A Bitter Sweet Symphony Online Quiz | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Verve sang about life's "Bitter Sweet Symphony". "Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony this life... Trying to make ____" What fills in the blank?

Answer: ends meet

"'Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony this life...
Trying to make ends meet"

Verve was formed in 1989 by four students at Winstanley Sixth Form College (for those not used to the British educational system, this is something between the last year of high school and first year of university). Richard Ashcroft on vocals, Nick McCabe on guitar, Simon Jones on bass and Peter Salisbury on drums were signed to Hut Records in 1991, and their first single, "All in the Mind", was released in March 1992.

2. In the "Bitter Sweet Symphony", what is one a slave to?

Answer: money

"you're a slave to the money then you die"

In 1994 the band played in the US rock festival, Lollapalooza, and started touring in the country. By this point, however, the use of, shall we say, unprescribed pharmaceuticals began to take their toll: Ashcroft was hospitalised as a result of his use of Ecstasy, and Salisbury trashed a hotel room. Adding injury to insult, Verve Records sued the band over its name, causing the band to add "The" to its name.

3. Where will The Verve take you, in its song, "Bitter Sweet Symphony"

Answer: down the only road

"I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down"

Following their US tour, the The Verve hit the studio to record their 1995 album, "A Northern Soul". Ashcroft described the time as "Four intense, mad months. Really insane. In great ways and terrible ways. In ways that only good music and bad drugs and mixed emotions can make." (sing365 biography) McCabe was heavy into the use of Ecstasy; while he may have been happy, the relationship between him and Ashcroft wasn't.

4. In "Bitter Sweet Symphony", the road will take you to a place where all - what - meet or meets?

Answer: veins

"You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah"

Finally the stresses in the band reached the point of no return, and The Verve was broken up by Ashcroft. A few weeks later he brought it back together, but without McCabe. Simon Tong, a friend from schooldays, came on board to play lead guitar.

5. In the "Bitter Sweet Symphony", the singer says he can't change but he's here in his what?

Answer: mould

"No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mould, I am here in my mould"

The late part of 1996 and part of 1997 was spent by the band in the recording studio. McCabe rejoined the band and despite the rampant drug use, by summer they finished recording their next album, "Urban Hymns". The first single from the album was "Bitter Sweet Symphony", which helped fuel the album to hit status and earned it the first ever "Q Classic Album" award.

6. The Verve claims in "Bitter Sweet Symphony" that it is how many different people?

Answer: a million

"But I'm a million different people from one day to the next...
I can't change my mold, no,no,no,no,no,no,no"

The Verve didn't get a penny from the hit song. They had used a looped sample of a Rolling Stones hit in the song, with permission of Allen Klein, whose company controls the Rolling Stones catalogue. After the CD came out, Klein decided they had used the loop "too much" and despite what seemed to be a verbal agreement to split the proceeds, he threatened legal action to take all the profits from the song and control its use. The alternative was to pull the CD from all the record shops, so The Verve caved, and Klein 'assigned' all writing credits to Keith Richards and Mick Jagger from the Stones.

7. In the "Bitter Sweet Symphony", what has the singer never done?

Answer: prayed

"Well I've never prayed, but tonight I'm on my knees, yeah"

Two more singles were released from the album, "Urban Hymns". The song "The Drugs Don't Work" hit #1 in the UK ("Bitter Sweet Symphony" only made it to #2) and "Lucky Man" made it to #7.

8. In the "Bitter Sweet Symphony", what does the singer need to "recognise the pain"?

Answer: sounds

"I need to hear some sounds that recognise the pain in me, yeah"

In 1998 Nick McCabe realised he couldn't handle the stress of touring with the band to promote the album "Urban Hymns", and he left. BJ Cole, a session guitarist, filled in for the rest of the tour. In April 1999, tour completed, the band broke up for the second time.

9. What does the melody do, in the "Bitter Sweet Symphony"

Answer: cleanse my mind

"I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now"

In 2007 the original four members of the group decided to revive the band. Their only release to date (May 2008) has been a downloadable 14-minute recording called "The Thaw Session". It was available for one week through the NME website.

10. In the "Bitter Sweet Symphony", how would one describe the airwaves?

Answer: clean

"But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now"

"Bitter Sweet Symphony" was used in a Nike advert as well as one for Vauxhall automobiles, to the dismay of the band. Eventually the band was able to get some control of its use, using the European court's definition of "moral rights". This, while not getting any money for The Verve, at least recognised it as the creators of the song. However, many watching the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, will recall the song being played as background to the presenters. It is also heard in the final scene of the film, "Cruel Intentions".

"Cause it's a bittersweet symphony this life...
Trying to make ends meet, you're a slave to the money then you die.
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down...
You know the one that takes you to the places where all the veins meet, yeah.

No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mould, I am here in my mould.
But I'm a million different people from one day to the next...
I can't change my mould, no,no,no,no,no,no,no

Well I've never prayed,
But tonight I'm on my knees, yeah.
I need to hear some sounds that recognise the pain in me, yeah.
I let the melody shine, let it cleanse my mind, I feel free now.
But the airwaves are clean and there's nobody singing to me now.

No change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change,
but I'm here in my mould, I am here in my mould.
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next
I can't change my mould, no,no,no,no,no

Have you ever been down?
I can't change, I can't change...

Cause it's a bitter sweet symphony this life.
Trying to make ends meet, trying to find somebody then you die.

You know I can't change, I can't change, I can't change, I can't change
but I'm here in my mould, I am here in my mould.
And I'm a million different people from one day to the next.
I can't change my mould, no,no,no,no,no

It’s just sex and violence melody and silence
It’s just sex and violence melody and silence
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
It’s just sex and violence melody and silence
I'll take you down the only road I've ever been down
Been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Ever been down
Have you ever been down?
Have you ever been down?
Have you ever been down?"

Source: Author CariM0952

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

A Bitter Sweet Symphony Trivia Quiz

The Verve gave us a decade of alternative music. Their first 'hit' song in the UK, and only one in the US, was "Bitter Sweet Symphony". Do you remember the words? Please rate this quiz when you've finished - thanks!

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