Music Wordplay Trivia Quiz

Answer: Torn Between Two Lovers

"Torn Between Two Lovers" was a song written by Peter Yarrow (Remember him from Peter, Paul and Mary?) in 1976. By February, 1977, Mary MacGregor had taken it to number one on the American pop charts and in assorted high placings in the charts of other nations.

It relates the tale of a woman telling a man whom she loves, that she also loves someone else as well, the wicked wench. In spite of breaking such devastating news to her true love, and in spite of still caring for the other fellow, she's asking poor old true love not to walk away, but to stay with her.

She probably had Buckley's chance of that happening.

Answer: Can't Buy Me Love

Oh boy, when the Beatles came along, the whole history of music took one dramatic new direction. Older generations were stunned, radio DJs couldn't believe their luck, politicians curled their lips, churches cried the end was coming - but teenagers adored them. "Can't Buy Me Love", released in 1964, was their sixth single.

It topped the charts all over the world, and, looking back over the 1960s, it was the fourth highest selling single of all time. The song that took out the number one single? The 1963 "She Loves You" - another Beatles hit. Basically "Can't Buy Me Love" is all about a man who has a lot of money, but, even though he can buy anything he wants with it, it can't buy him love. Philosophy with a drum beat.

Answer: ABC

"ABC", released in 1970, tells the girl in the song that going to school is fine for learning the rules of "reading, writing and arithmatic" (very sensible advice, but singer needed to check his spelling), but that, unless love is thrown into the equation, the roots of the "learning tree" won't flourish - and he can teach her all about this love instead. What a smooth talker.

This song replaced the beautiful and profound "Let It Be" by the Beatles on the charts, and remained in that position for four weeks.

Answer: The Boxer

Simon and Garfunkel released "The Boxer" as a single in 1969, and then included it in their famous "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Album in 1970. This powerful song is a type of Huckleberry Finn journey through life, but while Finn's had a happier outcome, the singer in this song is left bruised and scarred from all his experiences in life, and, while longing to go back to where it all began and have a second chance at life, he lacks the will to do so.

This is a very moving number but, like many other songs from the times, its impressive underlying philosophy of life is overlooked because of its really catchy rhythm.

Answer: Annie's Song

"Annie's Song", composed and released by John Denver in 1974, is one of the most exquisite love numbers ever written. Its soaring, yet gentle, melody, coupled with its really beautiful lyrics must surely appeal to even the most cynical of people. The lovely images of nature in the song and the profound sense of loss and longing it delivers is truly heartbreaking. Dedicated to his wife Annie, after a pretty hectic time in their lives, this was a love song that, in real life, didn't have a happy ending.

The couple's marriage finally broke down irrevocably in 1982. The musical tribute to love, however, lingers on.

Answer: I Started a Joke

"I Started A Joke" was released as a single by the Bee Gees in 1968, from their album "Idea". It was the last song to be recorded on that album, but turned out to be the most popular. The song reached number one on the Canadian, Australian and New Zealand charts, but wasn't quite as successful on the US ones. It wasn't released as a single in the UK, which was a bit odd, and that decision did a lot of damage to the song's popularity there.

Though many of the songs in this quiz have rather profound or philosophical lyrics, "I Started a Joke" has lyrics that don't make any sense at all. Barry Gibb remarked of the song that "There was a lot of psychedelia" at the time (the late 1960s) and that even if they wrote "something ridiculous, somebody would find the meaning for it..". He was certainly right about the ridiculous part.

Answer: Say You Love Me

"You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" was a 1966 hit single from English performer Dusty Springfield, and, of the many songs this great performer released, it proved to be her most popular, particularly in England where it shot straight to number one on the music charts there. This song was an English version of an equally popular version "Io che non vivo (senza te)" (I Who Can't Live Without You) by Italian singer Pino Donaggio in 1965.

Dusty Springfield, who was at a festival where the Italian version was performed - and who did not speak Italian herself - was so moved by the music and the feeling expressed in this song, that she shed tears. Nobody can sing a love song like a fine Italian tenor that's for certain, and that was the reason behind her decision to record an English version of this number the following year.

Answer: Alfie

Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for the 1966 movie "Alfie" starring the incomparable Michael Caine, and sung to perfection by the powerful voice of Cilla Black, "Alfie" was bound to be a giant hit, and that it was. Hal David resisted calling the number "Alfie" at first because he thought the name didn't sound too appealing, but then, neither was the character portrayed in that film.

Cilla Black also objected quite strongly to recording the song for the same reason and declared she wouldn't even call a dog Alfie. Fortunately for audiences all over the world, Burt Bacharach won the day. "Alfie", backed by a 48 piece orchestra (and that's nothing to howl at) was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios in 1965. It went on to take its place in the top levels of many charts all around the world.

Answer: Fernando

Ah, "Fernando", that's one fantastic song. According to composer Bjorn Alvaeus of ABBA fame, it tells the story of two old Mexican soldiers looking back over the years to when they fought in the Mexican Revolution. This song with its truly stirring chorus is enough to make anyone take up arms for a worthy cause. Bjorn said most of his songs had "little stories" contained within them, and the idea for "Fernando, written as a vehicle for the voice of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, was the cream of the crop (although I do have a really soft spot for "Thank You For The Music" as well).

Fernando is classed as ABBA's best selling song of all time, with sales of millions of copies all around the world. That's isn't at all surprising. Now where did I put my trusty old sabre? There has to be a revolution somewhere to join.

Answer: You Light Up My Life

Debby Boone, daughter of famous 1950s crooner and actor, Pat Boone, had to hastily compile an album to showcase her smash hit "You Light Up My Life" when it soared to number one on the American charts in 1977. The result - an RIAA platinum certified winner.

This song remained at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts for ten weeks, and Debby scooped the Grammy Award for Best New Artist the following year. A well deserved accolade, you'll agree.