70s Music and Locales II Quiz / Test | Geography in Songs

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. In 1972, Looking Glass hit it big with a song about a girl pining away for a mysterious mariner who was more loyal to the sea than to her. But she cherishes a piece of silver jewelry bearing the name of her beloved sailor and a silver chain. Where did that chain come from?

Answer: Spain

The hit was "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)", which, in my opinion, is a must-have in any decent 1970s music anthology. The lyrics state:

"Brandy wears a braided chain
Made of finest silver from the north of Spain
A locket that bears the name of the man that Brandy loves"

The song peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1972. You know you'll have this one in your head the rest of the day. But you could do worse: "Dooda-dit-dooda, dit-dooda-dit-dooda-dit; Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes when he told his sailor's story".

2. Billy Joel had a popular tune in 1978 in which he referenced a phone conversation with a friend who chucked it all to try his hand as a comedian. To what western city did the friend go?

Answer: Los Angeles

"My Life" was the hit and it was also used (though not sung by Joel) as the intro to an '80s sitcom. The show was called "Bosom Buddies" and starred none other than an aspiring young actor named Tom Hanks.

The song's lyrics:

"Sold his shop, sold his house bought a ticket to the West Coast
Now he gives them a stand up routine in L.A."

3. OK, from the legendary "Hotel California" album, there is a great ballad called "The Last Resort". It is about a lady, presumably a young one, who "packed her hopes and dreams" and left this seldom sung of state to head West. There is something magical about my beloved California that draws people and inspires song. What is this state that she left?

Answer: Rhode Island

This classic begins:

"She came from Providence
The one in Rhode Island
Where the old world shadows hang heavy in the air"

The song "The Last Resort" was released in 1976. I said it before, but it's worth repeating. Who's better than The Eagles? NOBODY! And this is one of my favorites of theirs, though not played as often as their other classics.

4. "Long as I remember, rain been pouring down" opens this Credence Clearwater Revival hit that, in the first person, tells of finding refuge from some severe weather in what state?

Answer: Virginia

"I went down Virginia, seekin' shelter from the storm" begins the second verse of the song "Who'll Stop The Rain?". The song was released in 1970 on the album "Cosmo's Factory". Apparently, this song gave Bob Dylan inspiration for his "Shelter From the Storm" song. Credence Clearwater Revival's music spanned the late '60s and early '70s.

(Source: SongFacts.com)

5. In 1973, the Doobie Brothers had a hit that charted at number 15 on the U.S. Billboard Top 40 from "The Captain and Me" album. This song was about a small town where the people were strange. Although it never mentions this state by name, it talks about a well-known place in the state and refers to the state's popular moniker. Name the state.

Answer: Texas

The song "China Grove" opens with the lyrics, "When the sun comes up on a sleepy little town down around San Antone". The singer later mentions, "It's a part of the Lone Star State". Tom Johnston wrote the song.

6. Time to shift the gears just a little. This '70s band, named after a U.S. locale, produced a melancholy acoustic hit about the insignificance of man's lifetime and imprint on Earth. What was this band's name?

Answer: Kansas

"Dust in the Wind" was a big hit in 1977, peaking at number six on the U.S. Billboard Top 40 chart. It was a follow up to Kansas' very successful song "Carry On My Wayward Son".

7. Warren Zevon claimed to be to be gambling in this place when he "took a little risk". Apparently it didn't turn out too well, as he requested three things to help him bargain, fight, or buy his way out of the mess he had gotten into. What city is mentioned in this "gambling song"?

Answer: Havana

Ah come on, London (as in "Werewolves of London") was not about gambling! The year 1978 brought us not only Zevon's "Werewolves", but also one of my favorites, "Lawyers, Guns and Money". In this song, Zevon states "I was gambling in Havana".

I must admit, I was tempted to go with "Werewolves of London" and talk about Lee Ho Fooks and get a "big dish of beef chow mein". Ouwoooo!

8. The year 1975 ushered in a bunch of dance, funk and disco tunes running up and down the charts. Songs like "Saturday Night", "That's the Way (I Like It)" and "Love Roller-Coaster" were big hits. "Love Roller-Coaster" was performed by a band called ___ Players. According to their name, where can we assume they are from?

Answer: Ohio

The song was released off the 1975 album "Honey". Supposedly, the Ohio Players wrote this song on a small plane during a turbulent flight through a thunderstorm. Regardless, you are still probably singing "That's the way, ahuh ahuh, I like it, ahuh ahuh" in your head now (even if you don't admit it).

9. In 1970, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band sang of a street dancer who, even after twenty years, still lamented the loss of his traveling companion dog. According to the song, in which Dixie city did the dancer and singer meet?

Answer: New Orleans, Louisiana

"Mr. Bojangles" was the song that said:

"I met him in a cell in New Orleans, I was down and out...
He spoke though tears of fifteen years how his dog and he traveled about
His dog up and died, he up and died
After twenty years he still grieves"

Bojangles was a name given to street dancers, particularly from New Orleans, who performed for cash and basically just got by with what they could get from the crowds they entertained. The "Mr. Bojangles" title stems from the legendary tap dancer Bill "Bo Jangles" Robinson, who appeared in movies with Shirley Temple in the 1930s. What a great balled and what images it conjures up with its lyrics!

10. A 1976 Steve Miller song tells of Billy Joe and Bobbie Sue and how they ran into a hassle when Billy Joe shot a man in the process of committing a felony. According to the song, where did this shooting take place?

Answer: El Paso

"Take the Money and Run", from Steve Miller's "Fly Like an Eagle" album (1976), was a ballad about the three characters mentioned. The second verse stated:

"They headed down to, ooh, old El Paso
That's where they ran into a great big hassle
Billy Joe shot a man while robbing his castle".

Source: Author paco18

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

70s Music and Locales II Trivia Quiz

OK, amigos. Listen, you did well on my last '70s quiz, showing how sharp you are, how easy my quiz was or both. I tried to muster a harder one on locales. Fear not--if you liked #1, you'll enjoy this. Enjoy, hasta la pasta!

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