# 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:** 13\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/61 "2001-10-09T01:25:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*obviously, kate bush’s ‘wuthering heights’. > \*\* Who did the orginal version of that song? Her or Pat Bentar? I know which version I like better… ---
**Author:** ![Sassy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@Sassy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sassy)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/62 "2001-10-09T02:29:51Z")
… altho I can’t confirm it (so it may be a UL) that **Sympathy For the Devil** was written after Jagger had read Mikhail Bulgakov’s _Master and Margarita_ ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/63 "2001-10-09T14:24:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by HenrySpencer \* > Iron Maiden have also had numerous other adaptations, including **Phantom of the Opera** , **Murders In The Rue Morgue** , **Where Eagles Dare** , **The Duellists** , **Seventh Son of a Seventh Son** , **Run Silent, Run Deep** , amongst probably others. Not really, most of Maiden’s stuff just takes the titles, Murders in the Rue Morgue has nothing to do with the story, nor does Stranger in a Strange Land, Number of the Beast and a few others. Where Eagles Dare is based on an EAstwood movie, I have no idea right now about Run Silent and Seventh Son has no book or story it was taken from, at least none I’ve ever heard about. Maiden does have a few others though, Lord of the Flies is the only one I can come up with right now though. No one has said Rush’s 2112 which is based on Rand’s Anthem. Virgin Steele has two albums House of Atreus Act I and II are based on the Greek plays of Aggammenon and his family. Jag Panzer did Hamlet as a whole album. ---
**Author:** ![Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/41988e/32.png) [@Tequila\_Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tequila_Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/64 "2001-10-09T17:07:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by elfkin477 \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > > \*\*obviously, kate bush’s ‘wuthering heights’. > > \*\* > > Who did the orginal version of that song? Her or Pat Bentar? I know which version I like better… \*\* As I recall, Kate Bush wrote or co-wrote Wuthering Heights and originally released it in 1977. Benetar’s version was early 80’s. Back to the OP, how about The Alarm’s _The Stand_, with mentions of the walking dude in his worn down cowboy boots, Trashcan, and “the plague claimed man and son” has to be refering to the novel of the same name by Stephen King. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/65 "2001-10-09T19:08:55Z")
**Eric Clapton** wrote the biggest hit of his life, **“Layla”** , for Derek and the Dominoes after reading a translation of the 12th-century Persian epic poem _ **Layla and Majnun** _ by **Nizami Ganjavi** (1140-1202). The most famous Sufi love story of all time, it tells of how Majnun sacrifices his whole life out of love for Layla (Majnun representing the Sufi spiritual seeker and Layla representing Allah). Clapton saw himself in that story as he was pining away with love for Patti Harrison (and eventually stole her away from George). **Ambrosia** had a hit with **“Nice, Nice, Very Nice”** , whose lyrics came directly from a “calypso” in **Kurt Vonnegut** ’s novel **_Cat’s Cradle_.** ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/66 "2001-10-09T19:20:40Z")
Utopia (Todd Rundgren’s group) did songs called “Fahrenheit 451” (after the book by Ray Bradbury) and “Lysistrata” (after the play by Aristophanes). ---
**Author:** ![pezwookiee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9d8465/32.png) [@pezwookiee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezwookiee)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/67 "2001-10-09T22:17:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*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. \*\* It was originally, “Hello, Mrs. _Roosevelt_…” ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/68 "2001-10-09T22:52:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spoke- \* > \*\* > **1984** - David Bowie. Based on (duh) 1984 by George Orwell. \*\* Actually most of the album Diamond Dogs (“Big Brother” etc.) was based on 1984. It was written for a musical version of the book that never happened (probably a good thing). Magazine’s “Song From Under the Floorboard” was based on Dostoyevsky’s “Notes From Underground”. ---
**Author:** ![BuddhaDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@BuddhaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BuddhaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/69 "2001-10-09T23:03:09Z")
Pink FLoyds **first** album Pipers at the Gates of Dawn. A truly psychedelic experience to be sure, with most of the songs (including the title track) loosely based on stories from The Wind and the Willows. One of Syd’s best works, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2001, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/70 "2001-10-09T23:39:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BuddhaDog \* > **Pink FLoyds first album Pipers at the Gates of Dawn.** Yes, and that in turn inspired a science fiction novella by Richard Cowper, “Piper at the Gates of Dawn,” published in 1976. But the phrase itself was originally the title of a chapter in _The Wind in the Willows_ as you noted. Also in 1976, **Genesis** released _ **Wind and Wuthering** _. It was rather loosely inspired by _ **Wuthering Heights** _, the main indication being the consecutive titles of 2 instrumental tracks, **“Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers…” “…In that Quiet Earth”** which are of course the final phrase in the book. ---
**Author:** ![Junior\_Spaceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Junior\_Spaceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Junior_Spaceman)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/71 "2001-10-10T09:46:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Edward The Head \* > \*\*Not really, most of Maiden’s stuff just takes the titles, Murders in the Rue Morgue has nothing to do with the story, nor does Stranger in a Strange Land, Number of the Beast and a few others. Where Eagles Dare is based on an EAstwood movie, I have no idea right now about Run Silent and Seventh Son has no book or story it was taken from, at least none I’ve ever heard about. > \*\* I’m going to have to defer to someone named Edward The Head, but if you check the link I gave in the first post, they go through some of the connections to books/films/historical events. Even if I/they are way off base, it’s still interesting reading for a Maiden fan. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/72 "2001-10-10T12:21:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lamia \* > No it isn’t. I stand corrected. Twice in one day. Yippee. I guess this means that the scene in _Seven_ where Easy Read-- I mean Morgan Freeman is doing research and pulls a copy of _The Canturbury Tales_ off the shelf while Bach’s _Air on the G String_ plays in the background is _not_ a sly reference. I’ll make a note of that. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Eonwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eonwe/32/240_2.png) [@Eonwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eonwe)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2001, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776/73 "2001-10-10T15:31:13Z")
I was reading **Fenris** ’s thread about Heinlein, and it struck me! Yes, I **do** know a song that is based on a book. **Leon Russell** wrote a song _Stranger in a Strange Land_ based on the Heinlen novel of the same name. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pop-songs-based-on-books/85776.md?page=3)