Song Meanings for Quiz Night

[StevieBee]

Organising a quiz night next week and thought I'd do a music round with a difference - "What's the meaning behind the song" So far, I've got:

Born in the USA - Vientnam protest
Smoke on the Water - Hotel on fire
Perfect day - Heroin addiction
Sit Down - Depression
American Pie - Death of Buddy Holly

Need a few more.

Found a few sites on this but there's so many songs listed, thought I'd throw it out to PH musos for input.

Much appreciated in advance!

[StevieBee]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Tell me that's not for real!

[Dr John]

Here is a quick quiz I used recently. Feel free to use as you feel fit.

John

	Title	Artiste	Writer	Year	Supplementary	Answers
1	God save the queen	Brian May 1975	Unknown	1744	Where was this played live in 2002	On 3 June 2002, during the Queen's Golden Jubilee, Brian May performed the anthem on his Red Special electric guitar for Party at the Palace, performing from the roof of Buckingham Palace.
2	Johnny B Goode	Chuck Berry	Chuck Berry in 1955	1958	Who overheard this song being played in “Back to the future”	Chuck Berry’s Cousin – Marvin
3	The Lion Sleeps Tonight	The Tokens	"Mbube" (Zulu for "lion") was first recorded by its writer, Solomon Linda, and his group, The Evening Birds, in 1939.	1961	What type of song was this before it became a pop song?	Lullaby
4	Moon River	Frank Sinatra	Johnny Mercer and Henry Mancini	1961	For whom was this song written?	For Audrey Hepburn in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's.
5	Layla	Derek & the Dominos	Eric Clapton & Jim Gordon	1970	For whom is it written?	Inspired by Clapton's then-unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend George Harrison Boyd divorced Harrison in 1977 and married Clapton in 1979
6	I will always love you	Dolly Parton	Dolly Parton in 1973	1974	In what film was this song famously sung, and by whom? Who tried to cover the song but failed?	The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston. {Elvis Presley expressed his wish to record the song, when she refused to split her song writing royalties he did not record it.}
7	Waterloo	Abba	Abba	1974	In what year did this win the Eurovision Song Contest?	1974
8	No woman no cry	Bob Marley & The Wailers	Bob Marley	1975	Who was the credited writer on this song	Though Bob Marley likely wrote the song himself, songwriter credits were given to "V. Ford". Vincent Ford was a friend of Marley's who ran a soup kitchen in Trenchtown, the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica where Marley grew up. The royalty cheques received by Ford ensured the survival and continual running of his soup kitchen
9	Teenage Kicks	The Undertones	John O'Neill	1978	Who’s favourite song was this?	DJ John Peel
10	Thriller	Michael Jackson	Rod Temperton	1984	What was special about the album of which this is the title track?	With units ranging from 55 million to approximately 104 million, it is the best-selling album ever
11	Buck Rogers	Feeder	Grant Nicholas	2001	In what film, staring Owen Wilson, was this music played?	Behind Enemy Lines
12	American Idiot	Green Day	Billie Joe Armstrong, Mike Dirnt , and Tré Cool	2004	This band appeared in The Simpsons. How did they die?	They die after falling in the highly polluted Lake Springfield, they play "Nearer, My God, to Thee" on violins as their barge sinks, a reference to the film Titanic.
13	Canon in D	Jerry C	Pachebel	1680	This was released on YouTube, how many hits has it had?	38,576,101

[StevieBee]

Dr John - you are a star!

Cheers

[Smiler.]

Whole Lotta Rosie - Fat bird
The Jack - VD

[Planet Claire]

A couple that I can think of, although some of the titles do give it away a bit:

Harrowdown Hill - Thom Yorke - Dr David Kelly 'suicide'
Enola Gay - OMD - dropping of the atomic bomb
He looks like Spencer Tracy now - Deacon Blue - inspired by Time magazine article by physicist who was on the Great Artiste plane that flew alonside the Enola Gay.
Kevin Carter - Manic Street Preachers - Photographer who won Pulitzer Prize and who committed suicide

[Evangelion]

You're So Vain by Carly Simon was alleged to have been inspired by Warren Beatty

[The Hypno-Toad]

Two women have both had top 40 hits written about them, who are they and what are the songs?

Patti Boyd: Something - The Beatles & Layla - Derek & The Dominoes (there is also a rumour that Photograph - Ringo Starr is also about her but this unconfirmed.)

