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Riddle Me Then, Riddle Me Now

Gordon Thompson is Professor of Music at Skidmore College. His book, Please Please Me: Sixties British Pop, Inside Out, offers an insider’s view of the British pop-music recording industry. Below is a hint to a musical riddle with sixties British rock and pop as its subject. Be sure to check back Monday for the answer. Check out Thompson’s other riddles here. Feel free to guess the answer in the comments.

Riddle me then, riddle me now;
Can you tell me what somehow?
The last they made, but not the last;
The end was coming very fast.
Why did the chickens cross the road?
Maybe they had a heavy load.
They come together and salute the Queen;
But something happens in between.

Recent Comments

  1. carole

    okay i put comment on facebook, guessing Abbey Road since it was re-released yesterday. however, more research….let it be was last released, although abbey road was last one they worked on. i don’t know???

  2. Jay

    No question it’s Abbey Road (released 9/26/69), but not the last released. That distinction would go to Let It Be (1970) recorded earlier, but tied up in post-production over arguments. In fact, Paul was about to release his solo album
    and was bumped by the other three, who argued that Let It Be was more important. The salute to the Queen would be “Her Majesty”, on the album, but not on the original cover’s song line-up- -a hidden track. And made ironic by the 1970 return, by John, of his MBE, given to The Beatles by the Queen. The “heavy load” would be Paul’s Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight, and “The End” was track #16. The “something happens inbetween” is unclear- -maybe having to do with Yoko?

  3. […] British Pop, Inside Out, offers an insider’s view of the British pop-music recording industry. Last week Thompson stumped us with a musical riddle that had sixties British rock and pop as its subject. The […]

  4. Gordon Thompson

    You are correct! Read the solution.

    https://blog.oup.com/2009/09/riddle-me-then-riddle-me-now-solution/

  5. […] British Pop, Inside Out, offers an insider’s view of the British pop-music recording industry. Last week Thompson stumped us with a musical riddle that had sixties British rock and pop as its subject. The […]

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