Crash Test Dummies' "Superman’s Song" vs. Five For Fighting's "Superman" vs. Laslo Bane's "Superman" vs. Laurie Anderson's "O Superman" vs. Eminem's "Superman"

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Or just, songs that mention Superman S/D; with "songs that mention Superman that get used as theme songs for television shows, C or D" as a sub-sub-question.

I must confess a soft spot in my heart for the Dummies song. Oddly mournful and slow for what became something of a novelty pop hit in ye mid-90s. I loathe, loathe, loathe the Five for Whatever song and never want to hear it ever again thank you very much. The Laslo Bane song is its own kind of bouncy fun but it's very rooted to Scrubs in my head so it will never be able to be considered as song qua song.

I confess that I don't know the other two well enough to say. I'm generally pretty indulgent toward Ms. Anderson, but I can't conjure up a specific memory of "O Superman"; I just know it's being discussed elsewhere in glowing terms.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Monday, 11 July 2005 12:49 (twenty years ago)

I don't know the Eminem. (And, P., I have the Laurie Anderson at home, and will play it for you tonight.)

Of the others, "O Superman" >>> Laslo Bane > Crash Test Dummies > Five for Fighting.

If you'd included Three Doors Down's "Kryptonite" -- "If I go crazy than will you still call me Superman" -- it would be after Five For Fighting.

― Lyra Jane (Lyra Jane), Monday, 11 July 2005 12:54 (twenty years ago)

XTC's "That's Really Super, Supergirl".

Laurie still trounces them all.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 12:55 (twenty years ago)

Three Doors Down's "Kryptonite"

Now that I think about it some more, "Pocket Full of Kryptonite" could well be thrown into the mix as well.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Monday, 11 July 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

Laurie Anderson "O Superman"
The Flaming Lips "Waiting for Superman"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:07 (twenty years ago)

Our Lady Peace, "Superman's Dead"

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:08 (twenty years ago)

I've never heard "O Superman" or even know who Laslo Bane is, but I know I like "Waiting For A Superman" and "Kryptonite." The rest, no.

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

This is turning out to be a weirdly big genre; surely DC Comics could put out a compilation CD.

― The Mad Puffin (The Mad Puffin), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

13 & God - "Superman on Ice"

― Robert Bell (robertbell), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:17 (twenty years ago)

I've never heard "O Superman"

And they let you write about music?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:22 (twenty years ago)

for money, bitch!

― miccio (miccio), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:26 (twenty years ago)

Well I love Laurie's song, but for songs that actually mention Superman thematically I'd have to go with R.E.M.'s "Superman" !

― Dare (Dare), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:34 (twenty years ago)

I'd have to go with R.E.M.'s "Superman" !

Isn't that a cover, by the way?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:36 (twenty years ago)

Another vote for R.E.M.'s "Superman."

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:41 (twenty years ago)

And Alex, how did you forget about Firewater's "So Long Superman"?

― j.lu (j.lu), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:42 (twenty years ago)

Ack!

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:43 (twenty years ago)

R.E.M.'s "Superman" is a cover of the Clique.

In any event, it beats all of these, including Laurie. Also, "Pocket full of Kryptonite" is beaten by all of these.

― Guayaquil, Monday, 11 July 2005 13:49 (twenty years ago)

The Clique, then Laurie A

― Dr Morbius (Dr Morbius), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:51 (twenty years ago)

Also, "Pocket full of Kryptonite" is beaten by all of these.

Not to be a pedant, but the song is actually called "Jimmy Olsen's Blues." The album was called Pocketfull of Kryptonite. Like it matters.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:52 (twenty years ago)

R.E.M. thirded or fourthed or fifthed. Then Laurie Anderson, then the rest.

― Ian Riese-Moraine: that obscure object of desire. (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

And I don't even like "O Superman"!

― Ian Riese-Moraine: that obscure object of desire. (Eastern Mantra), Monday, 11 July 2005 13:54 (twenty years ago)

Laurie Anderson
Three Doors Down
Eminem

the rest

― The Good Dr. Bill (The Good Dr. Bill), Monday, 11 July 2005 14:26 (twenty years ago)

Though it must be said that R.E.M./Clique's "Superman" seems seriously to misapprehend Superman's powers. "If you go a million miles away / I'll track you down, girl" -- how would Superman do that? He doesn't have a superpower that would allow him to track people at a great distance, such as a superhuman sense of smell. Perhaps the Clique was thinking of Wolverine?

― Guayaquil, Monday, 11 July 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

It's not "Superman," it's superman - a guy with superpowers. Rather like Mike Mills.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred Soto), Monday, 11 July 2005 14:52 (twenty years ago)

Why, then, does the song say, "I am, I am, I am superman," when your interpretation demands "I am, I am, I am _a_ superman?"

