skybluesky Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 I came across this thread a few days ago and realized I never made the CD. I'm looking for songs that specifically reference literary characters, authors, or lines. I've come up with four so far Whiter Shade of Pale: "as the miller told his tale" (Canterbury Tales) Ramble On: "but Gollum and the evil one crept up" (Lord of the Rings trilogy) Don't Stand So Close to Me: "just like the old man in that book by Nabokov" Wuthering Heights: "Heathcliff it's me" (Wuthering Heights) Original Thread If any one has any more suggestions, I would appreciate them, but these are the songs I have chosen 1-Turn! Turn! Turn!-The Byrds-References Ecclisiastes 2-Hallelujah-Alison Crowe-References King David 3-Whiter Shade of Pale-Procul Harum-References The Canterbury Tales, Geoffrey Chaucer 4-Guinnevere-CSN-References Le Mort D'Arthur , Sir Thomas Malory 5-(Don't Fear)The Reaper-Blue Oyster Cult-References Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare 6-Fever-Peggy Lee-References Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare 7-Fire-The Pointer Sisters-References Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare 8-Wuthering Heights-Kate Bush-References Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte 9-White Rabbit-Jefferson Airplane-References Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll 10-Tom Sawyer-Rush-References Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain 11-Centerfield-John Fogerty-References Casey at the Bat, poem by Ernest Thayer 12-Richard Cory-Simon & Garfunkel-References Richard Cory, poem by Edward Arlington Robinson 13-Grey Gardens-Rufus Wainwright-References Death in Venice, novella by Thomas Mann 14-Falls to Climb-R.E.M.-References The Lottery, short story by Shirley Jackson 15-Aime-Damien Rice-References The Story of O, novel by Pauline Réage 16-The Battle of Evermore-Led Zeppelin-References Lord of the Rings, etc. by JRR Tolkien 17-Misty Mountain Hop-Led Zeppelin-References Lord of the Rings, etc. by JRR Tolkien 18-Ramble On-Led Zeppelin-References Lord of the Rings, etc. by JRR Tolkien 19-Don't Stand So Close to Me-The Police-References Lolita, novel by Vladimir Nabokov 20-Hey Jack Kerouac-10,000 Maniacs-References Author Jack Kerouac and other Beat Generation writers 21-Pretty Girls Make Graves-The Smiths-References The Dharma Bums, Jack Kerouac 22-Song for Myla Goldberg-References Author Myla Goldberg, Bee Season 23-Desolation Row-Bob Dylan-Various Literary References Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLizard Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Many of the songs in Bowie's "Diamond Dogs" are about Orwell's 1984. Modest Mouse wrote a song about poet Charles Bukowski, called "Bukowski". Rush's "2112" is based on Ayn Rand's "Anthem". Those are three that immediately came to mind. I'll think some more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 "All I Really Want" by Alanis Morrisette (I'm like Estella, I like to reel it in and then spit it out - Great Expectations/Dickens) Here's a link to the SF list of songs that reference/were inspired by books: Songfacts: songs that reference books Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 1. "Killing An Arab" by The Cure references Albert Camus's L'Etranger 2. "Hiroshima, Mon Amour" by Ultravox! gets its title from Alain Resnais's movie (and, therefore, screenplay) 3. The Eurythmics have an album titled 1984 (movie song collection). 4. Squeeze references a couple of works in their song, "Pulling Mussels (From A Shell)" (they talk about a Harold Robbins paperback and reference William Tell and Maid Marian). 5. Robert Marlowe did a song called "Picture Of Dorian Gray." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 "Layla" by Derek And The Dominos references Layla from the Persian poem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skybluesky Posted February 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Thanks to all who helped with the original thread, and who are helping now. This might be the nerdiest task I've ever taken on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ombre Vivante Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 1. The Normal's "Warm Leatherette" is directly influenced by J.G. Ballard's novel, Crash (yes, the same novel about car crashes and sex). 2. "The Stand" by The Alarm is based on Stephen King's novel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberjudge Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Tin Man-America (character from the Wizard of Oz) Queen of Hearts-Juice Newton/originally by Dave Edmunds (character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) Just Like Romeo and Juliet-Reflections The Pied Piper-Christian St. Peter Tears of a Clown-Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (references opera Pagliacci) We Didn't Start the Fire-Billy Joel (musicals South Pacific, The King and I, Peter Pan [also a book], books Catcher in the Rye, Stranger in a Strange Land, author Hemingway, and many more) Snoopy vs. the Red Baron-Royal Guardsman Lil' Red Riding Hood-Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs Magic Carpet Ride-Steppenwolf (refers to Aladdin from 1001 Nights [aka Arabian Nights]) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Gordon Lightfoot - "Don Quixote" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lea Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 From our current ten: House At Pooh Corner-Kenny Loggins Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyberjudge Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 This Kiss-Faith Hill (references to Cinderella and Snow White) Breakfast at Tiffany's-Deep Blue Something (refers to the Audrey Hepburn film based on the novel by Truman Capote) American Pie-Don McLean (reference to Karl Marx) Holding Out for a Hero-Bonnie Tyler (reference to Hercules from Greek mythology) Wrapped Around Your Finger-Police (reference to Scylla and Charibdes from Greek mythology) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Do the Evolution ~ Pearl Jam references (or was influenced by) Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 "I Don't Need Another Thrill" by Roger! "Sang Cerberus to sleep with a rock and roll lullaby..." that's Greek mythology, right? and let's not forget the most obvious of all: "Paperback Writer" by the Beatles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 28, 2008 Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 (edited) Cerberus is that cute little puppy, isn't he... "Mack the Knife", or rather the original "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer" is the first song of the famous play "The Three Penny Opera" (Die Dreigroschenoper) by Bertold Brecht (which, in turn, was adapted from John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera") Edited February 28, 2008 by Guest forgot + typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skybluesky Posted February 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2008 Cerberus is that cute little puppy, isn't he... ah yes, snarling three headed dragon tailed hell beasts are just precious! I think I have the makings for two CDs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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