Rosa 'Madame Pierre Ogier'
Hi everybody! I thought there was a queue for the next Challenge, but nothing’s appeared. So…I’ve been thinking about the marketing of music, and specifically about those songs where the name of the song doesn’t appear in the lyrics of the song. And it struck me that this is really not sensible in terms of marketing a song – what about the times when you’re in the record shop and you just can’t remember the name of the snigle you want? You’ve been singing it ever since you heard it on the radio, and so you try singing it to the person behind the counter in case they happen to know the name…And it can potentially get very embarrassing. (Less so, of course, with album tracks. But they do count for this challenge – it doesn’t have to be a snigle. It does have to have words though. Obviously.) There’s no point looking for it on iTunes or Spotify either, because you’ll never find it.
So for this week’s challenge I’m asking for songs where that is the case. And I don’t mean songs where the name’s in the lyrics but the words are in a different order. For instance, the phrase Mary Jane’s Last Dance doesn’t occur in the song of that name – but “Last dance with Mary Jane” does. That does NOT count.
For a reason that may already be apparent, we’re going to stick strictly to the rule about each artist/band only appearing once in the blog this week. (Otherwise, someone whose singing several of you don’t like at all is going to be taking up far too much space.) And as a supplementary challenge I’m asking: why? Why did they call it that?
Why? Well, apparently Stephen Stills said to someone “I have this song here, for what it’s worth, if you want it.” It was originally recorded by Stills’ then band, Buffalo Springfield, and is often taken as an anti-war song, though it was actually written about a street demo in LA protesting about a proposed curfew. (I like the TP&TH version a lot too.) I was going to post the Muppets’ take on it but couldn’t resist Neil’s sideburns.
For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield
First to spring to mind is the Grateful Dead‘s Estimated Prophet. Describing the kind of deadhead that twirls around at the back of a concert, believing he’s on some kind of religious trip, rather than just off his face. It’s a cute pun, too and one of Bobby’s best songs.
The first side of Anthem Of The Sun is made up of songs that qualify, from That’s It For The Other One (named to distinguish it from the song they were primarily working on in the studio at the time) and Cryptical Envelopment (being some cryptic lyrics wrapped around The Other One), through New Potato Caboose (there was already a song called Potato Caboose, although the Dead’s effort has no references to vegetables or rolling stock) to Born Cross-Eyed (an oblique look at Bob Weir’s own condition). The three other subtitles of the first track – Quadlibet For Tender Feet, The Faster We Go, The Rounder We Get and We Leave The Castle – were made up to increase the number of songs on which royalties could be paid.
Ooh, it has to be this one;
Incidentally, I am not Anonymous, I am Carole Bristol.
Not sure why it won’t let me logon.
dond!
I think In Between Days by the Cure doesn’t mention the title. My children used to call it “the go on song”, when they were little. I won’t post a link as I’m sure everyone has been forced to hear it at one point or another.
Oh no, they haven’t…
…and anyway, I’m disqualifying you because the lyrics mention ‘in between’, ‘yesterday’ and ‘today.’
Please have another go!
Well it doesn’t actually mention the title, but I’m happy to have another go. Here is Tool with Parabola, which doesn’t mention anything. It starts slowly and takes a while to get where it’s going, but it’s worth the wait. I haven’t seen the video to the end, hope it’s suitable
Here’s a Cure hit that does fit the rubric
donded.
Conway Twitty – Don’t Cry Joni (1976)
A #1 C&W hit duet with his real-life daughter Joni (who was a teenager at the time). “Joni, please don’t cry” is the closest the title came to appearing in the lyrics.
IIRC Joni Lee never recorded anything else and this may have just been youthful ambition or just a favour for dad. She had a sweet, if unpolished, voice.
At over four minutes this was unusually long for a C&W song of its era when most songs were still clocking in at under three minutes.
Now, sweethomealabama, did you read the rubric? The words ‘Joni’, ‘don’t’ and ‘cry’ are included, by your own admission!
Another one, please.
Sorry, not quite myself without a little caffeine in the AM.
How about a song that was played at virtually every mid-’70s American wedding AND (somewhat more appropriately in an odd sort of way) song from the terraces at Sheffield United.
This is really weird. I am logged in to my own WordPress blog, but I can’t logon to The ‘Spill with the same account. I have logged on using Facebook, just to see if I can.
