Songs that are about books

[public school boy]

Paperback writer

 

[Dr. Notthenineo'clocknews]

The Lonelyness of the middle distance runner - Belle and Sebastian

Eyeless In Gaza were one of my favourite bands in the early 80's

Long Life by Dodgy, one of the verses is taken almost word for word from Animal Farm

 

[Vegas Seagull]

The Jam - Town Called Malice
Nevil Shute - A Town Like Alice

 

[Seagull Steve]

The Clash - Police and Thieves.
(from Genesis to Revelations)

 

[7:18]

In The Library by Athlete
Schoolbooks by Fields

 

[Gwylan]

By the rivers of Babylon Boney M - from Book of Psalms

Originally by The Melodians

The Clash - Police and Thieves.
(from Genesis to Revelations)

Originally by Junior Murvin

I don't think reggae songs should count really, they're all steeped in biblical imagery - it's almost a given.

One that I forgot earlier: The Fugs' Best Minds of my Generation is a reworking of Allen Ginsberg's Howl

 

[I'll find Sid Seacombe]

Ballad of Tom Joad by Woody Guthrie.

Hello old bean I've finally remembered my password

 

[Trufflehound]

Books - by A Shallow Madness.

A Shallow Madenss never recorded the song officially (although there is a bootleg of a rehearsal knocking about). But when they sacked the lead singer and changed their name to The Teardrop Explodes, it appeared on their debut album.

The sacked lead singer was Ian McCulloch, who went on to record the same song as 'Read it in Books' on the Bunnymen's first album.*

There are rumours it was written during McCulloch's and Cope's time with Pete Wylie in The Crucial Three, but McCulloch denies it. (The rumours were probably started by Pete Wylie...)


*Note for Bunnymen pedants: Yes I know. It's on some versions of Crocodiles, but not all of them.

 

[rcf0712]

Ballad of Tom Joad by Woody Guthrie.

The Ghost of Tom Joad by Bruce Springsteen which was awesomely covered by Rage Against The Machine - all about Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath (as I imagine the Woody Guthrie song was too?).

Also, how about Don't Stand So Close To Me by The Police which references Nabokov's Lolita without naming it?.....

 

[fork me]

Book of Love - Fleetwood Mac
Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, Flight of Icarus and several others by Iron Maiden
Samson and Delilah - Bad Manners

 

[SULLY COULDNT SHOOT]

Surprised nobody got Talk Talk - Such a Shame(based on the Diceman) In fact the whole album was based on the book.

Such a shame to believe in escape
'A life on every face', but that's a change
Until I'm finally left with an '8'
Tell me to relax, I just stare
Maybe I don't know if I should change
A feeling that we share, it's a shame

(Such a shame)
Number me with rage, it's a shame
(Such a shame)
Number me in haste
(Such a shame)
This eagerness to change
It's a shame

The dice decide my fate, that's a shame
In these trembling hands my faith
Tells me to react, I don't care
Maybe it's unkind if I should change
A feeling that we share, it's a shame

(Such a shame)
Number me with rage, it's a shame
(Such a shame)
Number me in haste
(Such a shame)
This eagerness to change
Such a shame

Tell me to relax, I just stare
Maybe I don't know
If I should change
A feeling that we share
It's a shame

(Such a shame)
Number me with rage, it's a shame
(Such a shame)
Number me in haste, it's a shame
(Such a shame)
Write across my name, it's a shame
(Such a shame)
Number me in haste
(Such a shame)
This eagerness to change
Such a shame

 

[Kumquat]

Mike Scott wrote one Waterboys track after sitting up all night reading Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee". Can't for the life of me remember which track though.

 

[unklbrian]

The Monotones - Book of Love