# Songs about/to celebrities **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 6, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254 "2006-02-06T17:05:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/1 "2006-02-06T17:05:43Z")
After aimlessly wandering Wikipedia last night and finding out there exists “The Ballad of Jill Hennessy” by Mollycuddle, I was wondering what other songs are about or to celebrities, as they amuse me greatly. I also know of Bree Sharp’s “David Duchovny” and the All Girl Summer Fun Band’s “Jason Lee.” What else is out there? ---
**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:** [February 6, 2006, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/2 "2006-02-06T17:12:47Z")
“Killing Me Softly With His Song” is about Don McLean “You’re So Vain” is rumoured to be about Wrren Beatty. “American Pie”–well, duh! ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/3 "2006-02-06T17:19:53Z")
_Erica Kane_ by **Urge Overkill** _Bette Davis Eyes_ by **Kim Carnes** _Pablo Picasso_ by **The Modern Lovers** ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/4 "2006-02-06T17:23:13Z")
To keep the topic manageable, you’d really have to limit it to non-musician celebrities. There are an awful lot of songs about other musicians. Molly Ringwald has been the subject of a few song tributes, but unfortunately I’m blanking on the specifics. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/5 "2006-02-06T17:25:29Z")
“TV Star” by the Butthole Surfers is about a late-80s/early-90s TV star named Christina. I don’t know who, though. ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/6 "2006-02-06T17:26:07Z")
No cites, but from what I remember: Joni Mitchell’s _Rainy Night House_ is about Leonard Cohen Neil Young’s _Cinnamon Girl_ is about Joni Mitchell, so is Jackson Browne’s _Fountain of Sorrow_ and Graham Nash’s _Our House_ and _Guinevere_ by David Crosby and _Love Has Broght Me Around_ by James Taylor she was, um, quite popular. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/7 "2006-02-06T17:26:14Z")
“What Would Brian Boitano Do?” ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/8 "2006-02-06T17:30:26Z")
“Robert DeNiro’s Waiting” by Bananarama “Houdini” by Kate Bush “Cloudbusting” by Kate Bush ---
**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:** [February 6, 2006, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/9 "2006-02-06T17:32:12Z")
The Ballad of Chasey Lain - Bloodhound Gang Martin Scorsese - King Missile Do It With Madonna - The Androids ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/10 "2006-02-06T17:34:33Z")
“Ingrid Bergman,” lyrics by Woody Guthrie, music/recording by Billy Bragg and Wilco. In which the narrator daydreams about getting a handjob from Ingrid Bergman. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/11 "2006-02-06T17:34:46Z")
_I’m Stuck In A Closet With Vanna White_ - Weird Al Yankovic ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/12 "2006-02-06T17:45:06Z")
There’s a song called “William Shatner” by… I think it’s the Scofflaws. Long Island apparently has kind of a tradition of celebrity ska ballads, but that’s the only example I can think of off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/13 "2006-02-06T17:51:25Z")
**Bob Dylan** ’s “Sara” was dedicated, as I understand it, to **Sara Lownds.** ---
**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:** [February 6, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/14 "2006-02-06T18:01:39Z")
“The Right Profile” by the Clash, about Montgomery Clift “Andy Warhol” by David Bowie ---
**Author:** ![The\_Big\_Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Big\_Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Big_Cheese)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/15 "2006-02-06T18:04:24Z")
**Lucky Man** , by ELP(?) - about JFK. **Henry Darger** by Natalie Merchant is about artist Henry Darger Don McClean did a song about \*\*Vincent \*\* Van Gogh. **Fool on the Hill** - Beatles - about LBJ, I believe **Stand Down Margaret** - by English Beat, is asking Margaret Thatcher to quit. **B Movie** - Gil Scott Heron is about Ronald Reagan, really good song/rap about Ronnie. and didn’t Joey Ramone write a song about **Maria Bartiromo** … ---
**Author:** ![want2know](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/50afbb/32.png) [@want2know](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2know)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/16 "2006-02-06T18:06:57Z")
“Abraham, Martin and John”– **Dion** "Pride (In the Name of Love)– **U2** ; about MLK “Suite Judy Blue Eyes”– **Crosby, Stills and Nash** ; about Judy Collins “Kiss Them For Me”– **Siouxsie and the Banshees** ; about Jayne Mansfield “Candle in the Wind”– **Elton John** ; originally about Marilyn Monroe ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/17 "2006-02-06T18:21:50Z")
“Margaret Cho” by **Skankin Pickle** ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/18 "2006-02-06T18:34:04Z")
> [@The Big Cheese](#): > > **Stand Down Margaret** - by English Beat, is asking Margaret Thatcher to quit. Which reminds me of **Margaret on the Guillotine** by Morrissey, and **Tramp the Dirt Down** by Elvis Costello (about dancing on the grave of the Iron Lady). 10,000 Maniacs did **Hey Jack Kerouac** ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/19 "2006-02-06T18:35:28Z")
“Hurricane” by Bob Dylan is about a boxer whose name escapes me right now, but they made a movie about him by that same name not too long ago. “Victor Jara” by Arlo Guthrie is about Victor Jara (of course). “James K. Polk” by They Might Be Giants about the President by that name. “Pretty Boy Floyd” by Woody Guthrie “Bloodbath in Paradise” by Ozzy is apparently about Charlie Manson. In fact, heavy metal is full of songs about famous killers: “The Ripper” (Judas Priest) “The Ripper” Motorhead (I don’t recall if that’s the title or if it was actually called “Jack the Ripper”) “Angel of Death” by Slayer (about Josef Mengele) Death Angel did a song about Charlie Manson too, but I can’t remember the name now. King Diamond claimed in an interview that I still have on tape back in 1990 that most of the characters on “The Eye” album were real people as well, but I never bothered to try and verify. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254/20 "2006-02-06T18:38:20Z")
I almost forgot my favorite celebrity tribute song: **"Michael Kane"** by Madness [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-to-celebrities/343254.md?page=2)