Today I heard the song “For The Love Of Money” by the O’Jays being used in an ad for a lottery. It always amuses me how people keep using this song to promote financial stuff when the song is about how money degrades people. What other songs keep getting used for purposes contrary to the message of the song?
Born in the USA
Every Breath You Take
“Revolution” by the Beatles
“The Star Spangled Banner.”
I don’t think pre-game entertainment is what Francis Scott Key had in mind. I don’t know that he expected it to be as enduring as it has been, but I think he would have been surprised to find that the story of a valiant victory of sorts following a bloody battle is primarily sung before sporting events.
Well, that pretty much wraps up this thread, doesn’t it?
But I’ll throw “You Are My Sunshine” out there for Honorable Mention. It’s a horribly sad, creepy song if you actually listen to the words. Only the chorus is suitable as a lullaby or to sell greeting cards and diapers.
I once heard a Radio Shack ad using “What’s Going On” by Marvin Gaye for a Father’s Day promotion.
Who was it that killed Marvin Gaye, again?
That’s right - his father.
:smack:
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. I’ve seen it sung with a choir backing the sollist. just no. not really a religious song.
“Semi-charmed Life” used in the previews of a Winnie the Pooh movie.
Continuing with songs with the word “Hallelujah” in the title, the Hallelujah Chorus by George Fridric Handel is often misused as a Christmas song. It’s an Easter song.
I’m surprised no one’s mentioned this yet.
Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” used to sell cruise vacations.
The instrumental opening to The Velvet Underground’s “Heroin” was used to sell SUVs.
A company I worked for in the past used to have Employee Assemblies where the bigwigs would get up on stage and give inspirational speeches.
The last year I worked there, I swear to God, they used the Who’s Won’t Get Fooled Again as the theme song.
Was it at least used to announce a corporate reorganization?
“Space Oddity” was used to advertise Lincoln cars. “Your circuits are dead and something’s wrong…” Huh?
See also: “here am I sitting in a tin can…”
“Start Me Up” was used to advertise Windows 95 when it first launched. Of course, they only played the “Start me up and I’ll never stop” part, and left out the line “you make a grown man cry”.
White Rabbit seems to be the cliche of choice for late 60’s. In film.
Or the even better line “you make a dead man come”.
It’s her song so more power to her to repurpose it how she wants, but I’m amused every time I hear “In the Arms of the Angel” played over Sarah McLachlan asking me to donate to abused dogs and cats. The song itself is (originally) about heroin addiction.
Every year around the Fourth of July I hear commercials, mostly for car dealerships having big Independence Day car sales. They want to put some nice patriotic-sounding music in the background to remind us all of our Yankee Doodle heritage. What do they use? “The British Grenadiers.”