# Songs whose title is taken from the lyrics, but phrased differently **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 28, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124 "2010-03-28T17:47:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2010, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/21 "2010-03-29T23:25:40Z")
Oh, this has always bothered me - Kansas - “Carry on Wayward Son”. The actual line in the song is always “Carry on **MY** wayward son.” For that matter, they also had a big hit with “Point of Know Return” and, as far as I know, in the song it’s actually the more normal “Point of **NO** return”. ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/22 "2010-03-30T17:17:05Z")
> [@Krokodil](#): > > “God Will” by Lyle Lovett (“God does but I don’t/The Lord will but I won’t/That’s the difference 'tween God and me”). [I beg to differ…](http://www.rhapsody.com/lyle-lovett/anthology-vol-1-cowboy-man/god-will/lyrics.html) ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/23 "2010-03-30T18:31:44Z")
Richard Thompson - “1952 Vincent Black Lightning” In the lyrics it’s a “Vincent Black Lightning, 1952” ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/24 "2010-03-30T19:56:09Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s atheistic holiday carol is called “I Believe in Father Christmas.” But Lake never sings that line in the course of the song. Rather, he sings, “And I believe\*\*d \*\*in Father Christmas. I looked to the sky with excited eyes.” > > Past tense, which makes all the difference. He USED to believe in Santa Claus and in God. Not any more. Hate to tell you but Greg Lake says the song is a rant against the commercialism of Christmas. He is not an atheist, he is quite spiritual, if you read his posts on his website. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/25 "2010-03-30T21:04:48Z")
> [@BwanaBob](#): > > Hate to tell you but Greg Lake says the song is a rant against the commercialism of Christmas. > He is not an atheist, he is quite spiritual, if you read his posts on his website. On the other hand, Greg Lake didn’t write the lyrics, Pete Sinfield did. Personally, I’m Catholic. I’d be HAPPY to think the song wasn’t anti-Christian. But it sure seems that way to me. The song says, “They told me a fairy story til I believed in the Israelite.” Assuming the Israelite is Jesus (a fair assumption, I think), the lyricist is saying that Christianity was a lie he was taught to believe in as a child. Even so, it’s about the ONLY song I liked on “Works Volume 2.” ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/26 "2010-03-31T17:06:00Z")
I believe that they co-wrote the lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2010, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/27 "2010-03-31T18:11:18Z")
Patty Loveless’ “Blame it on Your Heart”. The actual lyrics are “blame it on your lying, cheating, cold deadbeating, two-timing, double dealing, mean mistreating, loving heart.” ---
**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:** [March 31, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/28 "2010-03-31T19:09:25Z")
> [@campp](#): > > Rolling Stones Star Star. That’s not what they sing. Likewise, R. E. M.'s “Star Me Kitten.” That’s not what they sing, either. S’a reference. ---
**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:** [March 31, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/29 "2010-03-31T19:23:39Z")
In “Anna (Go to Him)” by Arthur Alexander and covered by the Beatles, the lyric is “go WITH him.” There was a hilarious episode of **Married with Children** where Al can’t remember the title of the song, and his only recollection of the lyrics is “hmm hmm him.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2010, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124/30 "2010-04-01T03:14:49Z")
Just this afternoon, I heard a song on the radio that fit the topic: Stevie Nicks and Don Henley’s duet, “Leather and Lace,” never uses the phrase “leather and lace.” Rather, he sings “Give to me your leather,” and she sings back, “Take it from my lace.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-whose-title-is-taken-from-the-lyrics-but-phrased-differently/534124.md?page=1)