'Streets Of London' : Story Of A Song Multiple Choice Quiz | Music

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. 'Streets of London' was a song written by the English folk singer/songwriter Ralph McTell. On which of his albums did it first appear?

Answer: Spiral Staircase

McTell included 'Streets' on his second album, which was released in 1969, even though he wrote it at the turn of 1965/66. He purposely did not put it on his first album, 'Eight Frames A Second' thinking it was too mournful.

2. What what was the highest position achieved by Ralph McTell's 'Streets of London' in the UK charts?

Answer: Number 2

The single was released in 1974 and its success took everyone, including McTell, by surprise. At one point it sold at 90,000 copies a day. [Source: BBC]

3. Where did Ralph McTell write the tune that was to become 'Streets of London'?

Answer: Paris

In an interview with the BBC, McTell said he worked out the tune while staying in a hotel in Paris - he paid five Francs a night for a hotel in which the wallpaper was tacked to the walls it was so damp. McTell lived for lengthy periods in Paris at the height of the student unrest. In a spoken introduction on a later album he recalled the Paris of that time as "a city of love, laughter and riot policemen".

4. According to the lyrics of Ralph McTell's 'Streets of London', where was an old man "kicking up the paper with his worn out shoes"?

Answer: A closed down market

McTell said in a BBC interview that he initially intended to write about the destitute people he saw in Paris, but on returning home to London, decided that would not be quite right and based the characters on people that he saw in London.

5. Like many of his compositions, Ralph McTell wrote the words of 'Streets of London' before he wrote the melody.

Answer: False

In an interview with Brian Matthew for BBC Radio 2's 'Sold on Song' series in 2006 McTell said: "There's only been a couple of songs where I've written the words first. With me I live with the tune for a couple of years before I get the words down I don't find it so hard to write tunes as words, words always take a long time with me". 'Streets' was listed at number 32 in the 'Sold On Song' top 100 favourite records.

6. Complete the lyrics from Ralph McTell's 'Streets of London': "Have you seen the old man Outside the ---- ---- Memory fading with the medal ribbons that he wears In our winter city, The rain cries a little pity For one more forgotten hero And a world that doesn't care"

Answer: Seaman's Mission

Among those to cover the song were: Cliff Richard, Joan Baez, Roger Whittaker, Gordon Lightfoot, and Sin�ad O'Connor.

7. Which award did Ralph McTell receive for his song 'Streets of London"?

Answer: Ivor Novello Award

The awards are presented annually by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, and were introduced in 1955. McTell won his award in 1974.
In 2002 Ralph McTell was presented with the prestigious 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.
As a by-note, another McTell composition, "From Clare To Here" was on Nanci Griffith's Grammy-winning album 'Other Voices, Other Rooms' in 1993.

8. In his song 'Streets of London', Ralph McTell sang: "Have you seen the old girl Who walks the streets of London Dirt in her hair and her clothes in rags? She's no time for talking, She just keeps right on walking Carrying ---- ---- in two carrier bags." What did she carry?

Answer: Her home

McTell later said: " There were three versions in the German charts - all by me! 'Streets' also sold more sheet music than any song since the war. I formed a rock band just before the record was a hit, but of course we never played 'Streets'. Audiences didn't like the band, so I announced my retirement and went off to America in a fit of pique. 'Streets' opened more doors than it closed.

The song is still played all over the world and even schoolchildren in the Himalayas have been heard singing it." [Source: 'One Hit Wonders', by Chris Welch and Duncan Soar]

9. What was the name of the radio show on which Ralph McTell first sang 'Streets of London'?

Answer: Country Meets Folk

McTell later recalled: "The first time I sang the song it was greeted by a silence at the end that seemed to last for minutes and then a thunderous applause. I thought that the song still felt too short and so I added the "Seamans' Mission" verse. What I didn't know until many years later was that, on its first broadcast, the switchboard at the BBC was jammed with enquiries about the song." [Source: www.ralphmctell.co.uk]

10. Ralph McTell only got a chance to play a very brief version of 'Streets of London' on a TV show featuring one of British comedy's favorite duos before he was interrupted and abused. Which of these duos were the stars of the show?

Answer: French and Saunders

Watch 'The Trial of Ralph McTell' on YouTube. The sketch also starred Gary Moore, Mark Knopfler, Lemmy, David Gilmore and Mark King, as well as the hosts, Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders.

Source: Author darksplash

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

'Streets Of London' : Story Of A Song Quiz

"So how can you tell me you're lonely, And say for you that the sun don't shine?..." See how much you know about Ralph McTell's haunting song.

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