The Origins of Band Names

Kevorkian Logic · 06-01-2009, 08:36 PM

The Origins of Band Names-

I'm sure everyone knows why some of the bands they liked are named what they are named.

Over the next few weeks I am going to attempt to go through 75ish of my favorite/most well known. And pretty go over why they are named what they are.

I started this for my own entertainment about a week ago, and I decided some of y'all might be interested in it as well.

1. Black Sabbath

Black Sabbath started out as a cover band called Earth. They might have kept that name if they didn't learn they were going to a gig in which there would be another band called Earth. Upon learning that they decided to name their band after their first song Black Sabbath, a name that they had gotten from Boris Karloff's 1963 horror movie, Black Sabbath.

2. The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground is a book by Michael Leigh about S&M in America. There are two reports considering where they discovered this book, the first one reports that they found it laying on the sidewalk in New York, the second one that they found it in a trashcan in New York. Unsure about which report to believe

3. Pere Ubu

Ubu Roi is a play by Alfred Jarry written in 1893. It was one of the most important plays in the development of the Theatre of the Absurd. Pere Ubu is the main character in thhat play.

4. NOFX

The entirety of the band is meant to be anti-establishment punk (cliche). A rejection of all the stage whoha that goes around now. Allegedly the badn was inspired by the punk band "Negative FX," so they borrowed from the band's name as well

Kevorkian Logic · 06-01-2009, 08:37 PM

5. My Bloody Valentine

Conway had orignially wanted the name "Burning Pea****s," but in the end it was decided that the band would be named after the Candian Slasher film (recently remade in American) "My Bloody Valentine." Alledgedly they never had seen the film until it came out in American over the past year.

6. Swans

Extremely abrasive music, Gira decided on a name that was the antithesis to the type of music his band played. Therefore pretty graceful quiet white swans.

7. Bauhaus

Named after the German art movement, I think it's east German. Their original name was Bauhaus 1919, but due to the fact that no one said the 1919 part (rarely even themselves) it was later shortened to their current name

Lost Media · 06-01-2009, 09:00 PM

Papa Roach

Jacoby ( I think it's his) grandpa's last name was Roach, and they called him Papa Roach

333 · 06-01-2009, 09:20 PM

Nice thread, Kevork. Do The Doors.

Antonio · 06-01-2009, 09:21 PM

Between the Buried and Me

The band's name is derived from a section of lyrics in Counting Crows’ song "Ghost Train": "Took the cannonball down to the ocean/Across the desert from the sea to shining sea/I rode a ladder that climbed across the nation/Fifty million feet of earth between the buried and me".

333 · 06-01-2009, 09:25 PM

^ Nice one. Droppin' some knowledge on us. Ohh ****.

Kevorkian Logic · 06-01-2009, 09:29 PM

As requested by 333

8. The Doors

Like a surprising majority of bands The Doors name came from the poet William Blake. William Blake was one of the core poets who made up the Romantic Age in England, and was greatly inspired by both the French and the American Revolution.

The line that inspired Morrison to name the band The Doors was this-

"if the doors of perception are cleansed, everything would appear to man as it truly is, infinite.

***Wiki cites that Morrison was inspired by the author Aldous Huxley from the book about drug experimentation The Doors of Perception. "There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors." I have never heard that story before and do not really believe it, but am including it in attempt to keep this as accurate as possible

Stone Birds · 06-01-2009, 09:31 PM

Iron & Wine

The name Iron & Wine is taken from a dietary supplement named "Beef Iron & Wine" that Sam beam found in a general store while shooting a film

can you do Bright Eyes i'm very curious of why Conor chose this

lucifer_sam · 06-01-2009, 09:32 PM

Jethro Tull is named after Jethro Tull.

weird.

Kevorkian Logic · 06-01-2009, 09:37 PM

well, when Jethro Tull first started everyone thought they were terriable and wouldn't rebook them or book them at all, so they kept changing their name around. Their name just happened to be Jethro Tull at the time when they were asked for the first time to return to a venue. Apparently they hate the name.

