To celebrate Women’s History Month (March), I thought we would talk about all those songs with women’s names in the title. There are thousands of them, many of them hits, and many of them that I have never heard of, although you may have. And it does seem that there are more oldies songs with women’s names in the titles, but that may just be because I am more familiar with oldies from the 50s and 60s!
According to my sources, Mary is the most common woman’s name used in a song title, although I cannot personally think of that many.
I never thought my name was in any songs; Arlene just doesn’t seem that lyrical to me. However, apparently there is a country song by Marty Stuart named Arlene. And the Tokens had a B-side doo wop song called A Girl Named Arlene. My name isn’t in the title of this one, but a few years ago, while listening to oldies with a friend, I heard my name four times in the difficult-to-understand lyrics of Who Do You Love by Bo Diddley.
Here is an alphabetical list of just some of the more popular songs with girls’ names in them. A few of the letters had only songs I had not heard of. This is not a complete list by any means!
A- Angie by the Rolling Stones, Alice‘s Restaurant by Arlo Guthrie
B- Barbara Ann by The Beach Boys, Billie Jean by Michael Jackson, Brandy by The Looking Glass
C- Cecilia by Simon and Garfunkel, Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond
D- Delilah by Tom Jones, Denise by Randy and the Rainbows, Donna by Ritchie Valens
E- Eleanor Rigby by the Beatles, Elenore by the Turtles, Come on Eileen by Dexys Midnight Rovers
F- Fanny by the BeeGees, Felicia by the Blues Traveler
G- Gloria by Laura Branigan, Gloria by Them
H- Happy Birthday Helen by Things of Stone and Wood (Huh???)
I- Izabella by Jimi Hendrix, Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls
J- Jolene by Dolly Parton, Judy Blue Eyes by Crosby, Stills, and Nash
K – (surprisingly tough to find because many times Cathy is spelled with a C) – Kim by Eminem, Kathy‘s Song by Simon and Garfunkel
L- Lucy in the Sky by the Beatles, Linda by Jan and Dean, Lucille by Little Richard, Layla by Derek and the Dominoes, Lola by the Kinks
M- Proud Mary by Tina Turner and Creedence Clearwater Revival, Mandy by Barry Manilow, Martha My Dear by the Beatles, Along Comes Mary by the Association
N- Darling Nikki by Prince
O- Ophelia by The Band
P- Dear Prudence by the Beatles, Peggy Sue by Buddy Holly
Q- Little Queenie by Jan Berry
R- Roxanne by The Police, Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac, Ruby (Don’t Take Your Love to Town) by Kenny Rogers
S- Run Around Sue by Dion, Long Tall Sally by the Beatles, Suzie Q by Creedence Clearwater Revival
T- Tracy by the Cufflinks
U- Ursula by Barclay James Harvest (?????)
V- Victoria by the Kinks
W –Windy by the Association, Wendy by the Beach Boys
X- My Sister Xanara by Emiel Van Egdom (?????)
Y- Dear Yoko by Jon Lennon
Z- Zelda by Pete Townsend
*NOTE: Yes, I know that song titles are enclosed in quotation marks. But that would be sooo many quotation marks. So, instead, I put the girls’ names in boldface. Poetic license!
Here’s To Women! And Music!
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