12 Comments
User's avatar
Ian Malcolm's avatar

“Borzuya, the 5th century physician who has never been mentioned in song” …so far.

*Switches tab to Suno* 😂

Expand full comment
John WB's avatar

Borzuya is a really fun name. I'm surprised it hasn't been used.

Expand full comment
NickS (WA)'s avatar

Obligatory mention of one of the best Elvis references -- Public Enemy's "Fight The Power" ("Elvis was a hero to most / But he never meant s- to me you see")

For unexpected mentions, I was just listening to "California Uber Alles" both the Dead Kennedy's version which is targeted at Jerry Brown and the update by Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy which is directed at Pete Wilson.

Expand full comment
Marc Reiner's avatar

I’m too lazy to confirm, but I don’t remember American Pie using *any* actual names other than James Dean.

Expand full comment
Chris Dalla Riva's avatar

I guess it is mostly couched in metaphor

Expand full comment
Buzen's avatar

There is a song that is about John Wayne, but I don’t think he would have liked it. I think it was used in or at least inspired some dialog in the film Repo Man. By MDC.

Lyrics are NSFW

https://youtu.be/SoyusTUFdl0

Expand full comment
The Blockhead Chronicles's avatar

Perfect column for Elvis’ birthday!

Expand full comment
Albert Cory's avatar

Name check: what rock CRITICS have been mentioned in songs?

Expand full comment
Chris Dalla Riva's avatar

Lester Bangs is mentioned in “It’s the End of the World as We Know It”

Expand full comment
Albert Cory's avatar

Bingo.

Name drop: I hosted Greil Marcus at Google:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wBlXAzv0Fg&t=15s

and at lunch he mentioned Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s portrayal of him in Almost Famous. He liked it, even though Hoffman looked nothing like him.

Expand full comment
Luciano Matos's avatar

In Brazil, Brigitte Bardot also inspired songs. One I really like is by Tom Zé:

"Brigitte Bardot is getting old,

she aged before our dreams.

Poor Brigitte Bardot,

who was a beautiful young woman,

but she herself couldn't be a dream

so as never to grow old.

Brigitte Bardot is falling apart

and our dreams want to file for divorce.

All over the world

there are millions and millions of dreams

that also want to file for divorce

and Brigitte Bardot is now

becoming sad and lonely.

Will some twenty-year-old boy

call

at the exact moment she feels

like committing suicide?

When we were little,

we thought that when we grew up

we would be Brigitte Bardot's boyfriend,

but Brigitte Bardot

is becoming sad and lonely."

Expand full comment
Jonathan Rabinowitz's avatar

I love Tom Zé! Which song are those lyrics from?

Expand full comment