Can You Sing a Rainbow? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yellow

Joni Mitchell was inspired to write "Big Yellow Taxi" after a visit to Hawaii in 1970. It reflected her growing concern with the damage that was being done to the environment.

Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, "Yellow Submarine" was released in 1966. It was a big hit for the Beatles, and provided the inspiration for their third film - a cartoon of the same name.

Answer: Green

While all the colours might be used for glass bottles, the traditional song has always been "Ten Green Bottles". There has been a suggestion that the song dates back to medieval times, but another theory states that it was composed in the 1830s, and refers to the green uniforms of the Peelers (the first policemen), who were known as 'greenbottles'.

In "Greensleeves", it is thought that Henry VIII was referring to Anne Boleyn (his second wife) when he wrote about 'my lady greensleeves'.

Answer: Pink

"You're a Pink Toothbrush, I'm a Blue Toothbrush" was a favourite with small children when it was released by Max Bygraves.

"Lily the Pink" was released at the end of 1968 and became a Christmas hit for the Scaffold. It is based on the ballad of Lily Pinkham, who was famous for producing herbal remedies.

Answer: Red

"Roses are Red" was released by Aqua in 1996, and was very successful in Scandinavia.

"Red House" is a blues song which was written by Jimi Hendrix and appeared on the album "Are You Experienced" in 1967.

Answer: Orange

Nat King Cole recorded one of the earliest versions of "Orange Color Sky" by Milton DeLugg and Willie Stein, although there have been many other versions since 1950.

Taken from their album "Green", REM released "Orange Crush" as a single in 1988 in the United States and in the United Kingdom the following year.

Answer: Purple

Barry Cryer wrote "The Purple People Eater" in 1958; it was recorded by Sheb Woolley. It's not clear whether the one-eyed, one horned flying creature is also purple, or whether it eats purple people. The song inspired a film with the same title in 1988.

Prince wrote the song "Purple Rain" in 1984. It originally appeared on an album of the same name, before being cut to more than half its original length and released as a single.

Answer: Blue birds over white cliffs

"The White Cliffs of Dover" was written in 1941 with words by Nat Burton and music by Walter Kent. Vera Lynn recorded it in 1942, and it became very popular with the forces fighting for the Allies in WWII. It is somewhat ironic that, while the Dover cliffs are white (being composed of chalk), the 'bluebird' is North American, and unknown in the United Kingdom.

Answer: Brown

"Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair" was written by Stephen Foster for his wife, Jane McDowall in 1854.

Written in 1869, "Little Brown Jug" is a drinking song, which became very popular during the Prohibition era. Glen Miller had a great success with an orchestration recorded in 1939.

Answer: Both of these

"Cream" was taken from the album "Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince, and released as a single in the same year.

"Turquoise" was written and recorded by Donovan in 1965.

Answer: Pink and Purple

A rainbow is regarded as being composed of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. The song uses the colours red, yellow, pink, green, purple, orange and blue.

Maybe indigo and violet aren't in the song "I Can Sing a Rainbow", because they aren't used much in other songs either. I have found "Turbulent Indigo", which was released by Joni Mitchell in 1994, and "Violet Hill", which was released by Coldplay in 2008.