# Songs that name other people **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 25, 2002, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560 "2002-04-25T16:36:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/101 "2003-08-04T22:41:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Orange Skinner \* > \*\*The Red Hot Chili Peppers mention Iggy Pop on their song “Coffee Shop,” and Shao Lin on “Easily.” Respectively, “we can dance like Iggy Pop,” and “Shao Lin shaking for the sake of his soul.” > \*\* I forgot…Confucius is also mentioned in “Coffee Shop.” There’s the Rush song “Tom Sawyer,” if fictional people count, too. Don’t think that’s been mentioned yet. There was a pop song called “High Above Me” a couple years ago. I forget the artist. It has the lines, “she’s so high above me, like Cleopatra, Joan of Arc, or Aphrodite. ---
**Author:** ![hayleyavon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/eb9ed0/32.png) [@hayleyavon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hayleyavon)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/102 "2003-08-05T00:42:22Z")
“She likes me for me…Not because I hang with Leonardo or that guy who played in Fargo I think his name is Steve…” -Blessid Union of Souls “Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me For Me)” “Winona Ryder drinks Manischewitz wine then spins a dreidel with Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein … Lenny Kravitz is half Jewish Courtney Love is half too put them together what a funky bad-ass Jew … We got Harvey Keitel and flash dancer Jennifer Beals Yasmine Bleeth from Baywatch is Jewish and yes her boobs are real … Bob Dylan was born a Jew then he wasn’t but now he’s back Mary Tyler Moore’s husband is Jewish cuz we’re pretty good in the sack…” -Adam Sandler “The Chanukah Song Pt. 2” You get the idea… 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/103 "2003-08-05T00:44:04Z")
**Bob Dylan** is the king of real-life references in his songs - just a few here. From _Desolation Row_, mentioned (although mis-identified) by **S. Mussberger** on page 1 of the thread: Bette Davis, Cain and Abel, Good Samaritan, Noah, Einstein, Nero, Ezra Pound, and T. S. Eliot. From _As I went Out One Morning_, Tom Paine. From _Dignity_, Prince Phillip. From _Only a Pawn in Their Game_: Medgar Evers. From _Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again_: Shakespeare. From _Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues_: Hitler, Sherlock Holmes, Betsy Ross, Eisenhower, Lincoln, Jefferson and that Roosevelt guy, and George Lincoln Rockwell. From _Talkin’ World War III Blues_: Abraham Lincoln, Adam & Eve. From _Tombstone Blues_: Paul Revere, Belle Starr, Jack the Ripper, John the Baptist, the Commander in Chief, Galileo, Delilah, Cecil B. DeMille, Ma Rainey, and Beethoven. From _You Ain’t Going Nowhere_, Genghis Khan. From _You’re Gonna Make me Lonesome When You Go_: Verlaine and Rimbaud. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/104 "2003-08-05T00:54:17Z")
That reminds me of another Bob Dylan one, **Enginerd**. Queen Mary, from “Just Like a Woman.” ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/105 "2003-08-05T05:53:28Z")
“Californication” by Red Hot Chili Peppers mentions Kurt Cobain. “Aenema” by Tool mentions L. Ron Hubbard and is based on a stand-up routine by Bill Hicks. “Achy Breaky Song” by Weird Al Yankovic mentions Donny and Marie Osmond, Barry Manilow, Vanilla Ice, Debbie Boone, Zamfir, Tiffany, ABBA, Slim Whitman and The Bee Gees to name a few. Weird Al also gave us “Stuck in a Closet With Vanna White,” “Syndicated, Inc.” which mentions Oprah and Regis and Kathie Lee, “Everything You Know is Wrong,” which namedrops Jamie “Klinger” Farr and Colonel Sanders, and “Smells Like Nirvana,” which includes Madonna and Nirvana. ---
**Author:** ![AllShookDown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d9b06d/32.png) [@AllShookDown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AllShookDown)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/106 "2003-08-05T23:08:28Z")
**Winona** (Ryder) - by Matthew Sweet ---
**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:** [August 5, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/107 "2003-08-05T23:23:56Z")
Some from Joni Mitchell: Beethoven - “Judgement of the Moon and Stars (Ludwig’s Tune)” David Geffen - “Free Man in Paris” Amelia Earhart - “Amelia” Furry Lewis - “Furry Sings the Blues” From Tom Petty’s “Jammin’ Me”: Take back Vanessa Redgrave Take back Joe Piscopo Take back Eddie Murphy Give 'em all some place to go Take back your Iranian torture And the apple in young Steve’s eye ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/108 "2003-08-06T01:57:50Z")
