I was listening to “No Time” by the Monkees yesterday and I love the line, “Andy you’re a dandy. You don’t seem to make no sense.” This line in the song refers to Andy Kaufman. I want to turn to you guys to name more songs that refer to other people.
Let’s try to stay away from songs that refer to God since there are tons of them.
Ready…GO!
Sweet Home Alabama-“and I hope Neil Young will remember, a southern man don’t need him around anyhoe”
Mrs. Robinson-“where have you gone Joe Dimaggio? A nation turns it’s lonely eyes to you”
I think in Neil Young’s song “Rockin in the free world” he refers to George Bush when he says “We’ve got a thousand points of light, for the homeless man”, but I could be wrong.
are you sure this is a ref to kaufman? weren’t the Monkees long gone by the time andy was doing his thing?
kaufman is featured in that crappy REM song “man on the moon” or whatever. they also mention lenny bruce in “end of the world…”.
Rush mentions “the pilot of Enola Gay” in one of thier songs, but doesn’t specificly say Col. Tibbets.
Leo Kottke has a song about Pamela Brown, and how he owes it all to her.
“More songs about Hitler and Romance!”
Let 'Em In - Paul McCartney refers to a lot of people, but I’m not sure exactly which people he refers to. You’d guess that “Phil and Don” are the Everly Brothers. But it’s a bit of a leap to think that something he writes down means something beyond a rhyme.
“Brian Wilson” Bare Naked Ladies
Uh, the Monkee’s song “No Time” was first recorded in 1967 on the album “Headquarters.” At the time, Kaufman was still in high school; he didn’t begin performing until 1970 and didn’t become generally known until 1975. It’s extremely unlikely there’s any connection.
Some actual connections:
“Angie” by the Stones was for David Bowie’s then-wife, Angie.
“Glass Onion” by the Beatles – “The Walrus was Paul” (he wasn’t, BTW; Paul was the hippo).
“Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple mentions Frank Zappa and the Mothers (“were in the best place in town”).
Though she’s not mentioned by name, Patti Harrison (George’s first wife) was the subject of Layla.
More recently: Pink, in “Don’t Let Me Get Me”:
Tired of being compared / To damn Britney Spears / She’s so pretty / something something
Also, Alanis Morissette makes reference to her past manager/producer, or former songwriter, in “I See Right Through You” (from “Jagged Little Pill”). It’s either Stefan Klovan (I used to work with him) or Leslie Howe (songwriter on her first two pop albums):
You didn’t think I’d come back
You didn’t think I’d show up with my army
And this ammunition on my back
Now that I’m Miss Thing
Now that I’m a zillionaire
You scan the credits for your name
And wonder why it’s not there
Plus, there’s the guy she went down on in the theatre. (Dave Coulier? Matt LeBlanc? She’ll never tell. Skank.)
The are so many. One of my faves by Simon & Garfunkel entitled A Simple Desultory Philippic (Or How I Was Robert McNamara’d into Submission). It runs the gamut of late 60’s pop culture.
[ul][]Norman Mailer []Maxwell Taylor []John O’Hara []McNamara []Rolling Stone(s) []Beatle(s) []Ayn Rand []Phil Spector []Lou Adler []Barry Sadler []Lenny Bruce []Dylan []Dylan Thomas []Mick Jagger []Andy Warhol []Roy Hale Art Garfunkel [/ul]
Nearly every song from Pink Floyd’s “The Final Cut” - Margaret Thatcher.
But since the question was what song I’ll play fair & pick one.
The Fletcher Memorial Home from said album- “Maggie”, of course; Ronald Regan, Alexander Haig, Richard Nixon, Leonid Brezhnev…and a few others I’m forgetting.
American Pie has tons of references to people in the 50’s and 60’s but some of them are rather cryptic.
Hey RealityChuck, I appreciate your input and correction, but I wish you’d drop the condescending “Uh” at the beginning of your post. Makes you sound like a jerk.
The Andy refered to is Andy Warhol. My brain slipped.
Jesus Christ, Fanny Brice, Wolfie Mozart and Humphrey Bogart,
Genghis Khan and on to H. G. Wells.
Ho Chi Minh, Gunga Din, Henry Luce and John Wilkes Booth
and Alexander’s King and Graham Bell.
Ramar Krishna, Mama Whistler, Patrice Lumumba and Russ Colombo,
Karl and Chico Marx, Albert Camus.
E. A. Poe, Henri Rousseau, Sholom Aleichem and Caryl Chessman,
Alan Freed and Buster Keaton, too.
I’m Henry the Eighth, I am…
The Beatles’ Dear Prudence (on The White Album) refers to Prudence Farrow, Mia’s sister. Both women were in India at the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s place when the Beatles were there.
The first verse of James Taylor’s Line 'Em Up from Hourglass is all about Richard Nixon:
I remember Richard Nixon back in '74
And the final scene at the White House door
And the staff lined up to say good-bye
Tiny tear in his shifty little eye
He said nobody knows me
Nobody understands
These little people were good to me
Oh I’m gonna shake some hands
Elton John’s Empty Garden is a John Lennon memorial song.
I know I know others, but my brain’s stopped working.
FCM, your post reminded me of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel. I can’t think of the lyrics, but I’m sure he named a person or two!
Kraftwerk’s “Trans Europe Express”: Iggy Pop & David Bowie
I knows a MILLYUN of 'em, but here’s the all-time classic, from the 1956 musical “Bells Are Ringing”—
Jose Ferrer and Janet Blair and Fred Astaire and Vincent Minnelli
Daniel Mann and Lynn Fontanne, Elia Kazan, the former Grace Kelly
Louis Shurr and Courtney Burr and Irving Lazar
Anthony Quinn – And Rin-Tin-Tin!
Doris Day and Barry Gray and Edna Best
Arthur Loew and Vaughan Monroe, Rebecca West
Irwin Shaw and Evelyn Waugh, Errol Flynn
Rory Calhoun – And Rin-Tin-Toon!
Barney Baruch and King Farouk, Alistair Cooke and Debbie and Eddie
Lucille Ball and Lauren Bacall, Hedy Lamarr, Roz Russell and Freddie
Carol Reed and Sammy Snead and Deborah Kerr
Anna May Wong – And Rong-Tong-Tong!
Luncheon was fun at 21, Then I had to run for drinks at the Plaza.
Dined with John, Le Pavillon, Then flew right on to St. Mark’s Piazza.
Took a group for onion soup at dawn at Les Halles; It never shuts – Like Chock-Full-of-Nuts!
My Christian Dior I wore, then tore, Got fitted for a new Balenciaga.
Then to Jacques Fath for just one hat – Got something that will drive you ga-ga
Valentina’s where I’ve been; I just adore Val –
Things with good lines – Like things from Klein’s!
I do all my shopping there with Mary and Ethel.
Errol Flynn! Rin-Tin-Tin!
Edmond Gwenn! Ren-Ten-Ten!
Ali Kahn! Rahn-Tahn-Tahn!
Raymond Massey! Lassie!
That’s the way you play the game
Drop That Name!
OK, somebody beat me to Smoke on the Water, so all I can think of are a few cheesy ones:
The Commodores’ Nightshift is a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson
…which brings me to Jackie Wilson Said, by Van Morrison
and speaking of soul singers…
Hey Nineteen… that’s 'Retha Franklin… by Steely Dan
and let’s not forget…
Anybody here…
Seen my old friend Abraham/Martin/John/Bob…