Salinger Feedback: Bananafishbones/The Cure, and More

In response to last week's re-posting of our Catcher in the Rye song list, a number of readers weighed in with additional musical references to author J.D. Salinger, who died on January 27th.  Most of them bend our Ground Rules, but they're fun anyway.

JustinBoston reminded us that The Cure's 1984 album The Top features a song called Bananafishbones. Robert Smith, the band's primary songwriter, confirmed the song's connection to Salinger's story "A Perfect Day for Bananafish," from his collection Nine Stories, in an issue of the fanzine Cure News: "the title, for some no-reason, from 'a perfect day for bananafish' - a short story by j d salinger .. again me hating myself..." [Capitalization and punctuation courtesy of Mr. Smith and Cure News].

Vanessa Wieland wrote to say "Pre-My Chemical Romance, the rhythm guitarist was in a band called Pencey Prep.  They had a song called The Secret Goldfish."  The guitarist in question is Frank Iero.  The name of the band and the name of the song both derive from The Catcher in the Rye.  Pencey Prep is the fictional school from which Holden Caulfield is expelled; and "The Secret Goldfish" is the title of a short story referred to in the novel, written by Holden's brother D.B.  The song appears on the band's 2001 album Heartbreak in Stereo.

Anonymous pointed out that the 2005 debut album from We Are Scientists is called With Love and Squalor--a reference to Salinger's story "For Esmé with Love and Squalor," available in the Nine Stories collection.

thevoiceofenergy points out that a song called Polar Bear, from Ride's 1990 album Nowhere, mentions Salinger's Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters. The same story lent its name to "a delightful Chicago-based band," according to Adam.

Michial recalled a song by the Old 97's called Rollerskate Skinny, from the 2001 album Satellite Rides. The song's title comes from Holden Caulfield's description of his sister, Phoebe, in The Catcher in the Rye: "She's quite skinny, like me, but nice skinny. Roller-skate skinny. I watched her once from the window when she was crossing over Fifth Avenue to go to the park, and that's what she is, roller-skate skinny."

Chris Kubica called attention to the name of Lisa Loeb's band--Nine Stories--and to an album by the Winona Ryders called J.D. Salinger.

Finally, Paul Wilner suggested a song called "My Foolish Heart," from the 1949 film of the same name--the only film to date to be based on Salinger's writing (it was adapted from his story "Uncle Wiggly in Connecticut," another selection from Nine Stories).  The song was nominated for an Academy Award and has been recorded by many artists; Paul favors Bill Evans' version.

Down/Pearl Jam, and more

Howard Zinn, who died on January 27 at the age of 87, is probably best known as the author of A People's History of the United States, published in 1980. However, he wrote more than twenty books altogether, including a 1994 autobiography called You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train. The title comes from a line Zinn used in his teaching to get his students to understand that they would be getting his point of view in the classroom.  "I didn't pretend to an objectivity that was neither possible nor desirable," he wrote in the book.  "Some were baffled by the metaphor. . . . Others immediately saw what I meant: that events are already moving in certain deadly directions, and to be neutral means to accept that."  The line appears in the lyrics of the Pearl Jam song Down, available on the 2003 album Lost Dogs, acknowledging the band's friendship with Zinn.  In a note on the Pearl Jam website, Eddie Vedder wrote of Zinn's passing: "We have lost a truly bright light, and a wisdom seemingly unparalleled.  Fortunately he has left us with a body of work so extraordinary that it will be drawn upon for centuries to come..."  Vedder also notes that Zinn "was a true and constant source of inspiration for myself and countless others.  For me, he was the true embodiment of hope...And a living reminder to keep that hope alive.  I'm so grateful for his friendship..."

System of a Down's song Deer Dance, from their 2001 album Toxicity, also references the title of Zinn's autobiography with the line We can't afford to be neutral on a moving train.  Another of the band's songs, A.D.D., from their 2002 release Steal This Album, features the line There is no flag that is large enough/To hide the shame of a man in cuffs--a reference to a famous line of Zinn's:  "There is no flag large enough to cover the shame of killing innocent people for a purpose which is unattainable."

