Sing a Song of Plants and Trees Quiz

Answer: Peter, Paul & Mary

Peter, Paul & Mary released their first album in 1962. The album was self-titled, and "Lemon Tree" was the first single from the album that was released. The song was written and previously recorded by Will Holt. The Peter, Paul & Mary version reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Answer: Thirty thousand pounds

Harry Chaplin made many story songs famous. In "Thirty Thousand Pounds of Bananas", he sings the story of a truck driver who is driving down the long hill into Scranton, Pennsylvania. He loses control on the hill, smashes into several objects, and slides along on the 30,000 pounds of bananas that he was carrying.

The song was written by Harry Chapin in 1974, based on an actual truck accident that occurred in 1965.

Answer: Oak

Tony Orlando and Dawn sang "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" in 1973. The song was written by Irwin Levine and L. Russell Brown. There are alternate stories about the origins of the lyrics. In one version, folklorists reported the story of a convict who was released from jail and looked for a yellow handkerchief on an oak tree to find his way home.

Other origin stories suggest that a soldier who was on his way home from the Civil War asked his wife to tie a handkerchief to a tree out front if he was still welcome. Regardless of the origin, Levine and Brown wrote a hit for Tony Orlando and Dawn, with the song reaching Number One on Billboard's Hot 100 and staying there for four weeks.

Answer: Marty Robbins

Marty Robbins' version of "The Hanging Tree" appeared during the opening credits of the movie of the same name. It was written by Mack David and Jerry Livingston (lyrics), with the music by Max Steiner. The three songwriters were nominated for both Laurel and Academy Awards the following year. Robbins' version made it to the Hot C&W Sides chart in the US.

It also crossed over to the pop music charts where it hit Number 38 on the US Hot 100 Chart.

Answer: Neil Peart

Neil Peart was the drummer for the Canadian band Rush. The song is a story about a disagreement between some oak trees and some maple trees that were growing together in the forest. The maple trees want more light, but the oak trees are shading them. The song was regularly played at their concerts and was featured on a number of their albums.

It was also rated very high by readers of various rock magazines. Sadly, Neil Peart passed away in January, 2020.

Answer: Marijuana

Brewer and Shipley have admitted to using marijuana. Apparently, one day when they were high, Shipley used the phrase "I'm one toke over the line". Brewer liked how it sounded, so they wrote a song with those lyrics. Besides marijuana, the lyrics also reference Mary and Jesus.

It was quite controversial when it came out, and was banned from radio stations in many areas of the Deep South in the US, and the traditional "Bible Belt" areas in the Midwestern states. Interestingly, the song also appeared on "The Lawrence Welk Show" where he described the song as a spiritual.

Answer: Yes! We Have No Bananas

"Yes! We Have No Bananas" is an actual song written by Frank Silver and Irving Cohn. The song was written in 1923 and has appeared in many movies and television shows over the years. Silver and Cohn wrote the song after Silver stopped at a fruit stand that was run by a gentleman who started every sentence with "Yes". It is a catchy tune. Sorry for the ear worm.

Answer: Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond wrote this song and Campbell recorded it in 1977 on his album "Southern Nights". It is a really catchy crossover tune that went up Number 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 weekly chart, Number 4 on the weekly Billboard US Hot Country Songs chart, and Number one on the US Billboard Easy Listening weekly chart.

The song also made it to the top 50 songs in Canada, New Zealand, and Germany.

Answer: A rose garden

"(I Never Promised You a) Rose Garden" was written by Joe South in 1967. Billy Joe Royal released the song in 1967, however, the song didn't become popular until it was released by Lynn Anderson in 1970. She took the song to near the top of the weekly charts around the world.

It became a crossover hit when it landed on the US Hot 100 Billboard weekly chart where it peaked at Number five, and the US Hot Country Songs chart where it peaked at Number one. Billboard ranked it at Number 41 on their Hot 100 annual chart for the year 1971.

Other artists have recorded this song over the years, including Johnny Mathis, Loretta Lynn, Carol Burnett, k.d. lang, and Martina McBride, as well as many others.

Answer: He is executed for a crime

"Green, Green Grass of Home" was written by Claude "Curly" Putman Jr. The song starts with the story of a young man returning home where he meets his parents and his childhood sweetheart at the train station. As he is walking around the town of his youth, he suddenly wakes up and realizes he has been dreaming.

He is actually in prison and has dreamed of his old home the night before his execution. This song was recorded by multiple artists, including Porter Wagoner, Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Joan Baez, Roger Miller, and many, many more.