ryansgirl319 Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 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) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I'll keep searching for ya Ryansgirl....but right away I thought of all the biblical referenced songs such as Turn Turn Turn by the Byrds or The Prophet Song by Queen, and many others you can find in Songfacts.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 "I'm like Estella - I like to reel it in and then spit it out, I'm frustrated by your apathy" ~ Alanis Morrisette "All I Really Want" referencing the character Estella in Dickens' Great Expectations. The whole song "White Rabbit" by Jefferson Starship is about Alice In Wonderland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimmy1104 Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Off the top of my head..... Jim Croce did a version of Gunga Din by setting it to music. Rick Wakeman did a few albums based on stories. Of them Journey To The Center Of The Earth, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 ... and the "Six wives of Henry VIII". Hair soundtrack: "What a piece of work is man" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 "Falls to climb" by R.E.M. is about the short story "The Lottery" by Shirley Jackson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I've googled it and came up with this site " Welcome to the SIBL Library. The only searchable collection of Songs Inspired By Literature in existence. These songs are a testament to the power of the storytelling and the creative process." Hope that helps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-fitter Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 How about this... BA Robertson- "To Be Or Not To Be" Now I'm a little shy I like to stay homeo, Shakespear's my guy: Julie and Romeo Now I have found a girl so dear She cares not if Will, he was a queer Who cares not if Hammy made it with his Ma? To be or not to be my lover? To me there could not be another "To be or not to be?"'s my plea It's as you like it, you know To me there could not be another In hardback or in paper cover, "To be or not to be?"'s my plea Some like the sun They'd be a Barbadian. We think it's fun Here in Stratford-on-Avion. Kids go to a disco show We stay and praise Malvolio, Who cares if Will He dressed his guys as chicks? To be or not to be my lover ... We are a couplet, heaven knows, Undo my doublet baby And I'll undo your hose. To be or not to be my lover It's as you like it you know. That's just for starters (he said, rashly). This thread could run and run..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-fitter Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 In fact, here's another BA Robertson song that makes reference to a couple of literary figures (as well as alot of historical ones...) "Bang Bang" - BA Robertson The strait-jacket of true love's fine - bang bang If you're Houdini in your spare time - bang bang Lord Nel and Lady Hamilton they fought for love When he come home from the war he gave her what for love Bang Bang, The mighty fall Bang Bang, when love has called Vampire friends desire to lust - fang fang They fall on necks then fall in love - pang pang The Marquis de Sade was happy with a stroke of love Sherlock Holmes alone preferred a little toke of love Bang bang, the mighty fall Bang bang, when love has called Bang bang, the mighty fall Tony and Cleo struck out for the freedom down Egypt's way, But Caesar had squeezed her in Rome on his quilt for a day... Hey hey Now Anthony got really angry About old Caesar's hanky panky, She told em she would use'em, And boy did she abuse'em... Fall in love and blew'em away Bang bang, the mighty fall Bang bang, when love has called Bang bang, the mighty fall Bang bang And Sam and Delilah they both we should file under fool... 'Cos when the temple start to crumble, Sammy for his comb did fumble. Life was in a ruin, she loved Johnny Fruin... Fall in love and blew em away Bang bang, when love has called Bang bang, the mighty fall Bang bang, when love has called Bang bang .... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DiggsUK Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Struth! BA Robertson, the old Shakespeario... Remembering him is a tad queerio. Regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RonJonSurfer Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I Am The Walrus - The Beatles "Man you should have seen them kicking Edgar Allen Poe" Of course, some King Lear is recited in the outro.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Joe Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 On Simon And Garfunkel's Sounds Of Silence Album they included Richard Cory, a song that's an adaptation of an Edwin Arlington Robinson poem of the same name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 BF jogged my memory ~ the song "Fire" by the Pointer Sisters... "Now Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah, baby you can bet, a love they couldn't deny." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daslied Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 1. The Beatles - "I'm So Tired" "And curse Sir Walter Raleigh (Ralegh), he was such a stupid git." Sir Walter did some writing, so I suppose this counts. 2. Jethro Tull - "Baker St. Muse (Crash-Barrier Waltzer)" "Strange pas de deux, his Romeo to her Juliet. Her sleeping draught, his poisoned regret." 3. Tom Waits - "Alice" Pretty much the whole album "Alice" is based somewhat on "Alice In Wonderland". 4. Damien Rice - "Amie" "Amie, come sit on my wall and read me the story of 'O'". Story of 'O': http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345301110/ref=pd_sbs_d_1/002-4769426-8082433?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Seasons In The Sun...Terry Jacks Terry knew the song from an English version by Rod McKeuen, who translated the lyrics from the original French. That version of the song was recorded by The Kingston Trio in 1964.....Songfacts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 ...that´s a song of Jacques Brel... Is it based on some literature? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 "Shakespeare, he´s in the alley" ("Stuck inside of Mobile...", Dylan) "Joan was quizical, studied pataphysical science int he home" ("Maxwell´s Silver Hammer", Beatles) "Pataphysics" was a science invented by Alfred Jarry for "Ubu Roi" "Rome and Juliet", Dire Straits. "Desolation Row", Bob Dylan, there are some... They're selling postcards of the hanging They're painting the passports brown The beauty parlor is filled with sailors The circus is in town Here comes the blind commissioner They've got him in a trance One hand is tied to the tight-rope walker The other is in his pants And the riot squad they're restless They need somewhere to go As Lady and I look out tonight From Desolation Row Cinderella, she seems so easy "It takes one to know one," she smiles And puts her hands in her back pockets Bette Davis style And in comes Romeo, he's moaning "You Belong to Me I Believe" And someone says," You're in the wrong place, my friend You better leave" And the only sound that's left After the ambulances go Is Cinderella sweeping up On Desolation Row Now the moon is almost hidden The stars are beginning to hide The fortunetelling lady Has even taken all her things inside All except for Cain and Abel And the hunchback of Notre Dame Everybody is making love Or else expecting rain And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing He's getting ready for the show He's going to the carnival tonight On Desolation Row Now Ophelia, she's 'neath the window For her I feel so afraid On her twenty-second birthday She already is an old maid To her, death is quite romantic She wears an iron vest Her profession's her religion Her sin is her lifelessness And though her eyes are fixed upon Noah's great rainbow She spends her time peeking Into Desolation Row Einstein, disguised as Robin Hood With his memories in a trunk Passed this way an hour ago With his friend, a jealous monk He looked so immaculately frightful As he bummed a cigarette Then he went off sniffing drainpipes And reciting the alphabet Now you would not think to look at him But he was famous long ago For playing the electric violin On Desolation Row Dr. Filth, he keeps his world Inside of a leather cup But all his sexless patients They're trying to blow it up Now his nurse, some local loser She's in charge of the cyanide hole And she also keeps the cards that read "Have Mercy on His Soul" They all play on penny whistles You can hear them blow If you lean your head out far enough From Desolation Row Across the street they've nailed the curtains They're getting ready for the feast The Phantom of the Opera A perfect image of a priest They're spoonfeeding Casanova To get him to feel more assured Then they'll kill him with self-confidence After poisoning him with words And the Phantom's shouting to skinny girls "Get Outa Here If You Don't Know Casanova is just being punished for going To Desolation Row" Now at midnight all the agents And the superhuman crew Come out and round up everyone That knows more than they do Then they bring them to the factory Where the heart-attack machine Is strapped across their shoulders And then the kerosene Is brought down from the castles By insurance men who go Check to see that nobody is escaping To Desolation Row Praise be to Nero's Neptune The Titanic sails at dawn And everybody's shouting "Which Side Are You On?" And Ezra Pound and T. S. Eliot Fighting in the captain's tower While calypso singers laugh at them And fishermen hold flowers Between the windows of the sea Where lovely mermaids flow And nobody has to think too much About Desolation Row Yes, I received your letter yesterday (About the time the door knob broke) When you asked how I was doing Was that some kind of joke? All these people that you mention Yes, I know them, they're quite lame I had to rearrange their faces And give them all another name Right now I can't read too good Don't send me no more letters no Not unless you mail them From Desolation Row Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 ...that´s a song of Jacques Brel... Is it based on some literature? not sure Edna...I heard on the radio they said it was also from a Rod Mckeun poem, so I looked it up on songfacts....they mention Jacques Brel also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I see... It was written by Jacques Brel in 1961 and translated into English by Rod Mkeun, who also translated his song "If you go away" (Ne me quitte pas). Link Wray plays guitar on Terry Jack´s version... Bowie also sang another Brel´s song, "Amsterdam", but I don´t know who made the translation. In any case, I consider Jacques Brel as a wonderful French (though he was from Belgium, but he wrote in French) poet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I've never heard the french version...I bet it sounds nice in french... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I don´t like very much Brel, actually I love his poems but not him as a performer. Terry Jacks in pure pop while Brel is like a real drama... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blind-fitter Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 This is all very well, but does "Seasons In The Sun" contain any literary references, whether sung in English, French , Yiddish, Swahili? In the meantime The Cure's "Killing An Arab" is based on that classic of French existentialist literature, "L'Etranger" by Albert Camus. Here's the lyric... "Killing An Arab" by The Cure Standing on the beach With a gun in my hand Staring at the sea Staring at the sand Staring down the barrel At the arab on the ground I can see his open mouth But I hear no sound I’m alive I’m dead I’m the stranger Killing an arab I can turn And walk away Or I can fire the gun Staring at the sky Staring at the sun Whichever I chose It amounts to the same Absolutely nothing I’m alive I’m dead I’m the stranger Killing an arab I feel the steel butt jump Smooth in my hand Staring at the sea Staring at the sand Staring at myself Reflected in the eyes Of the dead man on the beach The dead man on the beach I’m alive I’m dead I’m the stranger Killing an arab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 I was thinking since it was based on a poem from Rod Mckeuen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 BF is totally right, it has nothing to do with literature, unless you consider Brel as a classic... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elvish Posted February 27, 2006 Report Share Posted February 27, 2006 Songfacts for songs inspired by poems. Songfacts for songs inspired by books. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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