Weird, all right…thanks for posting Black Dog, which I’ve heard loads of times without realising what it was called!
Weird, I am now logged on OK again.
The Electric Prunes “Great banana hoax”.
The “hoax” being that the song isn’t about bananas or hoaxes at all !
Ha !
Uncannily, bearing in mind CaroleBristol’s choice, this was the song I thought of
The Damned – The Dog
Nothing whatsoever to do with dogs, in fact a gothic ballad about Anne Rice’s Interview With A Vampire (this would be a Dave Vanian song then). The story is that they ended up with a dog in the studio, so recorded it growling a slowed it down and stuck it on the end of the track and decided to call it The Dog instead of something that made more sense such as Claudia.
Haven’t listened to it for years so thanks for unintentionally prompting me.
The Damned should redo this with a more emo-feel and rename it something like The Angst Of The Teenage Vampire, and watch the money roll in. Remember it was my idea, Vanian.
great idea, and make a video featuring Robert Pattison and have a surge in back ctatlogue sales, they deserve it.
Banner topic for Nirvana!
Just realized i forgot the descriptions. The sentiments in Smells Like Teen Spirit should be familiar to anyone who has ever been or had a teen. Lithium is used as a drug for mood disorders, usually Bipolar i think. The song seems to describe a mood disordered experience. (despite probable suspicions to the contrary, i do not have this as far as i’m aware. So i can’t really vouch for the authenticity.)
Just to add I think the title was taken from an advert for deoderant which makes it even better as a teen angst anthem! Funnily enough it hadn’t really occured to me that the title didn’t appear, it’s almost so well known that you don’t notice.
Ha, right you are, i had absolutely no idea! As i was around 30 then, i guess I wasn’t in their target demographic!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teen_Spirit_%28deodorant%29
Glory Box by Portishead
Having googled ‘glory box’ I’d say the title relates to finding a lifelong partner. Although she doesn’t sound particularly thrilled at the prospect…
not sure why I never bothered to google it before
Perhaps it’s a cross between a glory hole and a toolie box…
How odd. I had just been thinking that this would make a good topic on the Mothership! I nominate, ooh, just about any New Order song ever. How about “Temptation”, which is rather lovely:
Oh, and why did they call it that?
“I’ve never met anyone quite like you before”… Well, you would be tempted, wouldn’t you? Just don’t ask me about “Bizarre Love Triangle”…
Just part of New Order’s “enigma” in the early days wasn’t it? I mean, who needs the band name/record title on the sleeve? This is a great song, probably their best, though I like Heaven 17′s Temptation even better – that feature’s the title quite a lot though.
I think they took Bizarre Love Triangle from a tabloid headline.
Heaven 17′s “Temptation” is GENIUS.
Well, that video’s rubbish. Maybe this one’s better:
I deffo want the Substance version of the song.
Should we assume that Dylan songs don’t count?
n.b. These aren’t my nominations but I’ve always liked songs which don’t quite mention the title. How I wrote Elastic Man or I Remember Yesterday for example.
See – my first thought about this was Radiohead (there’s many) – vocals I just can’t get on with.
No. Read the rubric.
We could be buried under an avalanche of Dylan nominations!
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
Rainy Day Women No’s 12 & 35
Fourth Time Around
From a Buick Six
Bob Dylans’s Blues
Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream
I’ll get me coat………….
severin. Please read the rubric.
I wasn’t nominating them! Just an observation about Robert’s mid-sixties propensity for naming his songs with no regard whatsoever for their content.
other thoughts would be Bright Eyes – (about 20 spring to mind straight away – but I would have to listen to make sure)
So I’m going with my _ but I’m sure he say ‘Babies’.. no he doesn’t he says children..
Pulp – Babies.
“I only went with her because she looked like you”
I was going to be a smart-arse and nominate an instrumental, but I’ll settle for his Bob-ness.
& they liked this “relationship” metaphor so much, it’s also the name of the album. Those shallows are deep.
Another Percy number that would appear to fit the bill. He’s in proper “I’m not in Zeppelin” mode here in the TOTP studio, wearing what could only be described as an aubergine jumpsuit while sucking a boiled sweet.
