Songs inspired by movies

Subject: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Ravenheart
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 02:23 PM

Can you think of songs by singer-songwriters inspired by films? An old example would be Woody Guthrie's "Tom Joad," inspired by seeing _The Grapes of Wrath_, I believe. This would help me to assemble some songs for a radio program.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: john f weldon
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 02:27 PM

Seeing it ? i thought he actually had a brief appearance...
Does this count: "Ingrid Bergman", same author....?

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Ravenheart
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 02:51 PM

Did he? I guess that works, as well.

I don't follow the Ingrid Bergman reference.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: john f weldon
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 03:14 PM

Time for a clicky!

http://www.billybragg.co.uk/releases/albums/mermaid_avenue/mer8.html

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 03:20 PM

Thanks for the link. New to me.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 04:21 PM

Can't think of any,
but if we ever get a thread about movies inspired by a song,
there's always Alice's Restaurant!

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Mike Miller
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 04:26 PM

I don't know if it's from the book or the movie but how about Tom Paxton's delightful "I'm In Love With Molly Bloom".

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: TheSnail
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 04:58 PM

Mick Ryan wrote "The Night of the Hunter" based on the film directed by Charles Laughton and starring Robert Mitchum.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Cluin
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 05:04 PM

John Wayne seems to have inspired a few. There sometimes was a song out, telling the story of a JW film, AFTER it was in the theatres: "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" and "The Comancheros" come to mind. Those songs weren't actually IN the movies though the music was.

And Buddy Holly wrote "That'll Be the Day" after seeing "The Searchers" and hearing the Duke repeat that line all through it.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Cluin
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 05:08 PM

Robert Mitchum wrote and sang "The Legend of Thunder Road" based on the Robert Mitchum film. It wasn't used in the movie.

And Mitchum didn't sing the theme song to "River of No Return" though I've heard that claimed, even on an A&E Biography of RM. That was Tennessee Ernie Ford (and Marilyn Monroe later in the film).

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Ravenheart
Date: 25 Jul 07 - 10:24 PM

This is interesting, but do some more recent things come to mind?

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,ibo
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 06:51 AM

SPREAD A LITTLE HAPPINESS, inspired by that famous scene from last tango in paris

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: NormanD
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 08:10 AM

UK singer Charlie Dore sang "Maximum Bob", based on the book (and tv miniseries) by Elmore Leonard. She tells the story as a plot summary. Wonderful piece of song.

Norman

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: mrmoe
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 08:28 AM

Len Chandler's "roll, turn, spin".......

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Y_Not
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:36 AM

Jack Bruce of "The Cream" did a whole album of songs inspired by movies.
One of the songs was from a poem by Pete Brown, music by Jack Bruce "The Consul At Sunset"
inspired by the John Huston film "Under The Volcano" which was based on a novel by Malcolm Lowry.

I believe Richard Burton should have played the lead role, but either because of ill health or Burton died (I'm not sure which) the role was played by Albert Finney.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Alaska Mike
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 09:58 AM

I wrote a song titled "William Wallace" after watching Mel Gibson's Braveheart.

Mike

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Gerry
Date: 26 Jul 07 - 06:11 PM

Oedipus Rex, by Tom Lehrer. His spoken intro to the song makes it clear that it was inspired by the movie: "...a few years ago, a motion picture version appeared of Sophocles' immortal tragedy Oedipus Rex. This picture played only in the so-called art theaters, and it was not a financial success. And I maintain that the reason it was not a financial success...(laughter) you're way ahead of me... was that it did not have a title tune which the people could hum, and which would make them actually eager to attend this particular flick. So, I've attempted to supply this, and here then is the prospective title song from Oedipus Rex...."

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Bruce Michael Baillie
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 01:02 AM

Bernie Parry wrote the song 'Davy' after reading Edgar Pangbourne's book of the same name. (Yes I know it's not a film)
I wrote the song 'Mianus' after watching the article about the place with that name on the TV programme 'Jackass'.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Nicholas Waller
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 01:58 AM

Al Stewart's "Year of the Cat" seems in part inspired by a certain category of movie, if not one specific one:

"On a morning from a Bogart movie
In a country where they turn back time
You go strolling through the crowd like Peter Lorre
Contemplating a crime"

His "Night Train to Munich" no doubt has some connection with the 1940 movie, though again probably more in terms of mood and film type rather than the storyline.

In fact, a lot of his songs have a certain filmic quality - "Roads to Moscow", for instance.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Cluin
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 03:18 AM

Jon and Vangelis' "Friends of Mr. Cairo"
Bertie Higgins' "Key Largo"
Jimmy Buffett's "Pencil Thin Mustache"
Statler Brothers' "Whatever Happened to Randolph Scott?"

Bruce Murdoch's "Rough Night in Jericho"?

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: SharonA
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 03:21 AM

Weird Al Yankovic's song "The Saga Begins" is a parody of Don McLean's "American Pie", and Yankovic's brilliantly-crafted lyrics tell the tale of the Star Wars prequel movie "Episode 1; The Phantom Menace".

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: SharonA
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 04:00 AM

I suppose you could say that any song in a musical remake of a film was inspired by the original film.

