# Songs Inspired by movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, music\ **Created:** [October 21, 2020, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487 "2020-10-21T12:49:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/21 "2020-10-21T20:30:43Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > and probably more I’m forgetting. “Gump”! See, I told you there were more I was forgetting. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/hQwWaWFjd0Y/maxresdefault.jpg ""Weird Al" Yankovic - Gump (Parody of "Lump" - Official HD Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQwWaWFjd0Y) ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/22 "2020-10-21T21:06:27Z")
^ [Theme from Rocky XIII (The Rye or The Kaiser)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYJnA026QB0) also by Weird Al. ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2020, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/23 "2020-10-21T21:48:06Z")
If I read the OP correctly this is for songs that came out when the movie was still running. If that is the case then the Star Wars song by Meco would count. And a novelty song would be Mr. Jaws by Dickie Goodman. ---
**Author:** ![XOldiesJock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/ec9cab/32.png) [@XOldiesJock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XOldiesJock)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/24 "2020-10-23T01:50:11Z")
Going way back, “The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,” written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, sung and made famous by Gene Pitney. It tells the story of the movie but does not appear in it. The movie had already been released around the time the song was recorded. Supposedly Director John Ford hated the song because it spoiled the ending of the movie. I think he was wrong, though. The song was great publicity for the movie, all free all summer on Top 40 stations around the country. I still like the song and the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/25 "2020-10-23T02:01:56Z")
Going back even farther, Buddy Holly’s _That’ll Be The Day_ (1957) was inspired by John Wayne’s catchphrase in _The Searchers_ (although the song has nothing to do with the movie.) ---
**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 23, 2020, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/26 "2020-10-23T02:48:03Z")
Similarly, the Four Seasons “Big Girls Don’t Cry” comes from a line in a movie, probably _Slightly Scarlet._ ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/27 "2020-10-23T03:09:54Z")
Two Dylan’s [Motorpsycho Nitemare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorpsycho_Nitemare) inspired by Psycho and traveling salesman jokes. And Tom Lehrer’s Oedipus Rex, which he says in the introduction is an attempt make the movie, sorry, flick, based on the classic play more commercial. ---
**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:** [October 23, 2020, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/28 "2020-10-23T03:30:50Z")
Yeah, Drive-By Truckers have a song titled _Sands of Iwo Jima_ that mentions the film, but really doesn’t have much to do with it. They also got a song titled _Steve McQueen_ that mentions a bunch of his movies, too, but again… ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/29 "2020-10-23T12:53:21Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Two > > Dylan’s [Motorpsycho Nitemare](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorpsycho_Nitemare) inspired by Psycho and traveling salesman jokes. > > And Tom Lehrer’s Oedipus Rex, which he says in the introduction is an attempt make the movie, sorry, flick, based on the classic play more commercial. Two beauts and a sly in-joke. Nice. j ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/30 "2020-10-23T13:56:41Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > Yeah, Drive-By Truckers have a song titled _Sands of Iwo Jima_ that mentions the film, but really doesn’t have much to do with it. I once tried and failed to write a song in honour of “Once Upon a Time in the West”. Much later I discovered that Dire Straits had a song called “Once Upon a Time in the West” but the lyrics didn’t seem to have any obvious connection. ---
**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 23, 2020, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/31 "2020-10-23T15:51:26Z")
Science Fiction Double Feature from _Rocky Horror_ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GKhPVHoodrU/hqdefault.jpg "The Rocky Horror Picture Show Science Fiction Double Feature picture show") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKhPVHoodrU) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/32 "2020-10-23T16:29:57Z")
Does the movie have to have actually been made to count? Neil Young’s _After the Gold Rush_ (or at least “After the Gold Rush” and “Cripple Creek Ferry”) was inspired by a screenplay that never ended up being a released film. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/33 "2020-10-23T16:36:54Z")
Frank Zappa’s [_Cheepnis_](https://genius.com/Frank-zappa-cheepnis-lyrics) was inspired by cheap monster movies in general, although in an opening monologue he referred to _It Conquered The World_ in particular. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2020, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/34 "2020-10-23T19:09:32Z")
Not quite a movie inspiration, but the song “Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring was inspired by the book **The Bourne Identity**. I just now learned that factoid while listening to the radio. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oaS3vbfOLJI/maxresdefault.jpg "Twilight Zone") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaS3vbfOLJI) ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/35 "2024-02-16T09:13:17Z")
I humbly nominate this very catchy song, “Mister Malcontent,” by the amazing Lloyd Cole. He wrote it about Johnny, the punk played by Daniel Day-Lewis in the movie _[My Beautiful Laundrette](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091578/)_ (1985). > **[Mister Malcontent](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvDYa0dHe-E%2F)** > > Provided to YouTube by Universal Music GroupMister Malcontent · Lloyd Cole And The CommotionsMainstream℗ 1987 Polydor Ltd. (UK)Released on: 1987-01-01Produce... ---
**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/36 "2024-02-16T13:08:43Z")
The 1963 film _Black Sabbath_ inspired the name, first album name and song of the heavy metal group “Black Sabbath”. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/37 "2024-02-16T15:09:38Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > The title and some lyrics of “Creature with the Atom Brain” were taken from the 1955 movie. Roky also had the song “I Walked With A Zombie” (the R.E.M. cover of which is pretty good). > [@xizor](#): > > Twisted Sister had a song back in the 80s called Come Out and Play that starts out by imitating a pivotal scene in the movie Warriors (1979) “Can U Dig It?” by Pop Will Eat Itself starts with a sample of Lynne Thigpen’s DJ from that movie. “Let’s get down to it, boppers.” The track also namechecks some movies as well as comic books and music: “Spinderella and Bruce Lee/The Bad and the Ugly/V for Vendetta and Into the Groovy.” The Roxy Music song “2HB” is about Humphrey Bogart and references _Casablanca_ (“Here’s Lookin’ at You, Kid.”) ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/38 "2024-02-16T15:24:23Z")
There’s a collaboration song Jon Anderson and Vangelis wrote in the 80’s called _The Friends of Mr. Cairo_. This was sort of an homage to the black and white gangster movies the two of them grew up watching movies that were made in the 30’s and 40s. The lyrics make references to a few different notable movies like _The Maltese Falcon._ [Jon & Vangelis - The Friends Of Mr. Cairo (youtube.com)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjyFydbgBG4) ---
**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:** [February 16, 2024, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/39 "2024-02-16T16:39:30Z")
“Citizen Kane” by the Byrds ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2024, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487/40 "2024-02-16T17:31:10Z")
Bon Jovi’s song _Blaze of Glory_ was officially connected to _Young Guns II_, but the album _Blaze of Glory_ contains other Billy the Kid-thened songs that were not used in the movie, such as _Blood Money_. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iQbnm-CCoh4/maxresdefault.jpg "Blood Money") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQbnm-CCoh4) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-inspired-by-movies/923487.md?page=3)