Paula Yates: Suicide Blonde - INXS & Stuck In A Moment - U2

Steve Harley & Cockney Rebels - Come Up & See Me was a peace offering to some ex band members who still wanted to be friends with.

Madonna - True Blue was about first hubby Sean Penn

I heard a rumour that Flamboyant - Pet Shop Boys is about Posh Spice

Peter Gabrial - Solsbury Hill is about quitting Genesis

Might be back some more later. Toads off for some a pasta and a think.

[Pothole]

your audience won't know them, but:

Jackson Browne - Rosie (masturbation)
Jackson Browne - Redneck Friend (his penis)

[The Hypno-Toad]

Evangelion said:

You're So Vain by Carly Simon was alleged to have been inspired by Warren Beatty

Or Mick Jagger

Or David Crosby

Or David Geffen

Or one of the Eagles

[Pothole]

The La's 'There She Goes' was also about heroin.

[Pothole]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

not according to wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katrina_Leskanich

After the Waves broke up in 1999, Leskanich launched a solo career, first as a DJ for BBC Radio 2 and then in 2001 she played the lead role in the musical Leader of the Pack. She released her first solo CD, Katrina Leskanich, through Universal Records in Britain in 2005. And the single - Leskanich's cover of Kirsty MacColl's "They Don't Know" was played on Radio 2. In 2005 she also participated in the Swedish selection for the Eurovision Song Contest (Melodifestivalen 2005) with the song "As If Tomorrow Will Never Come". In 2005 Leskanich (with Renars Kaupers) hosted Congratulations - 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest, in Copenhagen.
Currently Leskanich is performing in the UK, Europe and in the U.S. as a solo performer and with her new band, which also includes Darren Loveday (guitar), Elio Pace (keyboard), Jack Pollitt (drums), Andy Coughlan (bass) and Paul Newton (horns).
Katrina covered a Clash song, "Hitsville UK" for a compilation album put together by Jimmy Guterman, which is a tribute to The Clash Sandinista! album and was released on 15 May 2007 in the United States.
Katrina performed in the 1980s show Gylne Tider which toured Norway in the early summer of 2007 and transferred to the Christiania Theatre in Oslo from October to December 2007. Katrina's cover of "They Don't Know" was included in the compilation Gylne Tider 2 which was released in 2007 and went platinum.
Katrina also appeared in the Countdown Spectacular 2 concert series around Australia between late August and early September 2007. She performed her hit "Walking On Sunshine".
From 27 January 2008 to 9 March 2008, Katrina was one of three jury members for Eurosong 2008 in Belgium, the pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.
On 1 March 2008, she performed a remix dance version of her 1997 Eurovision winning song, "Love Shine A Light", on the BBC Eurovision song selection show.
To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of "Walking on Sunshine", Leskanich released her first live album - THE LIVE ALBUM in July 2010. The album includes a live version and a blues version of "Walking on Sunshine". “I have performed ‘Walking on Sunshine’ for so many years in so many different countries that it’s become the one constant in my life and the one thing I can count on to bring happiness to myself and others.” said Leskanich.

[PaulHogan]

Turning Japanese - about wking

[Shaw Tarse]

Easy one : One Vision by Queen

[Pothole]

Shaw Tarse said:

Easy one : One Vision by Queen

Fried chicken?

[The Hypno-Toad]

Sneaker Pimps - Six Underground is about buying drugs from a dealer. Which makes its use in a Carling Black Label advert even more ironic.

Edited by The Hypno-Toad on Thursday 26th August 07:31

[MoleVision]

Shine on you crazy diamond.... Pink Floyd.. tribute to Syd Barrett after he left the band.

[kiteless]

Bron-Yr-Aur (Led Zep). Named after the Snowdonia cottage retreat often used by the band members.

[CRACKIE]

The Hypno-Toad said:

Evangelion said:

You're So Vain by Carly Simon was alleged to have been inspired by Warren Beatty

Or Mick Jagger

Or David Crosby

Or David Geffen

Or one of the Eagles

I thought she admitted it was Geffen a couple weeks ago ~ apparently she says it backwards on one of the tracks on her new album. Let it go Carly " He had you several years ago, while you were quite naive ".

[The Hypno-Toad]

Here's a few general questions;

Who is the first artist not from America or the UK to have a number one hit with their debut single?

How did New Order get their sums wrong with their release of Blue Monday?

What instrument did Dr Avalanche play in The Sisters Of Mercy?

Which famous musician guested on Scritti Politti's hit Oh Patti?

Edited by The Hypno-Toad on Friday 27th August 22:22