For instance, the movie "A Star is Born" (1937, starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March) was not a musical, but there are two film remakes of the same title that are musicals (1954, starring Judy Garland and James Mason; and 1976, with Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson). While it's a stretch to claim that the Streisand-sung love song "Evergreen" was inspired by the 1937 movie, certainly Judy Garland's "Born in a Trunk" medley/sequence describes the years of hard work required to become an overnight success, which is what the female lead in all 3 films is.

Then there's the Broadway musical "Spamalot", which is loosely based on the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail" but contains several new songs that were not in the film. (It also lifts "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" from the Python film "Life of Brian".)

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Nicholas Waller
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 04:57 AM

As well as songs inspired by movies, possibly the OP would be interested in songs about the movie business, or anyway the edges of it - for instance, going back to Al Stewart again, "Old Compton Street Blues" is about a teen wannabe movie star who falls instead into low-grade modelling and prostitution...I like the line "But money has its favourites and yours went back to them".

"Ah you must have been just fifteen when you made your mind up first
That you'd make it in the movies and you couldn't lose the thirst
And it took you to the attic where the Agent King holds Court
And his courtesans are fully paid up losers of a sort
He looks at you and tells you that you just might get the part
But you don't get things for nothing and he doesn't want your heart"

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Rabbi-Sol
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 05:28 PM

Pat Boone wrote the words to "Exodus" after seeing the movie & hearing the theme music by Ernest Gold.

Paul Anka did the same when he wrote the words to "The Longest Day"

                                                SOL

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: NormanD
Date: 27 Jul 07 - 07:36 PM

Paul Anka also wrote the song "Diana" after watching the film of the royal wedding. Also "Puppy Love" after watching "It's A Dog's Life".

Singer Nick Lowe wrote and recorded "Marie Prevost" about the declining years of the silent movie actress of this name. She died alone and forgotten, and was eaten by her pet dog. OK, not exactly a film.

Norman

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Guest. David Jones
Date: 28 Jul 07 - 07:24 PM

Shell Silverstein wrote "Me and Jimmy Rodgers" whjch mentions five 1940s/50s movie stars, Audie Murphy, Marilyn Monroe, Gary Cooper, John Wayne and Betty Grable, and makes reference to some of their great movie moments.
David Jones

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: balladeer
Date: 28 Jul 07 - 07:39 PM

mrmoe: which film inspired Roll Turn Spin?

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: lesblank
Date: 28 Jul 07 - 07:50 PM

To Norman D:

Diana wasn't BORN until 1961   -- Paul Anka wrote Diana in 1957 !!

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: balladeer
Date: 28 Jul 07 - 07:55 PM

I have heard Paul Anka's song was inspired by a girl he worshipped from afar in high school.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Midchuck
Date: 28 Jul 07 - 08:16 PM

"Touch of Evil," by Tom Russell, on his "Borderland" CD - duhhh.

"Say Goodbye to Montana," credited to Alex Harvey/Tim Rouillier) was obviously inspired by McMurtry's "Lonesome Dove," but whether the novel or the mini-series, I don't know.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: NormanD
Date: 29 Jul 07 - 07:58 AM

"Diana wasn't BORN until 1961   -- Paul Anka wrote Diana in 1957 !!"

Er, yes. But he could have known!!!

OK, that was a joke that went west, as was "Puppy Love".

I'm posting this in the interests of internet accuracy in case anyone is writing a thesis on Paul Anka's songwriting influences.

The Marie Prevost story is true, however, and was covered in Kenneth Anger's "Hollywood Babylon".

Norman

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Jaze
Date: 29 Jul 07 - 12:00 PM

Seems I once read that Neil Young wrote After The Gold Rush after seeing a movie by that name. Not positive,though.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,Bernie Parry
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 04:14 PM

I wrote 'Davy' in 1976. Only the title 'Davy' and the idea of a free traveller inspired me to write the song.The song is not about the book. But I think that someone should make a film of it. Hello? Mr Spielberg?.... hello?   anyone there?....
Bernie Parry. website bernieparry.com

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: john f weldon
Date: 01 Aug 07 - 06:39 PM

"Send in The Marines" by Tom Lehrer
contains the lines
"We'll send them what we've got...
John Wayne and Randolph Scott..."

Subject: Lyr Add: LET'S GO OUT TO THE MOVIES
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 31 Jul 16 - 12:18 PM

I ran across this oddity while looking for something else. Transcribed from Spotify:


LET'S GO OUT TO THE MOVIES
As recorded by Annette Warren on "Annette Warren Sings 'There's a Man in My Life' Plus Selected Rarities" circa 1950.

INTRO: Sitting at home in the ev'ning is not what it's cracked up to be.
There's pleasure for all of the fam'ly, so take this suggestion from me:

1. Oh, let's go out to the movies; they're better than ever before,
With romance to thrill you and myst'ry to chill you and tales of adventure galore.
We'll take the kids to the movies and see lots of folks that we know.
We'll laugh and we'll cry as each scene passes by, so let's go out to a show.