A few I haven’t seen mentioned: They Might Be Giants names the dBs and Young Fresh Fellows in “Twisting” (Flood). The Butthole Surfers have a song called “Christina” about Christina Applegate. At the end, it mentions “a girl named Ellen,” which I think is a reference to Ellen DeGeneres. Pavement has a song called “The Unseen Power of the Picket Fence” that’s all about R.E.M. ---
**Author:** ![Rock-n-Rolga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@Rock-n-Rolga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rock-n-Rolga)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/109 "2003-08-06T02:12:43Z")
“Kung Fu” by Ash mentions Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. “29 X The Pain” by the Wildhearts mentions loads of bands who influenced them- Cheap Trick, Ramones, Beatles, KISS, Starz, Pink Floyd, B.O.C., Big Black, Twisted Sister, SLF, The Rolling Stones, Queen (“Sheer Heart Attack”), the Clash (“I hear that London call”), Replacements, Husker Du, Jason and the Scorchers, and the Sex Pistols. The original studio version ends with the line “I’m gonna miss Kurt Cobain” which was replaced with “Where the hell is Ritchie James?” (the missing guitarist for Manic Street Preachers) for subsequent live outings. And would “88 Lines About 44 Women” count? ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/110 "2003-08-06T22:04:00Z")
Here are about 100 new references (some of the celebrities and tunes have been mentioned previously, but not in any of these specific combinations): 1. Ali, Muhammad: “Black Superman”, Johnny Wakelin and the Kinshasa Band. 2. Ali, Muhammad: “Zanzibar”, Billy Joel. 3. Arguello, Alexis: “Boom Boom Mancini”, Warren Zevon. 4. Astaire, Fred: “Long Tall Glasses”, Leo Sayer. 5. Astaire, Fred: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 6. Astor, Mrs.: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 7. Auriemma, Geno: “Nightmare in Knoxville”, Chicken McHead featuring Larry Howse. 8. Austin, Stephen F.: “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”, Bob Hayes. 9. Bacall, Lauren: “Key Largo”, Bertie Higgins. 10. Baer, Max (the boxer) and his mother: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 11. Begin, Menachem: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 12. Berlin, Irving: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 13. B-52’s, The: “It’s Still Billy Joel to Me”, Weird Al Yankovic. 14. Bogart, Humphrey (“Bogie”): “Key Largo”, Bertie Higgins. 15. Bonney, William H. (Billy the Kid): “The Ballad of Billy the Kid”, Billy Joel. 16. Bordoni, Irene: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 17. Botticelli, Sandro: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 18. Capone, Al: “The Night Chicago Died”, Paper Lace. 19. Chacon, Bobby: “Boom Boom Mancini”, Warren Zevon. 20. Chou En-Lai: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 21. Columbus, Christopher: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 22. Coolidge, Calvin: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 23. Cooper, Alice: “It’s Still Billy Joel to Me”, Weird Al Yankovic. 24. Crockett, Davy: “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”, Bob Hayes. 25. Dante (Alighieri): “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 26. Dean, James: “Rock On”, David Essex. 27. Doors, The: “Goodnight Saigon”, Billy Joel. 28. Durante, Jimmy: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 29. Dylan, Bob (“The Jester”): “American Pie”, Don McLean. 30. Edison, Thomas: “Henry’s Made a Lady out of Lizzie”, Walter O’Keefe. 31. Edison, Thomas: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 32. Eichmann, Adolf: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 33. Einstein, Albert: “Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Albert Einstein in America”, Randy Newman. 