Popular songs are poems, and their titles and included lines and phrases are often the starting point for popular fiction. They don't have to be great or even good songs--or books for that matter, just illustrations of the power incantation holds for popular discourse.
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316 books · 78 voters · list created May 3rd, 2010 by Thom Dunn (votes) .
33 likes · 
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Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)

dateUp arrow    newest »

message 1: by Seth (new)

Seth I take it books by musicians are off limits? Especially ones collecting their poetry or lyrics? Seems like they should be, but several jumped to mind immediately.


message 2: by Thom (new)

Thom Dunn Seth wrote: "I take it books by musicians are off limits? Especially ones collecting their poetry or lyrics? Seems like they should be, but several jumped to mind immediately."

There is a list for Song Books, but I'm trying here to get at the notion--held by some question writers--that "songs" are inconsequential and somehow different in kind from "poems" even "lyric poems"...Did you know you can sing any Emily Dickinson poem to "The Yellow Rose of Texas"...not that I recommend it.


message 3: by Thom (new)

Thom Dunn Canary wrote: "What about the theme from The Mission? does that one count?"

One gorgeous piece of music....but does it have a lyric ?


message 4: by Ben (new)

Ben Very interesting. It's the reverse of the list below:
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/67...


Susanna - Censored by GoodReads A curiosity of the song "Tender is the Night" - written long after the book!


message 6: by Thom (new)

Thom Dunn Susanna wrote: "A curiosity of the song "Tender is the Night" - written long after the book!"

Well, first there's John Keats' Ode to a Nightingale.


message 7: by Angelique (new)

Angelique How about "I never promised you a rose garden" by Hannah Green?


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