Kia ora koutou ē hoa mā
Please use the below format to send your answers to thelyricsquiz@gmail.com by 3pm today (NZ time).
1950s: “Title Title”, [Artist]
1960s: “Title Title”, [Artist]
1980s: “Title”, [a-Tist]
1990s: “Title”, [Artist]
2000s: “Title Title”, [Artist]
Mihi ana, arewhana 🐘!
Kirsti.
1950s: “Title Title”, [Artist]
You ain’t nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin’ ‘round my door
You ain’t nothing but a hound dog
Been snoopin’ ‘round my door
You can wag your tail
But I ain’t gon’ feed you no more
Covered by: Elvis Presley
Hint: The song, a Southern blues lament, is “the tale of a woman throwing a gigolo out of her house and her life”. While it was famously covered by Elvis, the original version was written for a woman to sing in which she berates “her selfish, exploitative man”. This was this American blues singer’s biggest hit, though her song “Ball and Chain” also found fame after being covered by another artist (in this case, Janis Joplin). Her name is 3 words: Large, Mother, Surname of the actor Billy Bob.
1960s: “Title Title”, [Artist]
MacArthur’s Park is melting in the dark
All the sweet green icing flowing down
Someone left the cake out in the rain
I don’t think that I can take it
‘Cause it took so long to bake it
And I’ll never have that recipe again, oh no
Covered by: Waylon Jennings; Donna Summer
Hint: This song is about the relationship - and end of the relationship - of the songwriter to his girlfriend, who he used to spend time in MacArthur Park, LA with. Hint as to the original recording artist: his final film role was as a certain bearded character in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
1980s: “Title”, [a-Tist]
‘Til now, I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone?
Covered by: John Stamos and Valerie Stevenson; Heart
Hint: The guys who wrote this song recorded this song in 1983 - it debuted “inauspiciously” and the band did not record any other albums prior to disbanding. But then John Stamos and Valerie Stevenson covered it for their sitcom Dreams, and it did okay, then Heart covered it as a power ballad and now it’s a karaoke staple. The original band that recorded it is so obscure they don’t even have a wikipedia page; a hint for their name is that they’re the Interstate Highway between nine and eleven.
1990s: “Title”, [Artist]
I’m all out of faith, this is how I feel
I’m cold and I am shamed lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed into something real
I’m wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn
You’re a little late, I’m already torn
Covered by: Natalie Imbruglia
Hint: This song has a really fun history - it was written in 1991, then performed and recorded live for a few years but not formally released. A Danish version was released in 1993, then the original band gave it it’s formal English-language debut in 1995. In 1997, Natalie Imbruglia covered it as her debut single, and went on to sell over 4 million copies of her version worldwide. The original band name is one word of two parts: The fashion designer from The Incredibles; to exchange things.
2000s: “Title Title”, [Artist]
Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me?
Don’t cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?
Covered by: The Pussycat Dolls
Hint: Learning that this song was a cover SHOOKETH me. It was written and produced by the guy who released “Crazy” (under the name Gnarls Barkley) and “F*ck You” - this is the name I am looking for for this song. It was originally recored by a backing vocalist for OutKast, who did release her version as the lead single of her debut album, but then her album got shelved due to contract issues and instead Universal Records kept the rights to the song, later handing it to The Pussycat Dolls when they were trying to reinvent themselves from being as burlesque group to a pop act. It was also apparently offered to both Sugababes and Paris Hilton, giving us a small glimpse into a truly wild alternative timeline than the current one we’re in.
