Let Me Finish That For You (2) Quiz

Answer: But I won't do that

These lyrics are, of course, from Meat Loaf's 'I Would Do Anything For Love' song. ('Meat Loaf' being Marvin Lee Aday.)

This song, released in 1993, was known as Meat Loaf's comeback song. This was because many of Meat Loaf's previous hits, released in the late '70s, were written by the piano player, Jim Steinman. They had a falling out and did not reconnect until they made the album 'Bat Out of Hell II: Back into Hell' together which featured 'I Would Do Anything For Love'.

If you are wondering what the line: 'but I won't do that' pertains to - the answer, according to the late Meat Loaf is: (drumroll please) --- the previous statement.
E.g. when he sings:
'But I'll never forget the way you feel right now, Oh no - no way/
I would do anything for love, but I won't do that...'
he is saying he won't forget the way you feel right now. Etc.

This song was huge for Meat Loaf. Apart from going to number one in 28 countries including the U.S, the UK, Australia and Canada, this song won Meat Loaf his only Grammy Award. As most will know, we sadly lost the extremely talented Meat Loaf to Covid in 2022.

Here are a few of the lyrics:
'After a while you'll forget everything
It was a brief interlude and a midsummer night's fling
And you'll see that it's time to move on
No, I won't do that
I won't do that'

Answer: Oh, what can it mean

These lyrics are from 'Daydream Believer' sung by the Monkees in 1967.

The song was actually written by a folk singer named John Stewart, who would later go on to team up with the legendary John Denver. The lead singer of the Monkees, Davy Jones, named 'Daydream Believer' as his favorite Monkees song, and this song was the last U.S. number one the Monkees had before they drifted apart. (They officially broke up in 1970, some two years after their show was cancelled.)

The song 'Daydream Believer' reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for four weeks in 1967. It peaked at number five in the UK but also reached number one in South Africa, Ireland, NZ and Canada.

Here are a few of the lyrics:
'Cheer up, sleepy Jean/
Oh, what can it mean/
To a daydream believer/
And a homecoming queen?'

Answer: Tomorrow I'll miss you

The Beatles sang these lyrics in the song 'All My Loving' which they released in 1963.

Rather interestingly, this was the first song where Paul McCartney wrote the words before he wrote the music. He apparently wrote them while shaving and thinking about his girlfriend, Jane Asher.

This was the first song the Beatles played when they appeared on the 'Ed Sullivan Show' in February 1964. A whopping 73 million people watched them sing this - which was the largest TV audience ever at that time.

I included this particular song because it rather surprisingly was not released as a single, except for in Canada. People in the U.S. imported the singles from Canada in large enough quantities though, that the song managed to make it to the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. anyway! It peaked at number 45 in April 1964.

Some of the lyrics are as follows:
'Close your eyes and I'll kiss you/
Tomorrow I'll miss you/
Remember I'll always be true/
And then while I'm away/
I'll write home everyday/
And I'll send all my loving to you.'

Answer: The minor fall, the major lift

These lyrics are from the song 'Hallelujah', written and recorded by Leonard Cohen in 1984.

The song has quite a noticeable religious slant, which reflects Cohen's Jewish heritage. This is evident in the references to King David, Bathsheba, Samson and Delilah. Cohen apparently took a whole five years to write 'Hallelujah'.

The song has been covered more than 170 times, with perhaps the best known version being by Jeff Buckley when he performed it in 1994. In December 2008 the song was historically in the UK charts in three different positions in the same week, which was astonishing. A winner of 'X-Factor UK', Alexandra Burke, had her rendition of the song at number one, while Jeff Buckley's 1994 rendition was at number two and Cohen's original was at number 36.

Here are a few of the lyrics:
'Now, I've heard there was a secret chord/
That David played, and it pleased the Lord/
But you don't really care for music, do ya?/
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth/
The minor fall, the major lift/
The baffled king composing Hallelujah.'

Answer: What I really really want

These lyrics are from the song 'Wannabe' by the Spice Girls. Released in July 1996, it was written by Matt Rowe, Richard 'Biff' Stannard and all five Spice Girls in just 30 minutes (though it took a great deal longer to get the audio track right). The song features Mel B and Geri Halliwell rapping.

One interesting fact is that the Spice Girls asked the then-Prime Minister of the UK to be in the music video. Geri Halliwell approached Mr Blair at the 1996 Brit Awards, apparently saying: "Mr Blair, I'm Geri and I'm in an all-girl band. We're going to be huge. We're about to make our first video. Would you be interested in appearing in it?" He wasn't, and so respectfully declined.

The song was a huge hit everywhere from the U.S. to Hong Kong, reaching number one in over 37 countries. It spent seven weeks at number one on the UK charts and four weeks at number one on the U.S charts. It also won British Single of the Year at the 1997 Brit Awards.

Let's look at some of the lyrics:
'If you wanna be my lover, you gotta get with my friends/
Make it last forever, friendship never ends/
If you wanna be my lover, you have got to give/
Taking is too easy, but that's the way it is/
Yeah, I'll tell you what I want, what I really, really want/
So tell me what you want, what you really, really want/
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna, I wanna/
I really, really, really wanna zigazig ah.'

Answer: What the hell am I doin' here?

These are, of course, some of the lyrics to 'Creep' by Radiohead which was released in 1992.

The song was written by Thom Yorke when he was a student in Exeter, UK before the band was even formed. Yorke said the song was inspired by an obsession he had with a stranger: a woman who was completely out of his league. When he did eventually get drunk enough to approach her, she apparently freaked out. Unsurprisingly, he didn't get the girl. What he did get was fan mail from murderers in prison who said they could really relate to the song!

