Song For The Asking Trivia Quiz

Answer: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

The beautiful song, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" appears in the first few minutes of that most excellent 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz". Written by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, as far as the plot of the movie goes, the song was meant to represent a place that Dorothy (played by Judy Garland) was seeking where she wouldn't get into trouble all the time. Yet, over the years since then, this lovely number has come to represent so much more - a search for happiness, love and a place in which to always belong. It's quite heartbreaking to listen to its lyrics, for it is a song that has become not only our own hopes and dreams, and not just the unfolding story of the lost little girl trying to find her home in the film, but also a memorial to the tragic life of Judy Garland herself.

"Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby

Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blues
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true

Some day I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me

Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly
Birds fly over the rainbow
Why, then oh why, can't I?

If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why, can't I?"

Answer: Tea for Two

Written by Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar, this light-hearted song is sung by two characters in the musical as they imagine their future life together. Long after the musical went off the scene, the song remained as a perennial favourite for many years right up to the rock and roll era. It still surfaces now and then long enough for many people to recognise the bright melody, if not the lyrics, and is often used in tap-dancing routines for which the rhythm is ideal. Some of these lyrics, sung in a brisk staccato style are as follows:

"Day / will break / and I'll / awake
And start / to bake / a su / gar cake
For you / to take
For all / the boys / to seeeeeee
We / will raise / a fam / ily
A boy / for you / and a girl / for me
Can't / you see
How hap / py we will be"

Answer: Forever Blowing Bubbles

Whenever one hears this old tune belted out at 100 kilometres an hour today, it's sung at the incorrect tempo and with all lack of feeling. Originally written way back in 1918 by John Kellette, it was designed instead to be performed at a slow waltz tempo. Only then is the full impact of the words realised. Certainly it always raises a smile among people hollering it out today, and perhaps that's a tribute to its popularity for a century, but goodness me, a little feeling please!

Comically so, the song was frequently performed by one of the famous Marx Brothers, Harpo, on a clarinet - which began to spout bubbles half way through the song. During the Black Sox scandal of 1919 when the Chicago baseball team, the White Sox, was suspected of throwing a game, it was parodied by a well known writer of the time to "I'm Forever Blowing Ballgames". This long-lived song has also cropped up in several movies since then as well, and in numerous cartoons. Tweety Bird was particularly fond of trilling it out when he was bathing. The ultimate insult - or tribute, depending on one's perspective - is that it is now the club anthem of West Ham United football club in England. I ask you. A beautiful old song about dreams, searching for happiness, butterflies and bluebirds, and blowing pretty bubbles in the air is now a footy anthem. How the mighty have fallen. I do wonder, however, if those massive husky blokes tearing up the turf on a regular basis, while trying to knock the blocks off their opponents, actually know the dainty words to their beloved club's theme song. This is its chorus:

"I'm forever blowing bubbles
Pretty bubbles in the air
They fly so high,
Nearly reach the sky
Then like my dreams
They fade and die
Fortunes always hiding
I've looked everywhere
I'm forever blowing bubbles
Pretty bubbles in the air"

Answer: When You Were Sweet Sixteen

This beautiful ballad was written in 1898 by James Horton. The origin of the song was the day his wife, as wives are prone to do, asked him if he still loved her. His reply was "I love you like I did when you were sweet sixteen". How wise was he! The song has been recorded by many different artists over time, including one version by the great Al Jolson himself back in 1929. It reappeared again in the film of his life, "The Jolson Story" which was made in 1946 and which is packed full of all those lovely music hall type numbers. Interestingly, that is Jolson's voice you hear in that movie. He recorded the songs that actor Larry Parks, who played him in the film, lip-synched. Of the many other artists who have recorded this exquisite number, these include Perry Como, The Ink Spots, Glen Campbell, Barry Manilow and Daniel O'Donnell. The song requires a skilled tenor to make its lovely high notes wring the heart out of the listener. The words to the chorus follow below.

"I love you as I never lov'd before,
Since first I met you on the village green.
Come to me, e'er my dream of love is o'er.
I love you as I lov'd you
When you were sweet, when you were sweet sixteen".

Answer: Smile

Charlie Chaplin wrote this lovely song for inclusion in the slightly dark comedy film "Modern Times" which was released in 1936. This film tells the tale of a factory worker trying his best to cope with life in an ultra-moderised world, in which of course everything goes wrong for him. "Smile" has an absolutely lovely melody, with gentle lyrics, and it is still remembered and performed long after that excellent movie faded from memory. It has been recorded time and again by various artists to perfection. This long list includes Nat King Cole, Natalie Cole, Petula Clark, and even Michael jackson. Michael loved the song so much that it was sung at his memorial service in 2008. It's heart breaking lyrics, when applied to his life, appear below.

