Tuesday, May 31, 2011

169 SONG TITLES WITH PARENTHETICALS (IN ORDER OF PARENTHETICAL CHARM):  I like #72.

20 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:08 AM

    Aw, honorable mention to one of my faves: "An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy (The Wedding Song)" by Lyle Lovett.

    And I'd put "Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)" much higher than they did.  I like the pseudo-cleverness of it and that song RULES on the Himalaya at the fair.

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  2. Anonymous10:17 AM

    No love for Was (Not Was)?  Nor its awesome I Feel Better (Than James Brown)?

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  3. Guest was me.

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  4. This guest was me.

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  5. heathalouise10:29 AM

    My friend wrote this! And she missed "Murder (Or A Heart Attack)" by the Old 97's. But #1 totally wins.

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  6. 169 songs with parentheticals, and NONE from Arcade Fire?  They've got TEN on their first three albums!  Of those, "(Antichrist Television Blues)" should definitely be on this list.

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  7. sconstant11:23 AM

    I think there are several categories here. 

    1. Parentheticals which complete the line the title is from, but we didn't want the parenthetical part to really be the title, but we did want you to know what song we're talking about, so here's kind of a compromise: Pulling Mussels (From The Shell); Dude (Looks Like a Lady), (I've Had) The Time of My Life

    2a. Parentheticals which give you a lyric you'll remember, since the title doesn't really tell you or appear in the lyrics :Escape (The Pina Colada Song); The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late; The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)

    2b. Parentheticals which give you an alternate title that has nothing to do with the lyric: Sometimes (Lester Piggot)

    3. Parentheticals which give you a lyric you'll probably remember better than the title, even though the title is from the lyrics: Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown), I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)

    4. Parentheticals which are arguably actually parenthetical: I Wanna Dance With Somebody (Who Loves Me), It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)

    5. Parentheticals which make a title a DJ might have trouble with a little less confusing: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You ;Rock Me Again and Again and Again and Again and Again and Again (Six Times)

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  8. Emily W11:23 AM

    #72 and #73 instantly transport me back to a very specific time and place in my adolescence -- oddly enough, a summer program, during which I wrote a paper that referenced #105.

    Glad to see someone else understands the significance of NKOTB -- nice to know I'm not alone!

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  9. Emily W11:25 AM

    #72 and #73 instantly transport me back to a very specific time and place in my adolescence -- oddly enough, a summer program, during which I wrote a paper that referenced #105.

    Glad to see someone else understands the significance of NKOTB -- nice to know I'm not alone!

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  10. Meghan12:12 PM

    There are an unbelievable number of songs whose parenthetical titles do nothing.  "I'll Be Lovin' You (Forever)"?  C'mon.  We didn't need "forever".  Really.

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  11. Adam C.12:24 PM

    There's also a category of Parentheticals Which Are Wiseass Bordering on Meta, or Meta Bordering on Wiseass: (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) 

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  12. I originally went looking for a Lyle Lovett song that I *thought* was a parenthetical, but is not: "She's Leaving Me Because She Really Wants To"  I think I would like it better as "She's Leaving Me (Because She Really Wants To)"

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  13. I read all of that in Seth Meyers's voice.

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  14. Watchman12:31 PM

    It's nobody's business (but the Turks)

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  15. Adam C.12:33 PM

    The Springsteen Caucus recognizes and applauds the obvious and best choices, (Sandy) and (Come Out Tonight).  But I'd be remiss not to advocate for (But You Better Not Touch).

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  16. gtv20005:38 PM

    How would you categorize

    "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)"?

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  17. bella wilfer5:57 PM

    I'm just impressed they included "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)"...And not embarrassed to say so.  Okay, a little embarrassed.

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  18. David8:04 PM

    70s R&B hit "They Just Can't Stop It the (Games People Play)" by the Spinners is an awkward parenthetical title. Not sure why they put the "the" outside the parentheses.

    Here's the song:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePKS9HMrQ_s

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  19. Benner12:17 AM

    Luna:  California (All the Way). 

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  20. Anonymous12:18 PM

    As "Land of 1000 Dances."

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