The song really didn't hit the charts at all when it was released, except in Israel, Scandinavia, Spain and NZ, where it went very well. BBC Radio 1 wouldn't play it at all, because they found it too depressing.

Having said this, in the intervening years, 'Creep' has managed to go Platinum in Australia, 6x Platinum in Canada, and 2x Platinum in the UK and Italy. It is also an extremely popular song at karaoke.

Let's have some lyrics:
'But I'm a creep/
I'm a weirdo/
What the hell am I doin' here?/
I don't belong here/
I don't care if it hurts/
I wanna have control/
I want a perfect body/
I want a perfect soul/
I want you to notice/
When I'm not around
So very special
I wish I was special.'

Answer: Woah, livin' on a prayer

These lyrics are from the song 'Livin' on a Prayer' performed by the American band, Bon Jovi. The lyrics were written by Jon Bon Jovi, Richie Sambora and Desmond Child and the song was released in 1986.

The song is essentially about a couple of young adults, Tommy and Gina. One works on the docks and one at a diner, and despite their hardships, they are determined to make it on their own. The song really struck a chord with a lot of people, but particularly working-class people, where it became an anthem of sorts for them.

It would seem that over the years, it still strikes a chord, since in 2023, the official video reached one billion views on YouTube. The Aussies clearly liked the song a lot since it went 7x Platinum in Australia. It was also a hit in the UK and the U.S, where it went 3x Platinum and in Italy and Japan, where it went Platinum.

Let's have a few lyrics:
'She says, we've got to hold on to what we've got/
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not/
We've got each other and that's a lot for love/
We'll give it a shot/
Woah, we're half way there/
Woah, livin' on a prayer/
Take my hand, we'll make it I swear/
Woah, livin' on a prayer.'

Answer: He showed off, splashing around

These lyrics are from 'Summer Nights' which, of course, featured in the 1978 movie 'Grease'. The song was sung by John Travolta (Danny) and Olivia Newton-John (Sandy). It sees the pair singing about their summer romance, with each having an extremely different perspective on what happened.

Written by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, who composed all the music for 'Grease', the single was released in August 1978 and became a massive hit worldwide. It hit number one in the UK and stayed there for seven weeks, and reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100.

The song has also really stood the test of time: in 2010, it came in at number nine on Billboard's 'Best Summer Songs of All Time' list.

Let's have a few lyrics:
'She swam by me, she got a cramp/
He ran by me, got my suit damp/
I saved her life, she nearly drowned/
He showed off, splashing around/
Summer sun, something's begun/
But ah! Oh, the summer nights/
Well-a, well-a, well-a, huh/
Tell me more, tell me more/
Was it love at first sight?/
Tell me more, tell me more/
Did she put a fight?'

Answer: And go dancing in the rain

These lyrics are from Ricky Martin's 'Livin' La Vida Loca' recorded in 1999.

'Livin' la Vida Loca' translates as 'Livin' the Crazy Life'. The song essentially is about Ricky meeting a wild and seductive woman who makes him forget about everything, and simply live in the moment.

Though the song was recorded by Ricky Martin and was his English-language debut, it was written by Draco Rosa and Desmond Child. (If you recall, Desmond Child also wrote 'Livin' on a Prayer' for Bon Jovi.) Apparently the two writers wanted to create 'The Millennium party song from Hell'.

This they pretty much did. This uplifting, super-happy song was a huge hit for Ricky Martin. It reached number one in more than 20 countries. It stayed at number one in the U.S. for five consecutive weeks and in the UK, Ricky became the first Puerto Rican artist to have a number one on their charts. The song was voted the 'top dance track of all time' by VH1 viewers.

Incidentally, singer and comedian, Mark Lowry, did a parody of the song called 'Livin' For Deep Fried Okra.' In it, he sings about his love for this rather unhealthy southern dish.

If you'd like to have a sing-along here are a few of the lyrics:
'She'll make you take your clothes off/
and go dancin' in the rain/
She'll make you live her crazy life/
She'll take away your pain/
A bullet through your brain/
Upside inside out, Livin la vida loca/
She'll push and pull down, Livin la vida loca.'

Answer: It's like an angel sighin'

These lyrics are from 'Like a Prayer' sung, of course, by Madonna, and released in 1989.

Rather interestingly, 'Like a Prayer' didn't debut on radio stations or in record stores. Rather - and for the first time ever by a major artist - it debuted as the track to a two-minute commercial. The brand was Pepsi and this formed part of a $5 million endorsement deal Madonna signed with them. Pepsi claimed that 250 million people saw the ad which featured Madonna watching her 8-year old self at a birthday party.

Even though Pepsi later dropped Madonna in spectacular fashion when she released the actual (and very controversial) video for the song, it shouldn't come as any great surprise that the song, written by Madonna and Patrick Leonard, was a huge success. It came in at number one in almost 20 countries, including the U.S., the UK, Europe and Australia. It is also listed on Rolling Stone's '500 Greatest Songs of All Time', at number 55. Nice work.

You might also be interested to know the story behind the cover of the single. Madonna had recently divorced from Sean Penn when the single was released. The cover of the single, which was drawn by Madonna's brother, Christopher, contained the letters 'MLVC', with a 'P' falling off after the other letters. This represented the break up of Madonna's marriage - it was her initials - Madonna Louise Veronica Ciccone - with the 'P' for 'Penn' drifting away.

'Lets have a look at some of the lyrics:
'I hear your voice/
It's like an angel sighin'/
I have no choice/
I hear your voice/
Feels like flying/
I close my eyes/
Oh God I think I'm fallin'/
Out of the sky/
I close my eyes/
Heaven help me/
When you call my name, it's like a little prayer/
I'm down on my knees, I wanna take you there/
In the midnight hour, I can feel your power/
Just like a prayer, you know I'll take you there.'