"Smile, though your heart is aching
Smile, even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
You'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile, and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun come shining through
For you

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying
You'll find that life is still worth while
If you...just...smile"

Answer: Scarlet Ribbons

Originally written by Evelyn Danzig and Jack Segal in 1949, and recorded by several other artists before Harry Belafonte took a liking to it, this song holds the unusual record of becoming popular four years after it was recorded by him. The record was made in 1952, but didn't take off at first. After singing it at various concerts, and then re-recording it on his second album, the song suddenly caught the fancy of the general public. It became the number one song on the charts for six weeks, and then stayed at various positions in the charts for the rest of the year. Talk about late bloomers. It tells the story of a father one evening overhearing his child praying for scarlet ribbons for her hair. He goes out into the night and searches vainly all over the city to buy them for her, but none can be found, and the shops gradually all close. Deeply saddened, he returns home, but cannot sleep for the rest of the night. In the morning he peeps into his little girl's room to see if she is alright, and there, to his astonishment, he sees scarlet ribbons placed carefully on her bed.

This lovely song has been recorded by many other artists since then. These include Renee Geyer, Roy Orbison, the Kingston Trio, Val Doonican, Wayne Newton and Willie Nelson.

"I peeked in to say goodnight
And then I heard my child in prayer
Send for me some scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for my hair

All the stores were locked and shuttered
All the streets were dark and bare
In our town no scarlet ribbons
No scarlet ribbons for her hair

Through the night my heart was aching
Just before the dawn was breaking

I peeked in and on her bed
In gay profusion laying there
Scarlet ribbons, scarlet ribbons
Pretty scarlet ribbons for her hair

If I live to be a hundred
I will never know from where
Came those lovely scarlet ribbons
Scarlet ribbons for her hair..."

Answer: The Best Things in Life are Free

"The Best Things in Life are Free" starred Gordon MacRae, Dan Dailey, Ernest Borgnine and Sheree North. Packed full of great old songs, the film failed to be the success that other musicals of the same era became. It tells the story of a group of successful songwriters from the 1920s who combine forces to put on musicals, with the usual associated traumas, broken hearts and a happy ever after or two. This song became far more famous than the movie ever did, and it's been around ever since. Frank Sinatra made it a big hit several years after the premiere of the film. Depending on how its sung, the song can be either uplifting, or melancholy, and therein lies it charm. Here are its lyrics:

"The moon belongs to everyone,
The best things in life are free.
The stars belong to everyone,
They gleam there for you and me.
The flowers in spring, the robins that sing,
The moonbeams that shine, they're yours, they're mine.
And love can come to everyone,
The best things in life are free"

Answer: Crazy

Believe it or not, that great old singer Willie Nelson wrote this song. He wasn't famous as a singer back then, but was already building up a reputation as a songwriter of note. After several singers turned down his offer to record "Crazy", Patsy Cline recorded it. It became an absolutely huge hit for her. After an incredible twenty-one weeks at the top of the charts, it was a song that would be forever after associated with that fine singer. She hated it at first however, because when she heard a demo tape of it, Willie's voice delivered it, and he produced it in talking, rather than melodic style. Comically so, his singing style - or lack of - annoyed her immensely in fact. She took this song, added her own style to it, and with her unique voice that could break the heart of a stone, immortalised it.

"I'm crazy
Crazy for feeling so lonely
I'm crazy
Crazy for feeling so blue

I know
You'd love me as long as you wanted
Then someday
Leave me for somebody new

Worry
Why do I let myself worry
Wondering
What in the world did I do

Crazy
For thinking that my love could hold you
I'm crazy for crying
I'm crazy for trying
I'm crazy for loving you"

Answer: Beautiful Dreamer

The American composer Stephen Foster (1826-1864) died alone, deserted by his wife, and deeply impoverished. That is such a tragic ending for a man who gave the world over 200 of the most exquisite, sentimental, and light-hearted songs ever written. "Beautiful Dreamer" which he composed in 1862, wasn't published until after he died. Such is the degree of the popularity of this composer's works that his "My Old Kentucky Home" is the official state song of Kentucky, and "Old Folks at Home was for years the official state song of Florida. Artists and publishers have made a fortune singing and selling his music ever since Foster's death. Other famous songs this composer gave the world include "Campdown Races", "Oh! Susanna", and "Jeanie With the Light Brown Hair". "Beautiful Dreamer" is the story of a lover singing to his beloved who appears to be asleep, but may actually have just passed away. The song needs to be sung with feeling for its full impact to be felt.

"Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,
Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;
Sounds of the rude world, heard in the day,
Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd away!
Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,
List while I woo thee with soft melody;
Gone are the cares of life's busy throng,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea,
Mermaids are chanting the wild lorelei;
Over the streamlet vapors are borne,
Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.
Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,
E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;
Then will all clouds of sorrow depart,
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!
Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!"

Answer: What a Wonderful World

First recorded by Louis Armstrong, this song was written by Bob Thiele and George Davis Weiss in 1967. Satchmo was so well known for this beautiful number that his recording of it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. The song was written as a protest against racism and all the negative influences of politics on the world. Fortunately its lyrics don't mark it as a protest song, or it may have simply been forever associated with the sixties era well known for such, and eventually forgotten. Instead, the lyrics are positive and uplifting, suitable for any era, and filled with love. Its beautiful lyrics are shown here below.

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colours of the rainbow
So pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces
Of people going by
I see friends shaking hands
Saying "How do you do?"
They're really saying
"I love you"

I hear babies cry, I watch them grow
They'll learn much more than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world"