Anatomy of a Song: "American Pie"

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. The song revolves around the deaths of three famous musicians in what type of tragedy? Bus crash Train crash Car crash Plane crash

2. In what month did the deaths of the three musicians occur? March January February December

3. Which of the following people did not die in the crash? Buddy Holly J P Richardson Chuck Berry Richie Valens

4. What type of car gets a mention in the song? Chevrolet Lincoln DeSoto El Dorado

5. In the song, a drink gets mentioned. What is this drink? Scotch & Dry Rum & Coke Scotch & Coke Whiskey & Rye

6. The title of a "Byrds" song appears in the lyrics. What song is that? Turn Turn Turn Have You Seen Her Face Everybody's Been Burned Eight Miles High

7. The title of a "Beatles" song also appears in the lyrics. What song is that? Yesterday I've Just Seen A Face Helter Skelter Misery

8. "`Cause I saw you dancin’ ______ You both kicked off your shoes Man, I dig those rhythm and blues" Where was the dance taking place? In the hall Into the night At the club In the gym

9. "I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck With a pink carnation and a pickup truck" The next line's last word rhymes with the last words of these two lines. What is it? Answer: (One Word)

10. What is it that might "save your mortal soul"? Music God Religion A transfusion

11. What article(s) of clothing are removed when the dancing occurs? Shoes Pants Shirts Underwear

12. In the chorus McLean sings about the "good old boys". In what Dan Ackroyd movie do we see an appearance by a group of people known as the "good old boys"? Ghostbusters Blues Brothers Trading Places Spies Like Us

13. What football terminology does not appear in the song lyrics? Foul Penalty Forward pass Sideline

14. What colour is the carnation? White Yellow Red Pink

15. What was wrong with "the church bells"? They were broken They couldn't be heard They were silent They were being cleaned at the time

16. The song goes: "We all got up to dance Oh, but we never got the chance 'Cause the players tried to take the field" What happened? Why didn't the players take the field? It was waterlogged after a half-time downpour The marching band was still on it There had been a bomb threat They were getting thrashed and didn't want to keep playing

17. What 1960s science fiction show gets inadvertently mentioned in the course of the lyrics? Star Trek Land Of The Giants Twilight Zone Lost In Space

18. "Jack flash sat on a candlestick"! Why? He was into hot wax and stuff Don't know why, but he told the staff at Emergency that it was a complete accident! He was under doctor's orders to 'sit up straight' He did it because fire is the devil’s only friend

19. "And as the flames climbed high into the night To light the sacrificial rite..." What word follows at the end of the next line, that rhymes with the last words on each of the lines shown above? Might Fight Delight Spite

20. "I met a girl who sang the blues And I asked her for some happy news" What did the girl do next? She said "Tomorrow's another day" She stared blankly into space She just smiled and turned away She said "The music's gone away"

21. How many people "practiced in the park"? Three Four Two One

22. Which of these did not happen "in the streets"? The mothers tried The poets dreamed The lovers cried The children screamed

23. At what type of store had the singer "heard the music years before"? The music store The department store The sacred store The record store

24. Who catches the train? Tom, Dick & Harry Moe, Larry & Curly Father, Son & the Holy Ghost Huey, Dewey & Louie

25. Who made a cover version of "American Pie" in 2000? Madonna Kylie Minogue Celine Dion Minnie Riperton