― Guayaquil, Monday, 11 July 2005 14:59 (twenty years ago)

Similar to Black Sabbath's inappropriate depiction of Iron Man.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Monday, 11 July 2005 15:15 (twenty years ago)

And what's more, BATMAN WAS NOT A SHERIFF!!!!

― Guayaquil, Monday, 11 July 2005 17:09 (twenty years ago)

Another vote for R.E.M.

Does anybody else think "O Superman" is absolutely fucking abysmal?

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Monday, 11 July 2005 17:12 (twenty years ago)

The Kinks' "Wish I Could Fly (Like Superman)", obviously.

― Jessie the Monster (scarymonsterrr), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

The Eminem track is so bad. I love Em, but he needs to leave the loverman stuff to someone else.

Also, "Superboy" by the Bears is pretty good.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 05:05 (twenty years ago)

Oh, and that Five For Fighting song almost made me kick in my car radio one night. Whatever else is on the list, that's on the bottom.

― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 05:05 (twenty years ago)

search: RAPPER'S DELIGHT.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 05:48 (twenty years ago)

Does anybody else think "O Superman" is absolutely fucking abysmal?

no.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 05:48 (twenty years ago)

"O Superman" is certainly unique enough, and the fact that it was an actual HIT FUCKING SINGLE in the UK will eternally astonish me. So I'll move it up a notch. Those g-d-awful Dummies and F.F.F. songs are among my most loathed in history, and as for Eminem and Lazlo, my reactions are "meh" and "Who?". So Laurie takes it, and only partly by default, 'cause I do like it for sheer weirdness! (Even tho I don't raeally know whatthe hell she's on about.) And the lyrics are particularly chilling, post-9/11.

Best song so far? I second Anthony's selection of the Our Lady Peace track. But the REM song is maybe my favourite of the dozen-odd songs of theirs that I actually like.

― Myonga Von Bontee (Myonga Von Bontee), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 06:08 (twenty years ago)

And what's more, BATMAN WAS NOT A SHERIFF!!!!

no, he was in fact a SCIENTIST.

― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 08:46 (twenty years ago)

Black Lace shits over all these

― Colonel Poo (Colonel Poo), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 10:09 (twenty years ago)

"Superman" by Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians is better than most of these sup-songs. Though the connection between Superman and the Holy Roman Empire is oblique at best.

Superman, superman, crunchy little superman/
Found you in a Corn Flakes box.

― Erik The Mainer (EZSnappin), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 10:11 (twenty years ago)

Wow, this is so goddamn generational.

The idea that any of these mildly pleasant pop songs are even in the same asteroid belt as O Superman, one of the most amazing, unlikely and surprisingly enduring (to my ears) art-world crossover moments in music history, totally boggles my mind.

And that's not an anti-pop sentiment, just that none of the Superman songs are especially great pop songs, even by the bands in question (XTC's Supergirl is really low in the XTC pantheon, for instance)while O Superman is def. a highlight of Anderson's work.

For listmaking's sake - Sufjan Stephens' "Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" seems like a strong late-season entry.

― carl w (carl w), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 18:52 (twenty years ago)

i like Superman, You're Crying by SJD

and Black Lace seconded!

clap your hands
sleep
wave your hands
hitch a ride
sneeze
go for a walk
lets see you swim
now ski
spray
macho man
sound your horn
ring the bell
ok
kiss
comb your hair
wave your hands
superman

― Slumpman (Slump Man), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 00:43 (twenty years ago)

"I Whupped Batman's Ass" > "I Whipped Superman's Ass" > "Birdman Kicked My Ass"

― marc h. (marc h.), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 01:39 (twenty years ago)

five months pass...

five superman is awesume it soo moving it tops alll and o superman is CRAP

― James Ratcliffe, Thursday, 22 December 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

That reminds me that Suicide, "Ghost Rider," is another worthy entry, though on the Marvel Comics side of things. And also, like the Clique's "Superman," covered by R.E.M.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 22 December 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

o superman

― petesmith (plsmith), Thursday, 22 December 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

The only reason "O Superman" was a hit was because John Peel played the hell out of it. That's why it went to #2 in the UK but it didn't do a thing over here.

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Thursday, 22 December 2005 16:19 (twenty years ago)

My Journalism teacher played "Superman's Song" because it was an example of a Personal Essay... My class is special!

― Tape Store (Tape Store), Thursday, 22 December 2005 17:43 (twenty years ago)

I agree with the sentiment above. The Kinks' "(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman" smacks holy hell out of 'em all.

― Terrible Cold (Terrible Cold), Thursday, 22 December 2005 17:45 (twenty years ago)

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