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SONGS (MUSIC ) ABOUT ACTORS OR FILMMAKERS

Hans Lucas

over 3 years ago

Also an entire of Montreal Album: THe Early Four Track Recordings:
“Dirty Dustin Hoffman Needs a Bath”
“Dustin Hoffman Gets a Bath”
“Dustin Hoffman Thinks About Eating the Soap”
“Dustin Hoffman Scrubs Too Hard and Loses Soap”
“Dustin Hoffman Does Not Resist Temptation to Eat the Bathtub”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Comes Home”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Seems Suspicious About the Absent Tub”
“Dustin Hoffman Feigns Ignorance of Missing Bathtub”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Calls in Detective to Dust for Porcelain Particles on Dustin Hoffman’s Tongue”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Tongue Taken to Police Lab Where It Is Used as Toilet Paper and Reading Material While on the Toilet”
“Dustin Hoffman Offers Lame Possible Explanation for Missing Bathtub”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Makes a Sarcastic Remark, Cuts the Head Off a Duck, Places It Where the Tub Was and Begins to Groan”
“Dustin Hoffman Becomes Indignant and Wets Himself”
“Dustin Hoffman Quits Bathroom and Climbs a Tree”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Children Enter the Bathroom”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Children Don’t Enter the Bathroom”

Hans Lucas

over 3 years ago

of Montreal album: Early Four Track Recordings
Track listing:
“Dirty Dustin Hoffman Needs a Bath”
“Dustin Hoffman Gets a Bath”
“Dustin Hoffman Thinks About Eating the Soap”
“Dustin Hoffman Scrubs Too Hard and Loses Soap”
“Dustin Hoffman Does Not Resist Temptation to Eat the Bathtub”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Comes Home”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Seems Suspicious About the Absent Tub”
“Dustin Hoffman Feigns Ignorance of Missing Bathtub”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Calls in Detective to Dust for Porcelain Particles on Dustin Hoffman’s Tongue”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Tongue Taken to Police Lab Where It Is Used as Toilet Paper and Reading Material While on the Toilet”
“Dustin Hoffman Offers Lame Possible Explanation for Missing Bathtub”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Wife Makes a Sarcastic Remark, Cuts the Head Off a Duck, Places It Where the Tub Was and Begins to Groan”
“Dustin Hoffman Becomes Indignant and Wets Himself”
“Dustin Hoffman Quits Bathroom and Climbs a Tree”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Children Enter the Bathroom”
“Dustin Hoffman’s Children Don’t Enter the Bathroom”

Joseph Caouett​e

over 3 years ago

Scott Walker has at least a couple of movie-related songs, including one called “The Seventh Seal,” which is basically a synopsis of the film’s plot set to a sub-Morricone score. It’s actually kind of fun, though a bit pointless. Less fun, but more interesting, is “Farmer in the City,” Walker’s agonized, operatic meditation upon the death of Pasolini.

Robyn Hitchcock has a song called “Don’t Talk to Me About Gene Hackman.” (Sample lyric: “He’s in every film/sometimes wearing a towel/and if it isn’t him/you get Andie MacDowell”)

Someone mentioned the Pixies (love “Debaser” by the way): I get the impression Frank Black is a bit of a cinephile in his own right. Not only do the Pixies do a cover of the Lady in the Radiator song from Eraserhead, but Black also has a song from his solo career called “The Jacques Tati”:

You kind of lean your head
You kind of get on your toes
Try to take big steps
And when you start to coast
Take a look on down at nothing particular

David L.

over 3 years ago

Is it possible that no one mentioned King Missile’s “Martin Scorsese”? Did I just not see it? And no “Tom Courtenay” by Yo La Tengo?

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

Les Sans Culottes do a great ‘faux’ French Pop track inspired by Godard’s ‘Pierrot le Fou’ called “Balzac 7502”! Quite entertaining, it’s made up entirely from the films dialogue.

“Je m’appelle Ferdinand, ma ligne du chance de scandal, Balzac soixante quinze zero deux … Johnny Guitar, allons-y allons-au, Jean-Luc Godard Jean-Paul Belmondo, Marianne Renoir, la peintre du soir … Regare Pierrot, une Ford Galaxie look …”

Shotzi

over 3 years ago

“Slapped Actress” by The Hold Steady has the lines “I’ll be Ben Gazzara, you’ll be Gena Rowlands” and “I’ll be John Cassavettes—let me know when you’re ready” in it.

I’m really annoyed by how many of these I didn’t come up with. Particularly “Debaser”.

