# Songs that eulogize other artists? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 10, 2005, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805 "2005-07-10T03:09:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/21 "2005-07-10T07:14:11Z")
One more, on the very obscure side. A group called [United States of America](http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:66n20r4ar48j~T1) put out a lone album in 1967, with a cut called **Love Song for the Dead Ché** that was hauntingly good. ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/22 "2005-07-10T07:42:48Z")
Charles Mingus wrote “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” about departed saxophonist Lester Young. (Joni Mitchell did an interesting cover with lyrics that she wrote. The entire album it appears on, Mingus, was based on some collaborations she did with Mingus before he died, but it can probably be thought of as a eulogy, too.) “Eulogy” by Tool might be about Jesus, or it might be about Kurt Cobain. My brother says it is about Andre the Giant, for the line “He stood above the crowd; he had a voice that was strong and loud.” ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/23 "2005-07-10T07:44:15Z")
> [@HoldenCaulfield](#): > > “Eulogy” by Tool might be about Jesus, or it might be about Kurt Cobain. Whoever it’s about, it’s not a very kind eulogy. ---
**Author:** ![HoldenCaulfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@HoldenCaulfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoldenCaulfield)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/24 "2005-07-10T07:47:19Z")
> [@HoldenCaulfield](#): > > Charles Mingus wrote “Goodbye Porkpie Hat” about departed saxophonist Lester Young. (Joni Mitchell did an interesting cover with lyrics that she wrote. The entire album it appears on, Mingus, was based on some collaborations she did with Mingus before he died, but it can probably be thought of as a eulogy, too.) > > “Eulogy” by Tool might be about Jesus, or it might be about Kurt Cobain. My brother says it is about Andre the Giant, for the line “He stood above the crowd; he had a voice that was strong and loud.” I just looked it up and it seems to be about Bill Hicks. Damn people misleading me. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 7:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/25 "2005-07-10T07:52:43Z")
yep, there’s more than one song by Tool about Bill H. the man was a freakin’ funny motherfucker… and his friends liked him a lot If you haven’t ever heard one of his albums, check him out ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/26 "2005-07-10T07:58:09Z")
wait, no… I thought Eulogy was the one about L. Ron Hubbard? isn’t it Third Eye that’s about Bill? ---
**Author:** ![Equipoise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/equipoise/32/151_2.png) [@Equipoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Equipoise)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/27 "2005-07-10T08:18:48Z")
Kate Bush’s “Blow Away” is about a jam in the sky with Marc Bolan, Minnie Ripperton, Keith Moon, Sid Vicious, Sid Vicious (hey, she names him twice), Buddy Holly, and Sandy Denny. ([http://gaffa.org/sensual/l\_ba.html](http://gaffa.org/sensual/l_ba.html)) ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/28 "2005-07-10T10:58:38Z")
George Jones’s “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” ---
**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:** [July 10, 2005, 11:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/29 "2005-07-10T11:07:35Z")
Aussie Ben Lee’s _Catch My Disease_ says in the last verse: They play Good Charlotte on the radio and that’s the way I like it They play Sleepy Jackson on the radio and that’s the way I like it and that’s the way I like it I hear Beyonce on the radio and that’s the way I like it cos that’s the way I like it and they play me on the radio (whoo!) and that’s the way I like it ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/30 "2005-07-10T11:12:28Z")
One can only hope that the grief object in Bobby Goldsboro’s _Honey_ had some talent of some kind, whether it was music is anybody’s guess. On a more serious level, one that it took some straining to come up with is/was Gino Vannelli’s _Poor Happy Jimmy_ (I hope that’s the title) eulogy for Jim Croce. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Mapp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miss_mapp/32/369_2.png) [@Miss\_Mapp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Mapp)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/31 "2005-07-10T11:32:55Z")
Paul Simon’s “The Late, Great Johnny Ace” is not only about singer Johnny Ace, who died in the 1950’s, but also John Lennon. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/32 "2005-07-10T12:50:11Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > How can one forget it Don McLean was who was “Killing Me Softly With His Song” Although he still kills people with that song. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/33 "2005-07-10T13:18:29Z")
“Sweet Gene Vincent” by Ian Dury and the Blockheads. “Pure Smokey” by George Harrison (about Smokey Robinson). “Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd (the entire album about their former bandmate Syd Barrett). ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/34 "2005-07-10T13:29:43Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > How can one forget it Don McLean was who was “Killing Me Softly With His Song” If you’re gonna bring up Don McLean, don’t forget to mention _Starry Starry Night_, his tribute to Vincent van Gogh. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/35 "2005-07-10T13:31:37Z")
Er… that came out a little snarky. Sorry 'bout that! ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/36 "2005-07-10T13:49:39Z")
“When Smokey [Robinson] Sings” by ABC “Pops [Motown founder Berry Gordy, Sr.], We Love You” by Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/37 "2005-07-10T13:50:19Z")
> [@marymargaret](#): > > Neil Young’s **The Needle and the Damage Done** about bandmate Danny Whitten. Young eulogized Whitten with the entire _Tonight’s the Night_ album, but Whitten was still alive when “The Needle and the Damage Done” was released on _Harvest_. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/38 "2005-07-10T15:48:26Z")
> [@Earl Snake-Hips Tucker](#): > > “When Smokey [Robinson] Sings” by ABC > “Pops [Motown founder Berry Gordy, Sr.], We Love You” by Diana Ross, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Smokey Robinson Mentioning Marvin Gaye reminds me of the song “Marvin”, a eulogy to Marvin Gaye. A beautiful song, but I can’t remember the artist. Help me out here. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/39 "2005-07-10T16:06:30Z")
You might be thinking of “Night Shift,” mentioned above. Here’s an obscure one: “Freddie” by Charlene, best known for her hit “I’ve Never Been to Me.” It’s about Freddie Prinze. ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2005, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805/40 "2005-07-10T16:10:36Z")
Duh, yep flat missed it. Thanks for the clarification of the name, great song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-eulogize-other-artists/311805.md?page=3)