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Quiz about Songs About Singers
Quiz about Songs About Singers

Songs About Singers Trivia Quiz


Many singers and bands have been mentioned and celebrated in song by fellow musicians. Find these ten from the lyrics.

A multiple-choice quiz by darksplash. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
darksplash
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
412,268
Updated
Mar 29 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
469
Awards
Editor's Choice
Last 3 plays: curryking (9/10), Guest 101 (9/10), Guest 136 (9/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. "Just another scruffy Okie
And just a dustbowl refugee
Headin' on out to California
A little bit low on do-re-mi
And everywhere you wandered
You saw poor folks treated wrong
And you made those poor folks your whole life
And made your life a song..."

Which great folksinger was Tom Paxton singing about in these words?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "They were wild like the USA
A mystery band in a New York way
Rock and roll, but not like the rest
And to me, America at its best
How in the world were they making that sound?
-..."

Jonathan Richman might have been crazy for taking a bus, but he had a way with words about a band he loved. Which pre-punk band fits the last line of the lyrics?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "Blue gene baby
Skinny white sailor, the chances were slender
The beauties were brief
Shall I mourn you decline with some thunderbird wine
And a black handkerchief?

I miss your sad Virginia whisper
I miss the voice that called my heart
Sweet _____
_____
Young and old and gone
Sweet _____
_____..."

Which pioneer of rockabilly and rock and roll did the British punk rocker Ian Dury sing about in these words?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. "He's the man with the banjo and the 12-string guitar
And he's singing us the songs that tell us who we are
When you look in his eyes you know that somebody's in there
Yeah, he knows where we're going and where we been
And how the fog is gettin' thicker where the future should begin
When you look at his life you know that he's really been there..."

Which radical songwriter, environmentalist and campaigner for civil rights did Harry Chapin sing about in these lyrics?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. "Dreamin', dreamin' of a girl like me.
Hey, what are you waiting for?
Feedin, feedin' me.
And I feel like I'm disappearing, getting smaller everyday,
But I look in the mirror, and I'm bigger in every way.
She said, "You aren't never going anywhere."
She said, "You aren't never going anywhere."
"I ain't never going anywhere."
"I ain't never going anywhere..."

Which sometime drummer with an angelic singing voice was eulogised in these words by Sonic Youth?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. "I was thinking that night about -
Day that he died, day that he died
I was thinking that night about -
Day that he died, day that he died
Just a country boy that combed his hair

And put on a shirt his mother made and went on the air
And he shook it like a chorus girl
And he shook it like a Harlem queen
He shook it like a midnight rambler, baby
Like you never seen..."

Which singer noted early in his career for his 'dance' moves fits into the blank in these lyrics by Gillian Welch?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. "You stopped us from killing each other
- -, - -
You'll never know but you saved our lives
- -, - -
I could never throw my knickers at you
And I don't come from Wales.."

Some clues to a noted crooner in this song by Space and Cerys Matthews. Whose name goes into the blanks?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. "A friend of mine gave me a tape
She'd copied from a record disc
It was made at the turn of the century
And found in a jacket labeled 'misc.'
And midst cellos, harps, and flugelhorns
With the precision of a hummingbird's heart
Was the lord of the monarch butterflies
One-time ruler of the world of art

Bring infinity home
Let me embrace it one more time
Make it the lilies of the field
Or _____ in his prime"

Which legendary Italian tenor was Joan Baez singing about in these lyrics?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "People stared at the makeup on his face
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The boy in the bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
Lady Stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and disgrace..."

Which ill-fated star of glam rock was celebrated in the song "Lady Stardust" by David Bowie?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. "There but for fortune
Say a small circle of friends
Some may see the changes
So few see the ends
The pleasures of the harbor
Have come to you at last
You may not be marching anymore
But the parade's still going past..."

Which campaigner who wrote more than his share of protest songs about the Vietnam War was Harry Chapin singing about in these words?
Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. "Just another scruffy Okie And just a dustbowl refugee Headin' on out to California A little bit low on do-re-mi And everywhere you wandered You saw poor folks treated wrong And you made those poor folks your whole life And made your life a song..." Which great folksinger was Tom Paxton singing about in these words?