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

Nice lyrics, a lot of Cassavete’s shouts outs, which is a testament to his uncompromising cinematic genius!

Yeah “Debaser” totally slipped through the cracks of my consciousness and then it finally registered, and i felt a bit … well … retarded … anyways there’s still plenty more songs in the sea David, it’ll give you something to do till the Fall!

mr. sweetum​s

over 3 years ago

@ antoine: cheers for recognizing godspeed.
<3 debaser a la pixies.

fenix tx: phoebe cates.

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

Sweet! gotta love Phoebe Cates!

There’s the band ‘Nouvelle Vague’ and they had an album titled “Bande a Part” and on it they do a cover of Bauhaus’ “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” – that’s a trifecta!

Irvin Contrer​as

over 3 years ago

“Grace Kelly” by Mika – One of my favorites.

“La Vie Boheme” from the Broadway musical “Rent” mentions Antonioni, Bertolucci and Kurosawa.

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

Ah man, I totally forgot about ‘The Books’ insane reinterpretation of the opening dialogue sequence from Godard’s “Contempt”! It’s absolute genius! If you haven’t heard it imagine not a man and a woman having the lovers discourse, but two guys asking each other the following questions:

- What about my ankles, do you like them?
- Yes.
- And my thighs too?
- Also.
- Do you think they’re pretty?
- Very.
- Do you like my face too?
- Yes, I love your face.
- Do you think I have a pretty backside?
- Very pretty.
- What about my ankles, do you like them?
- Yes, enormously.
- You like all of me, my mouth, my eyes, my nose, my ears?
- Me too, Paul.

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

I’m on a roll now – Belle and Sabastian have got the great song “Like Dylan in the Movies” from ‘If You’re Feeling Sinister’

“Well if they follow you, Don’t look back, like Dylan in the movies”

also M83 extensively sample Julie Christie’s dialogue from Roeg’s ’Don’t Look Now’ in their song “America”, it’s quite a bizarre mix.

Grey Daisies

over 3 years ago

My Morning Jacket: “Butch Cassidy”

Cat Power: “Mr. Gallo”

Casper and the Cookies: “Duchamp’s Camera”

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

It’d be good if everyone goes over the previous posts before making their own responses so as not to double up answers and remember to keep it specific to films, filmmakers and actors and not be too general in terms of broad cinema related topics/names. Merci!

Jens Lekman did an interesting tribute EP to Rocky Dennis from Peter Bogdanovich’s ‘Mask’, the most notable track is entitled “Rocky Dennis Farewell Song to the Blind Girl”

“…Someday I’ll be stuffed in some museum, scaring litte kids, with the inscripture ‘carpe diem’, something I never did … blind girl I wish you were here, I wish we come closer, I wish you had met my family, my mom and Bulldozer.”

mr. sweetum​s

over 3 years ago

@ antoine re: the books, m83;

i can’t believe i didn’t get those.

christo​pher sepesy

over 3 years ago

“You’re So Vain,” Carly’s tribute to Warren B.

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

Neon Neon do a pretty average track called “Raquel” about Raquel Welsh.

Laptop had the track “Ratso Rizzo” the character from “Midnight Cowboy”, they say classic bits of his dialogue at the end.

“Some beaten-up faces, Yeah, you strut around wasted, It makes me elated, You’re back, Ratso Rizzo … You’re back, Ratso Rizzo, I’m glad, Ratso Rizzo, You’re back in town, You’re back in town, Hangin’ around, You are my pal, Ratso Rizzo.”

Shotzi

over 3 years ago

Oh, gross, is/was Chan Marshall getting with Vincent Gallo? I hope that’s not the case.

Joseph Caouett​e

over 3 years ago

Oh, I forgot a good one: “Busby Berkley Dreams” by the Magnetic Fields. (“I haven’t seen you ages/but it’s not as bleak as it seems/we still dance on whirling stages/in my Busby Berkley dreams.”)

Also, there’s some notable name-dropping in “Name Names” by the Mendoza Line, which contains this fine verse: “Give my regrets to Clifford Odets/the other side won Elia Kazan/give up your neighbours to Whitaker Chambers/and all that remains is to name names.”

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

Ah! Nice Joseph – I missed that Magnetic Fields track – very cool!

There’s also that electro-pop band “Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head”

Antoine Doinel

over 3 years ago

… also the Vancouver band called/named after the Sydney Pollack film “They Shoot Horses Here Don’t They?”

