# Songs that don't have the title in the lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2003, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380 "2003-06-17T03:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![gallows\_fodder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8c91f0/32.png) [@gallows\_fodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gallows_fodder)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/41 "2003-06-17T14:55:31Z")
Lots of Radiohead songs – “How I Made My Millions” “Melatonin” “Coke Babies” “Cuttooth” “Exit Music for a Film” “Idioteque” “Pyramid Song” “Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box” “The Amazing Sounds of Orgy” “Subterranean Homesick Alien” ---
**Author:** ![Intaglio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/71e660/32.png) [@Intaglio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intaglio)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/42 "2003-06-17T15:02:27Z")
Bullet with Butterfly Wings - Smashing Pumpkins ---
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/43 "2003-06-17T15:14:59Z")
A few pieces by Belle and Sebastian, including “A Century of Elvis” and “A Space Boy’s Dream” (although some would argue if those were songs :)), “Dirty Dream Number Two”, “Winter Wooskie”, and “Expectations”. Not to mention all the Shins songs: “Caring is Creepy”, “Know Your Onion!”, “Those Bold City Girls”, “Sphagnum Esplanade”, etc. A lot of Love songs as well: “Alone Again Or”, “A Message to Pretty”, “My Flash on You”, “Colored Balls Falling”, “7 and 7 Is”, “Stephanie Knows Who”, “Que Vida!”, “The Castle”, “Revelation”, “A House is Not a Motel”, “The Daily Planet”, and many more I’m too tired to think about. ---
**Author:** ![Rubicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/58f4c7/32.png) [@Rubicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubicon)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/44 "2003-06-17T16:17:29Z")
A question along these lines that I’ve wondered about–are there ANY Springsteen songs that meet this criterion? His titles always seem so straightfoward–not only are they from the song, they are usually the refrain or the key idea of the song. Can anyone think of a Springsteen song that even has a less-than-obvious title, let alone one not found within the song? ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/45 "2003-06-17T16:17:32Z")
Strawberry Letter 23 by The Brothers Johnson. (Although they do mention strawberry letter 22 a few times.) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/46 "2003-06-17T16:31:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Orange Skinner \* > \*\*Eclipse—Pink Floyd \*\* “Eclipsed” is used, though. Close enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![Peg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b38774/32.png) [@Peg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peg)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/47 "2003-06-17T16:34:21Z")
New Order is infamous for having song titles that have nothing to do with their lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/48 "2003-06-17T16:35:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rubicon \* > \*\*A question along these lines that I’ve wondered about–are there ANY Springsteen songs that meet this criterion? His titles always seem so straightfoward–not only are they from the song, they are usually the refrain or the key idea of the song. Can anyone think of a Springsteen song that even has a less-than-obvious title, let alone one not found within the song? \*\* Well, I can think of a few Open All Night (from “Nebraska”) Highway Patrolman (also from “Nebraska”) Incident on 57th Street (from “The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle”) Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street (From “Greetings from Asbury Park”) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/49 "2003-06-17T16:48:11Z")
“Locked in the Trunk of a Car” and “Nautical Disaster” by The Tragically Hip. “Synchronicity II” by the Police. Title doesn’t even have anything to do with the song. Sting’s solo “The Dream of the Blue Turtles” also qualifies. “Straw Hat And Old Dirty Hank” by The Barenaked Ladies. ---
**Author:** ![Beadalin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Beadalin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beadalin)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/50 "2003-06-17T16:52:43Z")
“Wednesday Morning, 3 a.m.” and “A Poem on the Underground Wall” by Simon & Garfunkel “Revolver” “A Rennaisance Affair” and “2Wicky” by Hooverphonic ---