06-01-2009, 08:36 PM	#1 (permalink)
Kevorkian Logic Imperfectly Perfect Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,290	The Origins of Band Names The Origins of Band Names- I'm sure everyone knows why some of the bands they liked are named what they are named. Over the next few weeks I am going to attempt to go through 75ish of my favorite/most well known. And pretty go over why they are named what they are. I started this for my own entertainment about a week ago, and I decided some of y'all might be interested in it as well. 1. Black Sabbath Black Sabbath started out as a cover band called Earth. They might have kept that name if they didn't learn they were going to a gig in which there would be another band called Earth. Upon learning that they decided to name their band after their first song Black Sabbath, a name that they had gotten from Boris Karloff's 1963 horror movie, Black Sabbath. 2. The Velvet Underground The Velvet Underground is a book by Michael Leigh about S&M in America. There are two reports considering where they discovered this book, the first one reports that they found it laying on the sidewalk in New York, the second one that they found it in a trashcan in New York. Unsure about which report to believe 3. Pere Ubu Ubu Roi is a play by Alfred Jarry written in 1893. It was one of the most important plays in the development of the Theatre of the Absurd. Pere Ubu is the main character in thhat play. 4. NOFX The entirety of the band is meant to be anti-establishment punk (cliche). A rejection of all the stage whoha that goes around now. Allegedly the badn was inspired by the punk band "Negative FX," so they borrowed from the band's name as well __________________ "it is only through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect that a certain type of perfection can be attained"

06-01-2009, 08:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
Kevorkian Logic Imperfectly Perfect Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,290	5. My Bloody Valentine Conway had orignially wanted the name "Burning Pea**s," but in the end it was decided that the band would be named after the Candian Slasher film (recently remade in American) "My Bloody Valentine." Alledgedly they never had seen the film until it came out in American over the past year. 6. Swans Extremely abrasive music, Gira decided on a name that was the antithesis to the type of music his band played. Therefore pretty graceful quiet white swans. 7. Bauhaus** Named after the German art movement, I think it's east German. Their original name was Bauhaus 1919, but due to the fact that no one said the 1919 part (rarely even themselves) it was later shortened to their current name __________________ "it is only through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect that a certain type of perfection can be attained"

06-01-2009, 09:29 PM	#7 (permalink)
Kevorkian Logic Imperfectly Perfect Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,290	As requested by 333 8. The Doors Like a surprising majority of bands The Doors name came from the poet William Blake. William Blake was one of the core poets who made up the Romantic Age in England, and was greatly inspired by both the French and the American Revolution. The line that inspired Morrison to name the band The Doors was this- "if the doors of perception are cleansed, everything would appear to man as it truly is, infinite. ***Wiki cites that Morrison was inspired by the author Aldous Huxley from the book about drug experimentation The Doors of Perception. "There are things known and things unknown and in between are the doors." I have never heard that story before and do not really believe it, but am including it in attempt to keep this as accurate as possible __________________ "it is only through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect that a certain type of perfection can be attained"

06-01-2009, 09:31 PM	#8 (permalink)
Stone Birds myspace.com/stonebirdies Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Conor Oberst Was/is Here Posts: 1,401	Iron & Wine The name Iron & Wine is taken from a dietary supplement named "Beef Iron & Wine" that Sam beam found in a general store while shooting a film can you do Bright Eyes i'm very curious of why Conor chose this __________________ Silk & Tree Records //\\//\\/\\/\/\/\\\\\\\\///\/\/\/\/\\////\/\\\\\///\V //\\//\\/\\/\/\/\\\\\\\\///\/\/\/\/\\////\/\\\\\///\V soundcloud.com/stonebirds [Link removed by mod, no advertising] ... Damn those mods are always gettin ya :)

06-01-2009, 09:32 PM	#9 (permalink)
lucifer_sam Unrepentant Ass-Mod Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 3,921	Jethro Tull is named after Jethro Tull. weird. __________________ first.am

06-01-2009, 09:00 PM	#3 (permalink)
Lost Media Groupie Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3	Papa Roach Jacoby ( I think it's his) grandpa's last name was Roach, and they called him Papa Roach

06-01-2009, 09:20 PM	#4 (permalink)
333 Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 965	Nice thread, Kevork. Do The Doors.

06-01-2009, 09:25 PM	#6 (permalink)
333 Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 965	^ Nice one. Droppin' some knowledge on us. Ohh ****.

06-01-2009, 09:37 PM	#10 (permalink)
Kevorkian Logic Imperfectly Perfect Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 1,290	well, when Jethro Tull first started everyone thought they were terriable and wouldn't rebook them or book them at all, so they kept changing their name around. Their name just happened to be Jethro Tull at the time when they were asked for the first time to return to a venue. Apparently they hate the name. __________________ "it is only through a limitless accumulation of the imperfect that a certain type of perfection can be attained"