Hit Song Eloquence: Fluffy and Scaly Quiz

Answer: love enough

Lions don't get love enough. Elvis Presly first sang "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" (1957) as Deke Rivers in the movie "Loving You". Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe wrote the song, which was a US number one hit for Presley on the rock 'n' roll, rhythm and blues, and country charts. Who can resist playful, delightful lyrics like this:
"...Run your fingers through my hair,
And cuddle me real tight
Oh let me be (oh let him be)
Your Teddy Bear"

Answer: ships

"(Sittin' On) the Dock of the Bay" was written in 1967 by Otis Redding and guitarist Steve Cropper. Redding recorded it November 22nd and then sadly he died December 10th in a plane crash, making this the first posthumously released single to top the US charts, and the first posthumous album to top in the UK.

It's been covered by many, such as Cher, Waylon Jennings, Bob Dylan and Garth Brooks. Justin Timberlake sang it at the White House for President Barack Obama. "Dock of the Bay" is among the most frequently performed songs of the 20th century, and is a Rolling Stone "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". "...Look like nothing's gonna change, Everythin' still remain the same, I can't do what ten people tell me to do..."

Answer: Good

"Good looking, so refined" describes the "Big Spender". Peggy Lee had a hit with this song in 1966, though it was first performed that same year in the musical "Sweet Charity". Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields wrote it, while Bob Fosse choreographed it for the musical and the film. Shirley Bassey hit the charts with the song in 1967, making it her signature song. Bette Midler, Queen, Dionne Warwick and many others covered this tune. And Homer Simpson ("The Simpsons") parodied the song.

"Hey, big spender! Spend a little time with me..."

Answer: down, down, down

Down, down, down in to a "Ring of Fire", written by June Carter Cash and Merle Kilgore. A wildly popular Johnny Cash hit, "Ring of Fire" (1963) is a Rolling Stone "Greatest Songs of All Time", as well as Country Music Television (CMT) "100 Greatest Songs in Country Music". The song is about the "burning love" between June Carter and her husband Johnny Cash (married from 1968 until her death in 2003).

"Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring..."

Answer: legend

Legend, is the answer. "Diamonds and Rust" was written by Joan Baez in 1974. Baez said the song is about her former love Bob Dylan. The Queen of Folk when they met, she was important to his early rise in the music scene, around 1963-65. Her haunting lyrics about a phone call years later between them suggests magical attraction, and deep disappointment.

"...here comes your ghost again, But that's not unusual, It's just the moon is full, And you happened to call..."

Answer: named

Men named "Mona Lisa", the Leonardo da Vinci painting with the famous smile. "Mona Lisa" was written in 1950 by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the film "Captain Carey, U.S.A.", and won the Oscar for "Best Original Song". Jazz pianist and smooth crooner Nat King Cole's 1950 version held number one on the Billboard chart for eight weeks, but other versions that year were hits, as were later covers by Elvis Presley, Neville Brothers, Conway Twitty, Bruddah Iz, Harry Connick, Jr. and Phil Ochs. In 1992 the song entered the Grammy Hall of Fame.

"Do you smile to tempt a lover, Monalisa? Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?..."

Answer: world

Far from the world, sang lead vocal Joe Cocker for the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" (1982). Producer Don Simpson wanted to cut "Up Where We Belong", and actor Richard Gere said it was fluffy sentimental, but it hit number one on the US Billboard Hot 100, and sold over two million copies.

It did very well in the UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Norway and Spain. The song won the US Golden Globe Award for "Best Original Song", and the Academy and BAFTA Awards as well. Cocker and his co-vocalist Jennifer Warnes won a Grammy for "Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal". We're inspired by its beauty and hope: "The road is long, There are mountains in our way, But we climb a step every day...". Joe Cocker, who died in December 2014, is on many a "100 Greatest Singers" list.

Answer: Dragon

A dragon lives forever, sang the folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary. He frolics in the autumn mist with little Jackie Paper. Peter Yarrow, Mary Travers and Noel "Paul" Stookey formed their group in 1961. "Puff the Magic Dragon" reached number two on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962, despite a ban by various radio stations who suspected (wrongly, insisted the singers) it was a veiled reference to using drugs.

The trio was known for often changing the lyrics slightly ("Dragons live forever, but not so girls and boys" for instance), but this endearing song was always about a rascal dragon.

Answer: stairway

"Stairway to Heaven" is a 1971 rock song by the English band Led Zeppelin, composed by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Running over eight minutes long, the song combines folk, a cappella and hard rock, and is often named the greatest rock song ever recorded. More than 40 years after its release, it is still among the most requested radio songs and downloads. Robert Plant once donated $10,000 to a radio station (KBOO Portland) to never play the song again, because, he said, "I've heard it". Jimmy Page, though, continued to love it.

"There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure,'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings..."

Answer: truth

"Just what the truth is.." In 1967 19-year old Justin Hayward wrote the beautiful love song "Nights in White Satin" for his English rock band The Moody Blues. A spoken verse within the song, "Late Lament", was written by Graeme Edge. The song met with medium ratings in the UK at number 19 in its first release, but was number one in both the US and Canada in 1972, and number 14 in a UK 3rd release in 1979. There were also French, Swedish, Czech, German and Italian versions. The Moody Blues have some 18 platinum and gold discs, and a career spanning more than 50 years.

"Some try to tell me, Thoughts they cannot defend, Just what you want to be, You will be in the end, And I love you..."