Dr. Demento's Creature Features Quiz / Test | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A particularly unusual song by Pink Floyd has appeared regularly on the Dr. Demento Show for many years. The title of the song is, "Several Species of Small Furry ________ Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict." Which word goes in the blank?

Answer: animals

The song, "Several Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict," appeared on Pink Floyd's "Ummagumma" album, in 1969. As the song is nearly five minutes long, only excerpts are aired on the show. Its peculiar novelty makes the song a suitable selection for the Dr. Demento show.

2. What is the surname of the tormented teacher in Cheech & Chong's comedy sketch? "Sister Mary _______"

Answer: elephant

"Sister Mary Elephant," by Cheech & Chong is a popular routine from the Dr. Demento archives. The sketch depicts the travails of a substitute teacher at the "Our Lady of 115th Street" school. The comedy routine from 1972 also achieved some measure of mainstream success.

3. Gayla Peevey sang a very delightful song about a desired Christmas gift. What could she possibly want for Christmas?

Answer: a hippopotamus

"I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas" is a catchy Christmas song from 1953 that is a regularly featured song for practically every Dr. Demento Christmas special. It is interesting to note that the artist recorded this song when she was only ten years old.

4. "It's a subject on which I get chatty. But the worst one it seems, haunting all of my dreams, was the cockroach that ate __________." Which city in Ohio, did the esurient cockroach devour?

Answer: Cincinnati

"The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati," by Rose and the Arrangement is full of puns and references to popular creatures and monsters. The group also released this song as a single under the name Possum.

"Oh, my heart nearly stopped; he would never be topped -
The cockroach that ate Cincinnati! OLE!"

5. The theme song from this "musical-comedy-horror-show" is a tasty staple on the Dr. Demento show. Directed and written by John Bello, what is the title of this 1978 cult film?

Answer: Attack of the Killer Tomatoes

The best feature of the film, "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes," may be the engaging theme song. The film has spawned many adaptations and spin-offs despite its inherent silly nature.

"They're marching down the halls
They're crawling up the walls
They're gooey, gushy, squishy, mushy
Rotten to the core
They're standing outside your door!"

6. Sheb Wooley sang a song about a certain creature. The creature has one eye, one horn and it can fly. Which color is mentioned in this song?

Answer: purple

The "Purple People Eater" song is a prime candidate for airplay on the Dr. Demento show.

"It was a one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater.
(One-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater.)
A one-eyed, one-horned, flyin' purple people eater.
Sure looks strange to me. (One eye?)

Well he came down to earth and he lit in a tree.
I said Mr. Purple People Eater, don't eat me.
I heard him say in a voice so gruff,
I wouldn't eat you cuz you're so tough."

Whether the creature is purple or it eats purple people may be up to the listener. Both statements could be true as well.

7. "They can't play baseball, They don't wear sweaters, They're not good dancers, They don't play drums!" To which underachieving creatures do the lyrics refer?

Answer: fish heads

The Barnes & Barnes classic Dr. Demento song is one of the most popular over the course of the show. There is an accompanying video as well.

"Fish heads, fish heads,
Rolly-polly fish heads,
Fish heads, fish heads,
Eat them up, yum!"

8. "But there's one thing that makes spring complete for me, And makes ev'ry Sunday a treat for me." Tom Lehrer sings these lyrics. Which activity does he consider a treat?

Answer: poisoning pigeons

Alas, Tom Lehrer has something sinister in mind when he goes to the park on Sunday. "Poisoning Pigeons In The Park" is one of Lehrer's darker tunes that frequently appears on the Dr. Demento show.

"So if Sunday you're free, why don't you come with me,
and we'll poison the pigeons in the park.
And maybe we'll do in a squirrel or two,
while we're poisoning pigeons in the park."

9. Stan Freberg and Daws Butler wrote a very funny script which was a parody of popular crime drama from the 1950s. What is the title of Freberg's parody?

Answer: St. George and the Dragonet

"St. George and the Dragonet" enjoyed a great success in the early 1950s. It also had the blessing and support of the creator of the parodied series, "Dragnet." "St. George and the Dragonet" also appears in the "Dr. Demento 20th Anniversary Collection."

10. "A well a everybody's heard about the bird. B-b-b bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word." The Trashmen released this song in 1963. What kind of bird is it?

Answer: Surfin' Bird

"A well a don't you know about the bird?
Well, everybody's talking about the bird!
A well a bird, bird, b-bird's the word.
A well a bird.

Surfin' bird.
B-b-b aah, aah!"

Despite the dearth of lyrical content, it has a captivating tune and is quite silly enough to warrant a spot in the Dr. Demento archives.

Source: Author christopherm

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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Dr. Demento's Creature Features Quiz

Here is a sampling of songs from the Dr. Demento show that contains references to creatures of all kinds.

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