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Posted on Jul 28, 2013

Shakespeare's iPod: If Shakespeare had an iPod, he'd most likely have these tracks playing...

Shakespeare's plays often have songs and are known for their lyrical quality. Lorenzo, in "The Merchant of Venice," states the importance of music and wisely warns against those who don't love music: The man that hath no music in himself, Nor is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils; The motions of his spirit are dull as night And his affections dark as Erebus: Let no such man be trusted. Mark the music. (5.1.91-7) Shakespeare was obviously a lover of music, and the characters, plots, and themes of his plays have inspired operas, ballets, musical theatre, and classical pieces. Here are some modern rock and pop songs inspired by Shakespeare. If Shakespeare had an iPod, he'd most likely be listening to these tracks. Mark the Music!

by shakesstandard

Community Contributor

America's great modern bard, Bob Dylan, has often turned to the Bard over the years for inspiration. His song "Desolation Row" is a compendium of literary characters--including Ophelia and Juliet.
"Now Ophelia, she's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her, death is quite romantic"
Plays: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, (and many non-Shakespearean literary allusions as well) — youtube.com / Via youtube.com

America's great modern bard, Bob Dylan, has often turned to the Bard over the years for inspiration. His song "Desolation Row" is a compendium of literary characters--including Ophelia and Juliet.
"Now Ophelia, she's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her, death is quite romantic"
Plays: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, (and many non-Shakespearean literary allusions as well)

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

America's great modern bard, Bob Dylan, has often turned to the Bard over the years for inspiration. His song "Desolation Row" is a compendium of literary characters--including Ophelia and Juliet.
"Now Ophelia, she's 'neath the window
For her I feel so afraid
On her twenty-second birthday
She already is an old maid
To her, death is quite romantic"
Plays: Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, (and many non-Shakespearean literary allusions as well)

Canada's (unofficial) national band give us a great, bluesy take on some good old fashioned roguery, Cordelia's loyalty, and defying the Scottish play curse.
"Treading the boards, screaming out Macbeth
Just to see how much bad luck you really get"
Plays: King Lear, Macbeth — youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Canada's (unofficial) national band give us a great, bluesy take on some good old fashioned roguery, Cordelia's loyalty, and defying the Scottish play curse.
"Treading the boards, screaming out Macbeth
Just to see how much bad luck you really get"
Plays: King Lear, Macbeth

youtube.com / Via youtube.com

Canada's (unofficial) national band give us a great, bluesy take on some good old fashioned roguery, Cordelia's loyalty, and defying the Scottish play curse.
"Treading the boards, screaming out Macbeth
Just to see how much bad luck you really get"
Plays: King Lear, Macbeth

The neo-folk British band Mumford and Sons borrows heavily from the "Sigh No More" song of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" to prove that indeed 'man is a giddy thing.'
"Sigh no more, no more
One foot in sea, one on shore
My heart was never pure
You know me
You know me
But man is a giddy thing"
Play: Much Ado About Nothing — youtube.com

The neo-folk British band Mumford and Sons borrows heavily from the "Sigh No More" song of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" to prove that indeed 'man is a giddy thing.'
"Sigh no more, no more
One foot in sea, one on shore
My heart was never pure
You know me
You know me
But man is a giddy thing"
Play: Much Ado About Nothing

youtube.com

The neo-folk British band Mumford and Sons borrows heavily from the "Sigh No More" song of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" to prove that indeed 'man is a giddy thing.'
"Sigh no more, no more
One foot in sea, one on shore
My heart was never pure
You know me
You know me
But man is a giddy thing"
Play: Much Ado About Nothing

The Velvet Underground frontman reimagines the star-crossed lovers as young rockers on the rough streets of New York City.
"Caught between the twisted stars
the plotted lines the faulty map
that brought Columbus to New York
Betwixt between the East and West"
Play: Romeo and Juliet — youtube.com

The Velvet Underground frontman reimagines the star-crossed lovers as young rockers on the rough streets of New York City.
"Caught between the twisted stars
the plotted lines the faulty map
that brought Columbus to New York
Betwixt between the East and West"
Play: Romeo and Juliet

youtube.com

The Velvet Underground frontman reimagines the star-crossed lovers as young rockers on the rough streets of New York City.
"Caught between the twisted stars
the plotted lines the faulty map
that brought Columbus to New York
Betwixt between the East and West"
Play: Romeo and Juliet

John's Children, a 1960's mod band, featuring a young Marc Bolan (or T. Rex fame) were banned from the radio for the bawdy lyrics of their Othello-inspired classic.
"Desdemona just because you're the daughter of a man
He may be rich, he's in a ditch, he does not understand
Just how to move or rock and roll
To the conventions of the young "
Play: Othello — youtube.com

John's Children, a 1960's mod band, featuring a young Marc Bolan (or T. Rex fame) were banned from the radio for the bawdy lyrics of their Othello-inspired classic.
"Desdemona just because you're the daughter of a man
He may be rich, he's in a ditch, he does not understand
Just how to move or rock and roll
To the conventions of the young "
Play: Othello

youtube.com

John's Children, a 1960's mod band, featuring a young Marc Bolan (or T. Rex fame) were banned from the radio for the bawdy lyrics of their Othello-inspired classic.
"Desdemona just because you're the daughter of a man
He may be rich, he's in a ditch, he does not understand
Just how to move or rock and roll
To the conventions of the young "
Play: Othello

