in the lyrics or title. This is a special request from the good lady wife. So far, all I've got are:

The Tragically Hip "Poets"
Ryan Adams "Sylvia Plath"
Dramarama "In Quiet Rooms" (lyrics: "in quiet rooms, young girls writing poetry")

Any others?

Peter Laughner "Sylvia Plath" (was Ryan Adams' version a cover of this?)
John Cale "Graham Greene" (was he a poet?)
Syd Barrett "Golden Hair" (doesn't mention him, but the lyrics are a poem by James Joyce)
The Smiths "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" ("Did I ever tell you you write such bloody awful poetry?")

As far as I know he only wrote novels.

The best I can do is suggest a track from Pete Shelley.

Wooden Soldiers: Henry David Thoreau
Alice Cooper: Levity Ball

Found another one:

Lowest of the Low "Subversives" ("and like the poet-soldier says, I would spill my blood for you")

Oh shee-it, how could I forget:

Velvet Underground "Sweet Jane" ("riding in a Stutz Bearcat, Jim/ those were different times/ all the poets studied rules of verse and all the ladies, they rolled their eyes")

Television Personalities: A Picture Of Dorian Gray

T.Rex "Telegram Sam" ("Bobby's all right, he's a natural born poet, he's just outta sight)

What's the poetry reference in that one, Billz?

"I sat down at the stairway seven hours at a time
Writing all of this poetry that I knew would never rhyme"

Noice!

Lucinda Williams "Sharp Cutting Wings (Song To A Poet)"

What about songs that are music set to famous poems? John Otway does a killer send-up of Longfellow's "The Highwayman".

i can't remember her name but the song is called "old fasioned morphine" and goes "it was good enough for billy buroughs"

I'll have to check with the judge. What about John Cooper Clarke? Surely he mentioned the word "poo-etry" a few times? I just can't think of one.

And Morphine? They must've had a song about a poet or poetess or summat.


Jolie Holland. But I don't know if the judge is gonna accept Burroughs as a poet.

Keep 'em coming.

Smiths - Cemetary Gates "Keats and Yeats are on your side
while Wilde is on mine"

Poetry Man - Phoebe Snow (or the Zap Mama cover, which is pretty good until Michael Franti shows up doing a ridiculous Jamaican loveman bit)

Tangled Up in Blue - Bob Dylan
She opened up a book of poems and handed it to me
Written by an Italian poet from the 13th century
And every one of them words rang true and glowed like burning coal
Pouring off of every page like it was written in my soul
From me to you
Tangled up in blue

You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go - Bob Dylan
Something about Verlaine and Rimbaud

The Dangling Conversation - Simon & Garfunkel
The Poem on the Underground Wall - Simon & Garfunkel
Not only do they mention poets or poetry, but the lyrics are both perfect examples of embarrassing teenage poetry. (Simon was a crappy lyricist for the first 3 S&G albums, as far as I'm concerned.)

Patti Smith must have something about poets.

Oh yeah:

Mercy Street - Peter Gabriel
The lyrics are based on Anne Sexton poems

That's what I think as well - but damned if I can remember any off hand.

Thanks for the suggestions, Lump. Your post reminded me of another: Van Morrison "Tore Down a la Rimbaud"

It's not the one I was thinking of (I swear I can hear her saying "Rimbaud"), but there's a song called "My Blakean Year" on Trampin'.

They Might Be Giants "I Should Be Allowed to Think" heavily quotes and misquotes Ginsberg's "Howl."

Paul Westerberg's "Crackle And Drag" is about Sylvia Plath and named after her last poem.

"Golden Slumbers" by The Beatles is based on this Thomas Dekker poem, "Golden slumbers kiss your eyes":

Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake you when you rise.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock, lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep you;
You are care, and care must keep you.
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock, lullaby.

Doesn't one of those songs on Spiderland have something to do with "Rime Of The Ancient Mariner"?

"Rime Of the Ancient Mariner" - Iron Maiden

I thought of one! Not that you'll like it...

Morrissey - 'Sister, I'm A Poet'

Luna "California All the Way"

"If you don't stop quoting Rod McEwen in your postcards,"

Luna "Tiger Lily"
"If you gonna read your poetry aloud to me, I'll have to show you to the door"

Bob Dylan "Yr. Gonna make me lonesome when you go"

"Verlaines and Rimbauds"

Sonic Youth - Hits of Sunshine (for Allen Ginsberg)

Cornershop - When the Light Appears Boy (lyrics written and performed by Allen Ginsberg)

Belle & Sebastian - Like Dylan In the Movies (if you consider Bob a poet, as well as a songwriter - I do)