TV Party Tonight! Songs About Television

Here are a few that come to mind:

* “Satellite of Love” by Lou Reed
* “TVOD” by The Normal
* “Yr City’s a Sucker” by LCD Soundsystem
* “All Along the Watchtower”
* “Channel Zero” by Public Enemy

Hmm. Well, slightly off topic, I just heard the theme from Beauty and the Geek (“I’ve got the brain, you’ve got the looks, let’s make lots of money”) on the radio on my way back from lunch, which is apparantly some 80s song that I had never heard all the way through. Didn’t even know that it was a real song.

More on topic (songs ABOUT TV, right?): How about that Dire Straits song Money for Nothing? Don’t they have to move furnitures (including color TVs), and just wanna play guitar on the MTV?

Bad Religion has a song called “Television”, lyrics include:
“I’d take after my mother but she’s from a different generation,
I prefer my big brother he’s so gentle and understanding,
and I learn what I can from him by the television light,
so that when I’m all alone I know everything’s gonna be alright”

Bob Dylan, Talking TV Song: http://www.metrolyrics.com/tv-talkin-song-lyrics-bob-dylan.html

RHCP, Throw Away Your Television:
http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Throw-Away-Your-Television-lyrics-Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers/1BAF8B40566CBA2848256BE6001B58AF

Tim Goodman had posted “5 great lyrics about television” or something like that: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/detail?blogid=24&entry_id=4365

“since TV is such a big part of our lives, why aren’t there more songs about it?”

Because music is still by and large made by live-for-the-moment rebellious teens/twentysomethings, and nothing says live-for-the-moment rebellion like parking yourself down for an hour of mass-market product-sponsored television…

I mentioned it in the favorite song thread, but I still have a soft spot in my heart for The Presidents of the United States of America’s “Tiki God” – how can you go wrong with a song about the evil tiki idol from The Brady Bunch’s Hawaii episodes?

How about

TV Eye – Iggy & Stooges
Watching the Detectives – Elvis C.

Almost forgot the obvious:

99 Channels and Nothing On – Springsteen

“nothing says live-for-the-moment rebellion like parking yourself down for an hour of mass-market product-sponsored television.”

Yeah, that’s true, but there are plenty of folk, rock, & punk songs talking about how awful and brainwashy the TV is.

“Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits? “I want my, I want my, I want my MTV?”

Public Enemy, “She Watch Channel Zero?!”

I gotta go with OK Go’s “Television Television.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0ecJ24qyAE

“It’s always right, the fearless light in the dark of night.
Give up the world, give up your life ’cause you cannot fight the television.
Television, television…
Look at me hypnotized and half alive, maybe it’s four or five.
Some parts are sleeping, some parts are paralyzed.
Just one more minute…just one more minute…I think I’m almost in it.
Television, television.”

Hmm. Well, slightly off topic, I just heard the theme from Beauty and the Geek (“I’ve got the brain, you’ve got the looks, let’s make lots of money”) on the radio on my way back from lunch, which is apparantly some 80s song that I had never heard all the way through. Didn’t even know that it was a real song.

They lyric is from a classic Pet Shop Boys song, Opportunities (heres the video)

oops here’s the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnMiwRj_C7Y

Talking Heads, “Found a Job” — the rare song about making television shows.

“Who do you want to be today,
Who do you want to be…
Who do you want to be today,
Do you wanna be just like someone on TV?
Just like somebody on TV!!!”

Gotta love Oingo Boingo.

Fun game, James!

Check out Dianne Reeves’s cover of “TV Is the Thing This Year.” (From the very good “Good Night, and Good Luck” soundtrack album.)

Click here to listen.

Originally recorded by Dinah Washington.

Last night I was watchin’ old Tom Mix,
My new TV broke and I was in a fix…

Atom and His Package – Mustache TV

“It’s the mustache, it’s the mustache
Put it on the T.V screen, it’ll make you feel better
It’s the mustache, it’s the mustache
Put it on the T.V screen, it’ll make you feel better

I have a piece of Scotch tape and a Sharpie pen
I’m drawing on the mustache from end to stupid end
With the sticky side down in the middle of the s**t
Improving television on the space above the lip”

It’s not just a good song, it’s excellent advice.

How about “57 Channels and Nothing On” by Springsteen…