Richard Harris Trivia

1. "MacArthur Park" was most famously sung by whom?

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: Richard Harris

Richard Harris was born on 1 October 1930 in Limerick, Ireland. His promising career in rugby football was cut short when he contracted TB, and upon recovery he moved to London where he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He is probably best known as an actor: King Arthur in "Camelot", Rafer Janders in "The Wild Geese", English Bob in "Unforgiven", Emperor Marcus Aurelius in "Gladiator" and most recently Dumbledore in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets". He also sang, and released a dozen albums. He died on 25 October 2002.

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Spring

"Spring was never waiting for us, girl It ran one step ahead" That's because Spring heard the song and did not intend to hang around for an encore performance!

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: dance

Originally named Westlake Park, MacArthur park is in the Westlake area of Los Angeles, California. It is bisected by Wiltshire Boulevard. A lake takes up most of one half, while the other has a bandshell, ampitheatre and playground. It was renamed after General Douglas MacArthur. "Spring was never waiting for us, girl It ran one step ahead As we followed in the dance"

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Green

"MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark All the sweet, green icing flowing down" Aha! Not only was the icing green, but it was sweet! I ask Richard Harris this: "Have you ever known icing not to be sweet?"

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: striped pair of pants

MacArthur Park went from being a high-class recreational area to a den of thieves in the 1980s. Drug dealers and other felons took over the area, and when the lake was drained to allow construction of an underground rail line, old weapons were found on the lake bed. "Between the parted pages and were pressed, In love's hot, fevered iron Like a striped pair of pants"

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Yellow

"I recall the yellow cotton dress" Well, at least we know the hippocampus was functioning. Of course, we only have Richard's word that the dress was yellow.

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: green

Throughout the song, Harris sang "MacArthur's Park" rather than the correct "MacArthur Park". Songwriter Jimmy Webb (who I do NOT accuse of having partaken of the aforementioned pharmaceuticals) tried to correct Harris, but finally gave up. "MacArthur's Park is melting in the dark All the sweet, green icing flowing down Someone left the cake out in the rain I don't think that I can take it 'cause it took so long to bake it And I'll never have that recipe again Oh, no!"

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: A cake

"Someone left the cake out in the rain I don't think that I can take it 'Cause it took so long to bake it And I'll never have that recipe again" Let's examine this a line at a time! Line 1, classic avoidance strategy: "I didn't do it, but someone did". Line 2, does he mean he cannot physically pick it up, or does he mean a soggy cake is the last straw for his already tortured psyche? Line 3, now he is inferring that he baked it. If that is true, who else would have left it in the rain but him (refer Line 1). Line 4, with respect, I think he's already lost the recipe, if you get my meaning.

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: yellow

The song was released as a single from Harris' 1968 album, "A Tramp Shining". It reached #2 on the Billboard chart in the US. "I recall the yellow cotton dress Foaming like a wave On the ground around your knees"

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Cotton

"I recall the yellow cotton dress Foaming like a wave On the ground around your knees" On the ground, but above her knees? She was either a double amputee, or he was the one doing the foaming (at the mouth, perhaps after eating the rancid cake).

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: playing checkers

Humourist Dave Barry polled his readers to find the worst song ever written. MacArthur Park took the number one place - ahead of such benefits to the world of music as "Yummy Yummy Yummy I Got Love in My Tummy" (Ohio Express), "You're Having My Baby" (Paul Anka), "Honey" (Bobby Goldsboro), "Timothy" (The Buoys) and "Achy Breaky Heart" (Billy Ray Cyrus). It was hard work to beat those out for worst song! "The birds, like tender babies in your hands And the old men playing checkers by the trees"

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Checkers

"And the old men playing checkers by the trees" Afterwards, it is rumoured, the old men intended to go down to the pond to "feed the ducks with a bun". Or maybe some leftover cake...

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: another dream

Despite its rather unusual lyrics, and the abuse it has received over the years (and not just from Dave Barry), over 50 covers of the song have been recorded by such luminaries as Donna Summer (she topped the charts with it), Andy Williams, The Fifth Dimension, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Four Tops, and even Frank Sinatra. "There will be another song for me For I will sing it There will be another dream for me Someone will bring it"

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Warm

"I will drink the wine while it is warm" Whatever floats your boat. I guess warm wine goes well with soggy cake.

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: warm

The song is also cited in a number of other works, including They Might Be Giants' "It's Not My Birthday", the B-52s' "Detour Thru Your Mind" and Yes' "Leave It". "I will drink the wine while it is warm And never let you catch me looking at the sun And after all the loves of my life After all the loves of my life You'll still be the one."

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Striped

The entire first verse: "Spring was never waiting for us, girl It ran one step ahead As we followed in the dance Between the parted pages and were pressed In love's hot, fevered iron Like a striped pair of pants" The last line is sung: "Like a stry - ped pair of pants" so that it follows the same syllabic pattern (7 syllables) as the third line, with which it rhymes: "As we followed in the dance" Classic!

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: worship

The song is found in a number of films, including "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert", "Airplane II" and "Vertical Limit". "I will take my life into my hands and I will use it I will win the worship in their eyes and I will lose it"

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: Donna Summer

I have spent the whole quiz putting down Richard Harris and his rendition of the song. That said, I quite like it! When compared to Donna's disco interpretation, I have only one thing to say: Albus Dumbledore rocks!

From Quiz A Walk Through "MacArthur Park"

Answer: through the sky

The song seems to relate a lost love - first romance (spring), lust (hot, fevered iron), loss (I'll never have that recipe again), memory (yellow cotton dress), hope (another song to sing) and determination (take my life into my hands and I will use it). Jimmy Webb, more noted for songs like "Witchita Lineman", "Up Up and Away" and "Galveston" apparently initially intended the song to be part of a longer piece for the Association (who didn't choose to record it). Nevertheless, no matter how one feels about the song, the lyrics will remain in the memories of most of us of a 'certain age'. Who could possibly forget the pictures painted by the song? "I will have the things that I desire And my passion flow like rivers through the sky. And after all the loves of my life After all the loves of my life I'll be thinking of you And wondering why."

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "Macarthur Park"

Answer: One Step Ahead

"One Step Ahead" was a single from Split Enz's "Corroboree" album. In their native land of New Zealand, the album was released as "Waiata". Poor Richard - "Macarthur Park" regularly appears on lists of the world's worst songs. Sure, it is overly-melodramatic. Sure, the lyrics don't make a lot of sense. When you examine most songs closely, the lyrics don't tend to make much sense. I say, anyone who is brave enough to sing about cakes being rained on deserves to held in higher company than "Achy Breaky Heart".

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