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Quiz about Songs About Actual Events and People
Quiz about Songs About Actual Events and People

Songs About Actual Events and People Quiz


Many songs on the radio are about actual people, things, and events. Here are a few of those. I hope that they don't induce ear worms!

A multiple-choice quiz by Trivia_Fan54. Estimated time: 2 mins.
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Author
Trivia_Fan54
Time
2 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
407,120
Updated
Dec 27 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
673
Last 3 plays: HankB (6/10), Guest 108 (8/10), Guest 178 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. Gordon Lightfoot wrote "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" about a shipwreck on which of the Great Lakes? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Bob Dylan wrote the song "Hurricane" about which of the following? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Which man did Carly Simon have in mind when she wrote "You're So Vain"? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Where was John Denver when he wrote the beautiful "Annie's Song" Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Kiss wrote a song about real-life fan Cynthia Plaster Caster called "Plaster Caster". What did she enjoy putting in plaster casts? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Who is Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" about? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Don McLean's song "Vincent" is a tribute to Van Gogh's painting "The Starry Night". In which year did Van Gogh paint that particular masterpiece? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Which band sang "Man on the Moon", a song about Andy Kaufman? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. "Hey Jude" by the Beatles is a song about a real person. Who wrote this particular piece? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which member of British royalty did the Sex Pistols insult with a song in 1977? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Oct 03 2024 : HankB: 6/10
Sep 30 2024 : Guest 108: 8/10
Sep 28 2024 : Guest 178: 5/10
Sep 22 2024 : Guest 184: 4/10
Sep 21 2024 : Guest 136: 10/10
Sep 16 2024 : sw11: 10/10
Sep 16 2024 : stephedm: 10/10
Sep 16 2024 : Luckycharm60: 10/10
Sep 15 2024 : woodychandler: 8/10

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Gordon Lightfoot wrote "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" about a shipwreck on which of the Great Lakes?

Answer: Superior

The Edmund Fitzgerald was a 729-foot freighter that capsized and sunk during a severe winter storm on November 10, 1975. It was a large vessel that was full of iron ore, en route to Detroit. In fact, it was the largest ship ever to sink in the Great Lakes until the end of the 20th century. Despite radioing for assistance, twenty-nine men perished in this accident. In tribute to the men who lost their lives that day, the last line of the song is "Superior, they said, never gives up her dead / When the gales of November come early."
2. Bob Dylan wrote the song "Hurricane" about which of the following?

Answer: A boxer

Bob Dylan wrote "Hurricane" about boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. Carter was falsely arrested and charged with murder in 1966. He was found guilty the following year. Carter wrote an autobiography in prison, and in it proclaimed his innocence. Bob Dylan visited him in jail, and became convinced that he was telling the truth.

The protest song was released in 1975, but Carter was not released from prison until 1985 after bringing evidence that he had been wrongfully convicted.
3. Which man did Carly Simon have in mind when she wrote "You're So Vain"?

Answer: We can't be absolutely sure

Carly Simon has never revealed who the entire song "You're So Vain" is about. She has suggested that one verse is about Warren Beatty, but that the other two verses are about other men in her life. She has also revealed that the man's name contains an "E".

It could have been written about any one of the options, since she was rumoured to have been romantically involved with each of them at some point in her career. Then again, it could have been about someone else. Simon herself has never revealed who the "You're" is; I guess she has preferred to keep us guessing.
4. Where was John Denver when he wrote the beautiful "Annie's Song"

Answer: On a ski lift

John Denver wrote this beautiful salute to his then-wife while he was riding on a ski lift in Colorado in 1973. He released the song in 1974. He reported that he had been exhilarated by his surroundings when he was skiing, and those senses were translated into the song.

The ride on the lift took about ten minutes, and he was able to compose the song in that time. "Annie's Song" was ranked as song Number 25 on Billboard's list for 1974.
5. Kiss wrote a song about real-life fan Cynthia Plaster Caster called "Plaster Caster". What did she enjoy putting in plaster casts?

