Famous Looong Song Lyrics from 60s/70s/80s Quiz

Answer: whiskey and rye

Don McLean's hit song "American Pie" lasted for 8 minutes and 36 seconds and became a number one hit in 1972. The repeated phrase "the day the music died" refers to a plane crash in 1959 that killed rock and roll stars Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper, and Ritchie Valens, ending the era of early rock and roll.

The meaning of the other lyrics, which cryptically allude to many of the jarring events and social changes experienced during the 60s, has been debated for decades.

Answer: the metal on the edge of a knife

Meat Loaf's hit song "Paradise by the Dashboard Light" lasted for 8 minutes and 28 seconds and was released on the "Bat out of Hell" album in 1977. According to Meat Loaf on VH1 Storytellers, the original length of the track was to be 27 minutes. The song starts with a couple reminiscing about their dating days, progresses through sexual tension and finishes with "Prayin' for the end of time, so I can end my time with you!".

The male character's advances are mirrored by New York Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto broadcasting a portion of a baseball game that serves as a metaphor for the male character's attempts to achieve his goal, accompanied by funk instrumentation and back-and-forth dialog between the male and female characters. Interestingly, in later YouTube interviews, Meat Loaf states that Phil Rizzuto was unaware at the time of recording that his voice would be used as a metaphor, not as a baseball call (and was not upset when he found out).

Answer: Alice's Restaurant

"Alice's Restaurant" is an absolute classic by Arlo Guthrie from 1967 that lasts a whopping 18 MINUTES 34 SECONDS! The song is a long rambling story set to music about Arlo's adventures and ending up in court. At the start of the song he sings the main course "You can get anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant" but it is not repeated again until close to the end of the song.

A must listen-to song if you have 18 minutes to kill, especially if you're in a long car drive. Warning, the phrase "You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant." will be stuck in your head for the rest of the day!

Answer: one bourbon, one scotch and one beer

"One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" is a blues song written by Rudy Toombs and recorded by Amos Milburn in 1953, made popular by George Thorogood in 1977. It is 8 minutes, 32 seconds long.

George Thorogood recorded "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer" for his 1977 debut album, "George Thorogood and the Destroyers". His version is a medley in which John Lee Hooker's version of this song (1966) is preceded by another Hooker song, "House Rent Boogie", which serves as a backstory to explain the singer's situation and what drives him to drinking.

Answer: now he's dead

"Bohemian Rhapsody", of course, was Queen's hit song in 1975 and lasts for 5 minutes, 55 seconds. The New York Times commented that "the song's most distinct feature is the fatalistic lyrics". Lead singer Freddy Mercury refused to explain his composition other than to say it was about relationships. The band is still protective of the song's secrets.

Answer: Tin Roof

The B52's had a dance hit in 1989 called "Love Shack". There were many releases of the song but the common version is approximately 5 minutes 21 seconds. When asked about the famous "Tin Roof" lyric, singer Cindy Wilson later elaborated, "It was just a vision in my head of my love shack." While there has been speculation about the meaning of the line, one of the B52's founders, Kate Pierson, has also corroborated that the line is literally referencing a rusted tin roof. Wilson mused, "It's amazing what people have come up with in the past about it. I kind of like that. Let the people participate in the meaning. I'm fine with that."

Answer: eclipse of the heart

"Total Eclipse of the Heart" is the lead single by the Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler from her fifth studio album, "Faster Than the Speed of Night" (1983). It is approximately 6 minutes, 58 seconds long. After seeing Meat Loaf perform "Bat Out of Hell" live on "The Old Grey Whistle Test", Tyler approached Meat Loaf's writer, Jim Steinman, and asked him to be her producer.

In a 2006 interview, Steinman stated: "I didn't write "Total Eclipse of the Heart" for anyone but Bonnie.". Steinman believed that CBS were expecting him to write something similar to "It's a Heartache", but he had different ideas.

Answer: what you need!

"You Can't Always Get What You Want" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones from their 1969 album "Let It Bleed". It is approximately 7 minutes 29 seconds long. It features the London Bach Choir opening the song (the choir opening is only on the album version), highlighting throughout, and bringing it to its conclusion.

Answer: 1969

"Hotel California" is a song by American rock band Eagles, released as the second single of their 1976 album of the same name on February 22, 1977. It is approximately 6 minutes 30 seconds long. The meaning of the lyrics of the song has been discussed by fans and critics ever since its release.

The Eagles themselves described the song as their "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles". In the 2013 documentary History of the Eagles, Henley said that the song was about "a journey from innocence to experience ... that's all."

Answer: a stairway to Heaven

"Stairway to Heaven" is a song by the English rock band Led Zeppelin, released on 8 November 1971 on the band's untitled fourth studio album (commonly known as "Led Zeppelin IV"), by Atlantic Records. Composed by the band's guitarist Jimmy Page with lyrics written by lead singer Robert Plant, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest rock songs of all time.

It is approximately 8 minutes long.