The Rainbow Connection Trivia Quiz

Answer: Orange

"Orange Blossom Special" was written by Ervin T. Rouse in 1938 about a luxury passenger train that operated between New York City and Miami (in the winters) from 1925 until 1953. As a popular fiddling tune, it came to be referred to as 'the fiddle player's national anthem,' and it has been covered numerous times in the years that followed. One of the most notable versions was recorded in 1965 by Johnny Cash, using harmonica and saxophone for the normal fiddle part, and singing the lyrics (when normally it is done as an instrumental).

The lyrics:

"Look a-yonder comin'
Comin' down that railroad track
Hey, look a-yonder comin'
Comin' down that railroad track
It's the Orange Blossom Special
Bringin' my baby back

Well, I'm going down to Florida
And get some sand in my shoes
Or maybe Californy
And get some sand in my shoes
I'll ride that Orange Blossom Special
And lose these New York blues

"Say man, when you going back to Florida?"
"When am I goin' back to Florida? I don't know, don't reckon I ever will."
"Ain't you worried about getting your nourishment in New York?"
"Well, I don't care if I do-die-do-die-do-die-do-die."

Hey talk about a-ramblin'
She's the fastest train on the line
Talk about a-travellin'
She's the fastest train on the line
It's that Orange Blossom Special
Rollin' down the Seaboard line"

Answer: Yellow

The full title of the song is actually "The Moon Was Yellow (And the Night Was Young)." It was composed by Fred E. Ahlert with lyrics by Edgar Leslie, and first recorded by the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra in 1934.

The version dated in this question was by Frank Sinatra, who first recorded this romantic ballad in 1945 with Columbia Records, which made it onto his 1950 album "Dedicated to You." He re-recorded twice, for his 1962 album "Point of No Return" and his 1966 album "Moonlight Sinatra."

The lyrics:

"Here we are!
Is our romance to continue?
Will it be my luck to win you?
May I look that far?

The moon was yellow
And the night was young
A smile brought us together
And I was wond'ring whether
We'd meet again someday

The moon was yellow
And a song was sung
That vocal inspiration
Gave me the inclination
To give my heart away

Here we are!
Is our romance to continue?
Will it be my luck to win you?
May I look that far?

My love is mellow
And all my hopes are strong
Around that cupid fellow
Behold, the moon is yellow
And the night is young"

Answer: Blue

Perhaps the most famous rendition of "Blue Suede Shoes" is the one by Elvis Presley, which he recorded in 1956 for his debut album. But before that, Carl Perkins wrote and recorded the song in late 1955, releasing it in early January of '56. Perkins' original version was also popular, reaching Number two on the Billboard pop charts, and Elvis just made it more so.

The lyrics:

"Well, it's one for the money
Two for the show
Three to get ready
Now go, cat, go
But don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Well, you can knock me down
Step in my face
Slander my name
All over the place
Do anything that you want to do, but uh-uh
Honey, lay off of my shoes
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

You can burn my house
Steal my car
Drink my liquor
From an old fruit jar
Do anything that you want to do
But uh-uh honey, lay off of my shoes
Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
Rock"

Answer: White

"White Rabbit" was written by Grace Slick between December and January of 1965-66 and recorded with her band The Great Society from a live performance in 1966. That album, however, delayed its release until 1968, after Slick had left the group to front Jefferson Airplane.

Jefferson Airplane released their own version of "White Rabbit" with their second album (their first with Slick on lead vocals) in 1967. As you might expect (or know), "White Rabbit" was inspired by Lewis Carroll's classic novels, "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865) and "Through the Looking-Glass" (1871).

The lyrics:

"One pill makes you larger
And one pill makes you small
And the ones that mother gives you
Don't do anything at all
Go ask Alice
When she's ten feet tall

And if you go chasing rabbits
And you know you're going to fall
Tell 'em a hookah-smoking caterpillar
Has given you the call
Call Alice
When she was just small

When the men on the chessboard
Get up and tell you where to go
And you've just had some kind of mushroom
And your mind is moving low
Go ask Alice
I think she'll know

When logic and proportion
Have fallen sloppy dead
And the White Knight is talking backwards
And the Red Queen's off with her head
Remember what the dormouse said
Feed your head
Feed your head"

Answer: Purple

Van Morrison made his own arrangement of a traditional Scottish/Irish folksong with a long history. Scottish composer Robert Archibald Smith (1780-1829) and poet Robert Tannahill (1774-1810) created the song "The Braes of Balquhither," which was itself adapted by Irish musician Francis McPeake as "Wild Mountain Thyme" and recorded in 1950.

While many renditions of the song have been recorded over the years, Van Morrison dubbed his version "Purple Heather" and included it as the closing song of his seventh studio album, "Hard Nose the Highway" (1973).

The lyrics:

"Well the summertime has gone
And the leaves are gently turnin'
And my love I wanna take you
To the place heart-a-yearnin'
Will you go, lassie go

And we'll all go together
In the wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will you go

And I will build my love a tower
At the foot of yonder mountain
And visit by the hour
From a lonely wooden tower
Will you go, lassie go

And we'll all go together
In the wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Come on

And I will build my love tower
At the foot of yonder mountain
I will visit by the hour
With the lily of the valley
Go, will you go, lassie go

And we'll all go together
In the wild mountain thyme
All around the blooming heather
Will you go, lassie go
Will you go
Will you go, will you go
Will you go, lassie go"

Answer: Red

Queen's Roger Taylor wrote "A Dozen Red Roses For My Darling" as an instrumental piece that was released as a single on the B side of "It's a Kind of Magic" in 1986. It was never included on any of their studio albums.