Answer: Rock stars' genitalia

The song "Plaster Caster" was released by the rock band Kiss on their 1977 album "Love Gun". It is about a woman named Cynthia Plaster Caster (born Cynthia Albritton), an artist who gained fame in the 1960s by making plaster casts of rock stars' erect penises.

Her collection contains about fifty pieces, including the penises of Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Burdon (of the Animals). In 2000, Cynthia Plaster Caster started to cast the breasts of female musicians.
6. Who is Pink Floyd's "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" about?

Answer: Founding band member Syd Barrett

Syd Barrett (guitar and lead vocals) founded Pink Floyd in 1964 with Nick Mason (drums), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals), Richard Wright (keyboards, vocals) and Bob Klose (guitars); Klose quit in 1965. David Gilmour also joined the band in 1967. By 1968, Barrett's schizophrenia had taken over.

Besides his mental health, he was struggling with addictions to drugs. He was asked to leave the band by the other members who felt that he could no longer contribute to the success of the band. In turn, they wrote "Shine on You Crazy Diamond" about him.

The song appears on ten albums by both Pink Floyd and solo albums by Roger Waters and David Gilmour.
7. Don McLean's song "Vincent" is a tribute to Van Gogh's painting "The Starry Night". In which year did Van Gogh paint that particular masterpiece?

Answer: 1889

"Vincent" begins with the line "starry, starry night", and is a tribute to Van Gogh's beautiful oil painting that he created while he was in an asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. His window faced east, and he was able to capture the sky just before sunrise. Van Gogh was self-admitted to the asylum after he disfigured his own left ear during a breakdown in December, 1888.

The sad tale of a brilliant artist on the brink of madness comes across in the somewhat melancholy tune by McLean.
8. Which band sang "Man on the Moon", a song about Andy Kaufman?

Answer: R.E.M.

The members of R.E.M. wrote and sang this song as a tribute to Andy Kaufman after his death from lung cancer at the age of 35 in 1984. Kaufman was a comedian, well known for playing Latka Gravas on the sitcom "Taxi". Kaufman was known for his imitation of Elvis, and for a variety of his acts that included wrestling characters, and many hoaxes.

When he passed away, many fans believed that he had faked his own death due to the many hoaxes that he had created and perpetuated over the years. The song "Man in the Moon" makes reference to his many imitations and the hoaxes that he pulled over the years.
9. "Hey Jude" by the Beatles is a song about a real person. Who wrote this particular piece?

Answer: Paul McCartney

Even though it is credited to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, Paul McCartney actually wrote "Hey Jude" in honour of John Lennon's son Julian. He started with the lyrics "Hey Jules" after Lennon and his first wife separated in 1968 due to John Lennon's affair with Yoko Ono.

He has stated that he wanted to sing a song to comfort to their young son who was five years old at the time and likely struggling with the upheaval in his life. "Hey Jude" has sold over 4,000,000 copies in the US, and reached Number One on music charts around the world.
10. Which member of British royalty did the Sex Pistols insult with a song in 1977?

Answer: The Queen

The Sex Pistols released their song "God Save the Queen" in 1977, the year that the Queen celebrated her Silver Jubilee. It was their second single, and was on their only studio album "Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols". Despite the fact that Rolling Stone has ranked the song at Number 175 on their list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll, the song was banned from being played on many radio stations in the UK.

The ban is no surprise given that the song has lyrics like "God save the queen; The fascist regime; They made you a moron; Potential H-bomb; God save the queen; She ain't no human being; . . ."
Source: Author Trivia_Fan54

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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This quiz is part of series Music and Musicians:

Here are a few quizzes that I have written about music and musicians over the last little while. Enjoy!

  1. A Grab Bag of My Favourite Music Average
  2. Songs About Aging for Elder Fans Average
  3. Kennedy Centre Honours for Musicians Easier
  4. Pop and Rock Music Celebrities Average
  5. Rock Music - My Favourites Easier
  6. Songs About Actual Events and People Easier

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