Number 6

over 3 years ago

Mike Patton has included tons of film references in his music with FAITH NO MORE, MR.BUNGLE, and TOMAHAWK. His bands FANTOMAS and PEEPING TOM are also both named after films.
References include: Midnight Cowboy, Star A.D., Pathes Of Glory, Blue Velvet, Hitchcock, Reflections In A Golden Eye, F For Fake, and The Sweet Smell Of Success…

Laura

over 3 years ago

The Weakerthans’ “Civil Twilight” “Or recite the names of provinces and Hollywood actors/ Oh Ontario, oh Jennifer Jason Leigh”

Trevor Hollen

over 3 years ago

Let’s not forget about The Misfits where just about every song is about a horror movie.

Adempti​on

over 3 years ago

Bree Sharp’s “David Duchovy, why won’t you love me?”

“I hold it in as best I can, I know I’m just another fan/But I can’t help feeling I could love this secret agent man

David Duchovny hovering above me, American Heathcliff brooding and comely/David Duchovny why won’t you love me, why won’t you love me”

Impressively, many words rhyme with “Duchovny.”

Steve Oerkfit​z

over 3 years ago

The Kinks Waterloo Sunset references Terence Stamp & Julie Christie. Plus their song Celluloid Heroes.

Francis​co J. Torres

almost 3 years ago

First time I heard this I fckng cried…

Big Audio Dynamite
E=MC2

Somebody I never met
But in a way I know
Didn`t think that you could get
So much from a picture show
Man dies first reel
People ask what`s the deal?
This ain`t how it`s supposed to be
Don`t like no aborigine

Ritual ideas relativety
Only buildings no people prophecy
Timeslide place to hide nudge reality
Foresight minds wide magic imagery

Took a trip in Powis Square
Pop star dyed his hair
No fans to scream and shout
When mobsters came to flush him out
Gangland slaying underground
New identity must be found
On the left bank for a while
Insanity Bohemian style

Ritual ideas relativety
Only buildings no people prophecy
Timeslide place to hide nudge reality
Foresight minds wide magic imagery

Met a dwarf that was no good
Dressed like little Red Riding Hood
Bad habit taking life
Calling card a six inch knife
Ran off really fast
Mumbled something `bout the past
Best sex I`ve ever seen
As if each moment was the last
Drops of blood colour slide
Funeral for his bride
But it`s him who`s really dead
Gets to take the funeral ride

Ritual ideas relativety
Only buildings no people prophecy
Timeslide place to hide nudge reality
Foresight minds wide magic imagery

Space guy fell from the sky
Scratched my head and wondered why
Time slide into time
Across international dateline
Scientist eats bubblegum
Hall of fame baseball
Senators a Hoodlum
Big chiefs in the hall

Ritual ideas relativety
Only buildings no people prophecy
Timeslide place to hide nudge reality
Foresight minds wide magic imagery

Stray thoughts fear to tread
Placed upon the screen instead
Shes my flame too hot to hold
Had to settle for her cold

Bloodlust – Greek God – Gold discovery
Gone bust – Tight wad – Slow recovery
Axe job – Flame thrower – Ironbar and gun
Betting shop – New owner – A walk in the sun

Ritual ideas relativety
Only buildings no people prophecy
Timeslide place to hide nudge reality
Foresight minds wide magic imagery

Spread the news the Maestros back
With a beat – box soundtrack
The King of brains – Queen of the sack`
Executives have heart attack
It`s assault course celluloid
The money makers would avoid
Sometimes notions get reversed
Centre of the universe

Ritual ideas relativety
Only buildings no people prophecy
Timeslide place to hide nudge reality
Foresight minds wide magic imagery…

Francis​co J. Torres

almost 3 years ago

I also cried with this one!

Amon Düül Il
" Loosey Girls "

See she lost her chances
On the day she could have won the game
Maybe when she dances
She will realise how fast she lost a friend or two
On her silly journey through
What could have been
A put-on masquerade
Through the fog the light dawns dimly
Out to show the road in every which way
Clue she still has got some
But she wouldn’t tell who’s on the inside who’s just peeping in
On her silly journey through
What could have been
A put-on masquerade
Hey look at the Loosey Girls
They are losers first
And burning fast…

Giovann​i Colanto​nio

almost 3 years ago

The first thing I thought of when reading this thread title was “Ingrid Bergman.” Well done!

banal1

almost 3 years ago

“2HB” – Roxy Music
“E=MC2” – Big Audio Dynamite
“Tom Courtenay” – Yo La Tengo
“Marlene on the Wall” – Suzanne Vega