All of the band members had their parts to play for the song, with Freddie Mercury playing keyboards, Brian May on both bass and electric guitar, John Deacon contributing on drums and keyboards, and Roger Taylor himself playing guitar and keyboards.

Answer: Silver

Daft Punk's 1997 debut album, "Homework" featured "Indo Silver Club" as the fourteenth track, showcasing their electronic music and innovative use of sampling, from Karen Young's "Hot Shot" (1978). Interestingly, Daft Punk released a version of the song on another label the previous year, without actually naming themselves as the artists. Many listeners assumed it was by a group called Indo Silver Club, a belief that was disabused when the song appeared on the 1997 album.

The initial single release had two parts, split on both sides of the vinyl, but the portion included on the debut album only had the second part. As an instrumental track, there are no lyrics.

Answer: Hazel

Kelly Clarkson co-wrote "Behind These Hazel Eyes" with Max Martin and Dr. Luke for her second studio album "Breakaway" (2004), and also released it as one of the singles from the album in 2005. Clarkson wrote it as a response to her own life experience with a breakup, referencing hiding tears behind her own eyes. The accompanying music video featured Clarkson as a bride who discovers her fiancé has had an affair.

The song was a great success for Clarkson, reaching Number six on the Billboard Hot 100 and staying in the top 10 for fifteen weeks.

Lyrics:

"Oh-oh, oh, oh
Oh-oh-oh
Oh-oh, oh, oh

Seems like just yesterday
You were a part of me
I used to stand so tall
I used to be so strong
Your arms around me tight
Everything, it felt so right
Unbreakable, like nothing could go wrong

Now I can't breathe, no, I can't sleep
I'm barely hanging on

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

I told you everything
Opened up and let you in
You made me feel alright
For once in my life
Now all that's left of me
Is what I pretend to be
So together, but so broken up inside

'Cause I can't breathe, no, I can't sleep
I'm barely hanging on

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Swallow me, then spit me out
For hating you, I blame myself
Seeing you, it kills me now
No, I don't cry on the outside anymore

Anymore

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Here I am, once again
I'm torn into pieces
Can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes"

Answer: Grey

David Bowie's song "Mother Grey" has an interesting history. It was written by Bowie in 1967 with a demo recorded in 1968 for the publishing company Essex Music, but when Bowie tried to sign over the songs to Chrysalis in 1970, Essex claimed ownership of the songs from the earlier agreement. With the legal dispute over the rights to the song, it was never published...

Until 2018, when it was finally released digitally in order to retain copyright of the song before finally being included in the 2019 box set "Spying Through a Keyhole."

Lyrics:

"Mother, mother makes the bed, Mother Grey
Mother, mother makes the bed, broom broom
Mother, mother makes the bed, Mother Grey
Mother, mother makes the bed, broom broom

Ooh, ooh

Silver kitchen full of pots and pans
Me oh my, that's the way for mother Grey
Starry sky looks down on mother's hands
Goodness oh my
Mother Grey's on the outside

Harry's home, it's time for Harry's dream
Me oh my
What makes you hungry?
Tries to kiss but she ain't in the mood
What can be done?
Mother Grey's tossed the inside

Mother, mother cleans the floor, Mother Grey
Mother, mother cleans the floor, broom broom
Mother, mother cleans the floor, Mother Grey
Mother, mother cleans the floor, broom broom

Mother used to laugh, but there again
Two years been gone
We're gonna have some she don't laugh
He's on the road, with the box on his bag
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
Come make a bomb on the outside

She cleans some shoes and wipes a picture frame
Me oh my
Schoolboy eyes accounting her
How will breakfast ever be the same?
Write her a line
Tell her what he's like on the outside

Mother, mother goes to sleep, Mother Grey
Mother, mother goes to sleep, down down
Mother, mother so alone, Mother Grey
Mother, mother so long, now now"

Answer: Green

Rock band All Time Low included "Getaway Green" on their eighth studio album "Wake Up, Sunshine" 2020, even though they had performed it live while on tour the year before. Hearkening back to their earlier punk band style, it became a fan favourite with its upbeat and energetic style.

Lyrics:

"Sippin' cherry cola
Starin' at the poster on the wall
What's the point of going out when
You could just give me a call?

Sittin' on your sofa
Reminiscing over 23
You touch yourself the way I used to
Now that's just a memory

Weekend, wonderful
Fade away youth
Summer symphony
What could I do?

We were getaway green
In a world of black and white
Getaway green
Like the Costa Mesa traffic lights
Keep on, keep on, keep on
Tellin' me I'm what you need
Like getaway green, getaway green

I know I'm not supposed to
Color in the lines when it comes to you
Undefined and out of mind
'Til you get lost and lonely too

I guess I get the message
We don't have to stress this anymore
If it happens, then it happens
Happy to have you at all

Weekend, wonderful
Fade away youth
Summer symphony
What could I do?

We were getaway green
In a world of black and white
Getaway green
Like the Costa Mesa traffic lights
Keep on, keep on, keep on
Telling me I'm what you need
Like getaway green, getaway green

Do you wanna know how the story ends?
Hazy and spun out
Just more than friends
Weekend wonderful, a dizzy dream
A colorful lie
We made a hell of a team

We were getaway green
In a world of black and white
Getaway green
Like the Costa Mesa traffic lights
Keep on, keep on, keep on
Telling me I'm what you need
Like getaway green, getaway green

Getaway, getaway green"