Song by Song: Help! Trivia Quiz

Answer: John Lennon

John Lennon is quoted by Rolling Stone magazine: "Most people think it's just a fast rock and roll song...Subconsciously, I was crying out for help." Lennon was, the magazine reports, "overwhelmed by Beatlemania," eating poorly, smoking marijuana excessively, and "already expressing nostalgia for his lost youth."

Lennon wrote the lyrics to the song, while Paul McCartney provided the countermelody.

Answer: I'm Down

Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Help!" number 29 on its 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time." It was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and produced by George Martin. The single was released in July of 1965 by Capitol Records with "I'm Down" on the B-side.

Answer: The Ed Sullivan Show

"The Ed Sullivan Show" ran from 1948 to 1971. In August of 1965, the Beatles recorded five other songs for the September show. The Beatles appeared a total of four times on "The Ed Sullivan Show," performing twenty songs.

Answer: Tambourine

Lennon sang lead vocals and played acoustic guitar while McCartney was on bass guitar and supplied backing vocals. George Harrison played lead guitar and also supplied backing vocals. Ringo Starr played drums and tambourine. A mono version of the song, on the Beatles' "Rarity" LP, included no tambourine.

Answer: True

The song also peaked at number one on singles charts in the Netherlands, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden and Canada. It reached number two in West Germany and number five in Belgium and Austria.

Answer: Bananarama

Founded in 1980 in London, England, Bananarama consisted of Sara Dallin, Siobhan Fahey and Keren Woodward. Their version of "Help!" was recorded with Lananeeneenoonoo, a spoof band name for comedians Kathy Burke and the comedy duo French and Saunders.

The A-side of the single contained the comedic parts of the song, while the B-side contained a "straight" version with those parts removed, along with "Love in a Factory."

Answer: anybody

The song begins:

"I need somebody
(Help!) not just anybody
(Help!) you know I need someone
Help!"

The single "Help!" was certified silver in the UK by BPI and gold in the United States by RIAA, where it sold over one million copies. The song was covered by the English progressive rock band Deep Purple on their 1968 album "Shades of Deep Purple."

Answer: self-assured

"I never needed anybody's help in any way
But now these days are gone, I'm not so self assured (but now these days are gone)
(And now I find) Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors."

Tina Turner's cover of "Help!", which is included on her 1984 album "Private Dancer," became a top 40 hit in the UK. Peter Sellers did a spoofed version of the song with solemn, church-like choral singing combined with dramatic, Shakespearean-toned spoken word on his December 3, 1965 single "A Hard Day's Night."

Answer: feet

"Help me if you can, I'm feeling down
And I do appreciate you being 'round
Help me get my feet back on the ground
Won't you please, please help me?"

A slow, piano-based version of "Help!" by John Farnham hit number eight on the singles chart in Australia in 1980. Another version of the song, by Howie Day, appeared on the soundtrack of "I Am Sam" in 2001.

Answer: insecure

"And now my life has changed in oh so many ways (and now my life has changed)
My independence seems to vanish in the haze
But every now and then I feel so insecure (I know that I)
I know that I just need you like I've never done before."

The singer speaks of being self-assured, confident, and independent in his "younger days," but now he's "not so self-assured" and he needs help from someone. He's reaching out and willing to accept that help, finally - "Now I find I've changed my mind and opened up the doors."