Songs based on books

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Morrosseth
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Songs based on books

Post by Morrosseth »

Has anyone ever heard of Blind Guardian? They've written a ton of songs based on books like the Dragonlance series, the Dark Tower series, Lord of the Rings, the Iliad, the legend of King Arthur...
There's also other bands that have written similar songs, like Elvenking and Nightwish.
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Post by frger »

The secret garden
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Bigwig1973
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

Three I can think of:

"Never Gonna Stop" by Rob Zombie based on A Clockwork Orange
"Killing an Arab" by The Cure based on The Stranger
and
"One" by Metallica based on Johnny Got His Gun

Can anyone else think of any others?
"...I'd discuss the holy books with the learned man...and that would be the sweetest thing of all...would it foil some vast, eternal plan..." Hamick Fiddler on the Roof

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Post by Nathaniel Owolabi »

I didn't even know songs based off on books exists. I have never heard any before, but then maybe I have but I didn't know it was based on a book. I would look into it though. thanks for raising this statement in the forum
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" by Iron Maiden is based on Coleridge's poem also entitled "Rime of the Ancient Mariner." I was wondering if the song "Don't Stand So Close To Me" by The Police was based on Nabokov's Lolita.
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Post by Thabo Sibanda 1 »

No, I have never heard about that.
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Post by Pelums »

Songs based on book ! This is new to me
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Post by ephemerai »

Many, many songs are based on passages in the Bible. My favorite is probably "All Along the Watchtower" (Bob Dylan/famous version by Jimi Hendrix), which has close correspondences to a passage in Isaiah. We tend to exclude the Bible from "literature" because it's a sacred text, but I think it's the same basic phenomenon: taking a passage of text and reworking it into a song, or retelling it from a different perspective, or perhaps taking inspiration from only a single image or quote. It's a very effective way to add depth to a song without having to come up with all the layers of meaning oneself.
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

ephemerai wrote: Many, many songs are based on passages in the Bible. My favorite is probably "All Along the Watchtower" (Bob Dylan/famous version by Jimi Hendrix), which has close correspondences to a passage in Isaiah. We tend to exclude the Bible from "literature" because it's a sacred text, but I think it's the same basic phenomenon: taking a passage of text and reworking it into a song, or retelling it from a different perspective, or perhaps taking inspiration from only a single image or quote. It's a very effective way to add depth to a song without having to come up with all the layers of meaning oneself.
I think you're right! People probably would forget the bible and other religious texts, I suppose. The Dave Matthews Band has a song called "All Along the Watchtower", but I don't know if it's the same as that done by Hendrix or Dylan. Incidentally, coincidentally - whatever you call it, according to talk, both Bob Dylan and Vincent Bugliosi grew up or were from the same hometown. I've read at least two versions of Helter Skelter - I know for certain some of the pictures are different, although I'm not sure if the text changed or not. Kinda freaked me out, but it's kind of not surprising!
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Post by glasses0 »

I know that American rock band "Meg & Dia" wrote a song titled "Rebecca" which was inspired by Daphne du Maurier's novel.
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

glasses0 wrote: I know that American rock band "Meg & Dia" wrote a song titled "Rebecca" which was inspired by Daphne du Maurier's novel.
I haven't read the novel, but I'm familiar with the film-I will for sure check that out!
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Post by EternalD »

The Lord of the Rings by Blind Guardian

Ramble On by Led Zeppelin

Brave New World by Iron Maiden

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica
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Post by Bigwig1973 »

EternalD wrote: The Lord of the Rings by Blind Guardian

Ramble On by Led Zeppelin

Brave New World by Iron Maiden

For Whom the Bell Tolls by Metallica
I'll have to check them out! I have heard of Led Zeppelin but I have never heard of "Ramble On."
"...I'd discuss the holy books with the learned man...and that would be the sweetest thing of all...would it foil some vast, eternal plan..." Hamick Fiddler on the Roof

La Belle Dame Sans Mercy, Merci, Maria - Chartier, Keats, Hamik?
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Post by Leasa Ana Maria »

I don't know if it is based on the book, but A Thousand Years by Cristina Perry.
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