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Quiz about The Cruel Cruel River Quiz
Quiz about The Cruel Cruel River Quiz

The Cruel 'Cruel River' Quiz


In 2008 Steve Knightley of the folk-rock duo 'Show of Hands' released a solo album, 'Cruel River'. Following the maxim about being cruel to be kind, here is a cruel quiz about it.

A multiple-choice quiz by paper_aero. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
paper_aero
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
299,196
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
144
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. The title track "Cruel River" refers to a river in Devon that is reputed to take a life every year. This seems mostly to be due to accidents, but the victim in this song jumps because her father and brothers don't like her choice of lover. What is the name of this river? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. "Transported" is a song about a couple of scoundrels from the south-west of England. Which is the best description of the illicit contents of the trailer when the 'Landy' has a flat and the police turn up to offer a hand? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. "The whole world knows there's no-one in. But a hollow man and a crooked grin." What is the name of this character, who is also the title of the song from which the lyric is taken? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. There are many attractive aspects to living in the countryside, and a few drawbacks. What feature of the weather is the problem with living 800 feet up on the north side of a hill in the west of England? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Not all of the songs on the CD are written by Steve Knightley, which song by Mark Knopfler is included? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The "Tall Ship Story" concerns a typical sailor's tall story. The sailor swears that in this case it actually happened. In which port is it claimed this took place? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What is the worst case scenario for our two rustlers in "Transported"? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. In the song "Poppy Day" what is the profession of the song's narrator? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. From the song "All Quiet on the Western Front", the front in which of the four cardinal directions states that "Sold our souls in the wasted dome. For a maximum wage million pound home."? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. The song "Caragana Wind" was written by which Canadian singer-songwriter? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The title track "Cruel River" refers to a river in Devon that is reputed to take a life every year. This seems mostly to be due to accidents, but the victim in this song jumps because her father and brothers don't like her choice of lover. What is the name of this river?

Answer: Dart

All of the options are rivers in Devon. But the river in question is the River Dart. Steve Knightley writes in his notes that he learnt the Dartmoor saying "River of Dart, river of Dart, every year you claim a heart." Tragedies still occur along this river every few years.
2. "Transported" is a song about a couple of scoundrels from the south-west of England. Which is the best description of the illicit contents of the trailer when the 'Landy' has a flat and the police turn up to offer a hand?

Answer: Ovine

"Stolen sheep in our trailer and rain in the air". Ovine means sheep-like and I cannot think of anything more sheep-like than a sheep. By the way a 'Landy' is a Land-Rover, bovine is cow-like, cervine is deer-like and porcine is pig-like.
3. "The whole world knows there's no-one in. But a hollow man and a crooked grin." What is the name of this character, who is also the title of the song from which the lyric is taken?

Answer: Crooked Man

The song is entitled "Crooked Man '07" to distinguish it from an earlier version. The opening "There was a crooked man with a crooked smile" and other lines, strongly suggests this is a political song from someone not very impressed with Tony Blair. But this is only supposition as nowhere in the song are any names mentioned.
4. There are many attractive aspects to living in the countryside, and a few drawbacks. What feature of the weather is the problem with living 800 feet up on the north side of a hill in the west of England?

Answer: Rain

The song is titled "Raining Again" and is about living in Dorset. It does look at other aspects of living in rural England apart from the weather, e.g. "The church or the pub oh you're forced to choose. So what you gain in one life oh in the next you lose." Further on the lyrics go "And I've heard enough of some folk rock band. Banging on and on about country life." This to me is a clear reference to Show of Hands and their album "Country Life", the title track of which was written by Steve Knightley, (as are most of the duo's songs).
5. Not all of the songs on the CD are written by Steve Knightley, which song by Mark Knopfler is included?

Answer: Romeo and Juliet

This is listed as a bonus track, a live performance instead of being part of the studio recording. I have never heard the original but this version sits well with the rest of the album. "Sailing to Philadelphia" is also a Mark Knopfler song but as far as I know Steve Knightley has never recorded it, and certainly not on this album. "She's Gone" is written by Steve Knightley and is included on "Cruel River" while the song "Come By" which is also written by Steve Knightley is to be found on the Show of Hands' album "Cold Frontier".
6. The "Tall Ship Story" concerns a typical sailor's tall story. The sailor swears that in this case it actually happened. In which port is it claimed this took place?

Answer: Shanghai

Are these tall stories ever true? Or based in reality back in the mists of time? In this tale the sailor gets to spend the night with a beautiful young woman. But "On every ship some loud mouthed sailor. Says it happened to him what happened to you. But for one young man in all these oceans. Well I will have made this fiction true. Forever known as a liar by all of your crew."
7. What is the worst case scenario for our two rustlers in "Transported"?

Answer: Bail

Well this is a song of modern day villainy, a few hints as to the era are the mobile phone, the land rover and the police radio, all of which would be anachronisms in the days when sheep stealing was a capital offence and Australia served as Britain's off shore jail. "There's no transportation down under. No gallows in the old County Jail.

At best in the morning a fine and a warning, at worst in the evening we're let out on bail." Which is why at the end of the song the pair of rogues are glad "they weren't born in 1803"?
8. In the song "Poppy Day" what is the profession of the song's narrator?

Answer: Drug Dealer

"Poppy Day" is about how inadequate our attempts to control the drugs trade are. "You're trying to kill bugs with a gun or a rapier", the drug dealer simply moves on looking for new victims. "And in the tree lined suburbs out in the sticks. I open up my bag of tricks.

There's a million more young lives to fix.". Although poppies give comfort to many, they are also the source of much misery to many more.
9. From the song "All Quiet on the Western Front", the front in which of the four cardinal directions states that "Sold our souls in the wasted dome. For a maximum wage million pound home."?

Answer: South

In this verse it is "all quiet on the southern front". The dome plainly refers to the millennium dome whilst the million pound home comments may be coming home to roost with the 2008 global credit crunch.
The overall theme of the song is how things have changed (for the worse) in the north, south, east and west of England.
10. The song "Caragana Wind" was written by which Canadian singer-songwriter?

Answer: Gary Fjellgaard

The song itself is about a couple having to leave the farm they've worked on for fifty years. This fits well with the themes of songs Steve has written about English farming. As part of Show of Hands, Steve has recorded songs written by all of the other listed songwriters.
Source: Author paper_aero

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
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