Answer: Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie, the "dustbowl balladeer", has long been regarded as folk music's most important singer of the 20th Century. Guthrie's influence on generations of musicians to follow is difficult to understate. He initiated a genre of topical and protest songs that was to be picked up by the likes of Joan Baez, Utah Phillips, Holly Near, Phil Ochs, Bob Dylan, and Tom Paxton.

Working people were the subject of many Guthrie songs. These included "Deportee: Plane Wreck At Los Gatos", "All You Fascists Bound To Lose", "Talking Union", "Hobo's Lullaby" and, of course his seminal "This Land Is Your Land".

In a forward to Guthrie's autobiography "Bound For Glory", his friend and collaborator Pete Seeger wrote: "Woody will never die, as long as there are people who like to sing his songs."

Tom Paxton, meanwhile, admired the music of Guthrie (among others) while growing up in Oklahoma. Some critics have traced a direct line from Guthrie's storytelling songs about 'ordinary people' to those of Paxton.
2. "They were wild like the USA A mystery band in a New York way Rock and roll, but not like the rest And to me, America at its best How in the world were they making that sound? -..." Jonathan Richman might have been crazy for taking a bus, but he had a way with words about a band he loved. Which pre-punk band fits the last line of the lyrics?

Answer: Velvet Underground

Jonathan Richman had an obsession for the Velvet Underground and the New York band influenced his music with his own band, the Modern Lovers. In the song 'Velvet Underground' he repeats their name at the end of each verse, even breaking into a snatch of a Velvet Underground song.

Hailing out of New York City in the 1960s, the Velvet Underground had a guitar sound that pre-dated and influenced the later punk rockers. John Cale and Lou Reed were the driving forces and they cut their teeth for later successful solo careers.

The band were most active from 1964 to 1973, but there were to be personnel changes before they split. The band reformed from time to time. "All Tomorrow's Parties", "Sweet Jane" and "Venus In Furs" were among their best songs.

Jonathan Richman hailed from New England, a fact he reminded audiences of in several songs. His songs with the Modern Lovers and as a solo artist were...unusual. Among them were "You're Crazy For Taking The Bus"
and "Abominable Snowman In The Market". In 1977, "Egyptian Reggae" was a UK number five.
3. "Blue gene baby Skinny white sailor, the chances were slender The beauties were brief Shall I mourn you decline with some thunderbird wine And a black handkerchief? I miss your sad Virginia whisper I miss the voice that called my heart Sweet _____ _____ Young and old and gone Sweet _____ _____..." Which pioneer of rockabilly and rock and roll did the British punk rocker Ian Dury sing about in these words?

Answer: Gene Vincent

Many now consider the mid 1950s songs of Gene Vincent a cornerstone of rock and roll music. His fame burnt brightly, but briefly, with three US top 40 songs in just two years - 1956 and 1957 - and never in the charts again. He was more popular in the UK with eight top 40 songs between 1956 and 1961.

With his band The Blue Caps, Vincent took "Be-Bop-A-Lula" to number seven on the Billboard Hot 100. They had a high energy style and distinctive sound that was to be picked up by others who followed.

Ian Dury was an English punk rocker who enjoyed success in the 1970s with his band The Blockheads. Dury was "a rock and roll vagabond with the wit, humour and intelligence of Noël Coward and Oscar Wilde." (That's from his own website, so it must be true). Dury was born in 1942 and died in 2000.

With the Blockheads, he had one UK chart topper, "Hit Me with Your Rhythm Stick" in 1978. Dury was a fan of Gene Vincent and included "Sweet Gene Vincent" on his first solo LP "New Boots and Panties!!"
4. "He's the man with the banjo and the 12-string guitar And he's singing us the songs that tell us who we are When you look in his eyes you know that somebody's in there Yeah, he knows where we're going and where we been And how the fog is gettin' thicker where the future should begin When you look at his life you know that he's really been there..." Which radical songwriter, environmentalist and campaigner for civil rights did Harry Chapin sing about in these lyrics?

