Entertainment For Lively Minds
Often misquoted song and band names
Posted by AndyPage on 24 January 2011 - 8:33am.
Don't You Want Me Baby
Simply The Best
Jesus and the Mary Chain
Cliff Richards
I actually think I have heard the aforementioned Human League number one referred to more often by this name than its actual name. And don't get me started on Tina Turner's ubiquitous slice of soft rock (I am being polite).
Any others that grate?
- More from AndyPage.
- Login or register to post comments
-
That Led Zeppelin
He's good.
Until very recently I thought Gnarls Barkley
was a "he"
Jethro Tull had the same problem
The Buzzcocks
There's no 'The' apparently. I've got that wrong for years.
The
Pixies.
The
Pet Shop Boys.
The
Faces
Anyone ever heard someone mention...
The The The?
James
Blunt.
I bet Jim Naughtie knows the correct surname.
Cocteau
Twins. Another absent 'The'
There seems to be a compulsion in English
to add definite articles to things that don't have them. If you look at the street signs in London, you'll read 'Kings Road' and 'Strand'. Not 'The King's Road' and 'The Strand'. And I've never heard anyone say 'The Cheapside' or 'The Poultry'.
Weird linguistic quirk
"The" is only added when it's a "road". Nobody ever says "the Oxford Street" or "the Carnaby Street", but "the Edgware Road, the Marylebone Road, the Kings Road etc. is common parlance. No idea why.
Not just in English...
In Italy it is customary to add a definite article to many (but not all) band names.
Hence I Led Zeppelin, Gli Abba.
That's partially true
But it only seems to apply when the road in question is a bit posh. Queens Road in Peckham is never 'The Queen's Road'; neither does this apply to Whitechapel Road or Bethnal Green Road.
Old Kent Road
Old Kent Road is mostly known as The Old Kent Road, hardly posh...not even a bit.
Makes sense when it's descriptive
I like it when people refer to London Road as "The London Road", largely because it *is* the road to London. I presume it was referred to as "the London Road" well before it gained the benefit of a name plate.
Not sure about the "poshness" thing
"The" Seven Sisters Road, "The" Mile End Road, "The" Caledonian Road. None especially posh. Something to do with the rhythm of language maybe? Does the Massive have a linguistics expert on the strength.
The only London major road I can think of that doesn't always attract "the" definite article is Tottenham Court Road (which is, fact fans, the only "Road" in the W1 postal district).Tottenham "Court'. What "court"? The fascinating oddities of London town,eh.
... which is, fact fans, the
Apart from Charing Cross Road, presumably.
I've heard 'the Caledonian Road', but I've never heard anyone refer to Seven Sisters Road or Mile End Road in that way.
but...
...isn't the Charing Cross Road in WC2?
not sure about that
I think if I was looking for some electronic equipment I might go up 'the' Tottenham Court Road.
Actually I'd go to Richer Sounds, but that's nether here nor there.
Saw a safety video at work once
Music by... The Apex Twins.
"Dock of the Bay" and "Natural Woman"
It should be "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" or at least "The Dock of the Bay", with the definite article - just as the short form of the title of Aretha's hit "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" should be "A Natural Woman", with the indefinite article.
Bloody eBay
For ages, when searching for stuff by my fave group, the search engine would automatically change it to Stocksbridge. That problem has gone away as their popularity sours. Now I am faced with the embarrassment of searching for Braviseamo memorabilia - as any fule kno it is the best outdoor show at a Disney theme park EVER - and being confronted with Bravissimo items.
"… being confronted with Bravissimo items."
Surely not a bad thing. I used to look forward to the arrival of my former [female] flatmate's Bravissimo catalogue.
Carpenters
often has the definite article attached.
NEU! should be capitalised with an exclamation mark.
Band Aid
Never released a single called Feed The World.
"Blondie...
yeah she was brilliant."
Many people including Simon Cowell have fallen into this trap.
See also:
Jamiroquai
La Roux
For quizzers
"It's Trivial PURSUIT, dammit. Singular! Got that? Right, I'll take my foot off your neck now."
The Sex Pistols
no such band
The Big O(h)
It's "Oh Pretty Woman" by Roy Orbison, not just Pretty Woman.
Hawk/Dawk
I know they're not remotely music-related, but it alternately amuses and irritates me how many people confuse the names of Stephen Hawking and Richard Dawkins (e.g. Stephen Hawkins, Richard Dawking, etc.).
Suits you sir!
The Fast Show's naughty tailors said "Suit you, sir."
Don't you hate it
when people refer to the album as 'Sgt Peppers' ?
But it is, surely?
It's not named after Sgt Pepper, it's named after his band.
of course
strictly speaking, you are right. But it's Sgt. Pepper. It just is.
And don't call me Shirley..
The Dark Side Of The Moon.
The Dark Side Of The Moon. According to my original pressing, anyway. Even EMI have been known to drop the definite article from the title.
Did Status Quo or Amen Corner ever have a The at the start of their names? Both bands are announced with a leading "the" on surviving 1960s episodes of "Top Of The Pops."
Ver Quo were definitely Ver The Quo in the early days
The first album is titled "Picturesque Matchstickable Messages From The Status Quo" and the early singles were credited as such.
Cheers, Stimpy,
for clearing that one up. Much obliged.
Frank and The Walters
Possibly limited to one location in central Ipswich.
I once got asked to review
Malcolm Middleton's album "Waxing Gibbons"
it's really Waxing Gibbous, er, obviously,
kind of.
Come back...
The customer is sometimes wrong
Our Price Records, some time in the 80s, customer wants the hot new single "'Free Nelson the Panda' by the Specials".
Well, of course, they meant "The Special A.K.A.", but we knew which record they wanted.
Along similar lines, in the same store, I was asked for "Central Heating" by Marvin Gaye. You don't argue...
Richard Tompkinson
and Martin McCarthy.