TwentyWattBurns Posted September 5, 2004 Report Share Posted September 5, 2004 I am doing a project for my English class, where I have to find allusions to greek and roman mythology. Do any of you know any allusions included in song lyrics, or names of bands (such as Styx)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazooka Posted September 5, 2004 Report Share Posted September 5, 2004 Just for starters: Tales Of Brave Ulysses by Cream Atlantis by Donovan (and the lyrics to Those Were The Days by Cream also makes reference to Atlantis) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XXX Posted September 5, 2004 Report Share Posted September 5, 2004 One of my all-time favourite songs, "Wrapped Around Your Finger" by the Police, makes an allusion to Scylla and Charybdis from The Odyssey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted September 5, 2004 Report Share Posted September 5, 2004 Shocking Blue - Venus, it makes a reference to the Roman goddess of love, even though it only uses it as a metaphor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Clown Posted September 13, 2004 Report Share Posted September 13, 2004 A few that come to mind: the band Oddyssey Paul MacCartney album 'Venus & Mars' There was a very recent album by Andy Partrdige (lead singer/songwriter of british new wave band XTC) which was a full exploration of the sory of Orpheus. Black Metal band Emperor relased an album called Prometheus a couple of years back. There is the band Mercury Rev (and the mercury record label) Another band is Minotaur Shock The Genesis album Foxtrot has a track on it called Supper's Ready which contains a passage which interprets the legend of Narcissus. There is a King Crimson album In The Wake Of Posseidon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aunt_Acid Posted September 14, 2004 Report Share Posted September 14, 2004 Scylla Thanks man! I had been thinking about how to spell that all day, and couldn't remember. What a coincedence. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindCrime Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 Rush has had many allusions and references to Greek Mythology as well as classic literature & quotes. On a more literary and allegorical note, The title song of the LP Hemispheres utilizes characters from Greek mythology to symbolize the battle between emotion and reason within the collective Human consciousness. Peart uses Dionysis and Apollo to symbolize the reasoning and emotional functioning of the brain's hemispheres. Not only can Hemispheres be used to develop an interest in literature, but in psychology as well. Hemispheres mentions the pantheon of Greek mythology and also reuses myths in ways similar to Friedrich Nietzsche in Birth of Tragedy. Panacea (song, COS) is the name of a mythological cure all. "If we burn our wings flying too close to the sun" (Bravado- RTB) refers to the Icarus myth from Greek mythology. "Rise from the ashes and blaze" (Everyday Glory, Counterparts) refers to the mythological death and rebirth of the Phoenix. Sections titles of By-tor and the Snow Dog (song, FBN) include references to the underworld of Greek mythology. Taken from the Web (also here) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdL Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 How about Temporary, Like Achilles from Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde album? Very strange lyrics indeed. XXX rated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mermista Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 "Ghost" by the Indigo Girls, the third verse is: Now I see a face before me that would launch a thousand ships To bring your heart back to my island As the sand beneath me slips 'Cause I burn up in your presence And I know now how it feels To be weakened like Achilles With you always at my heels That's all I can think of off the top of my head, but I'll email some of my friends from my old latin class and see if they can come up with any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ImThatGuyToo Posted October 15, 2004 Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 Led Zeppelin - Achilles' Last Stand I know there's more Zepp stuff that relates to greek mythology, but, it's late... help me out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdL Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Just thought of another - Cupid by Sam Cooke (I think). There was a cover version in the 60's by Johnny Nash. Cupid draw back your bow And let your arrows flow Straight to my lover's heart for me Nobody but me......... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdL Posted October 21, 2004 Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 I thought some more and scraped the bottom of the barrel and came up with: Mr Apollo - Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band Venus (in Blue Jeans) - Bobby Darin (maybe) and many years ago we had the bands Cupid's Inspiration and Aphrodite's Child but these days we've got Dido. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now