Friday, September 14, 2007

The Phrase That Pays

I'm going to wrap up (for now) my lists of album titles with one of my favorite categories: titles that derive from the lyrics of a song on the record, but aren't the title of that song, leapfrogging in status to become the title of the entire work. You get it. Here we go:

My Aim Is True, Elvis Costello (from "Alison")

Stop Making Sense, Talking Heads (from "Girlfriend Is Better")

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme, Simon and Garfunkel (from "Scarborough Fair/Canticle")

Under Rug Swept, Alanis Morissette (from "Hands Clean")

Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart, Camper Van Beethoven (from "Tania")

Pocket Full of Kryptonite, the Spin Doctors (from "Jimmy Olsen's Blues")

Willy and the Poor Boys, Creedence Clearwater Revival (from "Down on the Corner")

Katy Lied, Steely Dan (from "Doctor Wu")

Nevermind, Nirvana (from "Smells Like Teen Spirit")

Kissing to Be Clever, Culture Club (from "Miss Me Blind")

Welcome Home, Til Tuesday (from "Coming Up Close")

All That You Can't Leave Behind, U2 (from "Walk On")

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Katy Lied" always bugs me, since Katy makes two appearances in "Dr. Wu," first as "Katy tried" and then as "Katy lies" but never exactly "Katy lied." That's just sloppy, guys!

also: The Hold Steady's "Almost Killed Me" ("KIller Parties"), Public Enemy's "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" ("Party For Your Right To Fight"), Interpol's "Turn On The Bright Lights" ("NYC"), Chicago's "Chicago XVII" ("Chicago XIV") and Tracy Chapman's "Tracy Chapman" ("Harry Chapin").

MJN said...

Add "The Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floyd (from "Brain Damage"). I suppose that "The Wall" (Pink Floyd) and "Tommy" (The Who) aren't really in the spirit of this category.

Tom Nawrocki said...

Similarly, the Rolling Stones' "Undercover," from "Undercover of the Night."

MJN said...

Also "Making Movies," Dire Straits (from "Skateaway").

Tom Nawrocki said...

I can't believe I didn't mention that one earlier. That's one of the first such examples that stuck in my mind.