Songs for Midnight Quiz | Songs of Night and Darkness

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The Rolling Stones warned us about a fellow who crept around "wrapped up in a black cat coat" who was sure to do you harm. Who was this evil character?

Answer: The Midnight Rambler

Written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, "Midnight Rambler" was released on the 1969 album "Let It Bleed". The main character in the song was a rapist and murderer, and the song was often, intriguingly enough, sung in the first person: "Did you see me make my midnight call?"

2. Michael Jackson knew about the power of midnight. Which mammoth hit of his began with the lyric, "It's close to midnight, and something evil's lurking in the dark"?

Answer: Thriller

The album "Thriller" was released in 1982 and was a tremendous success for Michael Jackson. At the height of its popularity it was selling in excess of a million copies a week. With only nine tracks on the album, seven were released as singles and every one made it into the top ten.

The video release for "Thriller" was 14 minutes long and cost a million (US) dollars to make. The highlight of the video involved a dance scene, in which Jackson led a troupe of zombies through some pretty cool moves.

3. With her 1974 hit "Midnight at the Oasis", Maria Muldaur took a more sensuous approach to the witching hour. Who or what did she tell her would-be lover to send to bed?

Answer: his camel

From her self-titled first album, "Midnight at the Oasis" was Muldaur's biggest hit, peaking at number six on the Billboard Singles chart. It was written by David Nichtern and told of romance and seduction in the desert with lyrics like "Let's slip off to a sand dune, real soon and kick up a little dust."

4. ABBA recognized midnight as a time when loneliness seems heightened. The song was called "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" and contained lines like "Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away?" What was the parenthetical title by which the song was known?

Answer: A Man After Midnight

Written by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme" was released as a single in 1979. Its disco flavour made it a big hit at dance clubs. Despite the grasping title, the song really touched upon loneliness, with lyrics about people, sitting home, alone and depressed - "Take me through the darkness to the break of the day."

5. Eric Clapton saw the midnight hour as a time to party and "let it all hang down". What did he encourage you to shake?

Answer: your tambourine

The line in question informed us that "After midnight, we're gonna shake your tambourine". Since the line came just before they were going to "cause talk and suspicion" and "give an exhibition", one might suspect that "your tambourine" was a euphemism!

"After Midnight" was the title song from Clapton's 1970 debut solo album. The song was written by J.J. Cale. Prior to the release of "After Midnight", Clapton played with many bands, including the Yardbirds, Cream, and Blind Faith. In 1970 he also released "Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs" with Derek and the Dominos.

6. In 1973, Gladys Knight and the Pips sang a song about a love strong enough to abandon your dreams for, with moving lyrics like, "I'd rather live in his world, than live without him in mine". Where was that midnight train leaving for?

Answer: Georgia

Written by Jim Weatherly, "Midnight Train to Georgia" became Gladys Knight and the Pips signature song, earning them the Grammy for Best Performance by a Duo, Group or Chorus in 1974. It was the first number one hit for this group from, fittingly enough, Atlanta, Georgia.

7. In 1969, Creedence Clearwater Revival released a song that looked for some kind of salvation from the midnight hour. In which song were the lyrics "...shine her ever loving light on me" heard?

Answer: Midnight Special

Although released on CCR's 1969 album "Willy and the Poor Boys", "Midnight Special" was actually a folk song that many believe originated among prisoners in the southern states of the US. In the '70s, the song was used as a theme song for the television show "The Midnight Special".

The show ran from 1972 to 1981 and featured many musical acts. Johnny Rivers sang the version of the song used on the show.

8. Sometimes redemption can indeed be found at midnight. According to the Christmas carol, what was it that "...Came Upon a Midnight Clear"?

Answer: "that glorious song of old"

The words of the popular carol "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" were written by Pastor Edmund Sears, in 1849. His friend W.P. Lunt, who was also a minister, composed the melody. Lunt's formal musical training included time spent training with Felix Mendelssohn.

9. Midnight can also be a time for reflection, perhaps even about the happier times of our lives. Which Broadway musical contained the song with the hauntingly beautiful lyrics "Midnight, not a sound from the pavement. Has the moon lost her memory..."?

Answer: Cats

Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the musical "Cats", based on a T.S. Eliot book. The show first opened in 1981 and ran on Broadway until 2000. Off Broadway productions ran for many years afterwards.

The song "Memory", which contained the above lyrics, was sung by the character Grizabella, a cat looking back on her time of glory. Lyrics for the song were written by Trevor Nunn.

10. The Grass Roots saw the midnight hour as a time when you were free to confess the things you couldn't say during the cold light of day. They sang "In my midnight confessions, When I say all the things that I want to...I love you." Despite the power of his love, why would she never be his?

Answer: She was already married.

The tortured lyrics said, "There's a little gold ring, you wear on your hand, makes me understand. There's another before me, you'll never be mine. I'm wasting my time."

"Midnight Confessions" was written by Lou Josie and released in 1968. It was the biggest hit for The Grass Roots, topping the U.S. Pop charts in the number five position.

Source: Author skunkee

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Pagiedamon before going online.
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Songs for Midnight Trivia Quiz

Referred to as the witching hour, midnight has long been associated with dark deeds. It's considered the time when unquiet spirits are loosed upon the unsuspecting world. Come 'burn the midnight oil' with me and explore these songs for midnight.

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