The Life is in the Lyrics Podcast

WARNING: Do NOT get your music trivia from us cuz we be dingdongs. DO get your weekly giggle here cuz...we be dingdongs. We're talking road trips, spoken word poetry, and whether Priya's feet could supplement her income. Ok Little Listeners, there are songs you know are covers but in this ep we discuss songs that we were GAGGED to learn were not written for the artists who became synonymous with them. You learn something new every goddam week here on Life is in the Lyrics!

How did it go when Mike brought Priya as his 'plus 1' to his office karaoke party? Which one of our co-hosts has just won an 'Outstanding Employee' award? And how far into the ep before Priya's 'intelligence' is on full display yet again? In other news, we’re ahead of the curve discussing Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation before Erika Kirk auditioned to be one of her dancers! It's time to revisit how the 80's gave birth to the music video.

Priya, pliers, and her teeth - terrible idea. Priya’s previous diagnosis of being intellectually 'gifted' (established in Ep 1) is reexamined. Mike talks time-travel, 'imposter syndrome' and ruminates yet again. And that was all before we get to the music! Anyhoo, this week we talk musical theatre - from our awe-inspiring first times to our fave memories. And despite Mike's initial reservations about this topic, turns out he has A LOT to say and has seen shows around the world (just like Priya knew he would). #shealwayshastoberight

Priya has been waiting for the day she could bring her old pal Scott McCord onto the pod and that day has arrived! Y'all may know his as fan-favourite Victor from the TV series, FROM, but did ya know he's also an extremely talented singer and musician? Well now you do and you can hear allll about his journey from small-town Sarnia Ontario to the crazy world of FROM and his new band, Fresh Horses! PS season 4 is out TODAY and his new album release party is TONITE in NYC! thisisscottmccord.com / FROM on PrimeVideo / Fresh Horses

On this episode we answer the (sun) burning question: “Can you have a desert surrounded by water?” and showcase our embarrassing lack of basic, local geography. Picture it: Priya & Mike stranded on a deserted island...how long before they rrrrrip each other a new one? Grumpy Old Man Mike estimates 3 hours based solely on Priya's bossiness “all the time”. Luckily they have their recording equipment and respective playlists to keep their sanity--solar powered of course!

Take your protein pills and put your helmets on LIITL Listeners because these idgits are about to launch! "At the time of recording" it's Easter and while Mike's all hot 'n cross about his bland hot cross buns, Priya wonders what happened to Jesus after his "risening" (yes, it's a new word), and there's lots of discussion about the universe, stars and best of all--Uranus. That's right folks, informed chatter this Artem-isn't.

...so we'll say it on the podcast! We're talking lyrics that were changed for radio.  But before we get to that, we've got serious issues to discuss. Like who knew that the thumbs up emoji 👍 was so divisive? All these years we thought bears hibernate…think again! And holding onto misspoken words from ages, no-decades ago...ruminating we are! Look it up kids. Oh and BTW this is take 2 of this episode because…well check out our instagram to find out. So let's get it started LIITL Listeners!

The topic of making friends as adults makes another appearance as Mike gives an update on his new mission. Plus we say 'hasta la vista' to our recent (*failed) segment on The Voice: Battle of Champions. Priya just returned from an kinda-maybe-sorta disappointing all-inclusive vacay at an "adults only" resort in Mexico that got her hot 'n bothered. And what about the music? Was it no bueno? Tune in to find out LIITL Listeners!

This week we be off script y'all. That's right, we figured we'd do something a tad bit different by doing all bullsh*t all episode! Is it different though? A little more about shlemiel and shlimazle, Mike introduces a bop (watch him dance on our insta post @theLIITLpodcast), and we debate whether Timothée's star has taken a nose dive.

Priya has an 'aha' moment of self-realization that is less than flattering, Mike's cookie obsession is revisited, and we explore our insecurities when making new friends as adults. Then it's a trip down memory lane (waaaayyyyy down) to play 'Name That Show' as we take turns singing TV theme songs. Here's one--Schlemiel, Schlimazel, Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

Priya worries about how much she’s been oversharing and as proof, Mike summarizes all her poop stories...three to be exact. And we introduce a new segment based on The Voice: Battle of Champions! Ok, now on with the show…and it’s all about the ladies! Let us regale you with some of the musical records that women hold, and they are pretty, pretty cool.

