Simple Rocky Raccoon Quiz

Answer: Black mountain hills

The opening lyrics of the song are, "Somewhere in the black mining hills of Dakota there lived a young boy named Rocky Raccoon..." Odd, isn't it, that John Lennon lived the last years of his life in NYC's Dakota Building? Other residents of the Dakota include the fictional Rosemary of the classic film, "Rosemary's Baby," in which Mia Farrow starred as the unwitting vessel of Satan's incarnate spawn.

Answer: His woman ran off with another guy

According to the song, "One day his woman ran off with another guy / hit young Rocky in the eye / Rocky didn't like that..." Although the lyrics don't tell us the extent of Rocky's eye injury, medical professionals recommend that blows to the eye be treated with a cold compress held in place for at least fifteen minutes. If blurry vision occurs, it may be a sign of internal damage, in which case a visit to an eye specialist is imperative.

Answer: Lil

"Her name was McGill / and she called herself Lil / but everyone knew her as Nancy." Perhaps she was known as "Nancy" because she possessed grace, which is one of the meanings of the name. It also means "favoured of God" and was once used as a nickname for "Anne." But unlike "Lil," it just doesn't rhyme with "McGill."

Answer: His legs

The lyrics go: "Rocky had come equipped with a gun / to shoot off the legs of his rival." A more heroic real life person who was shot in the legs was famed Native American soldier, Joe Young Hawk who served in WW I and who even after being shot in both legs by his German captors managed to over-power them, beating three of them barehanded and shooting the other two before escorting them back over Allied lines.

Answer: A hoedown

After Rocky checks into his room "at the local saloon," he bursts in on his girl and her man ("who called himself Dan"), while they were "in the next room at the hoedown." Could hoedown be a euphemism for a more private adult activity? If so, it's a much more appropriate choice than "storming the trenches" or "rocking the casbah" which are among the many other English language euphemisms occasionally used for the same activity.

Answer: In the corner

"...but Daniel was hot / he drew first and shot / and Rocky collapsed in the corner." Another famous corner is the one occupied by "Little Jack Horner" of nursery rhyme fame. "Little Jack Horner" is believed to have been a reference to Thomas Horner, the Abbot of Glastonbury under the reign of Henry VIII. Compelled by the King's greed to give up deeds to twelve highly prized manors (i.e. his "Christmas pie"), the Abbot managed at the last minute to retain the deed to his beloved Mells Manor (i.e. "stuck in his thumb and pulled out a plumb and said, "Oh, what a good boy am I!").

Answer: Lie on the table

"The doctor came in, stinking of gin, and proceeded to lie on the table." Seems that Rocky's doctor could have taken a cue from the equally hard-drinking Doc Holliday, who had long given up his dental practice by the time he hooked up with the infamous Earp brothers in the Wild West town of Tombstone, Arizona. Excellent gunfighter that he was, Doc Holliday managed to die in bed, of tuberculosis, on November 8th, 1887. According to witnesses, Doc woke up one morning, asked for a glass of whiskey, and as he drank it, looked down at his bare feet, and said, "This is funny," Seconds later, he passed on to that great O.K. Corral in the sky.

Answer: Rocky, you've met your match

"The doctor said, 'Rocky, you've met your match / Rocky said, 'Doc, it's only a scratch / and I'll be better just as soon as I am able." Rocky was obviously a positive thinker, just like Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, author of "The Power Of Positive Thinking" and Pollyanna, the sunny main character of the classic book and movie, both of whose names have become synonymous with an optimistic outlook.

Answer: Falls back in his room

"Rocky Raccoon fell back in his room / only to find Gideon's Bible." Did you know that Gideon International was founded in 1899 and is one of the oldest non-profit Christian men's organization in the United States? The group's primary objective is to spread as many Bibles as possible throughout the world and they've been pretty successful, with chapters in 179 countries and Gideon Bibles in countless motel room drawers.

Answer: The Beatles (The White Album)

Of course, Beatles fans know that the "White Album" wasn't really called the "White Album" when it was released in 1968. It was called "The Beatles" and just happened to have the white cover which inspired the iconic title by which it is now known. Beatles fans also know that it was the Beatles' only double album, and that the year it was released was the same one in which Ringo briefly quit the band.