Answer: Pete Seeger

Pete Seeger came from a well-off New York family but abandoned any plans they had for him by becoming a troubadour collecting the songs of working class America. He fell under the influence of Woody Guthrie and they were friends and oft-times collaborators.

Seeger wrote or adapted songs that became the theme music to American life of the 1950s and 1960s. Although blacklisted during the McCarthy era, Seeger continued to lead the voice of opposition to the war in Asia and the discrimination against some American people by others in his country's own society.

"Where Have All The Flowers Gone?", "Turn!, Turn!, Turn!" and "If I Had A Hammer" were just three songs closely associated with Seeger. He also made changes to an old Gospel hymn to make it "We Shall Overcome" and convinced Martin Luther King to make it an anthem of the Civil Rights movements in the USA.
5. "Dreamin', dreamin' of a girl like me. Hey, what are you waiting for? Feedin, feedin' me. And I feel like I'm disappearing, getting smaller everyday, But I look in the mirror, and I'm bigger in every way. She said, "You aren't never going anywhere." She said, "You aren't never going anywhere." "I ain't never going anywhere." "I ain't never going anywhere..." Which sometime drummer with an angelic singing voice was eulogised in these words by Sonic Youth?

Answer: Karen Carpenter

"Tunic (Song for Karen)" was written by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, who told 'Mojo' magazine: ""Her voice was amazing. And her death made you look back at the lyrics. She didn't write them, but she made them her own." The song was on the band's 1990 LP "Goo".

Karen Carpenter and her brother Richard had three US Hot 100 chart toppers, with five hitting number two. They had seven songs reach the top ten in the UK. Often hailed as one of the greatest female vocalists of all time, Karen Carpenter was born in 1950 and died from the effects of anorexia at the age of 32.

Sonic Youth were a New York rock band that came to prominence in the 1980s. Despite a long catalogue of record releases, major chart success largely eluded them, with "100%" being their best performing single, a US number four in 1992.
6. "I was thinking that night about - Day that he died, day that he died I was thinking that night about - Day that he died, day that he died Just a country boy that combed his hair And put on a shirt his mother made and went on the air And he shook it like a chorus girl And he shook it like a Harlem queen He shook it like a midnight rambler, baby Like you never seen..." Which singer noted early in his career for his 'dance' moves fits into the blank in these lyrics by Gillian Welch?

Answer: Elvis

Gillian Welch sang "Elvis Presley Blues" on her 2001 album "Time (The Revelator)".

If you are a music lover then you are probably well versed in the life and influence of Elvis Presley. So some trivia: Elvis recorded some 600 songs during his career, without writing a single one (he was given song writing credits in some at the insistence of his manager.). In that career, he never performed outside of North America. Before he became the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis auditioned for an amateur gospel quartet called the Songfellows - and was turned down.

Gillian Welch was born in New York City in 1967. She performed over a long period with her partner David Rawlings. Their musical style embraced country, blues and Americana. They received and Americana Music Honors & Awards lifetime award in 2015. Their 2021 album "All the Good Times (Are Past & Gone)" won a Grammy.
7. "You stopped us from killing each other - -, - - You'll never know but you saved our lives - -, - - I could never throw my knickers at you And I don't come from Wales.." Some clues to a noted crooner in this song by Space and Cerys Matthews. Whose name goes into the blanks?

Answer: Tom Jones

Liverpool band Space and Welsh songstress Cerys Matthews teamed up for UK number four hit in 1998.
Cerys Matthews was a huge fan of Tom Jones and named her son after him. She claimed, not altogether seriously, in the lyrics that Tom Jones's voice had saved her life.

Years later Matthews - who sprang to fame in the band Catatonia - sang a duet of "Baby It's Cold Outside" with Jones.

In a career that started in the 1960s, Tom Jones adapted his style and songs for succeeding generations. Early on he was noted for his raunchiness, and female concert-goers were known to throw articles of their underwear at him on stage.
8. "A friend of mine gave me a tape She'd copied from a record disc It was made at the turn of the century And found in a jacket labeled 'misc.' And midst cellos, harps, and flugelhorns With the precision of a hummingbird's heart Was the lord of the monarch butterflies One-time ruler of the world of art Bring infinity home Let me embrace it one more time Make it the lilies of the field Or _____ in his prime" Which legendary Italian tenor was Joan Baez singing about in these lyrics?

