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Quiz about Same Tune Different Song
Quiz about Same Tune Different Song

Same Tune, Different Song Trivia Quiz


What do you do if you have some great lyrics but can't think up a great melody to go with it? Well you could use a tune from another song. In the days before copyright lawyers this was a common practice and many tunes have been successfully re-used.

A multiple-choice quiz by ErnestS. Estimated time: 7 mins.
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Author
ErnestS
Time
7 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
286,698
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
5 / 10
Plays
687
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Question 1 of 10
1. Some old tunes have been used over and over again for different songs. Do you know the name of the melody behind many folk songs and hymns, most famously 'Danny Boy'?

"Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountainside.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling.
'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide."
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. When Elvis Presley heard a song by U.S. singer Tony Martin called 'There's No Tomorrow' he privately recorded his own version and later asked for new lyrics to be written especially for him. The resulting song was 'It's Now or Never' and it became a massive international hit.

"It's now or never,
come hold me tight
Kiss me my darling,
be mine tonight"

What is the name of the original Italian song from which the tune came?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The club song of the Anacreontic Society of 18th century London is sometimes labelled as a drinking song as it celebrates hedonism and the enjoyment of wine, women and song.

"While, snug in their clubroom,
They jovially twine
The Myrtle of Venus
With Bacchus' Vine."

But which country has its national anthem set to the same tune?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. The most commonly used tune for 'The Red Flag', the anthem of the British Labour movement, is another example of a melody being used for a wildly different purpose to its original.

"Then raise the scarlet standard high,
Within its shade we'll live and die,
Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer,
We'll keep the red flag flying here."

Where did the tune for 'The Red Flag' come from?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The 'Good Old Song' of the University of Virginia uses the tune of a very widely known song which many people sing at a certain time of year.

"That good old song of Wah-hoo-wah--we'll sing it o'er and o'er
It cheers our hearts and warms our blood to hear them shout and roar
We come from old Virginia, where all is bright and gay
Let's all join hands and give a yell for dear old UVa."

What song is the melody from?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Can you guess which country's national anthem shares its melody with the hymn, 'Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken'?

"Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He, whose Word cannot be broken,
Formed thee for His own abode."
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so it's appropriate that Bob Dylan used a tune from one of Woody Guthrie's songs when he wrote 'Song to Woody' in tribute to his hero.

"Hey, Woody Guthrie, but I know that you know
All the things that I'm a-sayin' an' a-many times more.
I'm a-singin' you the song, but I can't sing enough,
'Cause there's not many men that done the things that you've done."

Do you know which Woody Guthrie song the tune came from?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Allan Sherman had a big hit in 1963 with his novelty song "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)".

"Hello Muddah
Hello Fadduh
Here I am at
Camp Granada
Camp is very
entertaining
And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining."

The melody is from a ballet section of an opera. Can you name it?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The song 'John Brown's Body' became a popular marching song for Union troops in the American Civil War.

"John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
His soul's marching on!"

The numerous variants of the lyrics were often a little coarse, which led to a friend of Julia Ward Howe saying to her: "Why do you not write some good words for that stirring tune?". What song did she come up with?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. You can't just put any old lyrics to a melody and expect it to sound right - just try singing 'My Way' to the tune of 'The Can Can' and you'll see why. There is a long-running comedy panel game on British radio in which panellists are sometimes asked to do exactly that with often hilarious (and sometimes surprisingly good) results. What is the name of this show? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Some old tunes have been used over and over again for different songs. Do you know the name of the melody behind many folk songs and hymns, most famously 'Danny Boy'? "Oh Danny Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling From glen to glen, and down the mountainside. The summer's gone, and all the roses falling. 'Tis you, 'tis you must go and I must bide."

Answer: Londonderry Air

Though 'Danny Boy' is considered an Irish song, the lyrics were actually by an Englishman named Frederick Weatherly who had never visited Ireland. He wrote the song in 1910 using a different tune but it was modified to fit 'Londonderry Air' in 1913 and that is how it has been sung ever since.

'Londonderry Air' was first published in the 1855 book 'The Ancient Music of Ireland' with a note saying that it had been collected by Jane Ross of County Londonderry who had heard it played by an itinerant musician. Before that the history of the tune is unclear.
2. When Elvis Presley heard a song by U.S. singer Tony Martin called 'There's No Tomorrow' he privately recorded his own version and later asked for new lyrics to be written especially for him. The resulting song was 'It's Now or Never' and it became a massive international hit. "It's now or never, come hold me tight Kiss me my darling, be mine tonight" What is the name of the original Italian song from which the tune came?

Answer: O Sole Mio

'O Sole Mio' (which means 'My Sun') was written in 1898 by Eduardo di Capua with lyrics by Giovanni Capurro. There have been several English adaptations, with Elvis Presley's 'It's Now or Never' being by far the most successful. Many Brits will also know the tune as 'Just One Cornetto' from an advertising campaign of the 80s and 90s.
3. The club song of the Anacreontic Society of 18th century London is sometimes labelled as a drinking song as it celebrates hedonism and the enjoyment of wine, women and song. "While, snug in their clubroom, They jovially twine The Myrtle of Venus With Bacchus' Vine." But which country has its national anthem set to the same tune?

