(a) Drag-and-drop from the right to the left, or (b) click on a right
side answer box and then on a left side box to move it.
Questions
Choices
1. Moon River
The Melodians
2. River Deep - Mountain High
Ike & Tina Turner
3. The River of Dreams
Al Green
4. Rivers of Babylon
Audrey Hepburn
5. Take Me to the River
Justin Timberlake
6. Green River
Bruce Springsteen
7. Cry Me a River
Jimmy Cliff
8. Many Rivers to Cross
Creedence Clearwater Revival
9. River
Billy Joel
10. Meeting Across the River
Eminem (feat. Ed Sheeran)
Select each answer
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Moon River
Answer: Audrey Hepburn
'Moon River' was written by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer for the 1961 film 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and was originally performed by the star of that movie - Audrey Hepburn. An instrumental version without Hepburn's vocals was played over the movie's opening credits and subsequently made it onto the soundtrack album and to number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1961.
It has since been covered by numerous artists, notably including Andy Williams, Jerry Butler and Frank Sinatra.
2. River Deep - Mountain High
Answer: Ike & Tina Turner
'River Deep - Mountain High' was a single credited to Ike & Tina Turner that was first released in 1966 with Tina Turner as lead vocalist. It was written by Phil Spector, Jeff Barry and Elle Greenwich. The song reached number three on the UK Singles Chart, but only crept onto the US Billboard Hot 100 list at number 88.
Despite that initial lack of success in the United States, it has gone on to be inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and appeared on various lists of the greatest songs of all time.
3. The River of Dreams
Answer: Billy Joel
Billy Joel's 'The River of Dreams' (which he both wrote and performed) was the title track of his album of the same name, first released in 1993. It is based on gospel music and the lyrics that tell of the river being reached via the "mountains of faith", "valley of fear", "jungle of doubt" and "desert of truth" indicate its spiritual and reflective nature.
It was also a commercial success, reaching number three on both the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.
4. Rivers of Babylon
Answer: The Melodians
As the title suggests, 'Rivers of Babylon' is another song inspired by faith and religion. It was written in 1970 by Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton for their reggae band, the Melodians. The lyrics are associated with the Rastafari faith and contain several quotations from Biblical psalms.
While the Melodians were the originators of the song, the most famous version internationally is probably the 1978 cover by Boney M. It spent five weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart and also made it into the top 30 of the US Billboard Hot 100.
5. Take Me to the River
Answer: Al Green
'Take Me to the River' appeared on the 1974 album 'Al Green Explores Your Mind' and was written and performed by Al Green in collaboration with Mabon Hodges. While Green's version wasn't released as a single, a 1978 cover by Talking Heads reached number 26 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Later covers include versions by Annie Lennox, Eva Cassidy and the Grateful Dead.
Another version of the song to find widespread commercial success was the one sung by an animatronic mounted rubber fish named "Big Mouth Billy Bass", which proved to be strangely popular in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
6. Green River
Answer: Creedence Clearwater Revival
'Green River' was written by John Fogerty, lead singer and guitarist of the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (also simply known as CCR). The song - apparently about a river in California that Fogerty visited in his childhood - appeared on the band's album of the same name and was first released as a single in 1969. It climbed as high as number two on the US Billboard Hot 100.
7. Cry Me a River
Answer: Justin Timberlake
This particular 'Cry Me a River' was written by Justin Timberlake (along with Timothy Mosley and Scott Storch) and the first version of it was recorded by him for his debut solo album 'Justified'. It reached number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number two on the UK Singles Chart following its release as a single in November 2002 and is said to be about the breakup of Timberlake's relationship with fellow pop star Britney Spears.
It shouldn't be confused with a popular song of the 1950s of the same name, which was written by Arthur Hamilton and initially released by the singer and actress Julie London.
8. Many Rivers to Cross
Answer: Jimmy Cliff
'Many Rivers to Cross' was written and initially released by the Jamaican singer and musician Jimmy Cliff in 1969. It was originally included on his second studio album, the eponymously titled 'Jimmy Cliff', but later also appeared on the soundtrack to the 1972 film 'The Harder They Come'.
It has been covered by numerous well-known artists over the years, including versions released as singles by UB40, Cher and Annie Lennox.
9. River
Answer: Eminem (feat. Ed Sheeran)
Simply titled 'River', this song was written by Marshall Mathers (aka Eminem), Ed Sheeran and Emile Haynie in 2017. The performance of it, as both a single and album track, was credited to Eminem, featuring Ed Sheeran. It was a number one hit on the UK Singles Chart and also reached number 11 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The song's music video was nominated for the Best Cinematography Award at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards but lost out to a song by Jay-Z and Beyonce performed under the name The Carters.
10. Meeting Across the River
Answer: Bruce Springsteen
'Meeting Across the River' is a song from the acclaimed album 'Born to Run' by Bruce Springsteen. It was both written and performed by Springsteen and was released in 1975 as the B-side to the song 'Born to Run'. While the "A-side" song went on to be considered as one of the best songs of all time, 'Meeting Across the River' remains one of Springsteen's lesser-known songs.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
