments section below.