# Songs you know by a name other than the REAL title. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 4, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562 "2004-10-04T23:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DirkGntly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DirkGntly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DirkGntly)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/1 "2004-10-04T23:20:35Z")
Another thread inspired me, with its mention of “December 1963” which lots of folks know as “Oh, What a Night” For me, the one that always gets me is “Detroit City” which I always think of as “I Wanna Go Home” So, what songs do YOU know by something different than the “real” title? ---
**Author:** ![DaddyTimesTwo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@DaddyTimesTwo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaddyTimesTwo)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/2 "2004-10-04T23:34:02Z")
The obvious one, which my older brother corrected me on when I was like 13, is “Teenage Wasteland”, actually titled “Baba O’Riley” or some such. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/3 "2004-10-04T23:55:41Z")
“Baba O’Riley” is indeed the Who song more commonly known as “Teenage Wasteland” to the uninitiated. Another obvious one is Gary Glitter’s “Rock and Roll Pt. 2”, more commonly known as . . . um, the “Hey” song. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Niceguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mr.Niceguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Niceguy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/4 "2004-10-05T00:04:57Z")
“Good Riddance” is rarely refered to by it’s proper title. ---
**Author:** ![Ephemera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8baadc/32.png) [@Ephemera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ephemera)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/5 "2004-10-05T00:07:51Z")
Like right now, for instance. It’s _Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)_ ---
**Author:** ![Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9dc877/32.png) [@Nightwatch\_Trailer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightwatch_Trailer)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/6 "2004-10-05T00:31:50Z")
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ “The Impression That I Get” is often called “Knock On Wood.” “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield has a couple of “alternate” names - “Something’s Happening Here” and “Stop, Children, What’s That Sound.” ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/7 "2004-10-05T03:24:53Z")
Lots of people refer to “A Bicycle Built for Two” as “Daisy” (even HAL got it wrong), or “One for My Baby” as “Set 'Em Up Joe” (can’t blame anyone there; “Set 'Em Up Joe” is a better title). ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/8 "2004-10-05T03:33:56Z")
Most people incorrectly call _The 59th Street Bridge Song_ “Feelin’ Groovy”. StG ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/9 "2004-10-05T03:36:07Z")
David Alan Coe’s _You Never Even Call Me By My Name_ is often referred to as _You Don’t Have To Call Me Darlin’_. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/10 "2004-10-05T03:49:58Z")
“Song 2” by Blur is usually called the “woo-hoo” song. ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/11 "2004-10-05T04:00:11Z")
A lot of people refer to “The Christmas Song” as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/12 "2004-10-05T04:11:53Z")
“The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” is know as “The Day the Squirrel Went to Chruch” even though the line is “The day the squirrel went berserk in the First Self Rightcheous Church.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/13 "2004-10-05T04:26:00Z")
Well, I think most people refer to CCR’s “Proud Mary” as “Rolling on the River.” ---
**Author:** ![Tracy\_Lord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@Tracy\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tracy_Lord)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/14 "2004-10-05T05:09:01Z")
“The Wreck of the John B” is often referred to as “Sloop John B” – in fact, I think the latter is how the Beach Boys have it in their track listings. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Niceguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mr.Niceguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Niceguy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/15 "2004-10-05T05:19:40Z")
“Danny’s Song” is rarely titled correctly. “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” is sometimes called “Last Dance With Mary Jane”. ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/16 "2004-10-05T05:33:43Z")
> [@masonite](#): > > A lot of people refer to “The Christmas Song” as “Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.” I thought that was “Chet’s Nuts” that were roasting. No? 😉 And I came in to say Teenage Wasteland, but had been defeated soundly and quickly. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/17 "2004-10-05T05:35:23Z")
> [@DaddyTimesTwo](#): > > The obvious one, which my older brother corrected me on when I was like 13, is “Teenage Wasteland”, actually titled “Baba O’Riley” or some such. CSI: Miami? :eek: 😃 ---
**Author:** ![LifeOnWry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@LifeOnWry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LifeOnWry)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/18 "2004-10-05T05:41:25Z")
> [@hlanelee](#): > > “The Mississippi Squirrel Revival” is know as “The Day the Squirrel Went to Chruch” even though the line is “The day the squirrel went berserk in the First Self Rightcheous Church.” Actually, that line is “the day the squirrel went berserk in the First South Baptist Church.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Niceguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mr.Niceguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Niceguy)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/19 "2004-10-05T05:53:07Z")
> [@LifeOnWry](#): > > Actually, that line is “the day the squirrel went berserk in the First South Baptist Church.” No. It is “The First Self Righteous Church”. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2004, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562/20 "2004-10-05T11:26:47Z")
Boy, my spelling was eally bad last night. I am ashamed. ☹☹☹ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-know-by-a-name-other-than-the-real-title/267562.md?page=2)