A Sweet Quiz for You

Answer: Barbershop harmony song

This song is so associated with the craft of barbershop harmony that the well-known international women's harmony singing organization is called the "Sweet Adelines." The Sweet Adelines were formed in 1945 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The song is older, with the music having been written in 1896 and the lyrics in 1903 (with the name 'Rosalie' in the title). Supposedly the 'Adeline' is taken from the name of famed opera soprano Adelina Patti.

Answer: Written for a girl from a political family?

This iconic 1969 song was long said to have been inspired by Caroline Kennedy, since a picture of her did provide the idea for a name. The woman behind the song was actually the at-the-time wife of the songwriter, Neil Diamond..."Marcia" just didn't work in the song. "Sweet Caroline" has served as an anthem for sports teams in the United Kingdom and the United States.

It was a beloved favourite of the late Princess Diana.

Answer: Wadsworth Mansion

This is a song with classic coming-home-to-his-love lyrics. The band Wadsworth Mansion, formed in Providence, Rhode Island, named itself for an actual house in Middletown, Connecticut. They are considered a "one-hit wonder" with this catchy tune from 1971.

Answer: This song featured a banjo

Speaking of sweets, the singer obviously has a sweet tooth, because the woman in the song "feeds (him) love, and tenderness, and macaroons." She also sings "old familiar tunes," which could also fall nicely into the "sweet" category.
This Juno-award winning song, from 1971, comes to us via the Canadian band The Stampeders, hailing from Calgary. Its unique quality among top-of-the-pops songs is the fact that its primary instrument is the banjo.

Answer: Inspired by Chopin

"Sweet Melissa" is a subtitle for Barry Manilow's "Could It Be Magic." The song, whose music is inspired by Frederic Chopin's "Prelude Op. 28, No. 20 in C Minor," is said to have been written for a real-life Melissa: Melissa Manchester, solo artist and former backup singer to Bette Midler.

The version as we know it was released in 1973, after a peppy rendition by a ghost group called Featherbed. For those of you who wondered why the Allman Brothers weren't mentioned here: their similarly titled song is simply "Melissa."

Answer: The Velvet Underground

"Sweet Jane," which was released in various forms between 1969 and 1974, contains strong, alluring imagery such as "Heavenly wine and roses." This piece, however, is not as simplistic as the average "sweet" song. Lou Reed wrote it for the Velvet Underground as a reminder that all generations and all life choices have their upside and deserve better than to be derided by those who consider themselves more evolved and who take other paths. Even run-of-the-mill businessman Jack has his sweet Jane, we see in the song's story, and his lifestyle is just as valid as that of the progressive rock singer.

Answer: Old concert song

This poetic nineteenth-century song appears in concert compilations for voice and piano. Composed in 1884 by Anton Rubinstein and arranged by Michael Watson, it is also known as "Voices of the Woods" and "Melody in F." The lyrics rhapsodize about the arrival of spring and have a quality of innocence reflective of much of the music of the time.

Answer: Men want to die for her

"Sweet Georgia Brown" from 1925 became the theme song of the Harlem Globetrotters (basketball) team in 1952. It has been performed as a bluegrass as well as a jazz song, and covered by many of the Big Bands and their vocalists. The Georgia in the song is heartless to men, but they adore her nonetheless. "The all sigh and wanna die for Sweet Georgia Brown."

Answer: Bubblegum song

Tommy Roe, also well-known for "Dizzy," recorded "Sweet Pea" in 1966 and it is cited by some critics as one of the first songs of the bubblegum rock era. It is a simple admiration song for a girl who is called by the name of a spring flower, and the singer is asking her to dance.

It has a very retro quality about it--and once it's stuck in your head, it's there for awhile. Like all good bubblegum songs!

Answer: Written by a Beatle

Former Beatle George Harrison composed this in a spirit of universal spirituality. "My Sweet Lord" includes chants of both "Hare Krishna" and "Hallelujah" as well as prayers from Vedic Sanskrit; it has been used in Buddhist, Christian, and New Age prayer and/or meditation settings.

The song contains a catchy tambourine beat and a strong vocal background. It conveys that spirituality and prayer should unify rather than divide, and the lyrics speak of a personal quest for a relationship with the Divine.