Kia ora koutou ē hoa mā
Nau mai, haere mai to the answers!
I hope you’ve all had a lovely Friday and are looking forward to the weekend!
Several songs this week were apparently way too obvious, with FOUR songs being correctly identified by everyone who submitted answers: “America” by Simon & Garfunkel, “Highway to Hell” by AC/DC, “On the Road Again” by Willie Nelson and “Shut Up and Drive” by Rihanna. The song that caused the most confusion was “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66” by Nat King Cole - mostly it was his name that escaped people.
1940s: “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”, Nat King Cole
1960s: “America”, Simon & Garfunkel
1970s: “Highway to Hell”, AC/DC
1980s: “On The Road Again”, Willie Nelson
1990s: “Staring at the Sun”, The Offspring
2000s: “Shut Up and Drive”, Rihanna
Your leaderboard for this week:
🥇 on 12/12: All the world’s a song, Flying Lizards, Bex K, The reign and the terror, Team Impoverished, The Bögan Crüe, Lore in Order, Flora & Son, and Megan and The Chamberlains
🥈 on 11/12: Vercisca
🥉 on 8.5/12: R&E Team
Have a wonderful weekend, and I’ll see you on Monday for quiz 9 of this term!
Kirsti.
1940s: “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66”, Nat King Cole
If you ever plan to motor west
Travel my way, take the highway that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66
Hint: This song is a popular rhythm and blues song, composed in 1946 by American songwriter Bobby Troup. The lyrics relate a westward roadtrip on U.S. Route 66, a highway which traversed the western two-thirds of the U.S. from Chicago, Illinois, to Los Angeles, California (my parents have proudly done much of the drive). The song became a standard, with several renditions appearing on the record charts - the artist I am looking for is a three-named American singer, jazz pianist, and actor (and father to Natalie Cole). Other songs of his you may know are "Unforgettable", "Smile", "L-O-V-E", "Let There Be Love", "Mona Lisa", "Autumn Leaves", "Stardust", "Straighten Up and Fly Right", "The Very Thought of You", "For Sentimental Reasons", "Embraceable You" and "Almost Like Being in Love". Title in lyrics quoted and I need it in the form of “(Word Word Word Word) Word Word”.
1960s: “America”, Simon & Garfunkel
"Kathy, I'm lost," I said, though I knew she was sleeping
I'm empty and aching and I don't know why
Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike
They've all come to look for America
Hint: This song from a classic New York folk duo tells the story of two young lovers hitchhiking their way across the United States, in search of "America", in both a literal and figurative sense. It was inspired by the songwriter’s actual road trip with his then-girlfriend Kathy (including the fact that it apparently took them four days to hitchhike from Saginaw). Other songs of theirs you may know are "The Sound of Silence", "Mrs. Robinson", "The Boxer", and "Bridge over Troubled Water". Title in lyrics quoted.
1970s: “Highway to Hell”, AC/DC
No stop signs, speed limit
Nobody's gonna slow me down
Like a wheel, gonna spin it
Nobody's gonna mess me around
Hey Satan, payin' my dues
Playing in a rocking band
Hey mama, look at me
I'm on the way to the promised land
Hint: This song by an ‘electric’ Australian hard rock band is the opening track of their album of the same name. The guitar riff was an instant classic, and the title and lyrics reflect the arduous nature of touring constantly and life on the road. The highway that inspired the title, Canning Highway, connects the Perth Kwinana freeway to its port Fremantle and was home to many of the band’s favourite pubs and hotels, including the Raffles Hotel. Other songs of theirs you might know are "It's a Long Way to the Top", "Whole Lotta Rosie", "You Shook Me All Night Long", and "Thunderstruck". Title not in lyrics quoted.
1980s: “On The Road Again”, Willie Nelson
On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again
Hint: The song, about life on tour, came about when the executive producer of the film Honeysuckle Rose approached the artist about writing the song for the film's soundtrack - which he starred in. This artist is is an American singer, songwriter, musician, political activist and actor. He was one of the main figures of outlaw country, a subgenre of country music that developed in the late 1960s as a reaction to the conservative restrictions of the Nashville sound. He has acted in over 30 films, co-authored several books, and has been involved in activism for the use of biofuels and the legalization of marijuana. During the mid-1980s, while creating hit albums like Honeysuckle Rose and recording hit songs like "To All the Girls I've Loved Before", and "Pancho and Lefty", he joined the country supergroup The Highwaymen, along with fellow singers Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson. In 1985, he helped organize the first Farm Aid concert to benefit American farmers; the concerts have been held annually ever since and he has been a fixture, appearing at every one. Title in lyrics quoted.
1990s: “Staring at the Sun”, The Offspring
Maybe life is like a ride on a freeway
Dodging bullets while you're trying to find your way
Everyone's around, but no one does a damn thing
It brings me down, but I won't let them
Hint: Not *technically* a song about driving, but I tend to put this song on road trip playlists so…This California punk band is NOT Green Day. Their lead singer (and last remaining original member) has a PhD in molecular biology, and in 2021 they fired their drummer for not getting his Covid-19 vaccine. This song is from their excellent album Americana, which includes the hit singles (and songs you probably know) "Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)", "Why Don't You Get a Job?" and "The Kids Aren't Alright". Title of this song is not in the lyrics quoted, but is four words - I’ll give you clues for three and just outright give you one of them: “[looking fixedly or vacantly at someone or something with one's eyes wide open] At [a British tabloid newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch, which has been involved in many controversies in its history, among the most notable being their coverage of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster]”.
2000s: “Shut Up and Drive”, Rihanna
'Cause I'm zero to sixty in three point five
Baby, you got the keys
Now shut up and drive
Hint: This Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman was the Super Bowl halftime show this year, and she was AWESOME. Title in lyrics quoted. Honestly I don’t think you need any more clues than this for this one <3.
