[Music] Knowledge you've acquired through songs or band names.

[marlowe]

This thread is about things, events and people you first learned about through a song or a band name. Specifically things which you were previously unaware of.

It's NOT a thread just about famous events and people which you already knew about.

I'll start with the life imprisonment of the anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. (I wonder whatever happened to him? )

The song which first brought Mandela to my attention was "Free Nelson Mandela" by The Special AKA....

 

[AmexRuislip]

Always a big Luther Vandross fan, but never knew that he was a backing singer for Bowie and Chaka Khan.

 

[marlowe]

I learnt about the executed murderer Gary Glimore who donated his eyes to science through this song by The Adverts....

 

[The Mole]

I remember him getting seven wickets in the semi final against England in the inaugural world cup

 

[marlowe]

I wasn't aware of the name of the aeroplane which dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima until I heard this song by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark...

 

[marlowe]

I remember him getting seven wickets in the semi final against England in the inaugural world cup

Presumably that was before he went on his murder spree?

 

[Taybha]

Used to sing along without really understanding what it was about,running up that hill by Kate Bush,it was only when Korn did a remake I actually realised what the song was actually about.
Sorry Kate I just thought it was a catchy tune,my bad.

 

[AmexRuislip]

The song Bra, by Cymande has been sampled by the likes of De La Sol, Sugarhill Gang,
Def Jef and Gang Starr.

 

[Weststander]

About an early US school shooting. As a kid in the UK, it was an insight into American extremes.

 

[Randy McNob]

I learned that a knife is all that's required as opposed to 10,000 spoons

 

[marlowe]

I learnt quite a lot about events concerning the American Civil Rights Movement through the songs of Bob Dylan. One was the abduction and lynching of 14 year old Emmett Till after he allegedly flirted with a white woman in a store...

"The Death of Emmett Till" : Bob Dylan

 

[Pevenseagull]

Somehow I got into my 50s before learning who Jack Parsons was.

Introduced to his story by the Luke Haines and Peter Buck song.

Song Of The Day: Luke Haines & Peter Buck, “Jack Parsons”

The Song Of The Day for Wednesday, January 29th, is “Jack Parsons” by Luke Haines & Peter Buck, taken from the Omnivore/Cherry Red release, Beat Poetry For Survivalists.

therecoup.com

Fascinating chap

Jack Parsons - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Weststander]

I learnt quite a lot about events concerning the American Civil Rights Movement through the songs of Bob Dylan. One was the abduction and lynching of 14 year old Emmett Till after he allegedly flirted with a white woman in a store...

"The Death of Emmett Till" : Bob Dylan

I know that story and some very similar. Shocking.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

How Trotsky died.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The story of Rubin Carter.

 

[GT49er]

I know that story and some very similar. Shocking.

Mainly through Bob Dylan - Medgar Evers, George Jackson, Hattie Carroll, probably more.

 

[The Rattler]

Chas and Dave taught me the order of the colours in snooker

 

[BrightonCottager]

I learnt about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre from The Ramones.

 

[zefarelly]

ONe step beyond - Madness , was my first education, the album covered a lot for a ten year old.

And the 'work rest and play' ep.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I learnt about the Texas Chainsaw Massacre from The Ramones.

I hope you also leant to pronounce massacre correctly? From memory they pronounced it mass-a-cree so it rhymed with baby.