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Quiz about Tragedy in Songs Part 7 Criminals and Prison

Tragedy in Songs, Part 7: Criminals and Prison Quiz

"I fought the law, and the law won." --Sonny Curtis. Can you answer these questions about crime, outlaws, and prison?

A multiple-choice quiz by Czolgolz. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Czolgolz

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
313,057

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
582

Awards
Top 20% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 49 (4/10), Guest 72 (6/10), Guest 50 (4/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. 'Delia's Gone,' is a haunting folk song, told from a murderer's point of view. What many don't realize, however, was that the story was based on an actual crime. What was the real life Delia's last name? Hint

Hernandez

Heywood

Green

Marx

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Question 2 of 10

2. A 1970 R. Dean Taylor song deals with a fugitive who misses his wife, child, and home state of ____? Hint

Arizona

Indiana

(North) Carolina

California

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Question 3 of 10

3. The band Zager and Evans once recorded the strange song 'Mr. Turnkey', about a rapist who nails his hand to his cell wall. Zager and Evans only had one real hit. What was their big 1969 single? Hint

In the Year 2525

The Night Chicago Died

Billy, Don't be a Hero

May the Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose

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Question 4 of 10

4. Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller wrote a blues song about a something that happened in Cellblock Number Nine. What was it? Hint

A breakout

A riot

A suicide

A murder

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Question 5 of 10

5. In the song 'Mama Tried', Merle Haggard sings about celebrating a birthday in prison. Which birthday?

Answer: (two digit number - don't spell it out)

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Question 6 of 10

6. Tony Joe White wrote a 1969 song about a Louisiana woman who 'made the alligators look tame.' Her grandmother was eaten by gators and her mother was workin' on the chain gang. Who was this woman? Hint

Ocra Annie

Collard Green Annie

Polk Salad Annie

Turnip Green Annie

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Question 7 of 10

7. What American blues song deals with an imaginary train that supposedly takes prisoners to freedom? Hint

The Midnight Special

The Sweet Chariot

The 888 Express

The Folsom Engine

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Question 8 of 10

8. A 1984 song by Glenn Frey is about a certain type of criminal. What song? Hint

Grand Theft Auto Blues

Hitman's Blues

Smuggler's Blues

Bank Robber Blues

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Question 9 of 10

9. The song 'Mack the Knife' deals with a gangster named after his weapon of choice. In which language were the original lyrics written? Hint

German

Italian

French

Spanish

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Question 10 of 10

10. We'll end, as always, on a positive note. The Conway Twitty song 'Saturday Night Special' is about a depressed widower who meets a new love while robbing which type of business? Hint

A liquor store

A pawn shop

A bank

A gas station

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Most Recent Scores

Apr 14 2024 : Guest 49: 4/10
Apr 01 2024 : Guest 72: 6/10
Feb 28 2024 : Guest 50: 4/10

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Green

Delia Green, 1886-1900, was a girl murdered by her fifteen-year-old lover on Christmas Eve. The killer, Mose Houston, served twelve years for the crime. The song 'Delia's Gone' is attributed to folk singer 'Blind Blake' Higgs, and has been covered by Johnny Cash and Pete Seeger.

2. A 1970 R. Dean Taylor song deals with a fugitive who misses his wife, child, and home state of ____?

Answer: Indiana

'Indiana Wants Me' hit number five on the U.S. Billboard, and number two in the UK. It deals with a young man who's on the run after killing a man who insulted his wife. The song includes police sirens in the background. When the song was first played on the radio, motorists reported pulling over, thinking that there was an emergency vehicle behind them.

Answer: In the Year 2525

'In the Year 2525' was a song about a dystopian future. It hit number one in both the U.S. and U.K. Their follow up single, 'Mr. Turnkey', failed to make the charts.

4. Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller wrote a blues song about a something that happened in Cellblock Number Nine. What was it?

Answer: A riot

'Riot in Cellblock #9' has been recorded by the Beach Boys, The Blues Brothers, and Johnny Cash, among others.

5. In the song 'Mama Tried', Merle Haggard sings about celebrating a birthday in prison. Which birthday?

Answer: 21

'And I turned twenty-one in prison doin' life without parole'. The song was the number one country single in 1968, Haggard's biggest hit at the time. Haggard himself spent time in prison before his music career took off.

Answer: Polk Salad Annie

Polk salad (or poke salad) is a vegetable that grows in the American south, not unlike a turnip green. Elvis Presley also recorded this song.

7. What American blues song deals with an imaginary train that supposedly takes prisoners to freedom?

Answer: The Midnight Special

The song lyrics first appeared in print in 1905. It has been recorded by various blues, country, and rock artists.

8. A 1984 song by Glenn Frey is about a certain type of criminal. What song?

Answer: Smuggler's Blues

The song is about the drug trade. Frey once appeared in an episode of 'Miami Vice', also called 'Smuggler's Blues'.

9. The song 'Mack the Knife' deals with a gangster named after his weapon of choice. In which language were the original lyrics written?

Answer: German

'Die Moritat von Mackie Messer', or 'The Ballad of Mack the Knife' premiered in 'The Threepenny Opera' in 1928, in Berlin. In the original German version, Mack is not only a murderer, but an arsonist and rapist.

10. We'll end, as always, on a positive note. The Conway Twitty song 'Saturday Night Special' is about a depressed widower who meets a new love while robbing which type of business?

Answer: A pawn shop

The singer buys a pistol to end his life, but when he sees the sleazy pawnbroker offer a young widow seven dollars for her wedding band, he becomes enraged, robs the store, and runs off with the girl.

Source: Author Czolgolz

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