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They Died in the Lyrics Trivia Quiz

Tearjerkers have always been a great way for artists to force their way into the public's record collections. This is a quiz about songs in which people die. Or have just died. Or are about to die.

A multiple-choice quiz by glendathecat. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
glendathecat

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
315,207

Updated
Jun 09 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2997

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 72 (9/10), Guest 63 (9/10), Guest 73 (7/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Who conducts the funeral of Eleanor Rigby in the Beatles song of the same name? Hint

Preacher Willoughby

Rev. Baggins

Father McKenzie

Pastor John

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. In John Leyton's haunting 1961 hit, "Johnny Remember Me", what is the name of 'the girl I loved and lost a year ago'? Hint

Shona

Rachel

Judy

She is never named

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Complete the following lyric from a classic Frank Sinatra song:
"And now, the end is near;
And so I face _______ ". Hint

The Final Curtain

The Final Whistle

The Final Countdown

The Final Analysis

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. How was Earl killed in the Dixie Chicks' song "Goodbye Earl"? Hint

Black Death

Car smash

Poisoned food

Plane crash

5. A 1972 Bread hit was written by David Gates following the death of his father. Although this song only reached Number 32 on the UK charts, it has twice reached Number 1 since when covered by Ken Boothe (1974) and Boy George (1987). Can you name the song? Hint

The Guitar Man

Everything I Own

Diary

Baby I'm-a Want You

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Which girl's name completes the following lyric from Terry Jacks' hit, "Seasons in the Sun"?
"Goodbye, _______, it's hard to die
when all the bird are singing in the sky,
now that the Spring is in the air."
Hint

Rhonda

Michelle

Natalie

Jill

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. From which 1977 favourite is the following lyric taken? A clue, should you need one, is that the song was written by Jim Steinman for a much bigger artist.
"Then I'm dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun.
Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike.
And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell."
Hint

Born to Run

Born to be Wild

Bohemian Rhapsody

Bat Out of Hell

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. What was the weapon with which a baker killed a milkman in the 1971 Benny Hill hit "Ernie"? Hint

A ceremonial sword

A drug crazed llama

A candlestick

A stale pork pie

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. From which 1976 Rod Stewart hit is the following lyric taken?
"A leather kid, a switchblade knife
He did not intend to take his life
He just pushed his luck a little too far that night" Hint

The Killing Of Georgie (Part I And II)

The First Cut is the Deepest

Tonight's the Night (Gonna be Alright)

I Don't Want to Talk About It

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. And a classic of the genre. Complete the following Shangri-Las' lyric:
"He sort of smiled and kissed me goodbye
The tears were beginning to show
As he drove away on that rainy night
__________________________________ "

Hint

I begged him to go slow

He hit an Eskimo

I told him, "Wear day-glo"

I should have too, I know

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 18 2024 : Guest 72: 9/10
Apr 17 2024 : Guest 63: 9/10
Apr 17 2024 : Guest 73: 7/10
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Apr 16 2024 : jms35164: 9/10
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Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Who conducts the funeral of Eleanor Rigby in the Beatles song of the same name?

Answer: Father McKenzie

The song is from the 1966 "Revolver" album and reached Number 1 in the UK charts and Number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100.

McCartney claimed that the name was derived from the actress Eleanor Bron and a shop called "Rigby & Evens Ltd". (Source : Wikipedia)

It is also true that an Eleanor Rigby is buried in the Churchyard of St. Peter's Church in Liverpool. It was at a St. Peter's Church fete that a young John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met (Source : UK "Daily Mail" 22 November 2008).

2. In John Leyton's haunting 1961 hit, "Johnny Remember Me", what is the name of 'the girl I loved and lost a year ago'?

Answer: She is never named

"Yes I'll always remember
Till the day I die
I'll hear her cry
Johnny remember me"

The song reached Number 1 twice on the UK singles chart in the Summer of 1961.

3. Complete the following lyric from a classic Frank Sinatra song: "And now, the end is near; And so I face _______ ".

Answer: The Final Curtain

The original of "My Way" is a French language song by Claude Francois called "Comme d'Habitude". Paul Anka did little more than retain the melody as he wrote English language lyrics with Frank Sinatra specifically in mind.