We're bringing sexy back LIITL Listeners! We revisit our 'sex faces' and whether we have 'sex voices', being vain when smacking pelvises together, and give a shout out to Canadian comic master, Mark McKinney for his visual description of...'the act' in the show Superstore. But let's get to the dirty folks, and we mean the songs that make you feel dirty--in a good way! PS we didn't even plan it but what a happy coincidence that this is episode number 69.

There's no time for banter this week because Priya has FINALLY watched Heated Rivalry and it's about to get steamy up in the studio! Shockingly we bare-ly discuss the sex scenes (see what we did there?) BUTT, as usual, Priya keeps the innuendos flowing as we focus on the incredible music that deepens all the feels in this beautiful, truly Canadian, global hit show. Hats (or shall we say, 'helmets'?) off to show creator, Jacob Tierney, and soundtrack composer, Peter Peter for creating a show that celebrates love in all it's emotional and physical nakedness.

Mike's hot-spotting his wifi connection while Priya is hot-spotting in sunny Vietnam! We're on opposite sides of the world during this episode and Priya makes sure to rub it in. A tribute to the great Catherine O'Hara, a shout out to the pure joy and compassion that are hallmarks of Schitt's Creek and Heated Rivalry, plus we touch upon Bieber's Grammys performance and the first-ever Grammys win by a KPOP group. BUT FIRST we talk about the music we listen to on vacation, from the flight (to reduce anxiety eek!) to moments exploring a new city, to songs that remind you of certain getaways. This is a full episode Little Listeners, enjoy!

Priya's obsessed with The Next Act, while Mike actually comes through on one of Priya's 'please listen to this' requests! Plus a new/old song that relates directly to this week's episode which is all about self-love...not the sexual kind so get your hands where we can see them! It's love month and The Greatest Love of All is loving yourself LIITL Listeners!

In today's English class, wait, let's try again. In today's episode we're talking about mondegreen's. What's a mondegreen you ask? Listen in to find out :) But first, we discuss getting money as gifts, Toronto's love of a goddam pilot project, and the excitement of the Sears catalogue arrival...random January chat, yo! Alright, let's carry on.

We know the holidays have just ended but this really is the MOST wonderful time of the year because this week (drum roll please) it's ALL ABOUT PRIYA! Mike introduces Priya to a new…ahm…colourful way to describe a part of the male torso, there may be some tea spilled from our childhood diaries, and Priya gives her confession and then announces her gift to all the LIITL Listeners for this episode. What will we get up to? It's all up in the air, or should we say in the sky? Tune in to find out!

When is it time to stop saying "Happy New Year"? Is self-imposed celibacy really a thing? Do Priya and Mike really find everything "interesting"? Don't worry folks, it's uphill from this riveting bullish*t because this week it's all about surprise songs! WTF does that mean? LIITL Listeners, you'll just have to tune in to find out!

It's our first show of 2026...WHEEEE! Have we changed for better (or worse)? Are we ready to deal with stress and bullish*t in the year ahead? Mike reflects on coping mechanisms from his youth (how he's not 400lbs and a diabetic is still a mystery) and Priya discusses being a "parentified" child - how the EFF did we make it this far? Ok LET IT GO folks and on with the show! 

Sarah Palin makes the pod as we celebrate the music memories that made our year. But first we talk about segments we can steal from other podcasts (hey, it's the sincerest form of flattery!), a new listener gives us marketing advice (that we won't take) and feedback (that we will) and Mike declares a new motto for our year ahead: 'we're going to talk shit, have fun and hopefully entertain'. Big dreams folks, HUGE! Here we gooooooo!

That's right, we messy sometimes, and our holiday episode is ABSOLUTELY one of those times! This year we somehow focus on the 'naughty' side of the holidays: Priya is a questionable holiday song love, we discuss whether we need couples counselling, Mike falls into the trap of guessing a woman's age and we reveal the most hated holiday songs. And Priya says "rapey" a LOT...hmmm. Bah humbug folks!