Ali here. I’m having similar problems to Carole B – plus I keep losing the connection so this is a quickie – Journey, by Duncan Browne, doesn’t mention the word in the lyrics but talks about a kind of spiritual journey to leave all the baggage behind and start again – sounds like a plan:
Modest Mouse have loads of options & this one seems to drill deep into the title wothout mentioning it.
She’s the only rocketeer in the whole damn place
They gave her a mirror so she could talk to a face
OK – Mitch has gone for Dylan so I’ll nominate Sakura’s favourites, The Band.
It’s not a load, it’s “The Weight”.
and here’s Cassandra….
I bags another go.
This one was written by Johnny Otis as a (sort of) cleaned up version of Hank Ballard’s “Annie” series of songs. The chap is Richard Berry, the composer of “Louie Louie”. I do not know why it was titled “The Wallflower”, but it’s great
I think it was re-titled “The Wallflower” by a worried record company.
Etta isn’t doing well
http://www.thesundaily.my/news/252095
Yeah, I know. I posted the sad fact about her terminal illness on my Facebook page
Inexplicably missed off my Festive ‘Spill last year -came in 4th by the merest of threads – Emma Pollock ‘The Loop’
I’m not 100% sure this is a valid choice because you could argue the protagonist is stuck in a loop – but the words ‘the loop’ do not appear anywhere in the lyrics, and this is just too gorgeous not to share!
How many Smashing Pumpkins tunes. Spoiled for choice.
I have no idea what the title of this one has to do with the song.
The Sexual Loneliness of Jesus Christ – Jackie Leven
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCBGZFYm1U8&w=420&h=315%5D
No need for brackets, etc Chinny – you can just post the url from your browser in as is.
Uff…. erm… sorry about that… sheesh… I’ve either forgotten or never known how to embed youtube vids on here…. I was supposed to be having an RR hols hiatus… but tfd’s challenge was a little irresistable… so I was trying to suggest Samarithan – one of my favourite Doom Metal songs from my favourite Doom Metal band Candlemass. Although the word doesn’t appear in the lyrics at all, the narrative is, quite clearly, vaguely reminiscent of everybody’s favourite Biblical parable and so the title is hardly opaque or baffling like some already mentioned. (Dondage for all the Heavy Metal tracks mentioned so far – Glory Box, Black Dog, Siva, Bullet With Butterfly Wings, Smells Like Teen Spirit and Lithium. Oh, and for Lullaby. The Cure are practically Gothic AOR Metal anyway!)
Cheers amy…! Gosh… lovely to see you after such a long time! Erm… are you still an RRer?!
In theory. In actuality, depends where i am when it starts up again. I have a hard time keeping up with it these days.
Thanks for the donds!
Yes… I know…. I am going to be similarly uber-busy in the new year… but I will try and make some time for it when I can.
I hope you can too. Your absence was very much noted and very much lamented recently. Not least by me.
Others seem to be holding the fort with the Stones noms without me. I just noticed the other day that the Llama got No Expectations zedded, very well done!
Excuse my schadenfreude amy, but your Yuletide encounter with the Witnesses made me very smiley!!
Are you saying that i deserved that????
Heehee… you probably did in a karmic sense!! And you’ve gotta admire the dedication of the Witnesses in question! I can imagine their bemusement in the face of your wrath!!
(While noshing on some quite tasty leftover sweet corn stuffing my neighbour brought over: “You want some of this before I throw it away?” When did I become the human trash can?!)
The JW’s always seem to make the rounds on Christmas day. Supposedly its because they’re more likely to make inroads with someone they find having a miserable unhappy Christmas.
Speaking of unhappy Christmases and song titles not mentioned in the lyrics:
Merry Christmas, your arse
I pray God its our last.
Chinny -
They didn’t get my wrath (it was Christmas, after all) but they did get a few stone faced “No, thank you.”s. My mother said she hoped i didn’t swear at them. I didn’t, of course, i’m not quite that much of an ass. At least the few 6-packs of beer gifties i had cooling on my porch were still there after they left.
SHA -
I so love that song. (i hope tfd doesn’t disqualify it because NY is mentioned).
From the JW’s pov, i probably did look like a saddo in my holey sweatpants, cigarette, and six-packs on the back porch.
I always find playing Sympathy for the Devil works wonders then asking if the title appears in the song…… !
