# Songs That Mention a Famous Person But Are Not About That Person **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 26, 2013, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386 "2013-01-26T01:09:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![PoorMarie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5ac83/32.png) [@PoorMarie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorMarie)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/101 "2013-01-28T16:26:45Z")
Another John Hiatt example, “Little Head,” mentions Eddie Vedder: I’m talking with a tight red sweater I’m feelin’ like Eddie Vedder only twice as cool when she starts winkin’ I’m just so easily led when the little head does the thinkin’ ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2013, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/102 "2013-01-28T19:07:57Z")
Grand Funk Railroad, _We’re an American Band_, Sweet Connie (Hamzy) R.E.M.,\* Man on the Moon\*, Andy Kaufman, Elvis. Charles Darwin, Sir Isaac Newton, Mott the Hoople, Fred Blassie David Bowie, _Panic in Detroit_, Che Guevara ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/103 "2013-01-29T03:09:08Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > One Night in Bangkok: > > Tea, girls, warm, sweet > Some are set up in the Somerset Maugham Suite. Side note: That’s a reference to the grand old Oriental Hotel, now part of the Mandarin Oriental chain and which does have a Somerset Maugham Suite. Maugham once stumbled into the hotel during his travels with an advanced case of malaria, where he heard the German manager arguing with a doctor about how a death would be bad for business. ---
**Author:** ![Hottius\_Maximus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3ab097/32.png) [@Hottius\_Maximus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hottius_Maximus)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/104 "2013-01-29T05:01:04Z")
Don’t Stand So Close To Me by the Police mentions Nabakov. ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/105 "2013-01-30T00:34:04Z")
My favorite current one is Macklemore’s _Thrift Shop_: Probably shoulda washed this Smells like R. Kelly’s sheets Pissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/106 "2013-01-30T00:40:46Z")
> [@Hottius\_Maximus](#): > > Don’t Stand So Close To Me by the Police mentions Nabakov. Who wrote Lolita. Again, relevant to the subject of the song. It’s not about Nabakov, but it _is_ about a Lolita. ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [January 30, 2013, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/107 "2013-01-30T00:47:16Z")
Whitesnake, Wham!, and Ozzy Osborne get name dropped in Bowling for Soup’s “1985.” ---
**Author:** ![dba\_Fred](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c37758/32.png) [@dba\_Fred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dba_Fred)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/108 "2013-01-31T09:55:58Z")
Alice Cooper - _Adaptable (Anything For You)_ \*If you were Lucy I’d be your Ricky Now, you ain’t no Hepburn And I ain’t no Fonda But if you were drownin’ In Golden Ponda Say you’re Vampira And needed plasma\* slightly racy music video [- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLnFe8yp8eg) ---
**Author:** ![Courk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/91b2a8/32.png) [@Courk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Courk)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/109 "2013-01-31T11:00:43Z")
Bowling for Soup - High School Never Ends Jack Black Brad Pitt Bill Gates Reese Witherspoon And Mary Kate (I assume Olsen?) Katie and Tom (Holmes and Cruise) and a Jessica (I don’t know which – apparently I won’t ever guess what she did) Shania Twain - That Don’t Impress Me Much Brad Pitt Elvis John Wayne (and Tarzan and Captain Kirk) ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2013, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/110 "2013-01-31T13:27:50Z")
**One Night in Bangkok** has been mentioned but there is also the line _In a show with everything but Yul Brynner_ ---
**Author:** ![Cub\_Mistress](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea666f/32.png) [@Cub\_Mistress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cub_Mistress)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/111 "2013-02-01T02:31:50Z")
“You Never Even Call Me By My Name” as sung by David Allen Coe mentions Waylon Jennings, Charlie Pride, and Merle Haggard ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/112 "2013-02-01T19:50:29Z")
“Love Love Love” by The Mountain Goats mentions Sonny Liston and Kurt Cobain [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2FyFS5kFZ7w/hqdefault.jpg "Love Love Love - The Mountain Goats") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2FyFS5kFZ7w) ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/113 "2013-02-01T20:53:54Z")
“Rainbow High” from Evita: ## I came from the people, they need to adore me, so Christian Dior me, ## I’m their product, it’s vital you sell me, so Machiavell me, I’m their saviour! That’s what they call me, so Lauren Bacall me ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/114 "2013-02-01T21:13:00Z")
Blessid Union Of Souls - Hey Leonardo: Tyson Beckford Robert Redford Leonardo (presumably Dicaprio) Steve (that guy who played in ‘Fargo’) Buscemi Pavorotti Cindy Crawford Clint “Dirty Harry” Eastwood Jim Carrey Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise: Ted Danson And you know they got rhymes like Abe Vigoda (Posse in Effect) ---
**Author:** ![rosetta\_stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8c91f0/32.png) [@rosetta\_stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rosetta_stone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2013, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/115 "2013-02-01T21:35:48Z")
Madonna - vogue Greta Garbo, and Monroe Deitrich and DiMaggio Marlon Brando, Jimmy Dean On the cover of a magazine Grace Kelly; Harlow, Jean Picture of a beauty queen Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire Ginger Rodgers, dance on air They had style, they had grace Rita Hayworth gave good face Lauren, Katherine, Lana too Bette Davis, we love you ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/116 "2013-02-06T14:27:15Z")
In the song “Here We Go”, Eminem flows like Troy Polamalu’s hair. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/117 "2013-02-07T03:52:10Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > In the song “Here We Go”, Eminem flows like Troy Polamalu’s hair. Eminem’s “Marshall Mathers” has a few. Among others, he mentions Vanilla Ice, Britney Spears, Biggie Smalls, and 2Pac: “An anti-Backstreet and Ricky Martin With instincts to kill N’Sync, don’t get me started These fucking brats can’t sing, and Britney’s garbage What’s this bitch, retarded? Give me back my 16 dollars!” ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/118 "2013-02-07T07:46:37Z")
The German march “Sieg Heil Viktoria” ([http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvL5lMmY88k](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvL5lMmY88k)) mentions Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin in passing. And yes the comments section is even more retarded than usual. > [@](#): > > Auf Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt, > Ade, ade, ade, > > To Stalin, Churchill, Roosevelt, > good-bye, good-bye, good-bye, ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/119 "2013-02-08T06:15:29Z")
Also the Japanese song “Sore Yuke! Otome No Senshado” released as part of the _Girls und Panzer_ media blitz, references German tank aces Otto Carius and Michael Wittmann. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUeccx1C4ck](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUeccx1C4ck) > [@](#): > > Kariusu bittoman muridakedo Tayorinakunai sokohakato > I can’t be as great as Carius or Wittmann, but I can try my hardest! ---
**Author:** ![Mister\_Rik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mister_rik/32/491_2.png) [@Mister\_Rik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Rik)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386/120 "2013-02-08T20:36:44Z")
There are countless country music songs that mention Hank Williams, Sr. without actually being about him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-mention-a-famous-person-but-are-not-about-that-person/648386.md?page=7)