A friend asked the other day if I could think of any songs made into movies. Specifically, he’s looking for songs that tell a story, and the movie tells more or less the same story. I came up with a couple of hits and near-hits, but thought I’d throw the question to the experts here. Now the order is important…it doesn’t count if the song is written FOR the movie.
I came up with:
“Ode to Billie Joe”
“Harper Valley PTA”
“Convoy”
“The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia” (doesn’t actually follow the song, though)
“Ode to Billy Joe” was also a book, which for some reason I actually read. I can’t remember if the movie was based on the book which was based on the song, or if the book was just a novelization of the movie.
It wouldn’t disqualify “Yellow Submarine” – the song came out in '66, the movie came out in '68 or '69.
If you wanted to be really picked, you’d require that the movie script be written with the specific song in mind. For example, there’s a movie called “When A Man Loves A Woman” and the song features prominently in it. However, I’m sure that if the producers hadn’t gotten the rights to the song, they just would have named the movie something else.
Warren Zevon’s Things to do in Denver When You’re Dead predates the film of that name. Good song, poor film. The content of the film has nothing to do with the song.
Kenny Roger’s “The Gambler” was made into a movie.
And for the obscure, Twisted Sister’s song “Captain Howdy” was made into a movie called “Dee Snyder’s Strangeland”.
Ooh, I got one…My Boyfriend’s Back. Except in the movie, the boyfriend dies and comes back from the dead as a flesh eating zombie. He does end up getting together with the girl…so I think it’s all right.
What about “The Legend of Billie Jean?” Or was there even a song before the movie? Was there any song at all? What is it about the name Billy/Billie, anyway?
Paul Thomas Anderson claimed that “Magnolia” was inspired by the Amiee Mann songs which eventually became its soundtrack. Apparently, she had recorded some tunes and PT decided to write a movie around 'em – or so he says.
