Got Me a Movie, I Want You to Know: The Best Songs About Movies and the People Who Make Movies
A bee got into my bonnet the other day, and I started thinking about my favorite songs about the movie industry. Not songs from movies—those are a different beast altogether. No, I want songs that celebrate or lament Hollywood, tributes to the stars or reminiscences of some actor’s tragic demise. In no particular order:
Debaser, The Pixies. A tribute to Buñuel.
Take, Take, Take and The Union Forever, The White Stripes. The first, about an obsession with Rita Hayworth; the second, about an obsession with Citizen Kane.
Lon Chaney, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies. Great song that you’ll never find—these guys (a guitarist and a guy in a big rocking chair, singing and keeping the beat with his boots) are long gone. All about the Man of a Thousand Faces. Nearly indecipherable lyrics, most of which are references to his many films.
The Right Profile, The Clash, and Monty Got a Raw Deal, R.E.M. A pair of songs about the tragic life of Montgomery Clift.
Act Naturally, Buck Owens (and later sung by Ringo on Help!). “They’re gonna put me in the movies…”
David Duchovny, Bree Sharp. She’s probably regretting not going with Gillian Anderson on this one.
King of the Mountain, Southern Culture on the Skids. Fab song about a backwoods pornographer.
Martin Scorsese, King Missile.
Leave a Reply