Everybody knows the song as "Title X" but it's really called "Title Y"

Cafe Society
81

[QUOTE=fachverwirrt]
Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata is actually Sonata number 14 in c-sharp minor “Quasi una fantasia”, opus 27, no 2, first movement. Beethoven had nothing to do with the Moonlight stuff.
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Yeah, the nickname was given in 1832 by Ludwig Rellstab. That kind of thing seems to happen a lot with Beethoven. Piano Sonata No. 17, the “Tempest”, was never really called that. The name, and the association with Shakespeare, was cooked up later by Beethoven’s associate Anton Schindler. Similarly, you know the famous “Fate” motive from the fifth symphony, representing fate knocking at the composer’s door? Nah. The whole fate thing was also made up by Schindler. I could go on… so I will! The Piano Concerto No. 5 is dubbed the “Emperor” - that wasn’t Beethoven’s name either. The String Quartet No. 10 is nicknamed “Harp” - his publisher came up with that one. Same story for sonata No. 15, the “Pastoral”.

82

The Weight by The Band is sometimes called “Take A Load Off Fanny” or some variation on the theme.

83

[QUOTE=Phase42]
I’ve never been a big Zeppelin fan, and hence own none of their records. Consequently, I’ve heard the title D’yer Mak’er hundreds of times, but never connected it to the song you’ve quoted, which I’ve also heard hundreds of times.
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Nor have I been a big Zep fan. I’ve always been surprised that they (or other musical acts) would pick a name that wouldn’t connect easily to the song b/c that could mean lower record sales. The band may be artistes, but the record company wants to sell sell sell.

84

“Lady Marmalade” is frequently referred to as “Voulez-Vous Couchez avec Moi Ce Soir?”.

85

I used to call Midnight Oil’s “The Dead Heart” by the repeated phrase “True Country.” Of course, since only Oils fans want to listen to that one repeatedly, there is no “Everybody calls it.” (It’s the single from Diesel & Dust, circa 1987, with all the “doo-doo doo-doo doo-doodoo.”)

86

[QUOTE=Biffy the Elephant Shrew]
Ancient joke:

My wife took a trip to the Caribbean.
Jamaica?
No, she went of her own accord!
[Unbridled merriment holds sway]

In Britain, a slurred “did you” could conceivably be spelled “d’yer”; in America that would never occur outside of Andy Capp cartoons.
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I went home with a girl from the Caribbean last night.
Jamaica?
No, her old man caught us.

87

[QUOTE=Exapno Mapcase]
The correct name is “Scarborough Fair/Canticle,” Canticle being the antiwar counterpoint that Paul Simon wrote and sings under Artie’s version of the folk song. I don’t think I’ve ever heard even a dj give the full name.
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To be fair, the folk song is “Scarborough Fair”, & there are lots of versions of it that aren’t by Simon & Garfunkel. The common mistakes are thinking that Simon & Garfunkel wrote it, or that the counterpoint is supposed to be there.

88

[QUOTE=Wendell Wagner]
“Lady Marmalade” is frequently referred to as “Voulez-Vous Couchez avec Moi Ce Soir?”.
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Makes you want to say, “Oui, s’il vous plaît,” doesn’t it?

A French teacher told me if you have to use “vous,” then you shouldn’t be asking. I replied, “But ‘vous’ is also plural, right?”

89

The theme from the movie Ice Castles, is often called “Ice Castles.” The real title is “Through the Eyes of Love.”

90

In their coverage of McCain’s speech, CNN’s Wolf Blitzer just referred to Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” as “Go, Johnny, Go”.

Oh, well. Nobody ever accused Wolf Blitzer of being Wolfman Jack.

91

There is no such song as “Ground Control to Major Tom”. The tune you’re thinking of is “Space Oddity”.

92

“Woman” by Shawn Phillips is in fact titled She Was Waiting For Her Mother At The Station in Torino And You Know I Love You Baby But It’s Getting Too Heavy To Laugh (Woman).

93

lobotomyboy63 writes:

> A French teacher told me if you have to use “vous,” then you shouldn’t be
> asking. I replied, “But ‘vous’ is also plural, right?”

This is much argued about:

The claim is made that since the song’s about a high-class prostitute asking her client (who she never met before) a question, she would say “vous.”

94

The Duke Ellington song that most people call Don’t Get Around Much Any More is actually named Never No Lament.

There’s a traditional jazz standard that many trad jazz fans know as Shake It and Break It, but the real title is Weary Blues. There’s another tune that’s correctly called Shake It and Break It, but it isn’t performed nearly as often.

95

[QUOTE=Jeff Lichtman]
The Duke Ellington song that most people call Don’t Get Around Much Any More is actually named Never No Lament.
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It appears as “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” on my Duke Ellington Columbia Years box set, and on the sheet music in the Hal Leonard Real Book.

96

The Ramones have a song called Bonzo goes to Bitburg (My brain is hanging upside down) but everyone calls it Pick up the Pieces.

All 3 phrases are sung in the song. Pick up the pieces is apparently the most memorable to everyone but me, although my brain is hanging upside down is what would actually be considered the chorus.

97

Bon Jovi You Give Love a Bad Name is mistakenly called Shot Through the Heart. This is especially a problem because they have another song called Shot Through the Heart.

98

RedRosesForMe: I saw your user name and began humming the chorus to “Roses” by Outkast for some reason.
Then I realized that everyone thinks the song is called “Caroline”.

That was kinda cool.

99

An oldie from the **Cowsills ** which I always thought was “I Love the Flower Girl”, was in fact “The Rain, The park, and Other Things”.

100

Here’s one that sometimes plays on classic rock radio stations. The Greg Kihn Band had a song with a chorus of “They don’t write 'em like that anymore”. That is the title that I have heard people give to it. It’s actually called “Breakup Song (They Don’t Write 'Em)” according to Amazon’s track list from his Rockihnroll album. I thought it was “The Breakup Song” but checked before I posted (out of fear of being nitpicked). :wink: