Leap Day, aka bissextile day, has always puzzled me. I don't have the head for numbers or a strong enough understanding of astronomy to really comprehend it. "February 29" looks weird on the calendar. Every four years, it sneaks up on me. I gaze down at the date displayed on my phone and feel like something is off. The phenomenon bewilders me â€” and probably also confuses a whole lot of second graders. Here's a song list to commemorate this calendar screw-up.

1. "Leap Year Blues," Big Bill Broonzy

2. "A Strange Day," The Cure

3. "Jump," Van Halen

4. "Waiting for the Great Leap Forwards," Billy Bragg

5. "29," Ryan Adams

6. "Here Today," The Beach Boys

7. "Leap of Faith," Bruce Sprinsteen

8. "The Calendar Hung Itself," Bright Eyes

9. "Jumpin' Jack Flash," The Rolling Stones

10. "Another Day," Paul McCartney

WHAT DID I MISS?

This article appears in Feb 27 – Mar 4, 2008.