2. Oh, let's go out to the movies; it's great to get out of the house,
To go to a show where the stars that we know will be there with our friend Mickey Mouse.
We'll leave our cares and our worries behind us wherever we go.
We like to have fun when our day's work is done, so let's go out to a show.

3. Let's go out to the movies where all of the stars are on view.
In most ev'ry scene there is love on the screen and there's love in the balcony too.
We'll cheer the handsome young hero who knocks villains out with a blow.
The spotlight(?) is bright and we'll have a great night, so let's go out to a show.

[Instrumental break; repeat verse 1.]


[I am finding contradictory information: one source says "words and music by Henry Tobias, Jack Ellis, and Moe Jaffe;" another says "words and music by Edward Albertson."--both 1950. It—or one of the songs by this name—was also recorded by Stanley Fritts and the Korn Kobblers, but I have not heard that recording.]

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Airymouse
Date: 31 Jul 16 - 09:11 PM

Poor Pauline, she's drifting out sea
Wonder what the end will be
This suspense is awful

Bing bang biff
they throw her off a cliff
They dynamite her in a submarine
There she stands in the lion's den
The lion comes to take a bite

Zip goes the filium Good Night
Poor Pauline

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Allan Conn
Date: 01 Aug 16 - 03:47 AM

"They Shoot Horses Don't They" by the Welsh band Racing Cars which was a big hit in the 1970s was inspired the film with the same name.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,LynnH
Date: 01 Aug 16 - 03:53 AM

After seeing the chilean film,"Nostalgia de la luz", I ended up writing a song called,"Leave no stone unturned".

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,B.B. Cone
Date: 01 Aug 16 - 06:59 AM

Ralph McTell's 'Girl on the Jersey Ferry' is drawn from a scene in Orson Welle's 'Citizen Kane' and most of its lyrics are from the film's dialogue.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: mkebenn
Date: 01 Aug 16 - 08:59 AM

The Ballad of Thunder Road WAS used in the film in a truncated form, though Mitchum didn't sing it(unfortunatly). I believe that Diana was Anka's babysitter, which I could identify with from my childhood. Mike

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,In good company
Date: 01 Aug 16 - 09:56 AM

Folk song inspired by film inspired by classical music inspired by real life in the case of Elvira Madigan

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 01 Aug 16 - 10:33 AM

"What's it all about, Alfie" was written after the Michael Caine film "Alfie" apparently.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: BobKnight
Date: 02 Aug 16 - 06:06 AM

What's It All About Alfie, was written FOR the film, by Burt Bacharach.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 02 Aug 16 - 06:19 AM

From Wikipedia;

Alfie: Although Burt Bacharach has cited "Alfie" as his personal favorite of his compositions, he and Hal David had not been very interested when approached to write a song to serve as a promotional tie-in with the upcoming film Alfie.

Bacharach felt – in his own words – "with 'Alfie' the lyric had to come first because it had to say what that movie was all about". He arranged for David – in Long Island – to receive a script of the film to facilitate writing the lyrics for an "Alfie" song.

David utilized one of Michael Caine's lines in the film, "What's it all about?" as the opening phrase for the song's lyrics. When completed these were set to music by Bacharach.

"Alfie", recorded by Cilla Black, was released in January 1966 four months prior to the opening of the film. United Artists commissioned a new version of the song "Alfie" by Cher, released at the end of June 1966 almost two months prior to the film's US premiere.

Strange Weirdos: Music from and Inspired by the Film Knocked Up is the official soundtrack album to the 2007 Judd Apatow film Knocked Up, and the eighteenth studio album by American singer-songwriter Loudon Wainwright III, released on May 22, 2007 on Concord Records.

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: GUEST,henryp
Date: 02 Aug 16 - 06:45 AM

Do You Know The Way To San Jose by Bacharach and David

L.A. is a great big freeway
Put a hundred down and buy a car
In a week, maybe two, they'll make you a star
Weeks turn into years. How quick they pass
And all the stars that never were
Are parking cars and pumping gas

Grey in L.A. by Loudon Wainwright, from the film Knocked Up

And I'm just a chump, this whole town's a dump
We came out here to dump all our dreams
Of making it big but we're stuck in a Sig
alert nightmare - That's just how it seems

Brad Grey's in L.A. Yeah OK, I should stay
here - There's no place that's better I know
For a wannabe star, stuck in a car
On a freeway with nowhere to go

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: mkebenn
Date: 02 Aug 16 - 09:06 AM

RE: The Man who shot Liberty Valance: This was the first song that came to me when I saw this thread. Strange findings: The song was written FOR the movie by Bacharach/David, but John Huston hated it, and rejected it. He used a score from one of his older films for the production. The only reason for this that I can think of is one verse, which I always have thought was clumsy

" there was a jail without a lock

where the sheriff slept,

and he wept.

'cause when Liberty Valance came to town

the peace was never kept."

Gene Pitny didn't use this verse in his hit recording, but he must have recorded it at one time, 'caose I heard it somewhere(LOL) Mike

Subject: RE: Songs inspired by movies
From: Neil D
Date: 02 Aug 16 - 10:49 PM

"Key Largo"
Great Bogart movie.
Wretched Bertie Higgins song.