Anatomy of a Song: "Penny Lane" Quiz

Answer: Liverpool

Penny Lane the street that the song is named for, is in Liverpool 18 in the Mossley Hill district of the city. Liverpool is in the metropolitan county of Merseyside, UK. All four members of The Beatles were born in the city. This was before the metropolitan county of Merseyside was created when Liverpool was then in the county of Lancashire.

Answer: Photographs

"Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
And every head he's had the pleasure to know"

"Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever" was kept off the top of the UK chart by "Release Me (And Let Me Love Again)" by Engelbert Humperdinck and stuck at number two. If it had reached number one it would have given The Beatles their twelfth consecutive UK number one hit.

Answer: Say hello

"And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello"

"Penny Lane" was number one for one week on the US pop chart in 1967. It was the first of their three US number one hits that year. It gave The Beatles their thirteenth US number one hit.

Answer: Laughing

"On the corner is a banker with a motor car
The little children laugh at him behind his back"

At the time "Penny Lane" was released three of The Beatles were married. John in 1962, Ringo in 1965 and George in 1966. Paul got married in 1969.

Answer: Wear a mac

"And the banker never wears a mac
In the pouring rain, very strange"

"Penny Lane" was on side two of the US album "Magical Mystery Tour" which was number one for eight weeks on the Billboard album chart in 1967. As an import on the Capitol record label it reached number 31 on the UK album chart in 1968.

Answer: A portrait of the Queen

"Meanwhile back, in Penny Lane
There is a fireman with an hour glass
And in his pocket is a portrait of the Queen
He likes to keep his fire engine clean, it's a clean machine"

Although "Penny Lane" appeared on side two of the US album "Magical Mystery Tour", it did not appear on the UK "Magical Mystery Tour" double EP (extended play) which reached number two on the UK singles chart in 1967.

Answer: Piccolo trumpet

David Mason (born 1926, died of leukaemia in 2011) played the piccolo trumpet instrumental solo on "Penny Lane" for which he was paid the grand sum of £27 10 shillings.

He studied at the Royal College of Music in London and played in various orchestras during his career such as the Royal Opera House, the Royal Philharmonic and the Philharmonia. He was also professor of trumpet at the Royal College of Music. He played on various other Beatle records such as "A Day In The Life" on the "Sgt. Pepper album, "All You Need Is Love" and "Magical Mystery Tour".

Answer: Poppies/Play

"Behind the shelter in the middle of the roundabout
A pretty nurse is selling poppies from a tray
And though she feels as if she's in a play
She is anyway"

Artificial poppies are sold in the UK in November (to be worn in remembrance of those who died in war) by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans.

Answer: The Fireman

"Then the fireman rushes in
From the pouring rain, very strange"

Penny Lane in Liverpool is named after James Penny who was an eighteenth century slave trader. Numerous street signs have been stolen by tourists over the years. The fireman in the song would have been based at the fire station in Mather Avenue which is some distance from Penny Lane and is still in use today.

Answer: Strawberry Fields Forever

"Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever" was a double A-sided number two hit on the UK chart in 1967. "Penny Lane" reached number one for one week and "Strawberry Fields Forever" reached number eight on the US pop chart in 1967.

Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army children's home in the Woolton district of Liverpool near to John Lennon's home. It was closed in 2005 and became a church and prayer centre.