Zinn himself is mentioned in the song Franco Un-American, from the 2003 album War on Errorism by punk band NOFX: I never looked around, never second-guessed/Then I read some Howard Zinn now I'm always depressed.

A 2005 album called You Can't Blow Up A Social Relationship by the band Resident Genius features twelve tracks:  Six songs and six audio excerpts from several of Zinn's lectures.

Finally, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train is the title of a documentary about Zinn, released in 2004.

J.D. Salinger 1919-2010

In honor of J.D. Salinger, who passed away yesterday at the age of 91, Classics Rock! is reprising our post from June 5, 2009--a roundup of songs about The Catcher in the Rye:

Green Day's Who Wrote Holden Caulfield? from their 1992 album Kerplunk, is named for the novel's protagonist. Apparently the book is a favorite of the band's lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong.

In answer to Green Day's query, Screeching Weasel released I Wrote Holden Caulfield on their 1994 album How to Make Enemies and Irritate People. The song includes the suit-provoking lines: I wonder if you'll ever come to realize what I always knew/I wrote Holden Caulfield and so did you.

The definitive statement on the question of authorship comes from the Shy Guys 2006 album Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, with their song J.D. Salinger Wrote Holden Caulfield.

The Guns 'N' Roses song "The Catcher in the Rye" appears on their Chinese Democracy album from 2008. It seems to have as much to do with John Lennon's murder as with Salinger's novel--Lennon's killer, Mark David Chapman, had a copy of The Catcher in the Rye in his possession when he was apprehended.

William Holden Caulfield, from Too Much Joy's 2005 album From All of Us to Both of You, includes the lyrics: I'm afraid of people who like Catcher in the Rye/Yeah I like it too but someone tell me why/People he'd despise say I feel like that guy.

Bodi Bill expresses a sentiment we can all get behind in their song I Like Holden Caulfield.

There are also songs called Holden Caulfield from a variety of artists, including Tom Freund, Stefan Couture and the Campfire Orchestra, Harris Eisenstadt, Paul Kotheimer, and the Green Pajamas.

Songs with the title Catcher in the Rye have been recorded by a number of artists as well.

Where Eagles Dare/Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden's 1983 album Piece of Mind features a song called Where Eagles Dare, based on the 1967 thriller by Alistair MacLean.  Or is it based on the 1968 film version?  Hard to tell--MacLean reportedly wrote the novel Where Eagles Dare at the same time he was writing the screenplay.  There are some differences between book and movie (most notably in the level of violence:  moderate in the novel, considerable in the film).  However, the characters and plot are essentially the same: During World War II, a group of commandos parachutes into Bavaria to rescue an American general who is being held by the Nazis in a seemingly unassailable castle, accessible only by cable car.  The song's lyrics reflect both the rising action of the story (They're closing in the fortress is near/It's standing high in the sky/The cable car's the only way in/It's really impossible to climb) and the thrilling climax as the heroes escape from the castle (The panicking cries the roaring of guns/Are echoing all around the valley/The mission complete they make to escape/Away from the Eagles Nest).  However, in MacLean's hands the straightforward rescue mission becomes complicated with multiple plot twists and surprises that the song couldn't hope to replicate.  On the other hand, the song features a vigorous performance by drummer Nicko McBrain that MacLean probably couldn't have pulled off.

Vendela Vida/Dinosaur Feathers

A recent headline in the publishing industry newsletter GalleyCat:  "Novelist Vendela Vida Immortalized in Indie Rock Song."  Editor Jason Boog describes how he came across Dinosaur Feathers' 2009 song Vendela Vida while browsing on a music blog and chased down band member Greg Sullo to find out more.  As it turns out, the song is named for Vida but it isn't actually about her.  "We started calling it Vendela Vida out of laziness I guess--because it's the first lyric basically," Sullo says.  "When I wrote the song, I had just seen her do a reading of one of her short stories at a benefit for 826NYC.  So the lyric at the beginning was informed partially by that reading."  Vida is a co-founder of 826NYC, a nonprofit devoted to nurturing creative writing skills in children ages 6 to 18.  She is the author of three books, most recently Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name (2007).  Her new book, The Lovers, is due out later this year.  She is married to writer/publisher Dave Eggers.