Great 1980's rock band Dire Straits take on the themes of "Romeo & Juliet," in a song often covered by other bands.
Sample lyrics:
"Juliet when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die
And there's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?"
Play: Romeo and Juliet — youtube.com

Great 1980's rock band Dire Straits take on the themes of "Romeo & Juliet," in a song often covered by other bands.
Sample lyrics:
"Juliet when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die
And there's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?"
Play: Romeo and Juliet

youtube.com

Great 1980's rock band Dire Straits take on the themes of "Romeo & Juliet," in a song often covered by other bands.
Sample lyrics:
"Juliet when we made love you used to cry
You said I love you like the stars above, I'll love you till I die
And there's a place for us, you know the movie song
When you gonna realise it was just that the time was wrong Juliet?"
Play: Romeo and Juliet

Another Velvet Underground alumnus, the Welsh rocker John Cale, turned to "Macbeth" for his own take on Shakespeare.
"Welcome home Macbeth
It's been a long long time
And everyone knows you're here
It's easy to see they care"
Play: Macbeth — youtube.com

Another Velvet Underground alumnus, the Welsh rocker John Cale, turned to "Macbeth" for his own take on Shakespeare.
"Welcome home Macbeth
It's been a long long time
And everyone knows you're here
It's easy to see they care"
Play: Macbeth

youtube.com

Another Velvet Underground alumnus, the Welsh rocker John Cale, turned to "Macbeth" for his own take on Shakespeare.
"Welcome home Macbeth
It's been a long long time
And everyone knows you're here
It's easy to see they care"
Play: Macbeth

The Portland band is known for its literary allusions, and "The Island" does not disappoint with its references to "The Tempest."
"In the lowlands, nestled in the heat
A briar cradle rocks it's babe to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax"
Play: The Tempest — youtube.com

The Portland band is known for its literary allusions, and "The Island" does not disappoint with its references to "The Tempest."
"In the lowlands, nestled in the heat
A briar cradle rocks it's babe to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax"
Play: The Tempest

youtube.com

The Portland band is known for its literary allusions, and "The Island" does not disappoint with its references to "The Tempest."
"In the lowlands, nestled in the heat
A briar cradle rocks it's babe to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax"
Play: The Tempest

This band from Milan gives Ophelia chance to tell her ill-fated love story.
"When I fall in love I get dizzied.
I fall out there's just dirt to dish,
a memory to drown me in."
Play: Hamlet — youtube.com

This band from Milan gives Ophelia chance to tell her ill-fated love story.
"When I fall in love I get dizzied.
I fall out there's just dirt to dish,
a memory to drown me in."
Play: Hamlet

youtube.com

This band from Milan gives Ophelia chance to tell her ill-fated love story.
"When I fall in love I get dizzied.
I fall out there's just dirt to dish,
a memory to drown me in."
Play: Hamlet

A perfect, folksy song for a hangover of Falstaffian proportions, Wainwright incorporates both Shakespearean lines and verses that just sound authentically Shakespearean to craft this dirge.
"Give me a capon,
And some roguish companion,
A wench, and a bottle of sack.
Take me to the ale house,
Take me to the whore house.
If I vomit, keep me off of my back."
Play: 1 Henry IV — youtube.com

A perfect, folksy song for a hangover of Falstaffian proportions, Wainwright incorporates both Shakespearean lines and verses that just sound authentically Shakespearean to craft this dirge.
"Give me a capon,
And some roguish companion,
A wench, and a bottle of sack.
Take me to the ale house,
Take me to the whore house.
If I vomit, keep me off of my back."
Play: 1 Henry IV

youtube.com

A perfect, folksy song for a hangover of Falstaffian proportions, Wainwright incorporates both Shakespearean lines and verses that just sound authentically Shakespearean to craft this dirge.
"Give me a capon,
And some roguish companion,
A wench, and a bottle of sack.
Take me to the ale house,
Take me to the whore house.
If I vomit, keep me off of my back."
Play: 1 Henry IV

UK activist, punk, poet, and generally awesome guy, Billy Bragg turns Lady Macbeth's insult against Macbeth's manhood into love lyrics:
"I love you
I am the milkman of human kindness
I will leave an extra pint "
Play: Macbeth — youtube.com

UK activist, punk, poet, and generally awesome guy, Billy Bragg turns Lady Macbeth's insult against Macbeth's manhood into love lyrics:
"I love you
I am the milkman of human kindness
I will leave an extra pint "
Play: Macbeth

youtube.com

UK activist, punk, poet, and generally awesome guy, Billy Bragg turns Lady Macbeth's insult against Macbeth's manhood into love lyrics:
"I love you
I am the milkman of human kindness
I will leave an extra pint "
Play: Macbeth

Barney Jeffries's "Readers recommend: songs about Shakespeare – results" UK Guardian. 14 Feb. 2013. Web.

Folger Shakespeare Library's "Play On: Songs Inspired by Shakespeare." Folger Shakespeare Library. Web.

Bill DeMain's "11 Popular Songs That Reference Shakespeare." 11 July 2012. Web.

Thumbnail Image of "The Shakespeare Band" via "Mrs. DeRap's Online Class." 17 mar. 2010. Web.

"William Shakespere." Comment on Shakespearean Songs. Facebook. 13 July 2013. Web.

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