Answer: USA

After Francis Scott Key wrote his poem, 'Defence of Fort McHenry' in 1814, it was his brother who realised it fit the tune of 'The Anacreontic Song' (which had already been used for several other songs in America, including patriotic songs such as 'Adams and Liberty'). Later renamed 'The Star-Spangled Banner' it has been the official national anthem of the USA since 1931.
4. The most commonly used tune for 'The Red Flag', the anthem of the British Labour movement, is another example of a melody being used for a wildly different purpose to its original. "Then raise the scarlet standard high, Within its shade we'll live and die, Though cowards flinch and traitors sneer, We'll keep the red flag flying here." Where did the tune for 'The Red Flag' come from?

Answer: A German carol

The tune of 'O Tannenbaum' (in English: 'O Christmas Tree') is also used for the official state songs of Maryland and Iowa, unofficial state songs of Michigan, and Florida, and the school songs of Cornell University in New York and Nankai University in Tianjin, China.

Although 'The Red Flag' has been sung to the tune of 'O Tannenbaum' for over a century now, its author, Jim Connell, originally intended to use the melody from a Jacobite anthem called 'The White Cockade'.
5. The 'Good Old Song' of the University of Virginia uses the tune of a very widely known song which many people sing at a certain time of year. "That good old song of Wah-hoo-wah--we'll sing it o'er and o'er It cheers our hearts and warms our blood to hear them shout and roar We come from old Virginia, where all is bright and gay Let's all join hands and give a yell for dear old UVa." What song is the melody from?

Answer: Auld Lang Syne

'Auld Lang Syne' is a song written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns and it has become traditional in many countries to sing it to welcome in the new year and say farewell to the old. The same melody is used for a number of other songs, including the Japanese student's song 'Hotaru no hikari' ('Glow of a Firefly') and a song sung by Dutch football fans called 'Wij houden van Oranje' ('We Love Orange').
6. Can you guess which country's national anthem shares its melody with the hymn, 'Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken'? "Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God! He, whose Word cannot be broken, Formed thee for His own abode."

Answer: Germany

The national anthem of Germany is the 'Deutschlandlied', also known as 'Deutschland, Deutschland uber alles' which is the first line. The melody was written by Joseph Haydn in 1797 for the birthday of Emperor Francis II and was originally titled 'Gott erhalte Franz den Kaiser' The lyrics used today were written in 1841.

The lyrics for 'Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken' were written by John Newton and published in 1779. Today it is normally sung to Haydn's melody.
7. They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so it's appropriate that Bob Dylan used a tune from one of Woody Guthrie's songs when he wrote 'Song to Woody' in tribute to his hero. "Hey, Woody Guthrie, but I know that you know All the things that I'm a-sayin' an' a-many times more. I'm a-singin' you the song, but I can't sing enough, 'Cause there's not many men that done the things that you've done." Do you know which Woody Guthrie song the tune came from?

Answer: 1913 Massacre

The original ruled legal paper on which Dylan wrote "Song For Woody" bears the following inscription at the bottom of the sheet: "Written by Bob Dylan in Mills Bar on Bleeker Street in New York City on the 14th day of February, for Woody Guthrie." The song was included on Dylan's debut album, released in 1962.

In the early sixties, Woody Guthrie was in the Brooklyn State Hospital where he was suffering from the Huntington's disease which would eventually kill him. Dylan and others from the burgeoning folk scene of Greenwich Village, would visit him there and play songs for him. Guthrie died in 1967
8. Allan Sherman had a big hit in 1963 with his novelty song "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh (A Letter from Camp)". "Hello Muddah Hello Fadduh Here I am at Camp Granada Camp is very entertaining And they say we'll have some fun if it stops raining." The melody is from a ballet section of an opera. Can you name it?

Answer: 'Dance of the Hours' from 'La Gioconda'

'La Gioconda' was an opera composed by Amilcare Ponchielli and it was first performed in 1876. As well as being used for 'Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh', the 'Dance of the Hours' was also used for the ballet scene in Disney's 'Fantasia'.
9. The song 'John Brown's Body' became a popular marching song for Union troops in the American Civil War. "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave; John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave; John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave; His soul's marching on!" The numerous variants of the lyrics were often a little coarse, which led to a friend of Julia Ward Howe saying to her: "Why do you not write some good words for that stirring tune?". What song did she come up with?

Answer: The Battle Hymn of the Republic

'The Battle Hymn of the Republic' was written in 1862 and is still commonly sung in America. It is traditionally played at the closing of the Republican Party convention.

'John Brown's Body' was not the first song to use the tune. It was taken from a hymn called 'Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us' but even that may not be the original source. Claims have been made that the melody was from an African-American wedding song, a British sea-shanty or a Swedish drinking song.
10. You can't just put any old lyrics to a melody and expect it to sound right - just try singing 'My Way' to the tune of 'The Can Can' and you'll see why. There is a long-running comedy panel game on British radio in which panellists are sometimes asked to do exactly that with often hilarious (and sometimes surprisingly good) results. What is the name of this show?

Answer: I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue

'I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue' was first broadcast on April 11, 1972 and has been running for over 35 years. It consists of four comedians being "given silly things to do" by the chairman, Humphrey Lyttleton, including suggesting new definitions for words ("Lymph - to walk with a lisp") and the ever popular (but rather baffling) Mornington Crescent game.

'One song to the tune of another' has been played many times in the show's long run and has produced many memorable moments. Hearing Jeremy Hardy singing 'Teenage Kicks' to the tune of 'Jerusalem' is an experience never to be forgotten.
Source: Author ErnestS

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