The parenthetical song title is a unique phenomenon to music. Why do song titles have parens? This morning, I read
a post on theawl.com with a list of 169 parenthetical song titles. Each title fits into a type:
- The title is too short/not descriptive, so they add more words "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)"
- The title is too long, so they chop it off "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)"
- The record label worries that people won't recognize the song they heard on the radio because the title is not the chorus. Sometimes these parens only appear on the 45, not the LP:
- "Pride (In The Name of Love)"
- "Brass In Pocket (I'm Special)"
- "Train In Vain (Stand By Me)"
- Beck just being weird "Truckdrivin’ Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)"
- REM just being weird "Auctioneer (Another Engine)"
- Movie Theme Songs (Theme From "This Blog")
- Silly jokes "She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft)"
- Completely arbitrary "Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)"
I have selected 75 parenthetical song titles, and severed the main title from the paren part. Print out this page, and try and match them back up again. Remember, some parens go in front, some at the end. Good luck! (
Answers here).
| December 1963 | (500 Miles) |
| 4th of July, Asbury Park | (All Night) |
| A Natural Woman | (And I Feel Fine) |
| Against All Odds | (And That's the Truth) |
| All Night Long | (Anthony's Song) |
| Bang A Gong | (Are Made of This) |
| Chelsea | (But I Like It) |
| Da Doo Ron Ron | (But I Won't Do That) |
| Died In Your Arms | (Come Out Tonight) |
| Don’t Forget Me | (Coming Home) |
| Don't Go Away Mad | (Don’t Go Back To) |
| Don't Know What You Got | (Don't Fear) |
| Don't You | (Enjoy What You Do) |
| Dude | (Everything I Do) |
| Earth Angel | (For Me) |
| Escape | (For My Love) |
| Exhale | (Forget About Me) |
| Falling in Love | (Get It On) |
| Fascination | (Gonna Be Alright) |
| Fight For Your Right | (I Can’t Get No) |
| Good Riddance | (I Don’t Want to Go to) |
| Happy Xmas | (I Feel Good) |
| He Hit Me | (I Just) |
| Higher and Higher | (I Like It) |
| I Believe | (I Think It's Going To Be A Long Long Time) |
| I Can't Go for That | (I'm Only Bleeding) |
| I Do It For You | (I'm Sorry) |
| I Got You | (Is Hard on the Knees) |
| I Knew You Were Waiting | (It Felt Like A Kiss) |
| I Never Loved a Man | (It's in His Kiss) |
| I Ran | (I've Been) |
| I Wanna Dance with Somebody | (I've Had) |
| I’m Gonna Be | (Just Go Away) |
| I'd Do Anything for Love | (Just Like) |
| I'd Lie for You | (Keep Feeling) |
| In Hammersmith Palais | (Let Me Be Your) |
| Instant Karma | (Looks Like a Lady) |
| Istanbul | (Man in Motion) |
| It’s The End of the World As We Know It | (Naive Melody) |
| It's Alright, Ma | (Nine to Five) |
| It's Only Rock 'n' Roll | (No Can Do) |
| Jump | (Not Constantinople) |
| Major Tom | (Not to Come) |
| Mama Told Me | (Oh, What A Night) |
| Money | (Pretty Young Thing) |
| Morning Train | (Put a Ring On It) |
| Movin' Out | (Sandy) |
| Norwegian Wood | (Say So Much) |
| P.Y.T . | (Shoop Shoop) |
| Peace, Love and Understanding | (Sittin' On) |
| Red Shoes | (So Far Away) |
| Rocket Man | (Take a Look at Me Now) |
| Rockville | (That's What I Want) |
| Rosalita | (The Angels Wanna Wear My) |
| Sad Songs | (The Final Acclaim) |
| Satisfaction | (The Piña Colada Song) |
| Searchin' So Long | (The Right Stuff) |
| Separate Ways | (The Way I Love You) |
| Single Ladies | (This Bird Has Flown) |
| So. Central Rain | (Till It's Gone) |
| St. Elmo’s Fire | (Time of Your Life) |
| Starting Over | (to Everything There Is a Season) |
| Sweet Dreams | (War Is Over) |
| Teddy Bear | (We All Shine On) |
| That's the Way | (What’s So Funny ‘Bout) |
| The Dock Of The Bay | (When He Walked Me Home) |
| The Reaper | (When I Fall in Love it Will Be Forever) |
| The Shoop Shoop Song | (When I’m Gone) |
| The Time of My LIfe | (White Man) |
| This Must Be the Place | (Who Loves Me) |
| Tonight's the Night | (Will You Be Mine) |
| Turn! Turn! Turn! | (Worlds Apart) |
| Wham Rap! | (You Gotta)...(To Party!) |
| You Got It | (You Make Me Feel Like) |
| You're in My Heart | (Your Love Has Lifted Me) |
