Famous Painters in Popular Songs

The day of April 13 is always a special one, even if it happens to fall on a Friday. That day usually brings in the warm weather that eludes us for the first two weeks of spring. The regular season has begun for Major League Baseball, and even the most unpromising clubs are still in the pennant race.

Another important event occurred on the 13^th of April in 1870. The Metropolitan Museum of Art was incorporated in New York, which was the first significant step toward art appreciation in our young country. When I read about the Museum's early history in an article in The Times, I ruminated on the awe I feel each time I enter a museum of art.

I decided to combine my appreciation for art with another of my favorite forms of expression, music. The result of that combination is a list of songs that mention famous painters in the lyrics.

10. "Like a Rembrandt" by The Badlees: I'm not much of a fan of rap music, but I have always admired this song for mentioning one of my favorite painters. The lyrics contrast how special the guy wants his love to be with that of the common nondescript romances surrounding him.

9. "Picasso Moon" by The Grateful Dead: The track has the typical laid-back rhythm of most Dead material, and the lyrics are filled with vivid imagery. I like the chorus, which pays homage to the painter: "Picasso moon, shattered light/Diamond bullets ripping up the night."

8. "Da Da Dali" by Todd Rundgren: The title is sung to the rhythm of "Too Too Tootsie," showing that Runt can blend a little humor with his appreciation for creativity. The artwork for the album cover resembles the style of Dali, and in the video for "Time Heals" Rundgren used the artist's classic painting The Persistence of Memory.

7. "Camouflage" by Third Eye Blind: This beautiful track from the Blue album, offers an appreciation for the artists known for his pointillism, George Seurat. In the chorus Stephan Jenkins sings, "Be a dream in color even on a winter's night/ Thinking George Seurat, afternoon bathed in light."

6. "Biggest Bordertown" by Bob Neuwirth: The folk singer is better-known as Bob Dylan's pal in the film, "Don't Look Back." He himself though has recorded some good music, especially the 99 Monkeys album, of which this song is the highlight. The town in the title is New York, a place where "Jackson Pollock did a dance across the Brooklyn Bridge."

5. "Expatriate" by Loudon Wainwright: The legendary singer-songwriter here admires the post-impressionist Paul Gaugin. Wainwright dreams about emulating the painter, singing "Like Gaugin I'm going to go to Tahiti." He also mentions marrying a native girl, making the song a perfect fit on album called More Love Songs.

4. "Jokerman" by Bob Dylan: Of the many historical allusions Dylan makes in this track from his underrated Infidels album, one that fits here is about the painter of the Sistine Chapel. In the third verse Dylan says, "In the smoke of the twilight on a milk-white steed, Michelangelo indeed could've carved out your features."

3. "Goodbye Toulouse" by The Stranglers: The heavy new wave band performs an ode to the post-impressionist Toulouse Lautrec on their album Rattus Norvegicus. One of the rumors about the 4'7" painter is that he hypertrophied (very large) genitals, but British band admires the "cafes (that) tell the tale of saddened millionaires" so distinguishable in his artwork.

2. "Vincent" by Don McLean: The second most famous song from the American Pie album shows McLean's deep appreciation for Vincent Van Gogh. Besides the "Starry, Starry Night," McLean also points out "ragged men in ragged clothes" that show the painter's compassion.

1. "Andy Warhol" by David Bowie: Bowie was probably drawn as much by Warhol's lifestyle as he was by his Campbell's soup paintings. The result from the attraction is a great acoustic song that accompanies his ode to Bob Dylan on the excellent Hunky Dory album.