Priya gets a 'little extra' talking about MMF, 'no holds barred' porn and Mike has a new fave, sexed-up tv show. Close talkers and exit strategies are discussed before we finally get back to our series on the Seven Deadly Sins. This time we're looking at greed, gluttony and all those lil gold diggers.

Our nighttime sleep thoughts are discussed--Mike obsesses about being healthier while Priya simply wants to shut her brain down. A LIITL Listener sends us clickbait on IG and Mike FINALLY censors Priya which results in a truly (what Priya thinks is an) underwhelming story. Then it's on with the show as we chat about artists who have beaten the sophomore slump (after explaining exactly what 'sophomore slump' means).

We sure talk a lot of sh*t on this show, we mean literally, and this week is no exception! Although this time we blame it on the dogs. Then it's more TMI from Priya as she rants about grey pubes and no pubes. But we digress, our theme this week is artists who've gone solo and we got lots to say about that. Go on, give it a listen!

We start off by asking our LIITL Listeners to give the gift of US this holiday season. Hey, we're not beneath a bit of shameless self-promotion! Mike talks apples and baking his FIRST PIE EVER while Priya praises her new fave baking show set in the world of Harry Potter. Then it's all about second comings...get your minds outta the gutter, we mean artists who've had comebacks, sometimes more than one!

Priya thinks she's clairvoyant, a new Robyn song leads us to dissect the origins of the term 'that's dope' and we talk about our totally unreliable memories. As least that's what we think we talked about...hmm. Then it's on with the show as we give our 'hot takes' on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far but don't worry little listeners, we only cover the top 5!

We discuss how our first season seemed to have an extra week in the year, the pressure of throwing a 1st year anniversary hangout, 'Ebony & Ivory' cupcakes, living up to our own hype, short butt cracks and sooo much more nonsense. Pretty much par for the course if you're just tuning in for the first time! Then it's all about celebration songs as we kick off SEASON TWO! (Cue applause)
 #musicpodcast #lifeisinthelyrics #celebration #celebrategoodtimes #celebrate #theliitlpodcast

It’s our 1st anniversary and we are joined by two very special guests whose story is literally ripped from the headlines. Mike’s longtime friends, Neil and Tracy Bantleman were living their dream overseas until the unthinkable changed everything. Theirs is a story of incredible resilience. Don’t miss this episode of how music and lyrics provided them with the strength and hope to make it through a nightmare in Indonesia.   Neil Bantleman: Nightmare in Indonesia - the fifth estate Hope (an original by Stacey and Erin Japhta) Free Ferdi and Neil ARTrophy: https://artrophy.com  

From our very first "ep" where Mike confuses Taiwan with Vietnam, to diptychs and dick pics, and lions and cheetahs, it's a trip down memory lane of our first year of podcasting. What's changed (our tagline and format) and what hasn't (Mike not listening to Priya)? What are our most popular episodes and what's in store for season 2? Grab a cocktail and get tipsy with us to find out and have some laughs!

We've got mea culpas on both sides, car rental nightmares and Priya confusing a Minnesota accent with an Indian one. Neither are great BTW. Then it's on with the show and this time it's all about 'answer songs' aka 'reply songs' aka 'diss tracks. Whew, that's a mouthful!

Do you like Wood? Don’t worry, you’re not getting Cancelled, it’s not going to Ruin the Friendship if you don't, but we think it's Actually Romantic! That's right Honey, this week it's all about The Life of a Showgirl.

It's pet pandemonium as we ramble about dogs with loose vulvas, cats who wank too much and dogs that love to eat horseshit, literally. Priya waxes poetic about seeing Shawn Mendes live before she goes rogue and refuses to partake in this week's topic. On principle...because she doesn't work out. Let's see how that affects the episode!

This is the week you get to hear us really DO IT, sorry--the week you get to hear us really DUET. Sure you've heard us sing together before but THIS ep is pure self-indulgence as we sing our way through our fave duets and discuss the all-important issue of songs to add to our repertoire. BTW, do you pronounce the 'r' in repeRtoire? Food for thought folks. 

Yes, we know. It's the second ep in a row named after a Taylor song. Priya has an anticipation problem and Mike gets chased by a fox - and we ain't talkin' the hot daddy kind. Then it's time to reminisce about trips to NYC. Start spreading the news...of hidden speakeasies, dinner at the Rainbow Room, and epic cab-ride puking.

