FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Murderous Music
Quiz about Murderous Music

Murderous Music! Trivia Quiz


Nobody gets out of this quiz alive! A mixture of malicious murders, horrible homicides and awful assassinations.

A multiple-choice quiz by ozzz2002. Estimated time: 3 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Music Trivia
  6. »
  7. Daily Life in Songs
  8. »
  9. Crime and Punishment in Songs

Author
ozzz2002
Time
3 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
399,852
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
404
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
Last 3 plays: Guest 98 (10/10), Taltarzac (6/10), Guest 175 (8/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Which of these songs tells the story of an innocent man being executed for a murder that he did not commit? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. 'The Killing of Georgie (Parts I and II)' was released by Rod Stewart in 1976. It is about a friend of his that was killed in New York City. What was the apparent motive for the killing? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Sometimes it is the villains that meet an untimely end. This was the case with the 1967 hit 'The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde'. Who released this song, that told of the life and death of the famous (or infamous) young couple? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Aerosmith released a song in 1989, about a young girl being sexually abused by her father. What is the name of the hard-hitting song? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. 'Hurricane' is a Bob Dylan song that describes the true story of a boxer, nicknamed 'Hurricane', who was falsely and blatantly accused of murdering three men in a bar. What was Hurricane's real name? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Even The Beatles stooped to murder- well, singing about it, anyway. Which of their songs is about THREE murders, with one of the victims being a judge? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Probably one of The Boomtown Rats' biggest hits was 'I Don't Like Mondays', released in 1979. It tells of a teenage girl shooting up a school, for no other reason than she did not like the day of the week. Are the lyrics based on a real- life incident?


Question 8 of 10
8. In 1974, Eric Clapton had a worldwide hit with 'I Shot the Sheriff'. The singer is admitting to killing the sheriff, in self defence, but was not guilty of shooting the sheriff's deputy. Clapton's version was a cover, but who had originally released it, in the previous year? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. 'Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?' is the first line from which of Queen's big hits? Freddy Mercury seems to be confessing to murder most foul! Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Earl had to die, because he was physically abusing his new wife. How did the Dixie Chicks get rid of him, in their 2000 release of 'Goodbye Earl'? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Sep 26 2024 : Guest 98: 10/10
Sep 26 2024 : Taltarzac: 6/10
Sep 09 2024 : Guest 175: 8/10
Sep 06 2024 : Guest 104: 7/10
Aug 29 2024 : mickeyp: 7/10
Aug 18 2024 : cyndi50: 6/10
Aug 13 2024 : Guest 90: 9/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which of these songs tells the story of an innocent man being executed for a murder that he did not commit?

Answer: The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia

The innocent man, known only as Brother, found out that his wife was having an affair with his friend, Andy, and another man, Seth. He is very angry and wants revenge, but when he gets to Andy's house, he finds Andy's body. He fires a gun into the air to attract a passing police patrol, but the cops jump to the wrong conclusion, as does the judge at his trial. Brother is hanged. It is revealed later that the real murderer is his own sister, who had shot Andy and Brother's wife.
Vicki Lawrence hit the top of the charts with the song, in 1972, and Reba McEntire had a Top 20 version twenty years later.

None of the songs, 'Georgia on My Mind' (Ray Charles), 'The Devil Went Down to Georgia' (Charlie Daniels Band) and 'Midnight Train to Georgia' (Gladys Knight & the Pips), involve anyone being murdered.
2. 'The Killing of Georgie (Parts I and II)' was released by Rod Stewart in 1976. It is about a friend of his that was killed in New York City. What was the apparent motive for the killing?

Answer: Georgie was killed in a random attack

He was attacked by a group of men, in 1974. The gang's aim was to 'roll some innocent passer-by'. It is not clear in the lyrics whether the perpetrators were brought to justice.

The song, off the album, 'A Night on the Town', reached Number Two on the UK charts, but did not perform as well on the other side of the Atlantic.
3. Sometimes it is the villains that meet an untimely end. This was the case with the 1967 hit 'The Ballad of Bonnie and Clyde'. Who released this song, that told of the life and death of the famous (or infamous) young couple?

Answer: Georgie Fame

Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were renowned for robbing banks, stealing cars, and killing people. They left a trail of at least 13 victims across the American South, before being ambushed by police in Louisiana. They were in a stolen car, which was riddled with bullets. The car, a 1934 Ford Deluxe, is now on display at a casino in Prima, Nevada.
4. Aerosmith released a song in 1989, about a young girl being sexually abused by her father. What is the name of the hard-hitting song?

Answer: Janey's Got a Gun

Janey avenged the abuse by shooting him through the head. This powerful song is from the album 'Pump' and hit Top Ten charts in many countries. In 2017, band leader Steven Tyler opened Janey's House, in Atlanta, to help provide support and hope for young abuse victims. A very noble act!

