So Come On, Ye Childhood Heroes, or 15 Pop Songs That Reference Comics

I like music, you know, and I like comics. Many musicians do as well. Over the years, many have referenced comic books and characters in their songs. While mulling over what I'd like to put up for my first TWC post, it occurred to me that it might be kinda fun to make a list of 15 that crossed my mind (and were also suggested via Twitter by some kind folks that will be mentioned), since everybody likes lists, right? So here goes. As usual, in no particular order save that in which I think of them.

1. That's Really Super, Supergirl- XTC
Andy Partridge is a well-known comics fan, and while he's made many references to all things comicsy in nature, this track, from what is arguably XTC's finest album Skylarking, is probably the most overtly comicsy. That said, it's not specifically about the Maid of Might- it's more of a bitter tirade against a young lady, most likely Andy's wife at the time, who is causing him grief. Its bouncy melody, full of Todd Rundgren studio trickery, belies the sarcastic nature of the words. Even so, he can't help but cleverly work in all sorts of references to the Superman mythos, such as Jimmy Olsen's constant references to being in a "jam", and the Fortress of Solitude. Here's an interview with Partridge about the song. You can listen to it here. Other XTC tracks to mention comics were the Black Sea track "Sgt. Rock (Is Going To Help Me)" and "Braniac's Daughter", written for the pseudonymous Dukes of Stratosphear project.

2. Evangeline- Matthew Sweet
Much was made, at the time of the release of the album from whence this came- 1991's Girlfriend- about how Power Popper Sweet was a huge manga and anime fan, even to the extent of releasing a video, for the title song, which featured clips from the anime Space Adventure Cobra. His fanboyism didn't end with product from Nippon, either- the album also featured a tribute to the Chuck Dixon/Judith Hunt/Ricardo Villagran series Evangeline as well (a series I'm not familiar with save by title alone), sung from the point of view of (according to Wikipedia) character "Johnny Six". It's a loping hard-rocking track with a searing guitar riff, and some wonderful harmony vocals. It's a highlight of one of the best albums of the 90's, in my opinion of course. Hear it here.

3. Waiting For A Superman (Is It Gettin' Heavy?)- the Flaming Lips
I won't lie- it's hard for me to be impartial about the Lips' 1999 release The Soft Bulletin, a marvelously imaginative and extraordinarily tuneful rumination of death, loss, grief, mortality, and perseverance in the face of same, made even more poignant by Wayne Coyne's fragile voice. "Waiting" is just that, the singer's admonition to himself and his listeners that there's really only so much one can do in the face of overwhelming problems, and must hold on to hope. To wit:

Tell everybody waiting for Superman
That they should try to hold on best they can
He hasn't dropped them, forgot them or anything
It's just too heavy for Superman to lift

Since Warner Bros. removed all their video content from YouTube in a hissy fit a couple of years ago, it's damn near impossible to find a video for you to sample, but here's a TV performance from the year of Bulletin's release.

4. Magneto and Titanium Man- Paul McCartney & Wings
Everybody knows about this one, from 1975's Venus and Mars (are Alright Tonight) album. Sir Paul namechecks not only Magneto and Titanium Man, but another Iron Man adversary, the Crimson Dynamo, in what amounts to yet another silly love song, albeit one with a nice Jimmy McCullough guitar solo. Sample it here. The McCartneys and helpmates also famously (well, in comics circles anyway) met Jack Kirby on the subsequent 1976 Wings Over America tour.

5. Elton John- Dan Dare (Pilot of the Future)
John and Bernie Taupin namecheck the British comics stalwart in a pretty fun tune from his 1975 Rock of the Westies release. Not to beat my own drum, but go here for more. To listen, go here.

6. The Kinks- Plastic Man
OK- this 1969 cut, which first saw US release on the notorious Reprise cash-grab 1973 kompilation The Great Lost Kinks Album (after the band had signed with another label; they were not consulted or amused and sued to have it deleted)- doesn't actually have anything to do with Jack Cole's pliable Eel O'Brien; actually, it's Ray Davies once again pointing out a fellow who is living a drab, ordinary, menial existence a la "Shangri-La", "Mr. Pleasant", and the like. It rocks quite nicely in its music-hall way, and inexplicably not a success when released in the UK as a single in '69. Go here and judge for yourself. The Kinks would later namedrop more comics characters in the late 70's, such as Captain America ("Catch Me Now I'm Falling") and of course Superman ("Wish I Could Fly Like...").

7. Donovan- Sunshine Superman
Another well-known superhero namedrop-fest slash love song, in which the groovy 60's troubadour mentions not only Kal-El but Green Lantern as well. You've all heard this one, I'll bet, but if not, well, here's another YouTube link!

8. (Whatever Happened to the) Teenage Dream- T.Rex
From 1974's UK-only album Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow comes this track, which mentions the Silver Surfer in the course of Marc Bolan's free-associated lyrics, which mostly deal with looking back to a simpler time. "Teenage" was pretty much the last go-round for what had been thought of as the "T.Rex Sound", i.e., howling guitar solos, lush strings, and a vaguely 50's-style doo-woppish melody married to Bolan's often odd lyrics. Marc had pretty much renounced this approach a year earlier, with the gospel/soul touches of the Tanx album, though, and this was not a hit, released as a single in Britain as the public and press had begun to tire of "T.Rextasy". Youtube! Since Zinc was not released in the US at the time, and Reprise in America had dropped T.Rex, "Dream" ended up seeing issue in the US on a late-1974 compilation album titled Light of Love (which combined Zinc tracks with Bolan's Zip-Gun tunes) on Casablanca Records, which later became prominent via KISS and Donna Summer. Didn't help Marc's commercial fortune, though. Marc also namedropped Dr. Strange in the lyrics to his 1971 Electric Warrior cut "Mambo Sun".

9. Puffy Amiyumi- Teen Titans Theme
The J-Pop duo, formerly known as "Puffy" but renamed with the addition of the girls' names in order to avoid confusion with Sean Combs, were approached to record the theme song for Cartoon Network's new animated series, which was overtly anime-inspired and starred the DC Comics superteam. Puffy's ace in the hole was their producer-songwriter Andy Sturmer, late of the sadly missed pop-rockers Jellyfish, and he constructed a rocking track that mixed elements of the old Johnny Rivers hit "Secret Agent Man" with the duo's charming vocals...and to many, this song was one of the highlights of the show's entire run. It also led to the girls getting their own toon show on CN, Hi Hi Puffy Amiyumi, about which the less is said the better. A fuller version ended up on their excellent 2003 release Nice. Watch!

10. Black Sabbath- Iron Man
This one, a classic from the early days of the legendary metal group, doesn't really seem to have anything to do with the Marvel Comics hero, instead dealing with a more generic sort of giant robot monster. ETA: David Wynne, in the comments, informs me that Sabs bassist Geezer Butler did indeed write the lyrics with Tony Stark in mind, but changed them around to avoid any copyright hassle (I suppose Marvel in 1969-1970 had a few lawyers to look out for). Thanks, Dave! Still, the lyric fudging didn't prevent the makers of the Iron Man movie from using the song in the end credits. Ozzy!

11. Crash Test Dummies- Superman's Song
A melancholy tribute to Clark Kent and his alter ego, by the band which everyone loved or hated, seems like there was no in between. For my part, I really liked "Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm". Viddy, o my droogies!

12. 10cc- Life is a Minestrone
Another of 10cc's typically wry and witty tunes, from 1975's The Original Soundtrack, which sports the following:

Minnie Mouse has got it all sewn up
She gets more fan mail than the Pope
She takes the mickey out of all my phobias
Like signing cheques to ward off double pneumonia

We also get a Minnie-like voice saying "C'mon, Pluto" after the first line. When these guys were hitting on all cylinders, I loved 'em. Mini-mini-mini-minestrone.

13. Blue Oyster Cult- Black Blade
OK- "More Cowbell! More Cowbell!" Happy? OK, now that that crap's out of the way, here's a hard-rocking cut which appeared on 1980's Cultosaurus Erectus album. Eric Bloom, the band's (mostly) lead singer, had been collaborating with writer Michael Moorcock on a handful of songs which saw release on several of their albums at about this time, and this one is (of course) a tribute to Moorcock's arguably most famous creation, Elric of Melnibone, and his ebony blade which stole the souls of those it killed. And yes, this qualifies- there have been many Elric comics over the years. In the mid-70's, writer David Kraft actually crafted a story arc of The Defenders by using concepts and ideas gleaned from BOC albums, especially 1976's Agents of Fortune. You can find almost anything on YouTube!

14. R.E.M.- Superman
From Life's Rich Pageant, another track which isn't specifically about Superman the comic book character, but someone who plans to use his imagined "superpowers" to keep tabs on the object of his affection. It speaks to how much of a cutural icon Superman is that his name has come to stand for any being with extraordinary abilities. A cover of a 1969 song by a group called The Clique, this one's tacked on to the end of the album, and comes across as sort of an afterthought- Mike Stipe didn't care to sing its admittedly stalkerish lyric, so he left it to Mike Mills, who contributed his first lead vocal to an R.E.M. album. Me, I like it- it's very catchy, with circus-like organ and hard-hitting guitar. Why stop linking to YouTube now?

15. Jethro Tull- Thick as a Brick
Tull's first album-length song suite boasts the following lyric:

So!
Come on ye childhood heroes!
Won't you rise up from the pages of your comic-books
your super crooks
and show us all the way.
Well! Make your will and testament. Won't you?
Join your local government.
We'll have Superman for president
let Robin save the day.

Yep, that's where the post title came from! British hero Biggles gets a mention later as well. Here's the rest of the words, co-credited to the fictional Gerald Bostock . Go here for a vid of Tull performing this in 1978.

And that's my 15! I know there are many, many, many more I've left off, including Wet Willie's "Comic Book Hero" (about, that's right, Superman), the Sensational Alex Harvey Band's cutesy 20's-Jazz-style "Sgt. Fury" (from The Impossible Dream, 1974), The Beatles' "(The Continuing Adventures of) Bungalow Bill" (The Beatles, 1968), in which Captain Marvel is described as zapping someone "right between the eyes- ZAP!"; Also, from Twitter: The Monkees' "Randy Scouse Git" (Micky refers to his girlfriend as "Wonder Girl") and "Oklahoma Backroom Dancer" ("She dances on air, just like Superman's child."), thanks to Johanna D. Carlson for those two; "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" by the Spin Doctors, and "Absurd" by Fluke, thanks to "Yes, that" Ted Naifeh; Biohazard- "Punishment", Henry Rollins- "Ghost Rider", "Sidekick"- Rancid (Wolverine), G//Z/R- Detective 27, Anthrax-"I Am The Law", Billy Connoly- "Supergran", thanks David Wynne; and Last Emperor- "Secret Wars Part 1 and Part 2", thx David Brothers; and "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugar Hill Gang, with its mention of "super-sperm" (SwanShadow).

If you know others, please list them in the comments!

ETA 9/16/09: How could I forget about Prince's "Batdance"!?! Anyway, I'd link to a video but I seriously doubt I could find one...

You know him, you love him, you can't live...aw, you know him, anyway, and Johnny Bacardi can also be found at his own blog, as well as on the Twitter.