Missing Lyrics Trivia Quiz

Answer: That lived within the heart of me

"Secret Love" was written in 1953 by Sammy Fain and Paul Francis Webster for the very popular musical "Calamity Jane", starring Doris Day and Howard Keel. It is introduced in the movie by Doris in her character of Jane, and went on to win an Academy Award for Best Original Song. In the following year, this great old number reached top spot on the billboard charts. A follow up version by Slim Whitman reached number two spot. Over the next fifty years, another thirty-three well known artists also made recordings of "Secret Love". These included Connie Francis, Marvin Gaye, k.d. lang and George Michael. You may be interested to learn the melody for this popular number is based on the opening section of classical composer Franz Schubert's piano sonata in A-minor.

The photo clue is of a clock - as in ticker - as in heart.

Answer: Dancing Queen

ABBA's "Dancing Queen" is listed in Rolling Stones Magazine as one of the "greatest songs of all time", and rightly so. All four members of the group knew instinctively that the song was going to be a great hit right from the very beginning, and were proved correct when it went on to reach number one in twelve different countries. So popular indeed was, and is, this song that it was performed for King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden for the queen's fiftieth birthday, has seen almost eighty different recordings by other artists in forty years, been performed live by countless others, appears in at least two movies (the 1994 "The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" and "Mamma Mia!" in 2008) and in ongoing productions of the stage musical "Mamma Mia!" which premiered in 1999. Amazingly so, it's even been recorded by various orchestral orchestras as well. Now there's a tribute and a half. I'd love to hear a brass band version of this song. Can you imagine them in full force when they hit that soaring chorus? It'd be superb.

The photo clue is of a crown worn by a king or queen - as in "Dancing Queen".

Answer: Hat

Composed by by Arthur J Lamb (1870-1828) and Alfred Solman (1868-1937), "The Bird on Nellie's Hat" first made its appearance in 1906, when vaudeville was at the peak of its popularity. This very funny song was performed by some of the top comediennes of the time - complete in costume featuring a big feathery hat, at the centre of which sits a small bird. The story the song relates is that small bird constantly telling tales to an audience as Nellie flirts and bats her eyelashes at various young men. It proved to be so popular that it appeared later in a 1930s animated cartoon, and crops up now and then whenever a music-hall revue is put on. So old is this song in fact that it can even be found on one of the early and very fascinating cylinder rolls of music. Some of its lyrics follow.

"Every Saturday, Willie got his pay. Then he'd call for Nell
Trousers neatly pressed and nice white vest
Button-hole bouquet as well
On Nellie's little hat, there was a little bird
That little bird knew lots of things, it did upon my word
And in its quiet way, it had a lot to say
As the lovers strolled along.

I'll be your little honey, I will promise that!'
Said Nellie as she rolled her dreamy eyes
'It's a shame to take the money' said the bird on Nellie's hat
'Last night she said the same to Johnny Wise'
Then to Nellie, Willie whispered as they fondly kissed
'I'll bet you were never kissed like that!'
'Well he don't know Nellie like I do!'
Said the saucy little bird on Nellie's hat."

The photo clue is of a cat in a HAT - as in the title of the song.

Answer: Blue Moon

There's no truth to the rumour that the English translation of the above is "The government is going to increase our taxes". "Blue Moon" was written way back in 1933 by composers Rogers and Hart for the planned movie "Hollywood Party". It was not used then, or again in 1934 when rewritten for another film, "Manhattan Melodrama". After being rewritten again(!) in 1934, it was recorded by one Shirley Ross, but failed to make it as a hit. The poor composers were asked once more to alter the lyrics to try again, but at first refused. Eventually, and very reluctantly, they tried for the fourth time - and bingo. It went from strength to strength from that moment, has appeared in numerous movies over the years (including the 1978 "Grease") and been recorded by various artists right up to the present. The Marcels' doo-wop version (my favourite) gave it an excellent up tempo beat with meaningless "bom ba ba boms" here and there to relieve its normally pensive and rather sad lyrics, and very successfully injected new life into this perennial favourite.

The photo clue is of a moon - as in "Blue Moon".

Answer: Smile for a while

What a great song "Crying" is, one of the most soaring rock ballads every produced. Written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson, and performed by the great Roy himself, "Crying" was released in 1961. It has been described as a "rock-bolero...blaring strings, hammered tympani, a ghostly chorus, the gentle strum of a guitar, [and] a hint of marimba". Dear me, but what about the melody, that exquisite range of notes spanning several octaves that any opera singer would envy? That's what sells the song, as it builds higher and higher to its rather glorious, heart-broken conclusion. Coming in at number sixty-nine on "Rolling Stone" magazines list of the 500 greatest songs of all time, many of us would be inclined to argue this great old number deserves a higher placement than that.

