# Albums that take their title from a line in a song thereon (but not the title!) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 3, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405 "2004-03-03T23:18:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/1 "2004-03-03T23:18:37Z")
Hmm, is that title clear as mud or what? Anyway, I was listening to the excellent album _Final Straw_ by Snow Patrol, and noticed that the title of the album is from a line in the song “Chocolate” on the album. It got me thinking that quite a few albums do this - it’s a lot less obvious than calling the album after the title of one of the songs, for instance… plus it gives you a little “ah-ha!” moment when you spot the title buried in an album track. So as I sat on the train, I was trying to think of some more examples. I thought it would be easy - lots of bands do this, right? - but I could only think of two: _Last Splash_ by The Breeders, a line from the song “Cannonball”, and _Never Loved Elvis_ by The Wonder Stuff, a line from, ummm [Google break]… “Mission Drive”. Any more? ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/2 "2004-03-03T23:29:15Z")
I can think of two: [ul]Shannon Curfman, **Loud Guitars and Big Suspicions** , a line from her cover of Sheryl Crow’s “Hard to Make a Stand.”[/ul] [ul]Starship, **Knee Deep in the Hoopla** , which I think is a throwaway line from “We Built This City.”[/ul] ---
**Author:** ![InTransit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e47774/32.png) [@InTransit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InTransit)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/3 "2004-03-03T23:31:30Z")
U2 “All That You Can’t Leave Behind” is taken from “Walk On.” ---
**Author:** ![cheddarsnax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@cheddarsnax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheddarsnax)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/4 "2004-03-03T23:35:53Z")
The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow. From _Young Pilgrims_: “…And ended up the kind of kid who goes down chutes too narrow” ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/5 "2004-03-03T23:47:31Z")
With the exception of “Check Your Head,” The Beastie Boys have done it with every album: “License to Ill” is spoken in the song _Paul Revere_ “Paul’s Boutique” is spoken in the song _Ask For Janice_ “Ill Communication” is spoken in the song _Sure Shot_ “Hello Nasty” is spoken in the song _Putting Shame In Your Game_ ---
**Author:** ![nitroglycerine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c5a1d2/32.png) [@nitroglycerine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nitroglycerine)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/6 "2004-03-03T23:47:48Z")
The Cramps-Stay Sick, from “Bikini Girls With Machine Guns”: “…got my own ideas about the righteous kick, you can keep the rewards, I’d just as soon stay sick” ---
**Author:** ![Kizarvexius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/da6949/32.png) [@Kizarvexius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kizarvexius)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/7 "2004-03-03T23:49:47Z")
The only one that comes to mind right away is Shawn Colvin’s _A Few Small Repairs_, which is part of a line from _Sunny Came Home_. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/8 "2004-03-03T23:56:39Z")
Van Halen’s _Fair Warning_. The title comes from a line in the song _Mean Street_. ---
**Author:** ![Murcielago](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/da6949/32.png) [@Murcielago](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Murcielago)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/9 "2004-03-04T00:00:13Z")
The Floyd’s _Dark Side of the Moon_. It was a line in that album’s song “Brain Damage.” ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/10 "2004-03-04T00:02:30Z")
Counting Crows’ _Films About Ghosts_ is named for a line from the song “Mrs. Potter’s Lullaby”. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/11 "2004-03-04T00:16:27Z")
Patty Griffin’s perfect album **Living With Ghosts**. It’s a line from the song “Every Little Bit.” ---
**Author:** ![RikWriter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/49beb7/32.png) [@RikWriter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RikWriter)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/12 "2004-03-04T00:25:37Z")
Alanis Morrisette’s “Jagged Little Pill.” The title was taken from a line in the song “You Learn.” ---
**Author:** ![mouthbreather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@mouthbreather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mouthbreather)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/13 "2004-03-04T00:42:44Z")
Beck’s _Seachange_, from the song “Little One” I was going to mention The Shins album but I see cheddarsnax beat me to the punch. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/14 "2004-03-04T00:49:36Z")
> [@RikWriter](#): > > Alanis Morrisette’s “Jagged Little Pill.” > The title was taken from a line in the song “You Learn.” Damn! Beat me to it, _while I was listening to the song!_ ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/15 "2004-03-04T00:50:56Z")
_Nevermind_ by Nirvana, which I always assumed was from the last verse of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/16 "2004-03-04T00:58:49Z")
Elvis Costello’s **My Aim is True** takes its title from the song “Alison” within. Emerson Lake and Palmers live **Welcome Back My Friends to the Show that Never Ends** takes its title from a line “Karn Evil 9” ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/17 "2004-03-04T00:59:31Z")
_My Aim Is True_ by Elvis Costello, from “Alison.” ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/18 "2004-03-04T01:00:40Z")
Great minds, and all that… ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Macphisto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b487fb/32.png) [@Ms\_Macphisto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Macphisto)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/19 "2004-03-04T01:20:30Z")
There was a thread on this a few months ago, but I’m not sure what to search on to find it. Anyway, a bunch of other U2 albums besides _All That You Can’t Leave Behind_ also fit the criteria: _Under a Blood Red Sky_ comes from a line in “New Year’s Day”. _Rattle and Hum_ comes from a line in “Bullet the Blue Sky” _Achtung Baby_ is whispered in the middle of “The Fly” And stretching things a little, the word “boy” comes up in over half the songs on the album _Boy_. ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2004, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405/20 "2004-03-04T01:34:53Z")
Phantom Power by The Tragically Hip. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/albums-that-take-their-title-from-a-line-in-a-song-thereon-but-not-the-title/232405.md?page=2)