4. How was Earl killed in the Dixie Chicks' song "Goodbye Earl"?

Answer: Poisoned food

"She held Wanda's hand as they worked out a plan
And it didn't take 'em long to decide
That Earl had to die
Goodbye Earl
Those black-eyed peas
They tasted all right to me Earl"

So perhaps it was a case of 'Black (eyed peas) Death'.

Answer: Everything I Own

"I would give anything I own,
Give up my life, my heart, my home.
I would give everything I own,
Just to have you back again."

The original Bread version reached Number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

As a sidenote, the Ken Boothe version of the song does not contain the phrase "Everything I own" but repeats "Anything I own".

6. Which girl's name completes the following lyric from Terry Jacks' hit, "Seasons in the Sun"? "Goodbye, _______, it's hard to die when all the bird are singing in the sky, now that the Spring is in the air."

Answer: Michelle

This is another translation of a song written in the French Language. It was called "Le Moribond" and written by Jacques Brel. The English translation sanitises some of the lyrics omitting reference to adultery on the part of the singer's wife.

Sung by Terry Jacks the song topped both the UK chart and Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. Twenty-five years later, the Irish group Westlife took the song back to Number 1 in the UK.

7. From which 1977 favourite is the following lyric taken? A clue, should you need one, is that the song was written by Jim Steinman for a much bigger artist. "Then I'm dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun. Torn and twisted at the foot of a burning bike. And I think somebody somewhere must be tolling a bell."

Answer: Bat Out of Hell

OK, this Meat Loaf classic may not be as much of a tearjerker as the others, being written in Steinman's usual over the top style.

Despite the massive success of the album through the years, the song has only managed Number 16 on the UK charts and failed to dent the Billboard Hot 100 altogether. Steinman penned songs have, however, been taken to Number 1 in the UK by Meatloaf ("I Would do Anything for Love"); Bonnie Tyler ("Total Eclipse of the Heart") and Boyzone ("No Matter What" - Music by Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber).

8. What was the weapon with which a baker killed a milkman in the 1971 Benny Hill hit "Ernie"?

Answer: A stale pork pie

"Now Susie ran between them and tried to keep them apart,
And Ernie, he pushed her aside and a rock cake caught him underneath his heart.
And he looked up in pained surprise and the concrete hardened crust,
Of a stale pork pie caught him in the eye and Ernie bit the dust."

"Ernie" is the 'touching' tale of milkman Ernie, his love interest Sue, and his battle with baker and rival, Two-Ton Ted. It reached Number 1 on the UK charts at Christmas 1971.

9. From which 1976 Rod Stewart hit is the following lyric taken? "A leather kid, a switchblade knife He did not intend to take his life He just pushed his luck a little too far that night"

Answer: The Killing Of Georgie (Part I And II)

The song is Rod's tribute to a friend who was killed by a gang in 1974. It reached Number 2 in the UK and Number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

10. And a classic of the genre. Complete the following Shangri-Las' lyric: "He sort of smiled and kissed me goodbye The tears were beginning to show As he drove away on that rainy night __________________________________ "

Answer: I begged him to go slow

"I begged him to go slow but whether he heard, I'll never know ..."

"Leader of the Pack" was the biggest hit for all girl group the Shangri-Las. It was originally released in 1964 reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Number 11 in the UK. Subsequent releases in the UK reached Number 3 (1972) and Number 7 (1976). The song even spawned a 1980s musical of the same name.

In 2007, lead singer Mary Weiss was quoted in the "Telegraph" magazine as saying:
"I don't think I would be able to put feeling into the song unless I had really thought about the lyrics. I put a lot of my own pain into that song. I don't think teenage years are all that rosy for a lot of people-they certainly weren't for me. They are the most confusing time of people's lives and there is a tremendous dark side to the record, which I think teenagers related to. The studio was a great place to let the pain out." (Source : www.songfacts.com)

Source: Author glendathecat

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
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