34. Elizabeth (England’s “new queen”): “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 35. Farouk, King of Egypt: “Ain’t Got You”, Bruce Springsteen. 36. Fleming, Art: “I Lost on Jeopardy”, Weird Al Yankovic. 37. Ford, Henry: “Henry’s Made a Lady out of Lizzie”, Walter O’Keefe. 38. Ford, Henry: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 39. Freud, Sigmund (title only direct reference): “Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Albert Einstein in America”, Randy Newman. 40. Frias, Arturo: “Boom Boom Mancini”, Warren Zevon. 41. Fulton, Robert: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 42. Gandhi, Mohandas (Mahatma): “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 43. Garbo, Greta: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 44. Hershey, Milton Snavely: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 45. Holly, Maria Elena (Buddy’s “widowed bride”): “American Pie”, Don McLean. 46. Hoover, Herbert: “Those Were the Days” (“All in the Family” theme), Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton. 47. Hope, Bob: “Goodnight Saigon”, Billy Joel. 48. Houston, Sam: “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”, Bob Hayes. 49. Jackson, Andrew (General “Andy”): “The Ballad of Davy Crockett”, Bob Hayes. 50. Jackson, Andrew (Colonel): “The Battle of New Orleans”, Johnny Horton. 51. Joel, Billy: “It’s Still Billy Joel to Me”, Weird Al Yankovic. 52. Joplin, Janis (“a girl who sang the blues”): “American Pie”, Don McLean. 53. Keats, John: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 54. Kerouac, Jack: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 55. Kim, Duk Koo: “Boom Boom Mancini”, Warren Zevon. 56. Lawrence, T.E. (Lawrence of Arabia): “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 57. Lee, Bill (title only direct reference): “Bill Lee”, Warren Zevon. 58. Lee, Brenda: “Dream of a Child”, Burton Cummings. 59. Lennon, John: “American Pie”, Don McLean. 60. Liston, Sonny: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 61. Long, Huey (not mentioned by name): “Kingfish”, Randy Newman. 62. Manning, Bishop: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 63. Mantle, Mickey: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 64. Mantle, Mrs. Mickey: “Dream of a Child”, Burton Cummings. 65. Marconi, Guglielmo: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 66. McGraw, “Little Miss” Muffet: “Nightmare in Knoxville”, Chicken McHead featuring Larry Howse. 67. Miller, Glenn: “Reminiscing”, Little River Band. 68. Miller, Glenn: “Those Were the Days” (“All in the Family” theme), Carroll O’Connor and Jean Stapleton. 69. Morissette, Alanis: “My Baby’s In Love With Eddie Vedder”, Weird Al Yankovic. 70. Napoleon (Bonaparte): “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 71. Nathan, (presumably) George Jean: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 72. Nimoy, Leonard: “Albuquerque”, Weird Al Yankovic. 73. O’Neill, Eugene: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 74. Pardo, Don: “I Lost on Jeopardy”, Weird Al Yankovic. 75. Pasternak, Boris: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 76. Patterson, Floyd: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, “Billy Joel. 77. Porter, Cole: “Reminiscing”, Little River Band. 78. Presley, Elvis: “Dream of a Child”, Burton Cummings. 79. Rasputin, Grigori: “Closer to Fine”, Indigo Girls. 80. Rembrandt (van Rijn): “Ain’t Got You”, Bruce Springsteen. 81. Rhee, Syngman: “We Didn’t Start the Fire”, Billy Joel. 82. Richardson, J.P. (The Big Bopper, alluded to): “American Pie”, Don McLean. 83. Ronstadt, Linda: “It’s Still Billy Joel to Me”, Weird Al Yankovic. 84. Rose, Pete: “Zanzibar”, Billy Joel. 85. Shakespeare, William: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 86. Shelley, Percy Bysshe: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 87. Shore, Pauly: “Albuquerque”, Weird Al Yankovic. 88. Sinatra, Frank: “On and On”, Stephen Bishop. 89. Silvester, Victor: “Long Tall Glasses”, Leo Sayer. 90. Strauss, (probably) Richard: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 91. Taurasi, Diana: “Nightmare in Knoxville”, Chicken McHead featuring Larry Howse. 92. Tito (Josip Broz), President of Yugoslavia: “Roll With the Punches”, Burton Cummings. 93. Truman, Harry: “Harry Truman”, Chicago. 