# Celebrities in pop songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 22, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804 "2001-10-22T04:10:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/1 "2001-10-22T04:10:05Z")
I’m trying to think of various songs in which celebrities/famous people appear in the lyrics. I’m trying to avoid songs that are actually about that person. Also excluding songs mentioning God, Jesus, Santa and other fictional characters. Examples include “Robert DeNiro’s Waiting” by Bananarama, “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes and “Vogue” by Madonna. Also trying to think of what celebrity might appear in the most “incidental” lyrics. So far Bette Davis tops my brief list with two (the aforementioned B.D. Eyes and Vogue). ---
**Author:** ![drgonzo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5fc32e/32.png) [@drgonzo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drgonzo)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/2 "2001-10-22T04:18:22Z")
“We Didn’t Start The Fire” by Billy Joel from the album “Storm Front”. Loads of famous people in that song. ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/3 "2001-10-22T04:46:05Z")
The first one I though of was Mrs. Robinson by Paul Simon (or was it Simon & Garfunkle?). It mentions Joe Dimaggio. ---
**Author:** ![Crunchy\_Frog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ebca7d/32.png) [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/4 "2001-10-22T04:47:00Z")
Red Hot Chili Peppers have a line about Bob Marley in _[Give It Away](http://windoms.sitek.net/~lyrics/redhotcp.htm)_. Baseball player Rod Carew is mentioned in a Beastie Boys song, but I can’t remember the title. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/5 "2001-10-22T05:10:42Z")
Al Stewarts _Year of the cat_ starts with _On a morning from a Bogart movie…_. ---
**Author:** ![BigGiantHead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b4bc9f/32.png) [@BigGiantHead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigGiantHead)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/6 "2001-10-22T05:43:01Z")
Bogey - and Bacall, natch - also appear in that lite-FM favorite which I believe is entitled “Key Largo.” Ayup, just sampled it online. By Bertie Higgins. In “Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me),” Blessid Union of Souls throw down a virtual cornucopia of celeb mentions, including: the eponymous DiCaprio, Robert Redford, Tyson Beckford, “that guy who played in Fargo, I think his name was Steve” (Buscemi, obviously), Pavarotti, Cindy Crawford, Dirty Harry, and Jim Carrey. - Dave (who’s not in a song, yet) ---
**Author:** ![Diesel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6bbea6/32.png) [@Diesel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diesel)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/7 "2001-10-22T06:21:20Z")
“Clint Eastwood” by Gorillaz has nothing to do with Harry Callahan himself, but hey, great title, eh? Ok, not good enough? “Fuck L. Ron Hubbard and all of his clones.” -“_A_Enima” by TooL ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/8 "2001-10-22T06:48:21Z")
IIRC, Suzanne Vega also has a song with Bogey and Bacall mentioned. She certainly referred to Marlene Dietrich in the stunning _Marlene on the wall_. ---
**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/9 "2001-10-22T06:49:34Z")
And Billy Joel also did Bob Hope and the Doors in _Goodnight Saigon_. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/10 "2001-10-22T07:04:39Z")
The Kinks song Hollywood Boulevard “Don’t step on Greta Garbo as you walk down the boulevard she looked so weak and fragile that’s why she tried to be so hard” and many many more ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/11 "2001-10-22T07:07:47Z")
A lot of people mentioned Reagan too. In a Don Henley song he mentions “this tired old man that we elected king” which his him. I can’t recall the tune but I imagine he was mentioned, as would be others, in the song with the puppets. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 7:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/12 "2001-10-22T07:11:26Z")
“God save the Queen” by the Sex Pistols… Did I get that right? I was only 5 when it came out. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/13 "2001-10-22T09:26:24Z")
Red Hot Chili Peppers also have mention Kurt Cobain in “Californication”. ---
**Author:** ![blur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dbc845/32.png) [@blur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blur)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/14 "2001-10-22T10:14:54Z")
A couple of more I remembered In California uber Alles, by the Dead Kennedys, California Governer Pete Wilson is mentioned. Suicidal Tendencies sang I shot Reagan. Ozzy sand Mr. Crowley, about Alister Crowley ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/15 "2001-10-22T11:00:21Z")
Nirvana: “Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle” from the “In Utero” CD. [I’ve just finished reading a biography of Frances Farmer. Intense stuff]. ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/16 "2001-10-22T11:19:09Z")
Rick Nelson’s [“Garden Party”](http://www.summer.com.br/~pfilho/html/lyrics/g/garden_party.txt) mentions “Yoko brought her walrus”. [sub]I can’t believe I remembered that.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![galen\_ubal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galen_ubal/32/4440_2.png) [@galen\_ubal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/galen_ubal)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/17 "2001-10-22T11:31:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Osiris \* > \*\*A lot of people mentioned Reagan too. In a Don Henley song he mentions “this tired old man that we elected king” which his him. I can’t recall the tune but I imagine he was mentioned, as would be others, in the song with the puppets. \*\* That song would be “End of the Innocence” on the album of the same name. I don’t remember puppets being involved, though. Are you thinking of the video for “Land of Confusion” by Genesis? ---
**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/18 "2001-10-22T11:52:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crunchy Frog \* > \*\*Red Hot Chili Peppers have a line about Bob Marley in _[Give It Away](http://windoms.sitek.net/~lyrics/redhotcp.htm)_. > > Baseball player Rod Carew is mentioned in a Beastie Boys song, but I can’t remember the title. \*\* **Crunchy** , the song is called _Sure Shot_. “And I’ve got mad hits like I was Rod Carew” is the lyric. ---
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/19 "2001-10-22T12:08:50Z")
Barenaked Ladies: \*“Brian Wilson”-- Brian Wilson, Dr. Landy, Pavlov \*“Be My Yoko Ono”-- Yoko Ono, John Lennon, The Beatles “Ed’s Broken String”-- Seal (“Who’s that scarred-up bald black guy?/Oh my goodness, it’s Seal!”) “Jane”-- Juliana Hatfield and Evan Dando “A”-- Thelonius Monk “Grade 9”-- Duran Duran, Led Zeppelin “The King of Bedside Manor”-- Tom Jones, Styx “New Kid on the Block”-- NKOTB, J.S. Bach, Elvis “Blame It on the Rain”-- Milli Vanilli “If I Had $1M”-- John Merrick (The Elephant Man) “One Week”-- LeAnn Rimes, Bert Kaempfert, Harrison Ford, Sting, Akira Kurosawa “In The Car”-- The Clash “When You Dream”-- Del Shannon “Care Less”-- Morton Downey “Go Home”-- Catherine the Great, Joan of Arc “Sell Sell Sell”-- Roman Polanski “Baby Seat”-- Jack Kerouac “Fight The Power (cover)”-- Elvis, Buddy Rich, Buddy Hackett, John Wayne \*[sub]-- The song’s not about the celebrity, but rather about someone who draws parallels between themselves or someone else and the celebrity. If it makes any difference.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804/20 "2001-10-22T12:12:24Z")
[Johnny Clegg](http://www.johnnyclegg.com/)’s prostest song _Asimbonanga_ refers to both Nelson Mandela and Steven Biko as well as other less well-known matyrs of the Anti-apartheid Struggle. For lyrics - cut and paste the following link: [http://www.geocities.com/Area51/7094/3rdlyr.html#2](http://www.geocities.com/Area51/7094/3rdlyr.html#2) Gp [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/celebrities-in-pop-songs/88804.md?page=2)