# Songs About Single Works of Art **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 26, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822 "2015-10-26T21:56:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/1 "2015-10-26T21:56:31Z")
Two of my favorite songs in the world are _[Vincent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNdYLGAxcWA)_(which one might reasonably assume is called _Starry, Starry Night_) by Don McLean and _[Painting by Chagall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASbWIyCAsbg)_ by the Weepies. Both are inspired by single identifiable paintings. Are there any other good ones? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/2 "2015-10-26T22:23:04Z")
I think there is at least one [song about the Mona Lisa](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=EG-A_qTAKEI) ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/3 "2015-10-26T22:35:56Z")
King Crimson: [The Night Watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxkvuyL55dA) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/4 "2015-10-27T00:14:43Z")
There’s an entire musical about [A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunday_in_the_Park_with_George) ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/5 "2015-10-27T00:17:36Z")
Does _Bette Davis Eyes_ count? ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/6 "2015-10-27T00:21:59Z")
_Just Like Romeo and Juliet_ ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/7 "2015-10-27T00:24:06Z")
Mussorsky’s _Pictures at an Exhibition_? In the rock-pop world, I seem to remember a deep cut by some early 70s prog rock band about a painting – Yes? King Crimson? Moody Blues? It’ll come to me. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/8 "2015-10-27T00:35:38Z")
The Pogues - _The Wake of the Medusa_ inspired by the painting by Theodore Gericault. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/9 "2015-10-27T00:49:16Z")
“Killing Me Softly (With His Song)” was inspired by Don McLean’s “Empty Chairs”. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/10 "2015-10-27T00:56:35Z")
Tom Waits, “Chocolate Jesus” – about a (chocolate) sculpture by Richard Manderson (maybe) ---
**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 27, 2015, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/11 "2015-10-27T01:00:13Z")
“La Sagrada Familia” by the Alan Parsons Project, about the church by that name designed by Antonio Gaudi ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/12 "2015-10-27T01:05:47Z")
Peter Hammill: [The Lie (Bernini’s St. Theresa)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbqczZP3tWw) ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/13 "2015-10-27T01:09:26Z")
Here are two websites with lists of songs about works of art: > **[Readers recommend: songs about works of art – results](https://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/feb/01/readers-recommend-songs-art-results)** > > From Jeff Koons to Michelangelo, RR regular Suzi picks a playlist from last week's arty thread [https://bop.fm/p/LH2f](https://bop.fm/p/LH2f) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tooth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@The\_Tooth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tooth)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/14 "2015-10-27T01:15:10Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > “La Sagrada Familia” by the Alan Parsons Project, about the church by that name designed by Antonio Gaudi The tracks on _Tales of Mystery and Imagination_ are all inspired by specific Poe stories as well. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/15 "2015-10-27T01:22:55Z")
“Rene And Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After The War” by Paul Simon. It’s about this [photograph](http://performingsongwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/magrittes-dog.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![GreenElf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9de053/32.png) [@GreenElf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenElf)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/16 "2015-10-27T02:06:53Z")
Pictures of Lily by the Who is about nude photos that may be considered works of art. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/17 "2015-10-27T03:21:53Z")
Television sang about the [Venus de Milo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBgQmMrCpis). ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/18 "2015-10-27T04:39:59Z")
Iron Maiden has a few of these. “Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner,” based off of Coleridge’s poem, “Murders in the Rue Morgue,” based off of Poe, “To Tame a Land” is about Frank Herbert’s _Dune_. Others I’m forgetting, I’m sure. ETA: Sorry, was “works of art” meant to refer only to paintings? ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/19 "2015-10-27T05:07:08Z")
_Breakfast at Tiffany’s_ by Deep Blue Something ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2015, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822/20 "2015-10-27T11:00:40Z")
“Tribute” by Tenacious D is about the band playing the best song in the world (thought to be “Stairway to Heaven”) to prevent their souls from being eaten by a demon. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-single-works-of-art/735822.md?page=2)