# Band named after Songs/phrases **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 25, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457 "2003-10-25T07:23:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/1 "2003-10-25T07:23:44Z")
In the proud tradition of “Albums named after phrases in songs.” Rules: Song cannot be by the same band (although they can cover it as you shall see.) A lot of these are questionable, but in my mind they always conjure up the song rather than the actual phrase: My entries: Sisters of Mercy (from the song by Leonard Cohen.) Tragically hip (from Town Crier by Elvis Costello, although i’m sure the phrase was used elsewhere.) Rocket 88. Texas is the Reason (from a Misfits song.) Book of Love. ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/2 "2003-10-25T07:25:19Z")
Eric’s Trip, after the Sonic Youth song. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/3 "2003-10-25T08:18:21Z")
Sister Machine Gun, from Skinny Puppy’s [Tin Omen](http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/skinnypuppy/rabies.html). ---
**Author:** ![A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/46a35a/32.png) [@A\_wizard\_song\_for\_thee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_wizard_song_for_thee)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 8:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/4 "2003-10-25T08:52:57Z")
**Cowboy Mouth** is, I’m pretty sure, named after the phrase in “Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” by Bob Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![Dryga\_Yes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@Dryga\_Yes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dryga_Yes)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/5 "2003-10-25T10:33:02Z")
**Radiohead** , named after the **Talking Heads** ’ song “Radio Head”. _Baby your mind is a radio Got a reciever inside my head Baby I’m tuned to your wavelength Lemme tell you what it says_ ---
**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:** [October 25, 2003, 10:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/6 "2003-10-25T10:52:03Z")
Toad the Wet Sprocket, from a line in a Monty Python routine: “Rex Stardust, lead electric triangle for Toad the Wet Sprocket, has had to have an elbow removed following their recent successful worldwide tour of Finland.” ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/7 "2003-10-25T15:33:02Z")
**Dryga\_Yes** , perhaps the more appropriate quote would be “Hey, Radio Head/ The sound of a brand new world…” (Aw, I’m just jealous because you posted it first.) 🙂 I read something one time where Thom Yorke said they named themselves “Radiohead” because it was the least annoying song off **True Stories**. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/8 "2003-10-25T15:59:00Z")
The Rolling Stones. [http://www.timeisonourside.com/chronicle5.html](http://www.timeisonourside.com/chronicle5.html) > [@](#): > > [The text… Brian came up with the name (Rolling Stones). It was a phone call - which cost money - and we were down to pennies… We got a gig at last, so we said, “Call up Jazz News, put in an advert”. So Brian gaily dials away - and they say “Who?” We hadn’t got a name and every second was costing a precious farthing. There’s a Muddy Waters record face down - The Best of Muddy Waters - and the first song was Rollin’ Stone Blues. Brian had a panicked look on his face - he said I don’t know… the Rolling Stones. That’s the reason we’re called the Rolling Stones… Our first gig was… at the Marquee.] ---
**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:** [October 25, 2003, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/9 "2003-10-25T15:59:24Z")
**Willie and the Poor Boys** , a short-lived “super group” featuring Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Mickey Gee, named for a throwaway lyric from Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Down of the Corner.” Incidentally, when was “Rolling Stone” first used in a song title? ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/10 "2003-10-25T17:17:58Z")
**Radio Birdman** from a misheard ling the song _1970_ by **The Stooges** _Out of my mind on Saturday night 1970 rollin’ in sight Radio burnin’ (Radio Birdman) up above Beautiful baby, feed my love_ ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/11 "2003-10-25T17:26:34Z")
Pretty Girls Make Graves, from the Smiths song. Umm… there was a hardcore band called American Nightmare, from the Misfits song, but they had to change their name. ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/12 "2003-10-25T17:51:35Z")
The Locomotions, & the Mint Julips after songs. The Hollies after Buddy, Searchers after the movie. Silhouettes after the song- I did a radio show about this once in college- can’t recall more,but the number is huge. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/13 "2003-10-25T18:43:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Darth Nader \* > \*\*Sister Machine Gun, from Skinny Puppy’s [Tin Omen](http://www.darklyrics.com/lyrics/skinnypuppy/rabies.html). \*\* What was really funny is that I read an article on them in 1994 where they were trying to claim that it was from some fiction a friend had wrote about “Brother Bomb and Sister Machine Gun”. Yeah, right. It would have been a lot more convincing if I hadn’t read an interview with them in Industrial Nation the year before where they were pointedly asked if they got the name from Skinny Puppy and they said “Yeah, from Tin Omen.” To add: Anything Box - from the book of the same name by Zenna Henderson. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2003, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/14 "2003-10-26T05:20:05Z")
yeah, doctor, which is why I tried to imply that they should be from songs. Although it didnt tend to come out that way. I guess any medium will do. Not just any phrase…hello dave barry 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ebca7d/32.png) [@Moo\_the\_Magic\_Cow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moo_the_Magic_Cow)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/15 "2003-10-27T07:13:13Z")
Burning Airlines, from Brian Eno’s Burning Airlines Give You So Much More. Death Cab for Cutie, from the Bonzo Dog Doodah Band’s song featured on the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour video. ---
**Author:** ![voxnihili](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b4bc9f/32.png) [@voxnihili](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voxnihili)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2003, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/band-named-after-songs-phrases/209457/16 "2003-10-27T18:20:55Z")
godsmack, after the alice in chains song