Songs about famous people

[Andrewsykes1]

How many songs are there about famous people? Elton John(marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana), Madness(Michael Caine) Should I count God Save The Queen??

[Lennon]

Carly Simon did You're so Vain about Warren Beatty. Eric Clapton did Wonderful Tonight and George Harrison did Something about Patti Boyd who was a model from the 60s, although I think the songs are definately more famous than her. The Commodores sang about Martin Luther King, Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson. Hey Jude was written for John Lennon's son Julian, who I guess is pretty famous due to his dad. And of course you have the rappers who slate their current enemy at the time such as Eminem and Moby or who sing about those that have been killed like Faith Evans and Puffy singing for Notorious B.I.G

[rarll]

Sheryl Crow did My Favourite Mistake about Eric Clapton

[Pris]

Candle in the Wind - Elton John - Re: Nora Jean - Marilyn Monroe

[chaos_horde]

Don Mclean did "Starry Starry Night" about Vincent Van Gogh, I'm sure there are many many others

[Miss Zippy]

Morrissey's 'Suedehead' was about James Dean; OMD's 'Pandora's Box' was inspired by Louise Brooks (an old silent movie actress); Marc Cohen's 'Walking in Memphis' was about Elvis/Graceland' and then of course there's Banarama's 'Robert de Niro's Waiting'.

[rja211077]

there was another song about van Gogh - "Vincent" i can't remember the artist but it was that bloke with his acoustic guitar.

[bluedolphin]

Fat boy slims Praise You was written originally about Martin Luther King and the FBS jazzed it up. At least that what I saw on the Telly a year or so ago. American Pie by Don McClean about Buddy Holly

[darth vader]

ELO sang "Roll over Beethoven"....

[Miss Zippy]

'John Kettley is a weatherman' by the Tribe of Toffs (bonus points - Michael Fish gets a mention too).

[Birchy]

See Half Man Half Biscuit for a range of notaries (Len Ganley, Dickie Davies, Nerys Hughes to name but three), then there's George Harrison's Pure Smokey ded. to Smokey Robinson, and When Smokey Sings by ABC about the same chap. Madonna's Vogue goers completely OTT, and John Lennon's Oh Yoko! about the wife, and Sexy Sadie (also JL with The Beatles) is a satirical attack on the the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. JL also did How Do You Sleep about his ex, Paul McCartney, and Macca retaliated with Too Many People on Ram. Ringo's Early 1970 was about the Beatles in general. Oh, and there's Wings' Picasso's Last Words about erm........Picasso!

[BenDToy]

Robert de Niro's Waiting by Bananarama, A Guy Works Down the Chipshop Thinks He's Elvis by Kirsty McColl, Bela Lugosi's Dead by possibly Bauhaus, Jackie Wilson Says by Dexy's Midnight Runners to name just a few.

[Kit]

And who was the guy who sang about Tony Blackburn in a Lancashire accent (lyrics: "Tony Blackburn, Tony Blackburn, Tony Blackburn, Tony Blackburn....")

[Andrewsykes1]

Thanks to everyone I didn't realise there was that many plus more.

[mikewith]

Kit - can't remember the name on the record sleeve but the man responsible was Anne Nightingale's husband! Now that's trivia!!

[cpmcmahon]

Billy Joel's "It's all rock and roll to me" mentions lots of famous people.

[Kit]

mikewith - cheers, found it - spelt Toe Knee Black Burn, it's by Binkie Baker and the Pit Orchestra, Stiff Records, 1978... It would be nice to say I can sleep easily now I've found that out, but unfortunately "Tony Blackburn, Tony Blackburn..." is going round and round my head and keeping me awake!

[Sifter1978]

Liam Gallagher wrote the Oasis song "Songbird" about his bird.. one of the Appletons from all saints. Don McLeans idol was buddy holly... hence this is where American Pie came from (not the film!!)

[bobbyx]

R.E.M. - 'Man on the moon' (about Andy Kaufmann) Cher - 'Just Like Jesse James' Brian & Michael - 'Matchstalk Men and Matchstalk Cats and Dogs' (about the painter L.S. Lowry) Kon Kan - 'Harry Houdini' Donna Summer - Dinner with Gershwin (also mentions many others) Murray Lachlan Young - 'I'm being followed by the Rolling Stones'