# Ironically-named works **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 9, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590 "2016-02-09T02:54:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [February 9, 2016, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/1 "2016-02-09T02:54:26Z")
Benny Goodman’s “Sing Sing Sing!” is an instrumental. What else? ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/2 "2016-02-09T03:03:12Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > Benny Goodman’s “Sing Sing Sing!” is an instrumental. > > What else? Sorry to quibble but this song by Louie Prima, has lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/3 "2016-02-09T03:07:34Z")
Unchained Melody ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/4 "2016-02-09T04:25:25Z")
> [@the\_diego](#): > > Unchained Melody How so? The name is because it’s the [theme from the prison movie _Unchained._](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szpGVAGcysw) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/5 "2016-02-09T04:34:28Z")
> [@drad\_dog](#): > > Sorry to quibble but this song by Louie Prima, has lyrics. [Sing, sing, sing, sing Everybody start to sing La dee da, ho, ho, ho Now you’re singing with a swing And when the music goes around Everybody goes to town But here’s something you should know Ho ho baby ho ho ho]([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGM2HPM6BDc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGM2HPM6BDc)) ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/6 "2016-02-09T04:55:17Z")
There’s a movie called _The Virgin Machine_ which people think is ironic because they emphasize the wrong word. It’s a meandering documentary about lesbians in the sex industry (mostly for other lesbians, but some just generally), by way of documenting the filmmaker’s first lesbian affair. People pronounce it “The **VIRGIN** Machine,” as in, a machine for making virgins, and think is has something to do with turning women off to sex with men, or it’s just ironic, because there isn’t a virgin to be found anywhere in the whole thing. The filmmaker is German, even though the film is made in the US, so the film also has a German title, _Die Jungfrauen Maschine_. In English, you should pronounce it “The Virgin **MACHINE** ,” the machine in question being the movie camera, because this is the filmmaker’s first movie. A better translation would probably be “The Virgin Camera.” A translation of intent, but much less provocative, would be “My First Movie.” ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/7 "2016-02-09T05:16:58Z")
[ > [@Nigel Tufnel](#): > > This piece is called _Lick My Love Pump_. ]([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7vk5keNbRc](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7vk5keNbRc))😃 ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/8 "2016-02-09T05:27:43Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > How so? The name is because it’s the [theme from the prison movie _Unchained._](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szpGVAGcysw) Yeah, but it’s a melody that’s often sung. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/9 "2016-02-09T05:53:54Z")
The Never Ending Story Perhaps Lionel Hutz’s only ever successful law suit. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 11:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/10 "2016-02-09T11:16:57Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > The Never Ending Story > > Perhaps Lionel Hutz’s only ever successful law suit. Every rendition I’ve heard of “The Song That Never Ends” has actually ended fairly quickly. ---
**Author:** ![quiltguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e47774/32.png) [@quiltguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quiltguy)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/11 "2016-02-09T15:12:54Z")
The “Minute Waltz” isn’t. Off with his head! 😃 ---
**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:** [February 9, 2016, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/12 "2016-02-09T15:26:19Z")
> [@quiltguy](#): > > The “Minute Waltz” isn’t. Off with his head! 😃 Jokes aside, it’s the Mi-nute, or short, waltz. Not a waltz intended to be performed in 60 seconds. That’s the amount of time you’re gone in, except that they took longer. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/13 "2016-02-09T15:37:44Z")
Edith Wharton was good for ironic titles. There’s no mirth in _The House of Mirth_ and not much innocence in _The Age of Innocence_. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/14 "2016-02-09T15:55:05Z")
“Mr. Brightside” _A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius_ ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/15 "2016-02-09T16:08:37Z")
Carly Simon - You’re So Vain ---
**Author:** ![Totenfeier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@Totenfeier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Totenfeier)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/16 "2016-02-09T16:17:15Z")
> [@Banksiaman](#): > > The Never Ending Story > > Perhaps Lionel Hutz’s only ever successful law suit. (Looking in the TV listings): “Is that still on?” ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/17 "2016-02-09T16:25:13Z")
Weird Al’s [This Song’s Just Six Words Long](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIIvJkSLSfw) has a few more than six words in it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/18 "2016-02-09T16:28:25Z")
\*\*John Dies At The End \*\* He doesn’t. ---
**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:** [February 9, 2016, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/19 "2016-02-09T16:29:01Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > Carly Simon - You’re So Vain 😕 He really was so vain. He did think the song was about him. The Kinks’ “A Well Respected Man” is ironic. Or at least sarcastic. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2016, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590/20 "2016-02-09T18:41:24Z")
Barry Manilow’s “I Write the Songs:” he didn’t write the song. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ironically-named-works/745590.md?page=2)