Inspiration is a funny thing. It can be found seemingly anywhere, and has a penchant for striking at a moment’s notice.
Sometimes, two giants collide – like when a film is so good it inspires another work of art: music. Over the years, there have been many rock songs inspired by movies. Most people are unaware that some of their favorite jams got their inspiration from the silver screen.
If you can’t think of any examples of songs inspired by films, don’t worry. We’ve got you covered!
“Bad Moon Rising” – Creedence Clearwater Revival
John Fogerty is a genius. Everyone loves Creedence Clearwater Revival, and we’ve yet to meet anyone who can name a CCR song they don’t like!
“Bad Moon Rising” is based on the noir film The Devil and Daniel Webster, which is about a man named Jabez Stone who finds himself in a Faustian bargain. As you might have guessed, Daniel Webster also plays a role, being tempted by the devil.
The song references a storm in the film, and the lyrics are crystal clear about imminent doom, despite the upbeat melody.
“Space Oddity” – David Bowie
Most people can probably guess this one! “Ground Control to Major Tom… take your protein pills and put your helmet on!”
“Space Oddity” is based on Stanley Kubrick’s classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The film portrays two astronauts headed to an unknown object, accompanied by their homicidal artificial intelligence HAL 9000.
In the song, Major Tom does a spacewalk and then loses contact with Ground Control, headed for parts unknown.
“Walk This Way” – Aerosmith
You’d never guess this hit in regular radio rotation is based off the comedy classic Young Frankenstein.
In the film, hunchback Igor (played by comedy legend Marty Feldman) tells Dr. Frankenstein (played by fellow comedy legend Gene Wilder) to “Walk this way!”
The rest of the rather X-rated song has nothing to do with the film, however. It’s mostly about young lovers!
“Red Angel Dragnet” – The Clash
“Red Angel Dragnet” plays on the moral dilemma posed by the classic Martin Scorsese film Taxi Driver.
In the film, antagonist (or antihero!) Travis Bickle becomes fed up with what he sees as a failing, disgusting society, and takes matters into his own hands.
In the song, The Clash appears to take the side of Bickle as antihero, singing, “Listen you screw heads, here is a man who would not take it anymore/A man who stood up against the scum, the filth.”
“Where Eagles Dare” – Iron Maiden
Heavy metal band Iron Maiden may not be from America, but they appreciate what Americans did during WWII.
That’s the topic of “Where Eagles Dare,” based off the Clint Eastwood film of the same name. In the film, Eastwood leads a special operations team to try to save an American general from a Nazi fortress.
“Brownsville Girl” – Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is either a crank or a genius. Regardless of where you fall on that question, there’s no doubt the man is on another level creatively.
“Brownsville Girl” is an epic, clocking in at 11 minutes. It narrates the plot to the 1950 film, The Gunfighter. That, or perhaps the 1946 film, Duel In the Sun.
In The Gunfighter, new blood replaces the old via a duel, and the new kid in town becomes the gunfighter.
“Breakfast at Tiffany’s” – Deep Blue Something
As you may have guessed from the title, this classic 90’s jam is about Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Just kidding! It’s about a different Audrey Hepburn movie: Roman Holiday. Why? Don’t ask artists questions!
The 1953 romantic comedy also stars Gregory Peck, and chronicles the story of a princess who runs into a reporter while in Rome.
“Motorpsycho Nightmare” – Bob Dylan
OK, so we know at least two Bob Dylan songs are based off movies. As for the rest of his music, it’s anybody’s guess!
“Motorpsycho Nightmare” is based off the Alfred Hitchcock classic, Psycho. The film begins with a woman stealing a good sum of money from her employer, but then running into bad luck when she meets Norman Bates.
“Key Largo” – Bertie Higgins
“Someone’s broken heart becomes your favorite song.” And so it goes. “Key Largo” by Bertie Higgins takes its cues from the 1948 film of the same name.
In Key Largo, giants of the screen Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall face fugitive Seminoles, the police, and other guests at the Hotel Largo all while a hurricane bears down on the Florida Keys. It’s a classic of noir that should be on every film buff’s list.
“Jurassic Park” – Weird Al Yankovic
If you guessed this song is a classic Weird Al spoof on Jurassic Park, you’re right!
In his iconoclastic fashion, Weird Al takes on the dinosaur film with aplomb. The song, complete with wind instruments, essentially just follows the plot right from the get-go. Only it’s written by Weird Al, so it’s funny instead of terrifying.
More About:Music