# Songs about famous people **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 24, 2009, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832 "2009-01-24T21:48:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/21 "2009-01-25T01:16:14Z")
The latest Weezer album has a song called Heart Songs which mentions a bunch of musical artists. It also has a mistake, it says Debbie Gibson did “I think we’re alone now” when Tiffany did it. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/22 "2009-01-25T01:56:00Z")
> [@pedescribe](#): > > I think ‘Candle In The Wind’, by Elton John, uses the name Madonna at one point. Please tell me this is a woosh? Considering the song was written in 1973, Elton and Bernie would have had to be psychics to be talking about _that_ Madonna… at the time, she was still Madonna Ciccone, unknown high school student and dancer. It is about a famous person though… a girl called [Norma Jean](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe). ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/23 "2009-01-25T02:15:34Z")
I’ll never Smoke Weed with Wille again ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/24 "2009-01-25T02:35:18Z")
[Galileo](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTuSDNRJYmE) - The Indigo Girls And [Come on Eileen](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXLHUThBib8) by Dexy’s Midnight Runners mentions “poor old **Johnny Ray** ” ---
**Author:** ![mike\_ahndembroak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecb155/32.png) [@mike\_ahndembroak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mike_ahndembroak)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/25 "2009-01-25T03:29:04Z")
Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond is apparently about Caroline Kennedy ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/26 "2009-01-25T03:30:42Z")
A few from Sonic Youth: _Hey Joni_– a tribute to Joni Mitchell. _Tunic (Song for Karen)_– about Karen Carpenter. Name drops Elvis, Janis Joplin, Dennis Wilson. _Hits of Sunshine (for Allen Ginsburg)_ _Kim Gordon/Mariah Carey and the Arthur Doyle Hand Cream_– mocks Mariah Carey and her supposed short relationship with Eminem; Mariah Carey’s name was replaced with Kim Gordon’s on the album release to avoid legal problems. Oh, and it name drops Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. _Helen Lundeberg_ ---
**Author:** ![NicePete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee7513/32.png) [@NicePete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NicePete)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/27 "2009-01-25T05:07:48Z")
_Walter Johnson Pablo Picasso_ and _Vincent Van Gogh_, all by Jonathan Richman. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/28 "2009-01-25T05:19:08Z")
[Hey Jack Kerouac](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-sS_Bz4tDg) - 10,000 Maniacs [Brian Wilson](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-X-LeeMJsY) - Barenaked Ladies [James Dean](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC-8XDQLkD4) - The Eagles [Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNpLSaCirj8) - Waylon Jennings ---
**Author:** ![Trepa\_Mayfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/edb3f5/32.png) [@Trepa\_Mayfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trepa_Mayfield)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/29 "2009-01-25T05:32:24Z")
> [@Mahna\_Mahna](#): > > Please tell me this is a woosh? > > Considering the song was written in 1973, Elton and Bernie would have had to be psychics to be talking about _that_ Madonna… at the time, she was still Madonna Ciccone, unknown high school student and dancer. > > It is about a famous person though… a girl called [Norma Jean](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marilyn_Monroe). No…I just get Marylin Monroe and Madonna mixed up. :smack: It happens to me…once, I had Greenpeace and Graceland mixed up for a solid year! ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/30 "2009-01-25T05:38:37Z")
The Dickies have saluted various celebrities, in songs including: _Whack The Dalai Lama I’m Stuck In A Condo (With Marlon Brando) I’m Stuck In A Pagoda (With Tricia Toyota_) Manny, Moe and Jack\*\* Howdy Doody In The Woodshed\* \*_A little Asian Goddess came from up above I thank you NBC for sending my love And Tricia is the one I’ve been dreaming of_ \*\*the Pep Boys and as a special bonus, to make up for the erroneous Elton John mention, there’s _Pre-Madonna_ by the Kursaal Flyers (a great song). ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Hen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Small\_Hen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Hen)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/31 "2009-01-25T05:48:03Z")
“You Otta Know” is supposedly about Dave Coulier, though he’s probably about as famous for the song as he is for playing Joey on Full House. So I’m not sure it counts. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/32 "2009-01-25T06:06:57Z")