All the wrong answers involve murder and killing. 'Dirty Deeds' is by Australian rockers, AC/DC and is about a gun-for-hire. 'Nebraska' was a Bruce Springsteen song, following the story of a serial killer, and 'Hazard', by Richard Marx, is about the singer being falsely accused of killing his girlfriend, Mary.
5. 'Hurricane' is a Bob Dylan song that describes the true story of a boxer, nicknamed 'Hurricane', who was falsely and blatantly accused of murdering three men in a bar. What was Hurricane's real name?

Answer: Rubin Carter

His trial in 1967 was a sham, with witnesses (all of who were white- Carter was black) lying through their teeth. The police knew it, the judge knew it and the press knew it, but nevertheless he was convicted. Even one of the victims told the police that Carter was not the man who shot him! A retrial in 1977 simply rubber-stamped the original conviction. It was not until a third trial in 1985 that justice finally prevailed and he was exonerated. Did Dylan's song, and the other celebrity support, have any influence? Who knows, but it would be nice if it did.

After his release he headed the Canadian organisation, Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted, for more than a decade. He died in 2014, aged 76.

The three wrong answers were also subjects of Dylan ballads. 'Ballad Of Hollis Brown' is a sad song about a man who kills his family and himself, because of extreme poverty. 'Death Of Emmett Till' was another story of justice gone wrong, with a young black teenager being tortured and murdered in Mississippi, in 1955. John Wesley Hardin was a 19th century Wild West gunslinger, credited with at least two dozen murders.
6. Even The Beatles stooped to murder- well, singing about it, anyway. Which of their songs is about THREE murders, with one of the victims being a judge?

Answer: Maxwell's Silver Hammer

Maxwell Edison ('majoring in medicine') was a student who smashed his girlfriend with a hammer. Later, Maxwell was kept back after class for misbehaviour. His teacher turned her back on him, and she too got whacked. The law finally caught up with him and he wound up in court. As the judge finds him guilty, Maxwell strikes again!

The incorrect answers are all Beatles hits, but none involve murder, although Rocky Raccoon does get shot, not fatally.

Paul wrote the song, but the other three Beatles hated it. Because of this, it has been suggested that the song was the beginning of the end for the band.
7. Probably one of The Boomtown Rats' biggest hits was 'I Don't Like Mondays', released in 1979. It tells of a teenage girl shooting up a school, for no other reason than she did not like the day of the week. Are the lyrics based on a real- life incident?

Answer: Yes

The principal of Grover Cleveland Elementary School, in San Diego, and the school's caretaker died on January 29, 1979, because Brenda Spencer wanted to "liven up her day". Eight students and a policeman were shot and wounded. The shooter was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Sir Bob Geldof went on to organise the suoergroups Band Aid and Live Aid and wrote the smash hit 'Do They Know It's Christmas?', which raised millions of dollars for charities.
8. In 1974, Eric Clapton had a worldwide hit with 'I Shot the Sheriff'. The singer is admitting to killing the sheriff, in self defence, but was not guilty of shooting the sheriff's deputy. Clapton's version was a cover, but who had originally released it, in the previous year?

Answer: Bob Marley and the Wailers

Marley was very vague about the meaning of his lyrics, but suffice to say that no actual sheriffs (or deputies), were harmed in the making of his song. It appears to be simply an allegory for the lack of justice in the world.
9. 'Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?' is the first line from which of Queen's big hits? Freddy Mercury seems to be confessing to murder most foul!

Answer: Bohemian Rhapsody

A very Bohemian piece of music, indeed, with opinions divided on its meaning. A majority of critics believe it is about Freddy coming out as gay. 'Mamma, just killed a man' refers to the end of his 'straight' ways. Whatever it means, it is a stunning work of art, and would be in my personal Top Ten songs.

'Death on Two Legs' was squarely aimed at their early manager, Norman Sheffield, who allegedly ripped off the band badly. The band REALLY lay the boot into him! Despite its name, nobody dies in 'Killer Queen'- it is about a high-priced prostitute. Believe it or not, 'Radio Ga Ga' is about the radio, and again, there are no deaths involved.
10. Earl had to die, because he was physically abusing his new wife. How did the Dixie Chicks get rid of him, in their 2000 release of 'Goodbye Earl'?

Answer: Poisoned him

Earl breached his restraining order and put Wanda, his soon-to-be ex-wife, in hospital. Wanda, and her school friend, Mary Anne, cooked up a plan and poisoned Earl's dinner of black-eyed peas, then buried him in a remote place.

The Dixie Chicks are one of the highest-selling all-female bands of all time, from their humble beginnings on the country music circuit in 1989.
Source: Author ozzz2002

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
10/12/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us