Who Sang THAT Song? Multiple Choice Quiz | Music in Other Words

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Try these fractured lyrics to figure out the song. Clue provided at the end. Ready? "Recline, female person, recline; recline on my gargantuan metallic pallet. Pause, female person, pause; pause with your male counterpart for a short but indefinite period of time. Until the morning arrives, permit me to observe you as you cause him to turn the corners of his mouth upwards. His garments are filthy but the appendages that extend from his arms are sanitary And you're the finest subject that he's noticed in all the years of his existence." Hint: Robert Zimmerman

Answer: Lay, Lady, Lay

"Stay, lady, stay, stay with your man awhile
Until the break of day, let me see you make him smile
His clothes are dirty but his hands are clean
And you're the best thing that he's ever seen"

This is the second stanza of the song performed by a man known as "Bob Dylan."
Robert Allan Zimmerman, (Bob Dylan), released the song "Lay, Lady, Lay" in 1969. It was originally his intent to release it so that it could be included in the movie, "Midnight Cowboy", but he did not submit it in time.

2. Which one of these songs by The Grass Roots might have been "improved" by these lyrics? "The girl's got a questionable item that moves my innermost being; And she realizes I'd adore to adore her. But she causes me to become uninflated on every occasion. Can't possess her; she's no one's object of adoration. This evening, with me, she'll be so welcoming; I desire her exclusively for me. Sinfully desiring orbs peering directly into my-my-my innermost being..."

Answer: Temptation Eyes

"She's got something that moves my soul
And she knows I'd love to love her
But she lets me down every time
Can't make her mine; she's no-one's lover.
Tonight with me she'll be so inviting
I want her all for myself.
Temptation eyes looking through my-my-my soul..."

Between 1967 and 1972 The Grass Roots set an impressive record for being on the Billboard charts for an unimaginable 307 weeks STRAIGHT! The group has sold over twenty million records. They charted 14 Top 40 hits, that included seven gold and one platinum single, and two Hits Collections that attained gold status. All the songs that were presented as options were performed by The Grass Roots.

3. Okay, so what about this "bubble-gum" classic from the late '60s/early '70s? Do you know this absolutely redundant song that would have made a great advertisement for the Dixie-Crystals Company? "Refined cane product, ah-uh bee product, bee product You are my sweetened snack youthful female And you've got me desiring you. Bee product, ah refined cane product; refined cane product You are my sweetened snack, youthful female And you've got me desiring you."

Answer: Sugar, Sugar

"Sugar, ah-uh, honey, honey;
You are my candy girl, and you've got me wanting you.
Honey, ah, sugar, sugar;
You are my candy girl, and you've got me wanting you."

The Archies were a "manufactured" cartoon group and yet, "Sugar, Sugar" was the number one hit single of the year 1969. I remember at least one of the marketing techniques for the song.

Honeycomb cereal had the record made into the back of their cereal box, and all you had to do to play the "record" was to carefully cut out the circular disk that was a part of the box packaging and then place it on your record player. Some clever marketing ploy dreamed up by a rather brilliant mind. I'm certain that Honeycomb sales shot right out the roof!

The song was written by Jeff Barry and Andy Kim (who years later sang "Rock Me Gently.") Rock music promoter Don Kirshner was in charge of assembling the studio musicians who recorded the song.
(Dixie Crystals Sugar has been in business since 1917 and is distributed from Savannah, Georgia)

4. If Neil Diamond had actually sung this song this way, would it have been an even bigger hit than it was in 1970? "Hey, fire logs sputtering Flower-y, jump on the train; You and I will travel 'til there isn't anymore to go anywhere. Moving not so quickly; Deity don't you understand? Enjoyed me a period of time with an impoverished individual's female counterpart."

Answer: Cracklin' Rosie

While all the songs mentioned were sung by Neil Diamond, a native of Brooklyn, New York, it is Cracklin' Rosie that he was singing about. The story goes that Neil had an experience of sorts with some native Indian peoples in Canada, who, when celebrating their time off work would resort to a cheap wine, a "crackling or sparkling ros�", (the French pronunciation of the word "ros�" being "ros-ay", which means a color of wine), to pass the time. Since the men of the area far outnumbered the women, those who were unfortunate enough to not have a partner, would get tipsy together on cheap wine as they commiserated around the campfire.
Lyrics:
"Hey, Cracklin' Rosie, get on board,
We're gonna ride 'til there ain't no more to go.
Takin' it slow; Lord, don't you know
Have made me a time with a poor man's lady."

That, at least, is one 'interpretation' of the song's origins.

5. This 1969 hit by a band that didn't exist, except in a producer's imagination, might have been improved by the following lyrics. The group? Crazy Elephant. The song? Well, that is where you must lend a hand... "From the capital of a southern state to the contents of the Gulf of Mexico, To the largest state on the west coast; I'm gonna spend my life both in the dark as well as in the sunshine; Say, Allow me to have, allow me to have, beneficent lovin'; every time the sun goes down. Allow me to have, allow me to have, beneficent lovin'; I implore you to ensure that it is okay. Ha,uh-ha,uh-ha,uh-ha,uh-ha To the immature females in city by the bay to the immature females in a place formerly known as New Amsterdam, To the immature females in Texarkana, you gotta understand That infant I'm your male person."

Answer: Gimme Good Lovin'

"From Atlanta, Georgia to the Gulf Stream water,
To Cal-if-orn-I-A, I'm gonna spend my life both night and day,
Say, Gimmee gimmee good lovin' every night.
Gimmee gimmee good lovin'; make it all right.
(Ha,uh-ha,uh-ha,uh-ha,uh-ha)."

Crazy Elephant. What a name! And yes, they were another example of a "band" that was nothing more than a concoction of a studio group. Their big claim to fame was this song, which landed in both the US and the UK at number 12 on the charts.

