Names I’ve heard in song in the last few weeks:
- Alejandro, Fernando and Roberto in “Alejandro” (audio) by Lady Gaga.
- Isaiah, Charlotte, Dawn and Myfanwy in “The Rake’s Song” (video) by The Decemberists.
- Lavinia in “Lavinia” (video) by The Veils.
- Silvia in “Silvia” (video) by Miike Snow.
“The Rake’s Song” is notable because all of those names actually refer to babies. Despite the babies, it’s a dark little song. I think the lyricist must have read a lot of Edward Gorey as a kid.
Have you discovered any songs that feature names recently?
7 Comments
I heard “The Rake’s Song” for the first time a month or two ago and was really surprised by the use of Myfanwy!
Ben Folds – “Kylie from Connecticut” – it sounds like it’s about an affair (with Kylie)
Taken by Trees – “Anna”
Fleet Foxes – “Oliver James”
The Bird and the Bee – “Phil Polite”
Of Montreal – “Jennifer Louise”
Some names I’ve heard in songs recently…
“Eva” – Nightwish
“Jillian (I’d Give My Heart) – Within Temptation (although I don’t know if the name actually features in the lyrics, only the title)
“Maria” – Green Day
“St Jimmy” -Green Day
“Isobel” – Dido
“Mistress Mabel” – The Fratellis
“Little Adam” – Kate Miller Heidke
That’s all I can think of at the moment
Regina Spektor – ‘Human of the Year’, the winner is Carl
Tori Amos – ‘Ophelia’ and her friends Charlotte, Alison and Veronica
Tori Amos – ‘Mary Jane’
Ingrid Olava – ‘Fred, George and Me’
Ingrid Olava – ‘William’
Ingrid Olava – ‘Juliet’s Wishes’
Bat for Lashes – ‘Daniel’
Bat for Lashes – ‘Pearl’s Dream’
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes – ‘Jade’
Janelle Monae – ‘The March of the Wolfmasters’ has Cindy Mayweather and Anthony.
That’s all the recent ones, but Tori Amos in particular uses heaps of names in her music!
@ CN Heidelberg – So was I! Myfanwy is not one that I hear everyday.
@ Dearest – I remember hearing a lot of names in Tori songs as well. Neil (in several), Marianne, Ernestine, Angie (from that cover), Jackie, Mary, Muhammad, Charlie, Talula, and plenty of others I know I’m forgetting.
I’ve been listening to music as I work today, and I just heard another song with a name:
“Amy” by Ryan Adams (the name is in the lyrics, but he sorta mumbles it)
I love Alejandro and Lavinia! But I haven’t really heard of any new songs with names in them.
“Megan” by Bayside
“Eli, The Barrow Boy” by The Decemberists (Not as macabre as the first song, but still dark. I’m really beginning to like these guys.)
Jenny, Hope and Mary in “Together We Cry” by The Script
“Annie” by James Blunt