Songs named after or containing lyrics about old movie stars? (1 Viewer)

[Eric Peterson]

I'm a huge classic movie buff and have decided to put together a collection of songs named after or containing lyrics about old movies, movie stars, or movie characters. I'm sure that I already have numerous songs in my library, and am interested in purchasing others. Here's a brief list of titles that I've come up with, but would appreciate your help.

• Bette Davis Eyes - Kim Carnes
• Vogue - Madonna
• Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus
• Carlotta Valdez - Harvey Danger (Named after a character in Vertigo)
• Clark Gable - The Postal Service

 

[Peter Apruzzese]

Celluloid Heroes - The Kinks (mentions Garbo, Valentino, Lugosi, Bette Davis, George Sanders, Mickey Rooney and Marilyn Monroe)

 

[Mark Pfeiffer]

I pulled a bunch of songs with real names as the titles for a mix CD, so here are a few others:

Robbie Fulks "Jean Arthur"
Matthew Sweet "Winona" (his love song to Winona Ryder)
Gorillaz "Clint Eastwood"
Sheryl Crow "Steve McQueen"
Lambchop "Steve McQueen"
Billy Bragg & Wilco "Ingrid Bergman"
Yo La Tengo "Tom Courtenay"

Of course, there's also Sonic Youth's "Mildred Pierce".

 

[Walter Kittel]

From Blue Oyster Cult's Fire of Unknown Origin "Joan Crawford"

- Walter.

 

[Andrew Chong]

"Key Largo" (makes mention of Bogey) don't know who wrote or sang it, sorry.

 

[MatthewA]

"Everything Old is New Again" (Peter Allen) mentions Greta Garbo.

The Cole Porter standard "You're the Top" mentions Mickey Mouse and Jimmy Durante.

And of course from "Grease", there's "Look at Me, I'm Sandra Dee" which also mentions Doris Day, Rock Hudson, Annette Funicello, Troy Donahue, and Elvis Presley.

The original film version of "Annie" has the song "Let's Go to the Movies," mentioning Bette Davis, Greta Garbo, Robert Taylor, the Marx Brothers, Shirley Temple, and Jackie Cooper.

In Disney's "The Happiest Millionaire," a song called "Bye-Yum-Pum-Pum" mentions Theda Bara.

The Drifters had a song called "Saturday Night at the Movies," but I don't remember the words or if it mentioned anyone, but it would set the mood well.

I can't remember any others.

 

[Pamela]

Stevie Nicks-Garbo
The Eagles-James Dean

 

[gregD]

Friends of Mr Cairo -- Jon and Vangelis

 

[Jeremy Stockwell]

Seems like there are several mentioned in Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start The Fire."

Doris Day
Marlon Brando
James Dean
...possibly others.

Also Elton John's "Candle In The Wind" - Marilyn Monroe

JKS

 

[Brad Porter]

While I prefer the version from Young Frankenstein over any other, every version of "Puttin on the Ritz" mentions Gary Cooper.

Jimmy Buffett's "Pencil Thin Moustache" references "a two toned Ricky Ricardo jacket and an autographed picture of Andy Devine". Errol Flynn gets mentioned in there too.

Brad

 

[Eric Peterson]

Great stuff so far guys. I only recognize a handfull of those.

 

[Jay Gregory]

Roxy Music's "2HB" is a lyric about old movie characters (or stars, arguably, acknowledging the title.)

 

[Paul Jannatpour]

Although it doesn't mention him by his full name, REM's "Monty Got A Raw Deal" is about Montgomery Clift.

 

[Tommy G]

There's also "Bette Davis Eyes" by Kim Carnes. Bertie Higgins was the one who did "Key Largo".

 

[Rob Gardiner]

"My Name Is Jack" - Manfred Mann (covered by Pizzicato Five) mentions Jack Dempsey and Greta Garbo

"This Is Hell" - Elvis Costello and the Attractions contains the line "My Favorite Things is playing on the radio again, but it's by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane"

 

[John Watson]

I started a thread here a year or more ago on this subject. Damned if I can find it now tho

But it sure had "Movies is Magic" by Brian Wilson, and "the Film of My Love" by 10cc from their album The Original Soundtrack.

"Rock on" by David Essex is another that refers to James Dean. I'd also call "Candle in the Wind" by Elton John, a film-referencing song.

Taco has a great song about Valentino on the "After 8" album.

Quite a few Bowie songs have film references.

Several posters back then were quite keen on "Dinner and a Movie" by Phish, but I've never heard it myself.

Good luck, I'd love to hear your final tracklist.

 

[Tony-B]

Slipknot's song Eyeless has a line that goes "You can't see California without Marlon Brando's eyes." That might count.

I don't know if this will work, but the band Bury Your Dead recently released an album called "Cover Your Tracks" and the tracklist is...

1. Top Gun
2. Vanilla Sky
3. Mission: Impossible
4. Eyes Wide Shut
5. Magnolia
6. The Outsiders
7. Mission: Impossible 2
8. The Color Of Money
9. Risky Business
10. Legend
11. All The Right Moves
12. Losin' It

Notice a pattern here?

 

[Danny Tse]

Ahem....no one mentioned "The Curly Shuffle" (Hey Moe! Hey Moe!)

While he may not be considered "old", but Bananarama did a song called "Robert DeNiro's Waiting".

But my personal favorite movie actor song has to be "David Duchovny" by Bree Sharp. Check out these lyrics...

 

[Tony-B]

Oh yeah, I thought of another song for you.

Beastie Boys - High Plains Drifter

It references:
High Plains Drifter (A movie with Clint Eastwood)
Travis Bickle (Robert DeNiro's character in the movie Taxi Driver)
Steve McQueen
Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (Movie starring Peter Fonda)
Dirty Harry (Movie starring Clint Eastwood)

 

[Jay Gregory]

Another Montgomery Clift song: the Clash's "The Right Profile"