6. Do you remember a group called The Flying Machine? Well, I do, so here goes your next question. Analyze these fractured lyrics and see if you can tell me what they were singing about. "You actually ought to acknowledge, on this occasion, the man has vacated the premises permanently. He'll never return to this locale at this time, although he promised to do so. Therefore, term of endearment, stop weeping; there is a plethora of alternative males who would donate the globe, I feel certain, to don the loafers that he had on his feet..."

Answer: Smile A Little Smile For Me

"You really should accept, this time he's gone for good.
He'll never come back now, even though he said he would
So, darling, dry your eyes; so many other guys
Would give the world I'm sure to wear the shoes he wore..."

"Smile A Little Smile For Me, (Rosemarie)" by The Flying Machine was a major hit for a British pop group.

(Singer James Taylor had a group by a similar name in 1967, but was not involved with this group.)

7. Question Mark and the Mysterians, (no, I am NOT making that up!) had a hit song in 1966 with this tune. "An excess amount of saline solution for a solitary person to be dispensing An excess amount of saline solution for a solitary bodily organ to tote. You are towering above now that you've abandoned me You are always chortling at me as I dwell beneath you; But keep your eyes open, I will be arriving at your location We'll keep company for a short time, And then I will remove you from your position and reposition you lower And you'll begin to weep a hundred tears, give or take a few. Sob, sob, sob..."

Answer: Ninety-Six Tears

"Too many teardrops for one heart to be crying
Too many teardrops for one heart to carry on.
You`re way on top now since you left me
You're always laughing way down at me;
But watch out now, I'm gonna get there
We'll be together for just a little while,
And then I'm gonna put you way down here
And you'll start crying ninety-six tears
Cry, cry, cry..."

Originally, the song was entitled "69 Tears", but that was changed due to the fact that the group feared that radio stations would give it too little air time, for reasons perhaps better left undiscussed.
The group called, "? and the Mysterians", was comprised of brothers Rudy (the lead singer) and Robert Martinez and their friend, Frank Lugo. All were originally from Texas, but were raised in Saginaw, Michigan. Other members of the band included Frank Rodriguez, Jr., Larry Borjas, Bobby Balderrama and Eddie Serrato.

8. "At the present, I've been elated recently, pondering the beneficial things that will soon arrive And I feel that it could be, an unknown quantity has started. Oh, I've been grinning recently, envisioning the earth as a single entity And I feel that it could be, at some point it will arrive. Because out on the fringe of nightfall, there travels a choo-choo of tranquility Oh, choo-choo of tranquility take this nation, come remove me to my domicile another time." Hint: sung by Yusuf Islam BEFORE his voluntary name change. What's the name of this song?

Answer: Peace Train

"Now I've been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be, something good has begun.
Oh, I've been smiling lately, dreaming about the world as one
And I believe it could be, some day it's going to come.
'Cause out on the edge of darkness, there rides a peace train
Oh, peace train take this country, come take me home again."

Yusuf Islam, or the artist formerly known as Prin... er, that is, Cat Stevens, was a popular musician with a sort of "folksy" sound back in the early to middle 1970s. His conversion to Islam ended his popular music phase for a good while, as he embarked on a new life path, yet in 2006, he released his first pop album in 28 years, "An Other Cup". A more recent album, released in 2009, was entitled "Roadsinger".

9. Alistair Ian Stewart, (Al Stewart) had a big hit with this song in 1978. Now, wouldn't this have been so much more likely to have been a raging success? No? Well, figure out what the lyrics mean, before you go judging, okay? "It was deep in the last month of the year; the atmosphere above the earth turned to a white precipitation Everywhere nearby the sunlight was fading in a lazy manner; the darkness like a large stream starting to flow I was aware of the thrum-thrum of my brain go meandering along into the way that clocks measure minutes as they go by Annual times go stumbling in the light as it slowly disappears; the way that clocks measure minutes as they go by Purchase a token for me on the final locomotive that is going to my house this evening."

Answer: Time Passages

"It was late in December; the sky turned to snow
All round the day was going down slow; night like a river beginning to flow
I felt the beat of my mind go drifting into time passages
Years go falling in the fading light; time passages
Buy me a ticket on the last train home tonight."

Al Stewart, a Scottish artist who grew up in England, had hits with "Year of the Cat" and "On the Border", as well as this song. Alan Parsons produced both albums, "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages".

10. For your last question, I, in my infinite wisdom and/or stupidity, have chosen to present you with a real challenge. The following lyrics focus on the MIDDLE of the song. The Artist? Manfred Mann's Earth Band. The song? Well, he had so many, it's really hard to say... "An unknown plastic-filled female sibling with a male agent told me that I have the ability to fill the position. She informed me, 'I will enlighten you, young man, to a particular point that is powerful; perform the tune that has a strange and unusual style.' And a small racing car Wolfgang was reviewing the meteorological report to ensure that the weather would be cooperating in a safe manner, and a small person nicknamed "Early-pearly" drove by in a chocolate coated British candy bar, and enquired if I had any use for a lift."

Answer: Blinded By The Light

"Some silicone sister with a manager mister told me I go what it takes.
She said "I'll turn you on sonny, to something strong; play the song with the funky break".
And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart to see if it was safe outside, and little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride, asked me if I needed a ride."

While all the songs given as choices, were sung by Manfred's bands, (he had a total of three at different times), it was Bruce Springsteen's "Blinded By The Light" that gave Manfred his big breakthrough, early in 1975.

Source: Author logcrawler

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Who Sang THAT Song? Trivia Quiz

Back in the 1960s and '70s, if music artists had used these fractured and cumbersome lyrics, maybe their songs would have been even more successful. Then again, maybe not...

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