Songs about drummers

I was playing a Monochrome Set compilation and "J.D.H.A.N.E.Y" came on, a tribute to their drummer, light hearted and affectionate but cool with it. And I was thinking of other songs about drummers, either in the band performing or another band. I could only think of "Moulty" from the Nuggets album, but I'm sure there must be more out there.

(If this has been discussed before then whoops, but I did search and couldn't find anything close).

Wilco, "Heavy Metal Drummer" obvs

Although not really.

LOCK THREAD.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXvCYo912O8

Pete Gavin - drums (born Peter Leslie Gavin, 8 September 1946, Lewisham, South East London)

The Chills - I Love My Leather Jacket is about their drummer who died of leukaemia.

Third verse of Bob Dylan "yea! heavy and a bottle of bread"

West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, Our Drummer Always Plays in the Nude

... not actaully about their drummer but it's a good title

Mike Watt's "Fireman Hurley"

Zappa's written some songs about his (various) drummers I think?

Pavement, "Westie Can Drum." But again, not really.

"He Ain't Heavy, He's My Drummer"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4amXzCzENQ

'funky drummer' duh

surely apollo 440 must be given a mention here !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcHx0SAzRRA

Beastie Boys, "Sabotage" ("I'm Han Bennik when I fly off the handle.")

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mO-KOhHUkw

Little boy: "When I grow up I wanna be a drummer."
Mother: "Sorry son, you can't do both."

hahaha @ Bennink

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSgTMBZA5ZY

Tonight - The Drummer Man

Stone Roses - "She Bangs the Drums" (is this really about a drummer? wtf is this song about?)

(Moe Tucker)

David Bowie & Bing Crosby

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4VuUBI5gtw

At least a couple songs on Crowded House: Alone Together should be about drummer Paul Hester - as a person not a drummer - at least in part.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Barbarians_(band)

A later, minor hit, entitled "Moulty," was a humorous and melodramatic autobiographical song chronicling the drummer's life and the loss of his hand. Moulton sang lead on the track, but instead of the original members, he was backed by New York session musicians including members of Levon (Helm) & The Hawks, later to be known as The Band. Although it barely scraped the Billboard charts, the song would gain a cult following when it was included on Lenny Kaye's Nuggets compilation in 1972,

also like half a dozen James Brown songs

Is "Makes No Sense At All" about Grant Hart?

"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" and probably a few other Culture Club songs from that era

Is "Makes No Sense At All" about Grant Hart?

― trebek sajak iii (cwkiii), Wednesday, October 31, 2012 10:59 AM (58 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

How about "Friend, Youve Got to Fall"

Miles Davis: "Mr Foster" and "Mtume" (if Mtume counts".

Holger Czukay - "Hey Baba Reebop" (if Mtume counts)

the ultimate: http://clone.nl/item15827.html

Daevid Allen & Hramer - Song For *Robert

(*Wyatt)

... that's Kramer not Hramer (whoever he may be)

"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" and probably a few other Culture Club songs from that era

― push iatee (some dude), Wednesday, October 31, 2012 3:02 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

^^ Came in here to post pretty much the above! ^^

Roger Daltrey, "Under a Raging Moon"

Big Star - "You Can't Have Me"

the drummer said you were not very clean
the drummer said you were not very clean
and I know what he means

Jefferson Airplane, "Lather"

Nancy Sinatra, "Drummer Man" (afik not about an actual drummer but name-drops Ringo)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9Nb0KaT3b8

The Who's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," written by John Entwistle about Keith Moon's drunk vs. sober states.

Sonic Youth - "Tunic (Song for Karen)"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXvoWexGn0o

Camper Van Beethoven - Where The Hell Is Bill

I never knew that about The Chills!

Sonic Youth - "Tunic (Song for Karen)"

― 50 Skidillion Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, October 31, 2012 6:59 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ohhhhhhhhh sharp

pavement - cut yr hair

Pretty much any Art Blakey record.

"Moe Tucker" Jesus and Mary Chain, though the lyrics aren't too specific...

Another Robert Wyatt song, this time it's him singing about himself

Soft Machine - Why Am I So Short?

Lindsey Buckingham - Bwana (about Mick Fleetwood's African album The Visitor)

Dead Milkmen "Ringo Buys a Rifle"

Todd Rundgren - bang the drum all day?

Candido - "Thousand Finger Man"

Bohannon - Bohannon's Beat

pavement - westie can drum

"no westie you cannot drum"

Pete Gavin is one of the best drummers ever. Reading through posts here and there, I noticed misinformations along the www. To those who care to know, here are some fun facts.
Peter was born on 9.8.'46. Now since he was born in the UK, that means he was born on August 9.1946. Also, Gavin is not his given name. It is merely a Nom de plume.

Jandek - John Plays Drums

Cher - Ringo I Love You

"The Little Drummer Boy" obvs

The Who, "Wasp Man":

The origins of this "Waspman" comes from a late-1960s incident aboard one of The Who's many horrible plane flights.

During some white-knuckle turbulence, Moon and a groupie escaped to the bathroom. Shortly after, Moon burst forth with the groupie's bra wrapped over his head and announced, "I'll save you! I'm Wasp Man!" In addition to writing this song, Keith Moon also bought a wasp costume and wore it whenever the mood struck him.[3]

david welsh - rock drummer

Amy Rigby "Give the Drummer Some"

Have we addressed "Drummer Boy" from the movie "Strike up the Band"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxiACPtyg6o

See the bit around 2:05 where the rest of the band chants "swing it, brother, beat that hide," which always amused me.

When this topic comes up I find myself looking for lyrical scraps that tangentially mention druns (like in "Money for Nothing," "banging on the bongos like a chimpanzee").

Also songs that mention military drumming, marching drums, and metaphorical drums leading spcial movements.

Richard Shindell has a song called "Arrowhead," about a Civil War drunmer boy. I have heard Charles Ives's musical setting of a poem about the Salvation Army founder that goes "Booth led boldly on his big bass drum."

Alan Vega, "Ice Drummer"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GnLtfDSAYQ

Steeleye Span, "Female Drummer"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3UTMA4E5Ik

I've just read the opening post so ignore those two posts - although don't because they're both great tracks.

Regarding drummers as celebrities, about whom someone may have feels, it's interesting that I can't think of any songs that are "about" Ringo Starr. Or Phil Collins and his place in the culture. Someone has probably written something about Don Henley but why would they say so?

Levin Helm: Marc Cohn has a song called "Listening to Levon," which I have heard but which I will not embed because it is simply not a good song.

Shawn Colvin has a song called "Mr. Levon" that is not about Mr. Helm as far as I can tell.

The Culture Club situation has been addressed upthread.

Ella Fitzgerald does an ad-lib shout out to Chick Webb once or twice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIQ8coQX9mg

I assume Morrissey has written about Mike Joyce at some point.

"Drumming Is My Madness" by Ringo Starr, written about and for him by Harry Nilsson.

Lindsey Buckingham - Bwana (about Mick Fleetwood's African album The Visitor)

Lindsey also wrote "Wrong" about Mick Fleetwood - criticizing his memoirs, not his drumming.

Can't get the old embeds to work so no idea if this was already mentioned but:

Me and Paul - Willie Nelson