Do you like a good music trivia challenge? This book tests your knowledge on some of the most popular songs of all-time. You’ve heard and sung along to these tunes countless times, but how well do you know the lyrics?
In this book, you’re not asked to name the song title or identify the artist. That information is already in the question. The answers to these 200 music trivia questions are in the songs’ lyrics.
Here’s a sample:
In “Baby Got Back,” what two foods is Sir Mix-a-Lot OK with his ladies consuming?
A: Red beans and rice.
Give me a sister, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her
Do you like a good music trivia challenge? This book tests your knowledge on some of the most popular songs of all-time. You’ve heard and sung along to these tunes countless times, but how well do you know the lyrics?
In this book, you’re not asked to name the song title or identify the artist. That information is already in the question. The answers to these 200 music trivia questions are in the songs’ lyrics.
Here’s a sample:
In “Baby Got Back,” what two foods is Sir Mix-a-Lot OK with his ladies consuming?
A: Red beans and rice.
Give me a sister, I can't resist her
Red beans and rice didn't miss her
Q: In “Raspberry Beret,” what was the name of Prince’s boss?
Q: How big is Molly’s ring in The Beatles’ “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”?
Q: What happened when Tommy Tutone tried to call Jenny at “867-5309”?
Q: What materials make up Irene Cara’s world in “Flashdance…What a Feeling”?
Q: In “What I Like About You,” what three things do The Romantics like about you?
Q: In Grateful Dead’s “Touch of Grey,” what two things are wrong with the seventeen-year-old kid?
Q: What do the four “Signs” say in (originally) the Five Man Electrical Band song?
Q: According to Kansas’ “Dust in the Wind,” what are the only things that last forever?
Q: When Billy Ocean met his “Caribbean Queen,” what did he declare he would have no more of?
Q: In the Counting Crows song, who did “Mr. Jones” strike up a conversation with when he was down at the New Amsterdam?
Pop and Rock Song Trivia Answers
A: Mr. McGee.
“I was working part time in a five-and-dime
My boss was Mr. McGee”
Prince. (1985). Raspberry Beret [Song]. On Around the World in a Day. Paisley Park; Warner Bros.
A: Twenty carats.
Desmond takes a trolley to the jeweler’s store,
Buys a twenty-carat golden ring (ring)
The Beatles. (1968). Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da [Song]. On The Beatles. Apple.
A: He lost his nerve.
I tried to call you before, but I lost my nerve.
Tutone, Tommy. (1981). 867-5309/Jenny [Song]. On Tommy Tutone 2. Columbia.
A: Steel and stone.
All alone, I have cried silent tears full of pride
In a world made of steel, made of stone
Cara, Irena. (1983). What a Feelin’ [Song]. On [Studio Album]. Network; Geffen; Epic; Unidisc.
A: 1) You hold me tight, 2) You really know how to dance, 3) You keep me warm at night.
What I like about you, you hold me tight.
What I like about you, you really know how to dance.
What I like about you, you keep me warm at night.
The Romantics. (1979). What I Like About You [Song]. On The Romantics. Coconuts Recording (Miami Beach).
A: He can’t read, and the words he knows are all obscene.
I know the rent is in arrears, the dog has not been fed in years
It's even worse than it appears, but it's alright
Cow is given kerosene, kid can't read at seventeen
The words he knows are all obscene, but it's alright
Grateful Dead. (1987). Touch of Grey [Song]. On In the Dark. Arista.
A: 1) Long-haired freaky people not apply, 2) Anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight, 3) You got to have a membership card to get inside, 4) Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray.
And the sign says "Long-haired freaky people need not apply"…
And the sign says “Anybody caught trespassing will be shot on sight”…
And the sign says “You got to have a membership card to get inside”…
And the sign says “Everybody welcome, come in, kneel down and pray”
Five Man Electric Band. (1971). Signs [Song]. On Good-byes and Butterflies. Lionel Records.
A: The earth and sky.
“Now don't hang on, nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky”
Kansas. (1978). Dust in the Wind [Song]. On Point of Know Return. Kirshner.
A: Love on the run.
Caribbean Queen, now we're sharing the same dream
And our hearts they beat as one, no more love on the run
Ocean, Billy. (1984). Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run) [Song]. On Suddenly. Jive.
A: A black-haired flamenco dancer.
I was down at the New Amsterdam staring at this yellow-haired girl,
Mr. Jones strikes up a conversation, with a black-haired flamenco dancer
Counting Crows. (1993). Mr. Jones [Song]. On August and Everything After. Geffen.
Music fans will have a blast playing What's in That Song? The trivia book does not ask you to name the singer. It doesnot ask you to sing along and fill in the missing word(s). This book does not ask you to name that tune in a certain amount of notes. The writer and music enthusiast created questions to gauge who really knows the lyrics to top hits in the pop and rock genres. Two hundred questions, some easy and some hard, each one that will test your memory and skill to understand what these pop culture icons were singing about.
In the introduction, John Nicholas mentioned that he verified the lyrics once he settled on a song to add. It's a good thing, too, because he discovered he'd been singing the wrong lyrics to "Bad Moon Rising" by Credence Clearwater Revival and David Bowe's "Modern Love." Oh, we've all been there: singing songs for months or years and finally realizing we have been misunderstanding the singer all along. Embarrassing but also wildly humorous.
What's in That Song? covers a wide range of well-known artists and bands, starting with Prince with "Raspberry Beret" in question 1 and ending with "Rocket Man" by Elton John in the 200th slot. Participants will face questions testing their musical knowledge in this carefully crafted quiz book, where the answers lie somewhere in the lyrics! Example:
In "Yesterday" by The Beatles,
what does Paul McCartney need now
after realizing love is no longer an
easy game to play?
True Beatles fans will answer with ease. I was stumped, and no amount of time would make the answer magically pop into my head. I needed a partner to help me with songs before my time or ones that were not my cup of tea. The more questions I read, the more I thought about how fun it would be to play this in a pub or game night with friends and/or family.
For those who enjoy liquor, you can make this a shot game. If you miss a question, take a shot. The more liquor you consume, well, the harder it will be to recall or speak the proper answer, so pace yourself and don't buzz in unless you genuinely believe you know the answer. For instance, in Q 89: Who are the lucky seven women that Lou Bega wants a little bit of in "Mambo No. 5"?
Those who abstain from liquor can also have fun with the trivia book. Cheers will erupt when someone buzzes in before the other team. Laughter will rain out when someone believes they know the answer but realizes they have been singing the wrong words for a long time. Let's take "Royals" by Lorde in Q 38: What does Lorde say you can call her? Hint: It's not green bean.
Train, Barry Manilow, Jewel, Cyndi Lauper, Grateful Dead, Elvis Presley, Jimmy Buffet, Journey, AC/DC, and many more recording artists will make you stop and think: Do I really know the lyrics? Put your musical knowledge to the test and have a blast with friends and family, grab a copy of What's in That Song? today.
(The answer key can be found after the last question, along with the songs' credit citations.)