# Song lyrics that mention famous people in passing **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 2, 2019, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065 "2019-08-02T15:40:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 8
**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:** [September 15, 2019, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/141 "2019-09-15T13:36:22Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > [Lydia the Tattooed Lady](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVBBxptpSY8): > > She was the most glorious creature under the sun. > Thaïs. Dubarry. Garbo. Rolled into one. Not to mention Washington, Buffalo Bill, Godiva, Grover Whalen and Nijinsky. ---
**Author:** ![Flare4roach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@Flare4roach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flare4roach)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/142 "2019-09-17T02:57:31Z")
The Rolling Stones: “Rip This Joint” Whoa, yeah! Mister President, Mister Immigration Man Let me in, sweetie to your fair land I’m Tampa bound and Memphis too Short Fat Fanny is on the loose Dig that sound on the radio Then slip it right across into Buffalo **Dick and Pat** in ole DC Well they’re gonna hold some shit for me ---
**Author:** ![Flare4roach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7cd45c/32.png) [@Flare4roach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flare4roach)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/143 "2019-09-17T03:05:59Z")
The Rolling Stones: “Star Star” aka “Starfucker” Yeah, **Ali McGraw** got mad with you For givin’ head to **Steve McQueen** Yeah, you and me we made a pretty pair Fallin’ through the silver screen Honey, I’m open to anythin’ I don’t know where to draw the line Yeah, I’m makin’ bets that you gonna get **John Wayne** before he dies ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/144 "2019-09-17T06:11:46Z")
Before my time, but _Mr. Sandman_ Mr. Sandman (Yes?) bring us a dream Give him a pair of eyes with a “come-hither” gleam Give him a lonely heart like Pagliacci And lots of wavy hair like Liberace ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/145 "2019-09-17T13:45:50Z")
Another Elvis Costello: _Oliver’s Army_. The title and chorus refers to Oliver Cromwell. Plus the line: “With just a word in Mr. Churchill’s ear” Refers to Winston Churchill, the grandson not the original. A hardliner in Parliament on N. Ireland. (Although sources differ.) ---
**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:** [September 17, 2019, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/146 "2019-09-17T13:52:56Z")
Leonard Cohen’s Last Years Man mentions Joan of Arc, Jesus and Cain. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 1:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/147 "2019-09-17T13:57:16Z")
Dylan’s Desolation Row has a boatload: Bette Davis, Cain, Abel, Einstein, Nero, Ezra Pound, and T.S. Eliot. ---
**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:** [September 17, 2019, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/148 "2019-09-17T15:07:19Z")
> [@ftg](#): > > Another Elvis Costello: _Oliver’s Army_. > > The title and chorus refers to Oliver Cromwell. Plus the line: > > “With just a word in Mr. Churchill’s ear” > > Refers to Winston Churchill, the grandson not the original. A hardliner in Parliament on N. Ireland. > > (Although sources differ.) You reminded me of the Kinks song “[Mr. Churchill Says](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Churchill_Says#Lyrics_and_music),” which also mentions Mr. Beaverbrook, Mr. Montgomery, Mr. Mountbatten, and Vera Lynn. From the same album, “She’s Bought a Hat Like Princess Marina” mentions “He’s bought a hat like Anthony Eden’s.” ---
**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:** [September 17, 2019, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/149 "2019-09-17T15:15:25Z")
And, more Kinks, now that I’m thinking of them: From “20th Century Man”: > [@](#): > > You keep all your smart modern writers > Give me William Shakespeare > You keep all your smart modern painters > I’ll take Rembrandt, Titian, Da Vinci and Gainsborough “One of the Survivors” is about an aging rock fan who > [@](#): > > digs Jerry Lee Lewis, Dion and The Belmonts, > And Johnny & The Hurricanes. In the autobiographical “The Road,” Ray reminisces: > [@](#): > > I saw a band called the Rolling Stones > I thought, “that’s it, I’ll get a band, > I’m leaving home, I’m out on the road.” and > [@](#): > > Jimi Hendrix, The Who, the Led Zeppelin and Free > They took the road so it’s alright by me ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2019, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/150 "2019-09-17T22:30:55Z")
So much in passing, that a lot of people don’t realize it… “And Cobain can you hear the spheres singing songs off station to station?” Californication - Red Hot Chili Peppers ---
**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:** [September 28, 2020, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/151 "2020-09-28T22:29:45Z")
In Joan Osborne’s new title track “Trouble and Strife” there’s a fellow musician name check: > _We had a little cat got stuck in a tree_ > _So we played him a record by **Peggy Lee** _ > _He said, "Who is that woman? Gotta make her my wife_ > _Give her ten long years of trouble and strife"_ ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/152 "2020-09-28T23:12:17Z")
_Carl Perkin’s Cadillac_ mentions him, Elvis and Mr. Phillips. Wonder how I missed this the first time around? Oh, yeah… ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@Mona\_Lott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lott)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2020, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065/153 "2020-09-28T23:41:39Z")
Lotte Lenya in Mack the Knife. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-lyrics-that-mention-famous-people-in-passing/838065.md?page=7)