# Pop songs based on books **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2001, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776 "2001-10-06T12:03:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/41 "2001-10-07T19:58:26Z")
Laughing Lagomorph, for an answer to your question, go ask, Alice, I think she’ll know. 🙂 But not the White Knight, it is talking backwards. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![yabob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yabob/32/2821_2.png) [@yabob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yabob)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/42 "2001-10-07T20:08:35Z")
Hookah smoking caterpillers are calling … [http://gunther.simplenet.com/v/data/whiterab.htm](http://gunther.simplenet.com/v/data/whiterab.htm) Musically, it also steals the “one long rising creshendo” gimmick from Ravel’s “Bolero”. Feed your head. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/43 "2001-10-07T20:24:29Z")
[The Moon is a harsh mistress](http://www.xs4all.nl/~josvg/cits/div/moon.html). ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/44 "2001-10-07T21:08:13Z")
As a student of communications I’m ashamed it took me this long to remember that Roger Waters’ album _Amused to Death_ was inspired by Neil Postman’s _Amusing Ourselves to Death_. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/45 "2001-10-07T21:28:16Z")
Speaking of concept albums, didn’t **The Alan Parsons Project** have a **War of the Worlds** concept album? ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/46 "2001-10-07T22:30:27Z")
**The Byrds’** _Turn, Turn, Turn_, based on Ecclesiastes. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/47 "2001-10-07T22:38:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\*Speaking of concept albums, didn’t **The Alan Parsons Project** have a **War of the Worlds** concept album? \*\* No, it was Jeff Wayne’s _War of the Worlds_ with various artists. But you’re right about Alan Parson though, they did two literrary concept albums : _Tales of Mystery and Imagination_ inspired by Edgar Allan Poe and _I, Robot_ inspired by Isaac Asimov. And **kaylasdad99** , The Byrds’ just reprised a Pete Seeger song (although they’re the one who made it famous). ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/48 "2001-10-07T23:01:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by detop \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > > \*\*Speaking of concept albums, didn’t **The Alan Parsons Project** have a **War of the Worlds** concept album? \*\* > > And **kaylasdad99** , The Byrds’ just reprised a Pete Seeger song (although they’re the one who made it famous). \*\* Check. ---
**Author:** ![mswas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e99b99/32.png) [@mswas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mswas)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/49 "2001-10-07T23:57:49Z")
Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit based on Alice in Wonderland (I didn’t see it mentioned, excuse me if I passed over it) Metallica - One (based on Johnny Got His Gun) Erek ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/50 "2001-10-08T03:27:12Z")
Reaching a little here, but wasn’t Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” written for the movie “The Graduate”, which was a book first? ---
**Author:** ![Nocturne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9fc348/32.png) [@Nocturne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nocturne)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/51 "2001-10-08T04:35:01Z")
Crash Test Dummies have a song named “Afternoons and Coffeespoons” (I think), which is based on “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” Metallica’s “The Thing That Should Not Be”–Lovecraft reference. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/52 "2001-10-08T12:23:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \* > \*\*Reaching a little here, but wasn’t Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” written for the movie “The Graduate”, which was a book first? \*\* No. Actually, the song was written independantly of the movie in one of life’s little odd coincidences. The 2nd verse (Hid it in a hiding place where no one ever goes/Put it in the pantry with your cupcakes) refers to bottles or drugs, and Where have you done, Joe DiMaggio doesn’t tie in with the book at all. ---
**Author:** ![stofsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dfb087/32.png) [@stofsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stofsky)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/53 "2001-10-08T12:37:06Z")
According to an interview with Mark Knopfler in a recent issue of _Acoustic Guitar_, “Sailing to Philadelphia” on his new solo album was inspired by Thomas Pynchon’s _Mason & Dixon_. Not only is the guy a hell of a picker, but he’s literate too! ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/54 "2001-10-08T14:48:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Annie-Xmas \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Laughing Lagomorph \* > > \*\*Reaching a little here, but wasn’t Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson” written for the movie “The Graduate”, which was a book first? \*\* > > No. Actually, the song was written independantly of the movie in one of life’s little odd coincidences. The 2nd verse (Hid it in a hiding place where no one ever goes/Put it in the pantry with your cupcakes) refers to bottles or drugs, and Where have you done, Joe DiMaggio doesn’t tie in with the book at all. \*\* Well, you may be right, but that would be an odd coincidence. I always thought the references to bottles or drugs in the song were not inconsistent with the character of Mrs. Robinson (I have seen the movie, and read the book at one point). Although we never see or hear about her using drugs (she does seem to like her liquor, though) she obviously isn’t a happy person and there could be substance abuse demons hiding in her closet/pantry. I agree, Joe DiMaggio doesn’t figure in the story at all. I have heard that Paul Simon actually wanted to refer to Mickey Mantle, but DiMaggio’s name fit better rhythmically. ---
**Author:** ![MinkMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minkman/32/19170_2.png) [@MinkMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MinkMan)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/55 "2001-10-08T16:07:33Z")
**Jimmy Buffet** has a song called “Prince of Tides” on the album _Hot Water_ that is inspired by the Pat Conroy novel of the same name. He also wrote an entire musical based on Herman Wolk’s _Don’t Stop the Carnival_. A couple of Buffett songs, most notably “Incomunicado” refer to Travis McGee, the protagonist John McDonnald’s series of novels. I’m sure he has other examples, but those are the first ones that come to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/56 "2001-10-08T19:54:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Annie-Xmas \* > \*\* > No. Actually, the song was written independantly of the movie in one of life’s little odd coincidences. The 2nd verse (Hid it in a hiding place where no one ever goes/Put it in the pantry with your cupcakes) refers to bottles or drugs, and Where have you done, Joe DiMaggio doesn’t tie in with the book at all. \*\* It was my understanding that the song was written independantly, but that the name “Mrs. Robinson” was inserted into it for the movie. ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/57 "2001-10-08T21:11:57Z")
Just remembered another one : Al Stewart’s _Sirens of Titan_, based on the Vonnegut book. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/58 "2001-10-08T21:33:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by astorian \* > \*\*A few more: > > 1. Metallica’s “One” was based on Dalton Trumbo’s anti-war novel “Johnny Got His Gun” (the video, of course, consisted mostly of clips from the movie version).\*\* And wasn’t that just a sad, miserably depressing book? I almost felt suicidal after reading it, and I ended up just sitting in the dark all teary when I finished it. I wish I could find my copy and read it again. Sad as it is, it’s a great book. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Cool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecb155/32.png) [@Joe\_Cool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Cool)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/59 "2001-10-08T21:40:37Z")
Yeesh. I can’t believe I forgot to mention “The Ballad Of Bilbo Baggins” by Leonard Nimoy. That was based on…um…I forget. Something by Ray Bradbury, I think. 😃 haha ---
**Author:** ![Agrippina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8797f3/32.png) [@Agrippina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Agrippina)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2001, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/60 "2001-10-08T21:49:02Z")
Speaking of Ray Bradbury, his short-story _The Rocket Man_ was the basis for Elton John’s **Rocket Man**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776.md?page=4)