Liabach (Who Killed the Kennedys Mix)
Well, “sympathy” is in there anyway. At least in the Stones’.
No more disqualifying – I feel really mean now.
I don’t think Jehovah’s Witnesses celebrate Christmas themselves, do they? So they need something else to do.
Yeah, like intrude on / spoil everyone else’s.
Re: JW’s at Christmas
They don’t celebrate any holidays as they find them unscriptural and pagan inventions.
This belief is not unique to JWs as some fundamentalists (which is a different species than evangelicals, or the Religious Right) hold the same belief. My mother for instance, while never a JW, eventually came to an acceptance of Christmas because my father and us kids celebrated it, but she still abstains from voting or jury duty. She has never worn makeup either, but now that’s mostly because she’s 75 and widowed and to quote: “No one would recognize me if I started now.” (My sister was permitted to wear it.)
So I’m more forgiving of their occasional door-knocking since some of their beliefs lived close to home. And today, anyone willing to approach a total stranger, rather than cold-call, robodial, or junk mail deserves maybe just a little credit.
And there was this cute JW girl I had a real crush on in high school…but that’s another story.
Lets see song titles not mentioned in the lyrics…Has anyone mentioned:
“Have some sympathy, and some taste”
…you are not going to guess the title from that are you – and not a single mention of Devil… so if TFD was going to disqualify it – I’d argue “where the name’s in the lyrics but the words are in a different order” is no-where to be seen. hooray.
Whenever Jehovah’s Witnesses call at my door, I usually whip out a copy of Socialist Worker and say “I’ll read yours, if you read mine”. That generally gets rid of them.
I’ve been told that answering the door nonchalantly in the nude and inviting them in works wonders too.
Both good ideas! If they had come 15 minutes later, they would have caught me nearly naked (or in a bathrobe anyway) i was just getting ready to get in the shower. Then they might have gotten full on wrath.
SHA, i’m in the northeast. We’re a bit chillier, like our privacy, and are not famed for our hospitality!
Best JW scene EVER! (Black Books, Series One)
Thanks, Debby, but annoyingly, Channel 4 have blocked viewing this clip in the UK. I can imagine, though (unless the Channel 4 thought police are still active)
Debby -
Well and truly donded! I have to admit that if it was Michael Jackson who showed up at my door, he might have been invited in for a cup of tea.
Sadly, trying to convert Jehovah’s Witnesses to atheism doesn’t work. They generally seem to enjoy the debate. Mind you, so did I, when I had the time. They had no convincing arguments, mind.
@Zalamanda. I’m not actually an atheist. I don’t know, so admit to being agnostic. Years ago, they turned up when I was loading up to go on a gig and I said I didn’t have time to talk. Two weeks later they sent round Licorice Locking who had recently left The Shadows to go full time into religion. I thought that was a smart move on their part!
My apologies if I inadvertently implied that you were atheist, Mitch. Jehovah’s Winesses tend to start with the assumption that the person they are talking to does believe in some sort of deity, but they often rise well to the challenge. Personally, I find it difficult to believe in anything supernatural, and so I describe myself as atheist. I’m scarcely militant about it, though; belief is a very personal thing and, I suspect, inherently illogical – which is not intended as a slight.
Got son and daughter with us over the holls so can only pop in from time to time. First thoughts were loads of Floyd songs : “Time”, Brain Damage”, The Happiest Days of Our Lives” etc, etc.
But this one stands out as it should be the title track of the album.
(The words of the album title are in the lyrics but the title is different).
Snow Patrol………..”Chocolate” with lyrics.
here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XglYHF-EnxQ&feature=related
Don’t think we’ve had this one yet, have we?
Why? No idea. Oh well. Fleetwood Mac
This is a song that would have worked just as well as an instrumental. A mighty piece of music.
A bit late (no surprises there!) – I’ve been mostly visiting relatives over the Christmas period, and I generally avoid Internet use while at someone else’s house – but I think this is a genius topic, even though I couldn’t (initially) think of a song.
I’m not sure if this fits the rubric as snugly as I’d like, but that woman’s name isn’t mentioned in the lyrics, even if the boatyard is…
All About Eve, “Martha’s Harbour”
The first line is “I sit by the harbour”, but who the Dickens is Martha? She doesn’t appear in the lyrics at all. And the song isn’t really about the harbour, either.