Get Back, Honky Cat! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Chinese

"Some men like the Chinese life, some men kneel and pray."
Don't exactly what that means, but it's in there. Greek or Roman would have presumably fit in better with the song title, but then again nothing in the song at all alludes to either mythology, so I guess you had to have heard the song to have a good guess. I like the "Simple Life", by the way. It's one of Elton's better 1990s songs. But we'll get to that when the time comes....

Answer: Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters

The aptly named "Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters Part Two" can be found on 1988's "Reg Strikes Back" album. The two songs sound nothing alike, but do share some common lyrics. Without giving too much of a hint to a possible future trivia question, both songs are written about New York City.

The first incarnation can also be found on the "Almost Famous" movie soundtrack, along with the more well-known "Tiny Dancer".

Answer: beer

The style of the song is just as it's title would suggest: mellow. Very nice piano played in the background (or foreground depending on which you are listening to). Interestingly, the song is nearly identical for the first five seconds or so to another Elton John song, "Skyline Pigeon (Piano version)". That song was originally played on the Harpsichord, and re-recorded on the Piano as a B-side to the song "Daniel", and the result was a song intro that sounds remarkably similar to the intro for "Mellow". Take a listen and compare the two. Mead, by the way, also known as "Honey wine", is an alcholic beverage made from fermented honey.

Answer: Amy

She's "Far out", she's "Fab and Insane"
"A Woman of the world, it's quite plain"

"Amy I know you don't have to show your affection
'Cause the big boys like you and to you I'm an infection" (great rhyme there)

Kind of a non-descript song, but way catchy. And to my recollection (don't quote me), one of the few songs where the woman seems to get the best of the singer (or songwriter, however you want to look at it). Seems like Bernie Taupin's lyrics usually have a bit of a misogynistic / sexist undertone.

The other three choices all have their own songs as well: Suzie and Hercules on this album, Grimsby (a city, not a person) on "Caribou"

Answer: Slave

While I'm sure almost all of Elton and Bernie's songs are tinkered with repeatedly during the writing process, "Slave" is the only choice whose alternate version can be found on "Rare Masters". The original version of the song was a fast-tempo, rockin' little number, which (in the quiz author's opinion) didn't really fit the theme of the lyrics very well. Perhaps that is why Elton chose to slow the tempo considerably and make a few subtle changes to the lyrics.

Answer: redneck

Do they even have rednecks in England? Well, needless to say, Bernie Taupin and his fascination with the American west strike again! Actually, the lyric is more autobiographical in nature, as Bernie actually did grow up in a rural part of England (the theme is also touched on in "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

This song was the album's second single, after "Rocket Man", and peaked at number eight in the U.S Billboard charts (#31 in England).

Answer: Brigitte Bardot

What a cheery little song. A most unorthodox subject (suicide, though seemingly contemplated by an over-dramatic teenager) mixed in with a little tap dancing solo (honestly, you can hear the taps during the piano part between verses. It is Brigitte Bardot that he wants to see every night, though personally I wouldn't object to the other two choices either!

Answer: willing hands

Another song with religious undertones (actually, this one is pretty upfront about the religious-ness). Bernie Taupin's Catholic upbringing is a staple of his early lyrics ("Sixty Years On", "Burn Down the Mission", "Where to Now St. Peter?", etc.). And if you're wondering, I'm not sure what (if any) religion Elton John was raised with, but now he very anti-religion in general, saying that it contributes to many biases (anti-gay being one of them).

Answer: derelict old alley

It's hard to understand, isn't it? One of his toughest songs to hear the lyrics to in my opinion. I really had little clue until I looked it up to write the quiz (www.eltonography.com; really a very informative website)! It's amazing what you can learn!

Answer: False

Despite being a tremendous song AND one of Elton and Bernie's most famous, "Rocket Man" never reached number one, peaking at 2 in the United Kingdom and at number 6 in the United States. It also checks in at number 242 in Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Still a good choice for the name of the compilation in my opinion.

The lyrics were inspired by a Ray Bradybury story of the same name, as well as a song of the same name released by "Pearls Before Swine" in 1970.