94. Valens, Ritchie (alluded to): “American Pie”, Don McLean. 95. Valentino, “Rudy”: “Long Tall Glasses”, Leo Sayer. 96. Vallee, Rudy: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 97. Vedder, Eddie: “My Baby’s In Love With Eddie Vedder”, Weird Al Yankovic. 98. West, Mae: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. 99. Whistler, Anna (mother of painter James Abbott McNeill Whistler): “You’re the Top”. Cole Porter. 100. Whitney, Eli: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 101. Wright, Wilbur and “his brother” Orville: “They All Laughed”, Frank Sinatra. 102. Youmans, Vincent: “You’re the Top”, Cole Porter. ---
**Author:** ![Orange\_Skinner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Orange\_Skinner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orange_Skinner)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/111 "2003-08-07T19:44:54Z")
Woodrow Wilson, in _Veracruz_, by Warren Zevon. ---
**Author:** ![Tanaqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3bc359/32.png) [@Tanaqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanaqui)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/112 "2003-08-07T22:16:53Z")
> [@](#): > > in the ataris “boys of summer” they mention Black Flag Um, isn’t that a cover? The original version says “Deadhead sticker on a cadillac…” It’s by Don Henley, apparently. I’m not sure if that inanity completely cancels out the points the Ataris got for naming a song “San Dimas High School Football Rules” or not. Anyways, if we are including band names too we’d be here all day so I’m pretty sure we’re not. Thursday has a song called “Ian Curtis” about the Joy Division singer who hung himself. He’s also actually mentioned in the song. “We heard Ian Curtis kill himself again in your bed.” NOFX’s Mattersville has the lines “At the end of my cul de sac, Davey Havok’s house is painted black.” They also mention a few other names, but I have no idea who they are, so some other NOFX fan can enlighten us if they like. ---
**Author:** ![rolandgunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/cdc98d/32.png) [@rolandgunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rolandgunslinger)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/113 "2003-08-08T00:02:54Z")
Did’nt read the whole thread so forgive me if this has already been mentioned MOLLY HATCHET- “Gator Country” mentions Lynard Skynard Charlie Daniels Mashall Tucker Elvin Bishop ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/114 "2003-08-08T00:28:08Z")
And don’t forget **Chicago** - from the 10th album, a minor hit called _Harry Truman_. > [@](#): > > America needs you > Harry Truman > Harry could you please come home > Things are looking bad > I know you would be mad > To see what kind of men > Prevail upon the land you love Apologies if it’s been mentioned already. ---
**Author:** ![Extraneous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/0ea827/32.png) [@Extraneous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Extraneous)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2003, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/115 "2003-08-08T01:08:19Z")
“Claude Rains was the invisible man”… “Leo G. Carrol was over a barrel”… “And I really got hot when I saw Janet Scott Fight Triffiids…” **- Science Fiction Double Feature** ---
**Author:** ![OldFogey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a698b9/32.png) [@OldFogey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldFogey)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/116 "2003-09-21T06:14:56Z")
You have to listen carefully to hear the following at the end of Enya’s “Orinoco Flow”: We can steer, we can near with Rob Dickins at the wheel, We can sigh, say goodbye Ross and his dependencies Rob Dickins and a Ross were part of the production team of Enya’s second album. (Sorry, no further details… I think my then-teenaged daughter sold it to a used-record store.) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560/117 "2003-09-23T08:19:27Z")
Haven’t read the whole thing, but here’s a couple from the Dickies(again?) Stuck in a Pagoda with Tricia Toyota (watching Abe Vigoda) Stuck Inside a Condo with Marlon Brando [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-name-other-people/105560.md?page=5)