Boyskout “Spotlight” & Tori Amos “Jackie’s Strength” = Jackie Kennedy The Rakes “When Tom Cruise Cries” Self “Meg Ryan” Joan Osborne “Spider Web” = Ray Charles Bard of Ely “You’re a Liar, Nicky Wire” (Nicky Wire is in the band Manic Street Preachers) Veruca Salt “With Dave Bowie” John Oszajca “Where’s Bob Dylan When You Need Him?” ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/33 "2009-01-25T06:29:04Z")
“Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me)” by Blessid Union of Souls, is a reference to, I believe, Leonardo DiCaprio. But it also mentions Tyson Beckford, Robert Redford, Steve Buscemi, Pavarotti, Cindy Crawford, Jim Carrey, and technically Clint Eastwood. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/34 "2009-01-25T06:36:02Z")
A couple I remember from early 80’s: Human Sexual Response – Jackie Onassis Angel & the Reruns - Buffy Come Back I’m sure that a song about Buffy by Angel is giving a lot of people the wrong cultural inference. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/35 "2009-01-25T06:39:53Z")
If you include novelty-type songs there are lots. Tom Lehrer wrote “Werner von Braun,” “Alma”, “Whatever Became of Hubert [Humphrey]”, etc. Of course those songs were intentionally written on current events for “That Was The Week That Was”. In Carol Burnett’s early career, she appeared on TV singing “I Made a Fool of Myself Over John Foster Dulles”. There must be more. ---
**Author:** ![I-VI-ii-V](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@I-VI-ii-V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/I-VI-ii-V)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/36 "2009-01-25T06:46:43Z")
The Minutemen: “Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs” “Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing” “Joe McCarthy’s Ghost” “If Reagan Played Disco” ---
**Author:** ![Student\_Driver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3da27b/32.png) [@Student\_Driver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Student_Driver)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/37 "2009-01-25T06:55:38Z")
Another for the list, which I just heard a few minutes ago while shopping at Kroger: _Robert De Niro’s Waiting…_ by Bananarama. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/38 "2009-01-25T07:03:39Z")
Some political ones: “Fables of Faubus”, Charles Mingus (about the segregationist Ark. governor) “Margaret on the Guillotine”, Morrisey and “Stand Down Margaret” by the English Beat (obviously Mrs. Thatcher) “James K. Polk”, They Might Be Giants “Mr. Churchill Says”, the Kinks “Ohio”, CNSY (“tin soldiers and Nixon’s gone”) and “A Song for Richard and His Friends”, Chicago “Holiday in Cambodia” by the Dead Kennedys namechecks Pol Pot several times …I could go on and on ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/39 "2009-01-25T07:32:10Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > The Commodore’s “Night Shift” is about Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. Jackie Wilson also figures prominently in Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said.” Diana Ross’s “Missing You” is also about Marvin Gaye. [ul][_]ABC had “When Smokey Sings” about Smokey Robinson[_]Scritti Politti “Pray Like Aretha Franklin”[_]Living Colour namechecked Kennedy, Stalin and Gandhi in “Cult of Personality”[_]Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” is about Rosanna Arquette, though she’s not named[_]Billy Joel’s outright said that a number of his songs (“Just the Way You Are” “Uptown Girl” and “All About Soul” to name but a few) were about his first two wives, but none of them name them. “Downeaster Alexa” is a song about the dying fishing industry in Long Island but Alexa is his daughter’s. “Goodnight My Angel” is a lullabye he wrote for her that’s sort about her.[_]Robbie Williams has a song called “She’s Madonna” which actually _is_ about Madonna Louise Ciccone Penn Ritchie[_]New Radicals “Get What You Give” namechecks Beck, Marilyn Manson, Hanson and Courtney Love in not so nice ways[_]Duran Duran was “Hallucinating Elvis” Hawaii to Las Vegas[\*]Tangentially famous, if not necessarily as much as she would’ve been on her own merits: Pattie Boyd, first wife of George Harrison and then wife of Eric Clapton, immortalized in song in The Beatles “Something” and Clapton’s “Layla” “Bell Bottom Blues” and “Wonderful Tonight”[/ul]And rap songs do this all the time, inserting a name just to make a clever rhyme, we would be here till 2025 if we tried to list all of those, but they’re just passing mentions anyway. ---
**Author:** ![initech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/439d5e/32.png) [@initech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/initech)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2009, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832/40 "2009-01-25T07:53:45Z")
“The Right Profile” by the Clash is about (and mentions by name) Montgomery Clift. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-famous-people/482832.md?page=3)