# Songs that don't have the obvious title because it was already taken by another song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 15, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688 "2026-02-15T17:52:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/1 "2026-02-15T17:52:39Z")
There are thousands of examples of different songs with the same name, and we’ve done many threads about them, but this is kind of the opposite situation. For instance, the obvious title for the Clash song “Train In Vain” would’ve been “Stand By Me”, but of course that’s also a former famous Ben E. King song. An alternative name would’ve been “Stand By Your Man”, but that had been taken by Tammy Wynette. So they called it “Train In Vain” instead, I guess out of respect for the mentioned artists. Another such case is the one hit wonder song “What’s Up” by the Four Non Blondes, whose natural title would have been “What’s Going On”, but that’s a famous song by Marvin Gaye. Do you know similar cases? ---
**Author:** ![DaveRaver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daveraver/32/1078_2.png) [@DaveRaver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveRaver)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/2 "2026-02-15T18:36:50Z")
Many people mistakenly think The Who’s “Baba O’Reilly” is called “Teenage Wasteland”, but that name was already used for an earlier rendition of the song. Both tracks were originally meant to coexist on the scrapped album “Lifehouse”. Here’s a link to the unused song: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbM6o3fT6sg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbM6o3fT6sg) ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/3 "2026-02-15T19:13:47Z")
I remember hearing that Peter Wolf’s “Lights Out” from 1984 was originally going to be called “Dancing in the Dark” but changed it because Springsteen’s song by that name has already come out or was about to come out. ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/4 "2026-02-15T20:43:51Z")
Though Springsteen was apparently OK with borrowing that title from an [old jazz standard](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dancing_in_the_Dark_(Howard_Dietz_and_Arthur_Schwartz_song)). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/5 "2026-02-15T20:55:26Z")
Likewise, “Everybody Must Get Stoned” is actually called “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35.” Back on topic, “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” by T. Rex was actually subtitled because of a big hit a few years ago, “Get It On” by Chase. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/6 "2026-02-15T21:07:57Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Back on topic, “Bang A Gong (Get It On)” by T. Rex was actually subtitled because of a big hit a few years ago, “Get It On” by Chase. That’s interesting, and I didn’t know that. The story I heard was that the song, which was released and known outside the US as simply “Get It On”, was retitled for the US market because the original title seemed to be too racy for that market. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/7 "2026-02-15T21:14:41Z")
I read an interview with Neil Finn where he said he should’ve called “Don’t Dream it’s Over” the “Hey Now” song because he kept hearing from record store owners that that’s what people were coming in looking for. He mentioned this because the most recent Crowded House album had a song that was originally titled “Life’s Imitation” until his kids wisely encouraged him to change it to “Teenage Summer.” ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/8 "2026-02-15T23:02:33Z")
Barry Manilow changed the title of a song named “Brandy” by Scott English and Richard Kerr to “Mandy” when he recorded it, because there was already a popular song here called “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2026, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/9 "2026-02-15T23:25:56Z")
Sheena Easton’s “9 to 5 (Morning Train)” got the “Morning Train” added for its US release to distinguish it from the Dolly Parton song of the same name which had come out a few months earlier. Amusingly, both songs made #1 on the Hot 100. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/10 "2026-02-16T00:28:59Z")
That’s interesting, and I didn’t know that. The story I heard was that the song, which was released and known outside the US as simply “Get It On”, was retitled for the US market because the original title seemed to be too racy for that market. post by Stephe96 3 hours ago Stephe96 So why wasn’t there a similar problem when Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” was released a few years later? ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/11 "2026-02-16T00:40:52Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > So why wasn’t there a similar problem when Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” was released a few years later? I don’t know, maybe the mores had changed? Those changes happened fast in the seventies. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/12 "2026-02-16T00:46:40Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > So they called it “Train In Vain” instead, I guess out of respect for the mentioned artists. As an aside, it’s also in a train song rhythm, so there’s a nice play on words (since it was also about him visiting Viv Albertine via train). ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/13 "2026-02-16T07:03:46Z")
_Empire State of Mind_ by Jay-z and Alicia Keys would most likely have been titled _New York State of Mind_ if Billy Joel (and Nas) hadn’t gotten there first. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/14 "2026-02-16T14:40:16Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Barry Manilow changed the title of a song named “Brandy” by Scott English and Richard Kerr to “Mandy” when he recorded it, He could have used Mindy. Or Andy. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/15 "2026-02-16T14:50:53Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > For instance, the obvious title for the Clash song “Train In Vain” would’ve been “Stand By Me”, but of course that’s also a former famous Ben E. King song. In “Train in Vain”, doesn’t he sing _You didn’t stand by me No not at all You didn’t stand by me_ ? So “Stand By Me” as a title doesn’t seem like it would fit exactly. Or maybe this is one of those songs where I’ve had the lyrics wrong all these years… ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/16 "2026-02-16T15:03:15Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > In “Train in Vain”, doesn’t he sing > _You didn’t stand by me > No not at all > You didn’t stand by me_ ? You’re absolutely right, but I seem to remember having read that the working title for the song was in fact “Stand By Me”, but the band changed it to avoid confusion with the Ben E. King song. Sorry, no cite, I forgot where I heard it. ETA: I found a cite on the wiki page for the song: > [@](#): > > In the US and Canada, the song’s title is expanded to “Train in Vain (Stand by Me)”, as the words “stand by me” dominate the chorus. It was titled “Train in Vain” in part to avoid confusion with [Ben E. King](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_E._King "Ben E. King")’s 1961 song “[Stand by Me](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stand_by_Me_(Ben_E._King_song) "Stand by Me (Ben E. King song)")”. > **[Train in Vain](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Train_in_Vain)** > > "Train in Vain" (or "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)") is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released as the third and final single from their third studio album, London Calling (1979). The song was not originally listed on the album's track listing, appearing as a hidden track at the end of the album. This was because the track was added to the record at the last minute, when the sleeve was already in production. Some editions include the song in the track listing. "Train i In... ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/17 "2026-02-18T06:22:11Z")
Seems strange that the Wikipedia article doesn’t mention that the name of the track “Train in Vain” was etched into the dead wax on side 4 of the album by the mastering engineer - [https://imgur.com/clash-london-calling-pdrPapi](https://imgur.com/clash-london-calling-pdrPapi) There is an amusing account [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/theclash/comments/1hz1tdc/my_clash_encounter/) trying to find out the name to play it on air. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2026, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-obvious-title-because-it-was-already-taken-by-another-song/1027688/18 "2026-02-18T06:48:15Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > He could have used Mindy. > > Or Andy. _Oh Mindy You came and you gave without flaking But I sent you Ben-Gay Oh Andy You kissed me and stopped me from something…_