**Author:** ![Ender\_Will](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Ender\_Will](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ender_Will)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/51 "2003-06-17T16:53:42Z")
Mambo #5 A bunch of AFI, including- Clove Smoke Catharsis Malleus Maleficarum Exsanguination No Poetic Device And a whole bunch more I don’t feel like typing Some Metallica- Dyer’s Eve No Leaf Clover Enter Sandman Welcome Home (althought the parenthetical “Sanitarium” is mentioned) To Live is to Die Some others that I don’t feel like checking and then typing ---
**Author:** ![doctordoowop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecc23a/32.png) [@doctordoowop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doctordoowop)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/52 "2003-06-17T17:13:08Z")
nebco 9-did you know NSU stood for non specific urethritis? Serious. I read recently that Jack Bruce admitted this. But what does swalbr mean?(if anything) Also Mother’s Lament by Cream. Movie themes, w/words added later include Exodus,Theme from Gone with the Wind, ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/53 "2003-06-17T17:59:38Z")
Rolling Stones - _Sympathy for the Devil_ Steely Dan - _The Caves of Altamira_ ---
**Author:** ![Fish42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@Fish42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish42)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/54 "2003-06-17T19:42:36Z")
“Land of 1000 Dances,” Chris Kenner/Wilson Pickett/etc. “My True Story,” The Jive Five “Train in Vain,” The Clash “One Chord Wonders,” The Adverts “Hymn to Her,” The Pretenders “Rapper’s Delight,” The Sugarhill Gang “Mystery Train,” Little Junior Parker/Elvis Presley “Randy Scouse Git” (a.k.a. “Alternative Title”) The Monkees “Thank You For Talkin’ To Me Africa,” Sly and the Family Stone “Fingertips Pt 2,” Stevie Wonder “Epistle to Dippy,” Donovan “Creeque Alley,” The Mamas and the Papas “The Inner Light,” The Beatles “Renaisance Fair,” The Byrds “5D (Fifth Dimension),” The Byrds “Young Turks,” Rod Stewart “After the Goldrush,” Neil Young “Night of the Living Bassheads,” Public Enemy “Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos,” Public Enemy “Gimme Little Sign” Brenton Wood (He sings “Gimme some kinda sign”) “What’s Up?” 4 Non-Blondes (They sing “What’s going on?”) Arguably, “Sunshine Superman,” Donovan (He sings the word “sunshine” and the word “superman” but not together to create the full title) ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/55 "2003-06-17T20:16:05Z")
> [@](#): > > But what does swalbr mean?(if anything) She Walks Like a Bearded Rainbow. Not said directly in the lyrics, but alluded to. _Sympathy for the Devil_ has the Devil say “So if you meet me Have some courtesy Have some sympathy, and some taste Use all your well-learned politesse Or I’ll lay your soul to waste.” So at best that’s a partial non-mention of the title. ---
**Author:** ![nebco9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/cc9497/32.png) [@nebco9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nebco9)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/56 "2003-06-17T20:39:55Z")
**doctordoowop** and **Marley23** swlabr = “She Was Like A Bearded Rainbow”. This is from SDSTAFF Tuba: [www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mswlabr.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mswlabr.html) ---
**Author:** ![Darwins\_Finch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darwins_finch/32/20304_2.png) [@Darwins\_Finch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darwins_Finch)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/57 "2003-06-17T21:02:08Z")
_D.O.A._, by Bloodrock > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by mhendo_ > **Gotta love Dead Can Dance.** Indeed! ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/58 "2003-06-17T21:02:19Z")
“Silent Running” by Mike & the Mechanics “Run Like Hell” by Pink Floyd ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/59 "2003-06-17T21:11:02Z")
Thought of some more … “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by Iron Maiden “War Pigs” by Black Sabbath “The Logical Song” by Supertramp “The Load Out” by Jackson Browne (technically part of a medley called “The Load Out/Stay”, but they can be perceived as different songs on the album _Running on Empty_) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2003, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380/60 "2003-06-17T21:39:21Z")
Still more … “The Wedding Song” by Paul Stookey “Ode to Billie Joe” by Bobbie Gentry “Tom’s Diner” by Suzanne Vega “Good Riddance” by Green Day “Life During Wartime” by Talking Heads [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-dont-have-the-title-in-the-lyrics/182380.md?page=4)