From a spontaneous outing to anniversaries, the 'science' of drinking through a straw and important "bidness" ...we be having a gay ole time! This week we're talking songs that help you chill the fu*k out. Is it a specific artist? album? genre?? All of the above?! Tune in and find out!

We be settlin' into the school year, complaining about family-induced stress, The Flintstones, and gay competitive cooking (huh?). Then it's onto the art of crafting the perfect banger, and we think y'all know where Priya's mind goes. Sooo predictable.

This week we blabber on about engagements and babies, while Priya overshares (again) about car insurance and lady-bits. But the heart of the episode is about Carly Rae....AND being grateful-to those who have introduced new artists onto our playlists and into our music-lovin' lives!

We've been apart for a month so we got a LOT of catching up to do before we go all meta and talk about songs that talk about the importance or enjoyment of music. We cover encounters with bylaw officers, cottage life, the Toronto harbour front on summer nights and a failed romance that lead to Mike meeting his future husband. Grab a drink and settle in folks, this is a long one!

In the first episode from our series exploring the 7 Deadly Sins we discuss temptation and filthy but oh SO fun lust! Plus, Mike foreshadows turning into a grumpy old man yelling at kids to ‘get off his damn lawn’ and Priya breaks the first rule of improv. Get ready for some chaos folks!

We talk all things Bieber as we chat about his new album and the up and downsides of fame. Plus, does Priya have ADHD? Mike seems to think so. Listen and decide for yo damn selves!

Priya's got a new 'bidness partner', Mike brings zero songs to discuss and we go deep, like REALLY deep as we chat about the prevalence of the age 17 in songs, the realities of getting older and Kris Jenner's new face.

It’s our ‘song of the summer’ episode! We sweat it out reminiscing about summers past, Mike pulls out a relic from his past and Priya starts the episode off with a mea culpa…or as she’s now coined it, a Priya-culpa.  We might all need a cold shower after this one!

Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) and Sly Stone (Sly and the Family Stone) were born the same year and passed within a day of one another. We honour these musical legends and remark on both the similarities and differences in their lives and careers. Masters in their respective genres, their influence and genius lives on.

Elbows up and get the flags out bys! This week is all about celebrating incredible Canadian musicians who've changed music for the better and our hosts challenge each other with music trivia. Plus--HURRAY--we've got listener email! See? It's the little things in life and that make this LIITL podcast happy. Now let's get FUBAR-ed!

This week Priya picks songs with 'sugar' in the title as the theme, for no other reason than to torture Mike who's on a sugar cleanse. Why? Because it's his birthday week! Happy birthday to the co-host who puts up with a gal who talks way too much, and who puts the 'sweet' into 'the sweet life'.

From her hometown of Aberdeen, Scotland to the US to London, UK to Canada, it's been a journey for our FIRST singer-songwriter guest, the bonnie Michaela May! This week is all about that pilot light inside you and truly following your dreams (after getting two degrees to satisfy your parents!). Michaela shares a behind-the-scenes look at the Nashville and LA music scene and shares a scoop - heard first on theLIITLpodcast! Check her out at MichaelaMayOfficial.com!

We’re putting on our cowboy boots and gettin’ ready to line-dance with our (very handsome and smooth talkin') guest, Conrad, as we talk about the storytelling and the simple things in life that make us want some country lovin’!

Think opera is an elitist, highbrow form of music that can’t possibly relate to your life? So did we! Thankfully our guest, Dana Fradkin, is here to tell us just how wrong we are! Because if you’re a fan of Bugs Bunny, Rent, Apocalypse Now or our national anthem, then you’re a fan of opera. ‘Nuf said.

Ummm 160,000 people sang what song to break the world record for largest karaoke? The longest solo karaoke session was how long? And what the hell are 'The My Way Murders'? All that and more as we talk about one of our mutual obsessions. KAH-RAH-OH-KEH Mu-thah-fuk-ahs!

Priya has a late night visit to the emergency vet, and a case of mistaken identity, while Mike proclaims he’s off sugar (let’s see how long that lasts). All that and our new rant jingle before we even get to the music. Happy. Victoria Day eh?!