The photo clue is of a dog with a beautiful SMILE - as in the lyrics of this song.

Answer: Both are correct

Performed by various groups over time, it was the 1961 single of "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" by the Tokens that shot right up to number one on the US music charts. There are just as many people claiming authorship of this song as those who have recorded it, but that particular version was written by a combination of Solomon Linda, Huge Peretti, Luigi Creatore, George David Weiss and Albert Stanton. One of the original versions of this truly exciting number, which was composed in Zulu, was apparently recorded by the Scouting movement's founder, Lord Baden-Powell, while he was in Africa early in the 20th century. The song itself dates back to the 1880s. It is described as a Zulu warrior's chant in which the chief of their tribe is likened to a lion. The high-pitched counter melody we hear in the song is said to be Zulu for "He is a lion!" while the lower rhythmic melody, comically so, is supposed to be "Yes! He is better than that. He is a hippopotamus!"

The photo clue is of a village - mentioned in the lyrics of this song.

Answer: To the sea

"River Song" is one of those numbers that always makes me cry a little whenever I hear it. It tells of how very quickly a child grows to be a man, and how those golden moments of childhood are gone forever, never to be recaptured. Written in 1973 by Robert B. and Richard B Sherman, it appears as the theme in the 1973 musical film "Tom Sawyer", based on Mark Twain's great book about the Mississippi. It received a Christopher Award and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Song for same. Charley Pride and Chorus do a reasonable version of it for the film - but I've heard it done with far more sensitivity and feeling that that rather prosaic interpretation. Some of its sorrowful lyrics follow below:

"Then the world turns around,
And the boy grows tall
He hears the song
Of the river call
The river song sings,
"Travel on, Travel on"
You blink away a tear,
And the boy is gone..."

The photo clue is of a young man walking by the SEA - as in the lyrics of the song.

Answer: Back

This comical song, written in 1894 by composers Monroe H. Rosenfeld & Felix, was first performed by the famous French songstress and early movie star, Yvette Guilbert, who was infamous for her use of over the top double entendre - much to the eventual delight of Music Hall audiences, who, at first, didn't know what had hit them. "Her Golden Hair Was Hanging Down Her Back" tells the tale of a scandalous young country girl with auburn hair, who, tired of the provincial life, dyes her hair blonde and escapes to the high lights of the city. Its chorus follows:

"Oh Flo, such a change you know
When she left the village she was shy
But alas and alack she'd gone back
With a naughty little twinkle in her eye".

The photo clue is of the back of a cow - and in "Her Golden Hair Was Hanging Down Her BACK"

Answer: Swarm of bumble bees

This hilarious number made me burst out laughing the first time I ever saw it in a Music Hall revival show. The composer's name isn't recorded unfortunately, but it could be the well known performer of the song itself, the great British Music Hall comedian, composer and singer, Harry Champion (1865-1942) who delivered it to perfection in his act. It tells the story of a woman, who, tired of patching her husband's trousers, talked him into wearing a kilt instead, and off he goes wearing it - with disastrous results. Some of its lyrics follow, which are guaranteed to make our male players flinch in alarm:

"Father did look funny. Funny-unny-unny-unny.
As he strolled beneath the trees, came along a swarm of bumble bees.
All around his lovely kilt they started making honey.... (and he takes off for the lick of his life)

Poor old father, riding in a tramcar it was fairly packed inside.
Some old fat girl come along and stopped it, she'd made up her mind to ride.
Conductor said: 'That poor old chap'll let you sit upon his lap.
She flopped down, he gave a groan, it must have hurt his funny bone".

Photo clue is of a bee - as in the lyrics.

Answer: Feather

Sung in the original Italian, this number sounds so much better than any of its English translations. Two versions of its chorus follow below - with both versions equally insulting to the ladies, but rather comically so, for it tells of a man's total exasperation with women in general. Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Rigoletto" (1851) from which it came, however, is a much gorier and grim tale, with murder and mayhem abounding throughout. This song was so popular after its introduction onto the world stage (pardon the pun) that gondoliers right throughout Venice could be heard singing it at all hours of the day and night. It continues to be performed even today, so many years later, by various artists. Perhaps the most famous version of all was that of the magnificent Three Tenors, Plácido Domingo, José Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti, who gave a series of overwhelmingly popular concerts throughout the world in the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s.

Italian version of the chorus:

"La donna č mobil
qual piuma al vento,
Muta d'accento e di pensier!
e di pensier!
e di pensier!"

One English version of the chorus:

"Her heart's unfeeling,
False altogether
Moves like a feather
Borne on the breeze
Born on the breeze
Yes, borne on the breeze!"

The photo clue is of a hen - which have feathers.