A Nantucket Sleighride Trivia Quiz

Answer: Robin Marie

The band Mountain formed in 1969 with Leslie West, late of The Vagrants, on guitar, Felix Pappalardi on bass, N.D. Smart on drums and Steve Knight on keyboards.

"Goodbye, little Robin-Marie,
Don't try, followin' me.
Don't cry, little Robin-Marie,
'Cause you know, I'm comin' home soon."

Answer: Three years

Shortly after they played at the Woodstock festival, N.D. Smart left the band and was replaced by Corky Laing. The first album of this group, now formally known as Mountain, was "Climbing!" and it was released in 1970. It featured their alltime top hit, "Mississippi Queen".

"My ship's, leavin' on three year tour,
Next tide, will take us from shore."

Answer: Sperm whale

The album "Nantucket Sleighride", which included this track, was released in 1971. While many of the "underground" FM stations played it on air, it did not produce a hit single.

"Wind-laced, gather in sail and spray,
On a search, for the mighty sperm whale."

Answer: Willow

Mountain broke up in 1972. West and Laing formed West, Bruce and Laing with Jack Bruce of Cream fame. Two years later, West and Pappalardi reformed Mountain with Allan Schwartzberg, Bob Mann and David Perry. They released one album, "Avalanche", then disappeared.

"Fly your willow branches,
Wrap your body 'round my soul,"

Answer: Sheets

The term "Nantucket Sleighride" was coined by whalers to describe what happens after a whale is harpooned and attached by ropes to the ship. The whale would try to swim away frantically, taking the ship on what must have felt like a wild sleighride.

"Lay down your reeds an' drums on my soft sheets,
There are years behind us reaching,
To the place where hearts are beating,
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet.
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet."

Answer: Starbuck

A reference to Melville's "Moby Dick", Starbuck is the name of the first mate on the Pequod. He is the one character in "Moby Dick" who sees the absurdity of seeking revenge on an animal which does not understand human morality. The name came from an important family on Nantucket Island, and a certain coffee chain is named for him.

"Starbuck's, sharpenin' his harpoon,"

Answer: Playing a tune

In the heyday of whaling off New England, many escaped slaves travelled to the coast to seek work on the whaling ships. It paid well and they couldn't exactly be grabbed and sent back to the slaveowners. Even today whaling is done by ships from the Caribbean.

"Black man's, playin' his tune,"

Answer: Sleeping his watch away

It's merely speculation on my part here, but one would think the term "old salt" would have something to do with the salted fish and meat that was carried on ships as provisions. Salting the fish or meat preserved it, allowing it to be kept for long periods.

"An old salt's, sleepin' his watch away,
He'll be drunk again, before noon."

Answer: Nothing

In their search for "the mighty sperm whale", they probably would have sailed around Cape Horn into the Pacific Ocean, where they initially would have fished off of Chile and Peru. Some years later the fishing area was extended to the "Offshore grounds," the seas between 105 and 125 degrees west and five to ten degrees south, and whalers even sailed as far as Japan.

"Three years, sailin' on bended knee,
We found, no whales in the sea,"

Answer: In sight of land

With the decline in demand for whale products, the New England whaling industry gradually dwindled down to one last whaler, the John R. Mantra. It made its last whaling voyage in 1927.

"Don't cry, little Robin-Marie,
'Cause we'll be, in sight of land soon.

Fly your willow branches,
Wrap your body 'round my soul,
Lay down your reeds an' drums on my soft sheets,
There are years behind us reaching,
To the place where hearts are beating,
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet.
And I know you're the last true love I'll ever meet."