# Songs in which the title does not appear within the lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 1, 2011, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941 "2011-06-01T09:42:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/41 "2011-06-01T23:57:20Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder. Verse 2: \*Music knows it is and always will Be one of the things that life just won’t quit But here are some of music’s pioneers That time will not allow us to forget For there’s Basie, Miller, Satchmo And the king of all **Sir Duke** And with a voice like Ella’s ringing out There’s no way the band can lose \* But: _Christmas Rapping_ by The Waitresses Also: _Classical Gas_ by Mason Williams (although that one is probably cheating) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/42 "2011-06-02T00:51:55Z")
Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing-- Minutemen ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/43 "2011-06-02T01:35:05Z")
You guys are good. I know many of these songs, but I struggle to come up with examples. However: “Life During Wartime”, by Talking Heads. Woo-hoo. mmm ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/44 "2011-06-02T01:35:15Z")
“Scenes From an Italian Restaurant”-Billy Joel ---
**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:** [June 2, 2011, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/45 "2011-06-02T01:45:41Z")
Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/46 "2011-06-02T02:22:25Z")
[TV Tropes’ entry](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/NonAppearingTitle) on this subject, with the combined brainstorming of many many wiki-goers. ---
**Author:** ![alice\_in\_wonderland](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alice_in_wonderland/32/176_2.png) [@alice\_in\_wonderland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alice_in_wonderland)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/47 "2011-06-02T02:46:19Z")
‘Tom’s Diner’ by Suzanne Vega ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/48 "2011-06-02T10:10:46Z")
[Funk 49 - James Gang](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7JBTLnyJ2g%E2%80%9D) ---
**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:** [June 2, 2011, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/49 "2011-06-02T13:12:43Z")
Jefferson Airplane–White Rabbit Simon & Garfunkel–A Simple Desultory Phillipic Leonard Cohen–Story of Isaac ---
**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:** [June 2, 2011, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/50 "2011-06-02T14:04:37Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > Also: _Classical Gas_ by Mason Williams (although that one is probably cheating) Instrumental-only works are not, by definition, “songs” (they contain no singing) and are therefore excluded from consideration. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/51 "2011-06-02T14:27:56Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > “Bullet with Butterfly Wings” by Smashing Pumpkins. About half the Smashing Pumpkins catalog fits. Off the top of my head: Siva, Rhinocerous, Cherub Rock, Rocket, Geek USA, Mayonaise, Jellybelly, Thirty-Three, etc… If you pick at random from artists in the indie/alternative rock side of things, you’re likely to find countless examples of this. ---
**Author:** ![42fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/b487fb/32.png) [@42fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/42fish)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/52 "2011-06-02T14:29:13Z")
“Tubthumping” Chumbawumba “Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth with Money in My Hand” Primitive Radio Gods “A Quick One While He’s Away” The Who “One Chord Wonders” The Adverts “After the Gold Rush” Neil Young “The Last Resort” The Eagles “A Sort of Homecoming” U2 “New York Mining Disaster 1941” The Bee Gees “A Lover’s Concerto” The Toys “Blue Monday” New Order “Maggie May” Rod Stewart (sings ‘Maggie’ a lot but not ‘Maggie May’) ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/53 "2011-06-02T15:36:38Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > “Brick” by Ben Folds Five :dubious: “She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly…” - the first line of the chorus. ---
**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:** [June 2, 2011, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/54 "2011-06-02T15:40:21Z")
The Alphabet Song ---
**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:** [June 2, 2011, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/55 "2011-06-02T15:54:03Z")
Green Day’s “Good Riddance” ---
**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:** [June 3, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/56 "2011-06-03T13:56:02Z")
Bob Dylan’s Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts Tom Paxton’s Hooker ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/57 "2011-06-03T15:37:27Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > :dubious: > > “She’s a brick and I’m drowning slowly…” - the first line of the chorus. :smack: I should have remembered that. Thanks for the correction. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/58 "2011-06-03T15:55:06Z")
“Brain Damage”, Pink Floyd ---
**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:** [June 3, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/59 "2011-06-03T17:23:18Z")
Two from the LP Elton John: First Episode at Hienton The Greatest Discovery. ---
**Author:** ![orcenio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orcenio/32/1036_2.png) [@orcenio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orcenio)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2011, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941/60 "2011-06-03T17:43:22Z")
Gorillaz have quite a few: [Clint Eastwood](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7ZUHbLHMBs) [Dirty Harry](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLnkQAeMbIM) [El Mañana](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuvUXI4xFsY) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-in-which-the-title-does-not-appear-within-the-lyrics/583941.md?page=4)