Musical Travels Trivia Quiz

Answer: City of New Orleans

The "City of New Orleans" was an Illinois Central Railroad train, and the whole lyric concerns the experience of taking a trip on that train. The song was written by Steve Goodman in 1970. The song has been covered by many other artists, including Willie Nelson and Judy Collins. Arlo Guthrie is the son of famed American folksinger Woody Guthrie.

Answer: The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down

The Band, who were famous for working with Ronnie Hawkins and, later, Bob Dylan, had the original hit with this song in 1969, but Joan Baez also recorded a successful version of it. The lyrics of the song refer to the American Civil War, and in particular, the plight of the South during the last part of the war. "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down' was written by The Band's lead singer, Robbie Robertson, and appears on the soundtrack for The Band documentary called "The Last Waltz."

Answer: Creedence Clearwater Revival

John Fogerty, of CCR and solo fame, wrote this song, which was released in 1970 as the title track from the album "Travellin' Band." The lyric uses the experience of flying in a Boeing jetliner as a metaphor for the hectic pace of life on the road, for a successful rock band. This song has been covered by many artists, notably Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Answer: Queen

"I'm In Love With My Car" appears on the very famous Queen album called "A Night At The Opera"; in fact it was the flipside of the single "Bohemian Rhapsody", written by Freddie Mercury. At the time he wrote this song, Roger Taylor was tooling around in an Alfa Romeo; small wonder he felt in love!

Answer: Downbound Train

"Downbound Train" was not one of hit singles that spun off from the very successful "Born In The USA" album. It was often performed in concert and many fans liked it, or perhaps identified with it. It is a sad song which contains in its lyrics something that was not usual at the time, namely the universal experience of awakening from a very happy dream, and being badly disappointed by the reality of one's life.

Answer: Smuggling marijuana

The song's opening lines are: "Coming in from London from over the Pole, flying in a big airliner...", thus it qualifies as a song in this quiz. But the chorus explains, "Coming into Los Angeles, bringing in a couple of keys" (short for "kilograms"). Arlo Guthrie, the son of Woody Guthrie, is still performing live as of 2016.

Answer: Natalie Cole

Travelling in this particular car sounds like a lot of fun: "I love you for your pink Cadillac, crushed velvet seats, riding in the back, cruising down the street, waving to the girls, feeling out of sight, spending all my money on a Saturday night..." Natalie Cole was the daughter of the late Nat "King" Cole; she died on New Year's Eve of 2015, from heart disease.

Answer: Elvis Presley

Bruce Springsteen co-credited Chuck Berry on the lyrics of "Johnny Bye Bye", thus acknowledging the influence of the earlier song, "Johnny B. Goode." The Springsteen song was not included on an album; rather, it was released in 1985 as the B-side of the single "I'm On Fire." In the second verse, the lyrics are:
"Hey little girl with the red dress on, there's a party tonight down in Memphis town. I'll be going down there if you need a ride, a man on the radio says Elvis Presley's died."

Answer: Morningtown Ride

"Morningtown Ride" was a 1964 hit for the Seekers. The Seekers were a foursome (three men and one woman) from Australia, and had several international hits during the 60s with their signature folk-type harmonies. "Morningtown Ride" was written by Malvina Reynolds.

Answer: Nassau, The Bahamas

The opening verse states: "We come on the Sloop John B., my grandfather and me, around Nassau town we did roam..." This song was included on the best-selling Beach Boys album "Pet Sounds", released in 1966. In fact, their version is an almost note-for-note cover of an old Bahamian folk song, called "The John B. Sails."