Songs for Dark Times Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marilyn Monroe

While originally dedicated to Marilyn Monroe ('Goodbye Norma Jean'), Elton John later rewrote it in tribute to Princess of Wales, Diana Spencer (that version is also known as "Goodbye England's Rose").

'And it seems to me you lived your life
Like a candle in the wind
Never knowing who to cling to
When the rain set in
And I would liked to have known you
But I was just a kid
Your candle burned out long before
Your legend ever did'

Answer: Marvin Gaye

Diana Ross and Marvin Gaye started out in Motown together and become lifelong friends. They recorded an album and some duets together, and Gaye once appeared on stage with Ross in Belgium.

Lionel Ritchie, also a close friend of Gaye's, wrote, composed, and produced "Missing You" after he and Ross shared stories about Marvin Gaye, whose murder shocked the world. "Missing You" is a haunting testament to the pain and grief of losing a friend all too soon:

'Since you've been away
I've been down and lonely
Since you've been away
I've been thinking of you
Trying to understand
The reason you left me
What were you going through?

I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns
Ooh ooh
I'm missing you
Tell me why the road turns'

Answer: Ronnie Van Zant

"Brickyard Road" is Johnny Van Zant's tribute to his brother Ronnie, lead singer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, who died in a plane crash along with two other members of the band. The title "Brickyard Road" is a reference to where the brothers lived in Jacksonville, Florida.

Written twelve years after the crash, "Brickyard Road" is a raw and emotional tribute to Johnny's brother:

'Brother, do you realize what you've done?
Touched the hearts of everyone
You might've died too young
But your songs live on
I know I can't bring back yesterday
But we'll be all together again some day'

Answer: Martin Luther King, Jr.

Stevie Wonder's "Happy Birthday" was much more than a tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr.; it was part of Wonder's ongoing campaign to honor King's birthday with a national holiday.

Wonder was only five years old when he first heard of King and 15 when he met MLK at a freedom rally in Chicago. Wonder attended MLK's funeral in Atlanta and there met Congressman John Conyers, who had already introduced a bill to make King's birthday a national holiday.

That was just the beginning of a 15-year-long campaign of rallies, concerts, protests, grass roots movements, and strikes until the bill was finally passed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.

'You know it doesn't make much sense
There ought to be a law against
Anyone who takes offense
At a day in your celebration
'Cause we all know in our minds
That there ought to be a time
That we can set aside
To show just how much we love you
And I'm sure you would agree
It couldn't fit more perfectly
Than to have a world party on the day you came to be
Happy birthday to you'

Answer: Conor Clapton

Born in 1986, Conor was Clapton's son with Italian model Lory Del Santo. When Conor was just four and a half years old, he fell from the 53rd story of a Manhattan apartment building and died. There was no neglect, it was just a horrifying tragic accident. Clapton became reclusive after his son's death and poured his grief into his music. While "Tears of Heaven" was written for the 1991 film "Rush", in reality it was Clapton's way of starting to deal with his loss.

'Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would it be the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven'

Answer: Andy Kaufman

"Man on the Moon" is not your typical tribute song, with its nearly surreal lyrics (which are in large part references to characters and sketches Kaufman performed); but anyone who remembers Andy Kaufman will no doubt agree that it suits him to a tee.

Kaufman was a comedian and performer, perhaps best known for his role as Latka Gravas in the TV sitcom "Taxi". Outside of the "Taxi" setting, Kaufman's performances and characters could politely be called unorthodox. Diagnosed with a rare form of lung cancer, Kaufman died at the young age of 35.

The title "Man on the Moon" is an oblique reference to the rumors that abounded that Kaufman had faked his own death (which Kaufman used to joke about doing), much like conspiracy theorists believe the moon landing was faked.

'Mott the Hoople and the game of Life yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Andy Kaufman in the wrestling match yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Monopoly, Twenty one, checkers, and chess yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mister Fred Blassie in a breakfast mess yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Let's play Twister, let's play Risk yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
I'll see you in heaven if you make the list yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Now, Andy did you hear about this one?
Tell me, are you locked in the punch?
Andy are you goofing on Elvis? Hey, baby
Are we losing touch?

If you believed they put a man on the moon
Man on the moon
If you believe there's nothing up his sleeve
Then nothing is cool'

Answer: John Lennon

Paul, George, and Ringo took an unusual approach to honoring their lost bandmate and friend, John Lennon. "Free as a Bird" was actually recorded by Lennon himself in 1977, and never released. The remaining Beatles approached Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, and asked if she had any recordings Lennon might have made. "Free as a Bird" was one of four songs she gave them. It was re-recorded as a tribute to Lennon and released in 1995 on their "Anthology I" album.

'Whatever happened to the life that we once knew
Can we really live without each other?
Where did we lose the touch
That seemed to mean so much
It always made me feel so

Free as a bird
It's the next best thing to be
Free as a bird'

Answer: Jonathan Melvoin

This one might have been a bit tough. Jonathan Melvoin was a versatile musician who was touring with The Smashing Pumpkins as their keyboardist when he died of a heroin overdose (1996).

"Angel" by Sarah McLachlan was just one of the songs inspired by Melvoin's death. Others include Wendy & Lisa's song "Jonathan" (Wendy was Jonathan's sister), and "The Love We Make" by Prince and the Revolution. In McLachlan's own words, the song is about "trying not to take responsibility for other people's problems and trying to love yourself at the same time".

'In the arms of the angel
Fly away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room
And the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage
Of your silent reverie
You're in the arms of the angel
May you find some comfort here'

Answer: Bon Scott

Bon Scott was the lead singer of AC/DC from 1974 until his death in 1980 of acute alcohol poisoning. He was just 33.

The remaining AC/DC members considered disbanding, but decided that Scott would want them to go on. Brian Johnson was hired to be the new lead singer and was asked to write a lyric for "Back in Black" in honor of Scott, and that it should be a celebration of Scott's life.

The album was released later that year.

'Back in the back
Of a Cadillac
Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack
Yes, I'm in a bang
With a gang
They've got to catch me if they want me to hang
'Cause I'm back on the track
And I'm beatin' the flack
Nobody's gonna get me on another rap
So look at me now
I'm just makin' my play
Don't try to push your luck, just get out of my way'

Answer: Elvis Presley

"Black Velvet" won Myles the 1990 Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Belted out in Myles' unique sultry and slightly raspy style, it was later re-recorded for an Elvis tribute EP with two other songs.

'Every word of every song that he sang was for you / In a flash he was gone, it happened so soon, what could you do?'

'Mama's baby's in the heart of every school girl / Love me tender leaves 'em cryin' in the aisle.'