Answer: Enrico Caruso

"Caruso" was on the album "Gulf Winds", released by Joan Baez in 1976.

Enrico Caruso was born in Naples in 1873 and died there in 1921. He became regarded as the most famous operatic tenor of his time and one of the top selling recording artists of the early 20th Century. His recording of "Vesti la giubba" became the first to sell more than one million copies in the USA. He released more than 260 78RPM recordings and earned up to £5 million at a time when a million was a staggering amount of money. (Well it still is if you don't have it, but put it this way: you would need $85m in 2023 to buy what £5m did in 1921.)

In a feature in July 2022, 'BBC Music' listed Caruso at number two in a list of "The 20 Greatest Tenors of all Time".

Joan Baez was among a long list of singer/songwriters who emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene of the early 1960s. Like many of her contemporaries, she gave a voice to social and political injustice, and was firmly in the anti-Vietnam War camp. She was jailed twice for refusing to pay federal taxes that went to the war effort.

Despite her social conscience, Baez did not make much headway on the charts; her biggest hit was a cover of The Band's "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down", which reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.
9. "People stared at the makeup on his face Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace The boy in the bright blue jeans Jumped up on the stage Lady Stardust sang his songs Of darkness and disgrace..." Which ill-fated star of glam rock was celebrated in the song "Lady Stardust" by David Bowie?

Answer: Marc Bolan

Bowie included "Lady Stardust" on his 1972 LP "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars". Bolan and Bowie were contemporaries and there were some similarities between their sounds. Some might have thought them rivals, but they were in fact good friends.

Marc Bolan had been lead singer of the band T. Rex (originally Tyrannosaurus Rex.) The band had four UK chart-toppers in 1971 and several others hit the top 10. Tragically, Marc Bolan died in a car crash in September 1977.

David Bowie had much longer career, in which he released 26 albums. His was a genre-twisting career: Bowie was never afraid to ring the changes in style. While he had several singles that reached number three in the UK, the top spot eluded him as a solo singer. In North America, though, he took top spot in the US and Canada with "Fame" in 1977.

In a 2016 obituary following Bowie's death from cancer, the 'Guardian' described him as: "a trailblazer of musical trends and pop fashion".
10. "There but for fortune Say a small circle of friends Some may see the changes So few see the ends The pleasures of the harbor Have come to you at last You may not be marching anymore But the parade's still going past..." Which campaigner who wrote more than his share of protest songs about the Vietnam War was Harry Chapin singing about in these words?

Answer: Phil Ochs

"I got the news today
That you refused to play
Cause you never made number one
But it's not just the words
It's the deeds that are heard
When all is said and done
Kings take their crowns
They melt them all down
Trying to get the gold out
You went to hell and
Even when you weren't selling
You never ever sold out..."

Philip David Ochs was a Texas-born troubadour at the forefront of the Greenwich village folkscare of the 1960s. He turned his attention to what he felt was the unjust war in Asia, as well as championing the plight of coal mine workers and supporting civil rights for all in the USA.

The songwriting of Phil Ochs was the equal of anyone around at the time, certainly his singing was better than certain others who got the acclaim. Ochs, though, could not break away from that image of protest singer and commercial success passed him by. After a short life afflicted by Bipolar Disorder, he died by suicide on April 9, 1976.

Harry Chapin was a New York City born singer who once earned the highest ever signing-on fee to a record company. But Chapin failed to deliver commercial hits, apart from his Hot 100 number one "Cat's In The Cradle". He was revered as a concert performer and found a niche with his 'story songs' that wove the lives of ordinary people into music. In 1993, "Cat's In The Cradle" was used in an anti-terrorism TV commercial in Northern Ireland.

The life of Phil Ochs was also remembered in song by his contemporary and friend Tom Paxton.
Source: Author darksplash

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