Songs that mention superheroes (but not theme songs). So far, I have:
-“Jimmy Olsen’s Blues” by Spin Doctors (“I’ve been competing with the Man of Steel”)
-“Kryptonite” by Three Doors Down (“If I go crazy, will you still call me Superman?”)
-“Superman” by Five for Fighting (No need to quote lyrics, as the title is the reference)
I’ve determined that most will be a reference to Superman, but I’m sure there are others. There are also some that I just can’t remember.
“Don’t Mess Around with Jim” - Jim Croce (“You don’t tug on Superman’s cape”)
Bonus for “You don’t pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger”
I always loved that song, mainly because my dad’s name is Jim Walker.
Donovan’s “Sunshine Superman” mentions Superman and Green Lantern.
Robyn Hitchcock: “Superman”
The Kinks: “(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman”
Donovan: “Sunshine Superman” (also mentions Green Lantern)
Ides of March: “Superman” (Notice a pattern emerging here? Not so many songs about Martian Manhunter.)
I posted about the Ides of March song in the recent “One-Hit Wonders…but it’s the wrong hit!” thread:
Springsteen’s “I’m A Rocker” mentions the Batmobile.
Isn’t there also a Crash Test Dummies song about Superman?
–Cliffy
“Superman Can’t Walk” by Good Charlotte
Yes. “Superman’s Song”.
“Sunshine Superman” by Donovan (contains the immortal line "Superman and Green Lantern don’t got nothing on me)
“Pocketful of Kryptonite” by the Spin Doctors
“Superman” by REM
“Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugar Hill Gang (featuring an extended section about Superman and Lois Lane)
“Aquaman” by Skavoovie and the Epitones
“Batman” by Skavoovie and the Epitones (actually a big-band ska cover of Danny Elfman’s orchestral Batman theme, if that counts)
“Captain” by MU330 (a ska-punk epic about Captain America coming out of retirement and getting back into shape to face the Red Skull one last time)
“The Joker” by Steve Miller Band (OK, that’s pushing it)
The band Ookla the Mok has several, including “Secret Origins,” “Arthur Curry” (a song about Aquaman), and “Stop Talking About Comic Books Or I’ll Kill You,” as well as similar fanboy-friendly tunes like “View Master” and “Tiberius Rising” (about Captain James Tiberius Kirk).
XTC also has “Brainiac’s Daughter” and “You’re Really Super, Supergirl.”
Big Bad Voodoo Lou, you remined me that Guns & Roses mention Captain America in “Paradise City.” (“Captain America’s been torn apart”)
Louise Goffin’s "Sometimes A Circle" - “You’ve got spurs on your boots and Spiderman eyes”
Paul McCartney bucks the trend with “Magneto and Titanium Man,” a song about three Marvel super villains (the third is the Crimson Dynamo).
“The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill” – The Beatles (“Then Captain Marvel came and zapped him in the eyes.”)
“Goodbat Nightman” – The Scaffold
There’s some song in the current generation of pop-tarts that mentions something about a wish to be like Supergirl. I think it’s the one with “…catch me right before I hit the ground…” in the chorus.
Do we count the Bat-tusi?
Jessica Simpson sings that song, but I don’t know the name of it.
Barenaked Ladies sang about how they were
That same Barenaked Ladies song, “One Week,” also mentions Aquaman, come to think of it.
The Wu-Tang Clan are all big comic book fans, but I’m afraid I don’t know their stuff well enough to list references in songs. I do know that Method Man also uses the name Johnny Blaze (the original Ghost Rider’s secret identity), and another ex-Wu member has gone by Tony Starks (aka Iron Man in the comics). A more recent underground rapper, D-Bugg, has used the alias Ted Chord, which is a reference to the late Blue Beetle’s secret identity of Ted Kord plus a musical pun. Then there’s MF Doom aka Viktor Vaughn (referencing Dr. Doom) and a former “split personality” of rapper Kool Keith, Dr. Dooooooom (who killed another one of Keith’s personas, Dr. Octagon).
Lois Lane - Uncle Bonsai
If only Lois knew
Clark Kent could see through her dress
She would have flown to his arms
And uncovered his “S”
Land of Confusion – Genesis