What about people who reference Authors in songs? Then we could include Tori Amos.
And other artists...? "Vincent" by Don MacLean
Several Metallica songs reference H.P. Lovecraft, especially "The Thing that Should Not Be"
Many songs reference comic book literature, from Donovan's "Sunshine Superman" to Five for Fighting's version, to songs about Wolverine, Spiderman, and Judge Dredd (He is the Law -- Anthrax)
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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The other day I was attempting to count how many well-known songs from recent years reference Superman. It's become quite common lately. Crash Test Dummies, REM, Three Doors Down, Five for Fighting...
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
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And, while we're sliding into pop culture, there's always Semisonic's rather deft allusion to "Spock's Brain" from three years back or so.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
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Not including 'novelty songs' (Star Trekkin')
There was another Star Trek reference in a song I heard a couple times, tho I can't remember who it was by: "Pure Energy." It was a sample of Nimoy saying 'Pure energy' from the Organian episode.
There's a line: "everyone's a Captain Kirk" in "99 Red Balloons"
"T'Pau," of course, was an 80's band.
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Please tell me everyone here is familiar with Star Pilot on Channel K (S.P.O.C.K for short).. convention band made good, sold CDs..
'Never Trust a Klingon' is a great song.. so is 'Mr. Spock's Brain'
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Interesting that you raise that, First... because in at least the version of 99 Red Balloons I have, the refrain that's meant to contain the Captain Kirk reference is substituted for the German one.
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
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-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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The version I've got my hands on is a cover by Goldfinger, which follows Nena's English version, but throws in a German verse from the original in place of the Captain Kirk verse. http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/goldfinger/99redballoons.html
[ March 18, 2002, 17:50: Message edited by: The_Tom ]
-------------------- "I was surprised by the matter-of-factness of Kafka's narration, and the subtle humor present as a result." (Sizer 2005)
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German:
quote:Nena -- 99 Luftballons lyrics: (Words by Carlo Karges/Music by J. U. Fahrenkrog-Petersen)
Hast du etwas Zeit fuer mich Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer dich Von 99 Luftballons Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont Denkst du vielleicht g'rad an mich Dann singe ich ein Lied fuer dich Von 99 Luftballons Und dass sowas von sowas kommt
99 Luftballons Auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont Hielt man fuer Ufos aus dem All Darum schickte ein General 'ne Fliegerstaffel hinterher Alarm zu geben, wenn's (sie?) war Dabei war'n da am Horizont Nur 99 Luftballons
99 Duesenjager Jeder war ein grosser Krieger Hielten sich fuer Captain Kirk Das gab ein grosses Feuerwerk Die Nachbarn haben nichts gerafft Und fuehlten sich gleich angemacht Dabei schoss man am Horizont Auf 99 Luftballons
99 Kriegsminister Streichholz und Benzinkanister Hielten sich fuer schlaue Leute Witterten schon fette Beute Riefen: Kring und wollten Macht Mann, wer hatte das gedacht Dass es einmal soweit kommt Wegen 99 Luftballons
99 Jahre Krieg Liessen keine Platz fuer Sieger Kriegsminister gibt's nicht mehr Und auch keine Duesenflieger Heute zieh ich meine Runden Seh' die Welt in Truemmern liegen Hab' 'nen Luftballon gefunden Denk' an dich und lass' ihn fliegen
English:
quote:Nena -- 99 Red Balloons lyrics: You and I in a little toy shop buy a bag of balloons with the money we've got Set them free at the break of dawn 'Til one by one, they were gone Back at base, bugs in the software Flash the message, "Something's out there" Floating in the summer sky 99 red balloons go by.
99 red balloons floating in the summer sky Panic bells, it's red alert There's something here from somewhere else The war machine springs to life Opens up one eager eye Focusing it on the sky Where 99 red balloons go by.
99 Decision Street, 99 ministers meet To worry, worry, super-scurry Call the troops out in a hurry This is what we've waited for This is it boys, this is war The president is on the line As 99 red balloons go by.
99 Knights of the air ride super-high-tech jet fighters Everyone's a Silverhero Everyone's a Captain Kirk With orders to identify To clarify and classify Scramble in the summer sky As 99 red balloons go by.
As 99 red balloons go by.
99 dreams I have had In every one a red balloon It's all over and I'm standin' pretty In this dust that was a city If I could find a souvenier Just to prove the world was here... And here is a red balloon I think of you and let it go.
And since I'm bored here's 'Never Trust a Klingon' by S.P.O.C.K:
quote:The Klingon bastards fly around always ready for some war They don't care about any rules at all as long as they can kill some more Evil barbarians without discipline unpredictable death machine
With their cloaking device they remain invisible until the time has come to appear right ahead of us and obliterate everyone If you ever would give them a helping hand you can be sure they'll chop off the arm
Chorus: Never, ever, never trust a Klingon you will always regret it Never, ever, never trust a Klingon you will never forget it
posted
Just so no-one gets confused, whoever "translated" it made up the "red" part. "Luftballoon" just means "balloon" (literally "air-balloon"). "Red balloon" would be "rot Luftballoon".
Actually, I guess it was probably the original group that did the English version, too, eh? So they'd be allowed to make it up. But still, just so there's no confusion... :-)
[ March 19, 2002, 00:29: Message edited by: TSN ]
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There's a song by The Divine Comedy (from Northern Ireland) called "The Booklovers". He lists various authors and comments on each. Lyrics of the song are here.
-------------------- "Out of doubt, out of dark to the day's rising I came singing in the sun, sword unsheathing. To hope's end I rode and to heart's breaking: Now for wrath, now for ruin and a red nightfall!"
The Battle of the Pelennor Fields.
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What about people who reference Authors in songs? Then we could include Tori Amos.
Ohh - cool! Similar faves! I *ADORE* Ms. Amos!
Yeah - Tori's always slipping in a Neil (Gaiman) reference.
On Star Trek in Songs - 'thread':
I remember there was some 'popular song' a few years ago which had the lyrics that went something like "Like Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the United Federation of Planets"...
And one night on JJJ (A 'youth' national radiostation) here in Australia on Saturday nights they have 'mix-up' - basically DJ's play their stuff... and someone sampled Picard saying from Unification "Let me go and remove my ears"! LOL! Out of context, it's quite funny (of course he's talking about the Romulan prostheses).
Andrew
-------------------- "Bears. Beets. Battlestar Galactica." - Jim Halpert. (The Office)
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I KNOW that song! (Although I don't know its title, I think it's either "stupid people" or "mission at midnight":
"Show your ID card to the border guard, and your alias says you're Captain Jean-Luc Picard Of the United Federation of Planets, 'Cause he won't speak english anyway...
Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people, So meet me at the mission at midnight, we'll divvy up there, Everybody knows that the world is full of stupid people, But I've got the pistols, so I'll keep the pesos... Yeah, that seems fair."
-------------------- "The best defense is not a good offense. The best defense is a terrifyingly accurate and devastatingly powerful offense, with multiply-overlapping kill zones and time-on-target artillery strikes." -- Laurence, Archangel of the Sword
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