Superman used to represent "Truth, Justice, and the American Way"... but many are questioning whether that's still relevant, and the press have put that point to the new movie's director, James Gunn, a man who has clashed with Donald Trump in the past.
“I mean, Superman is the story of America,” Gunn says. “An immigrant that came from other places and populated the country, but for me it is mostly a story that says basic human kindness is a value and is something we have lost.”
Superman has also been called a "strange visitor from another planet", that planet being, of course, Krypton. I couldn't find any songs named after Kal El's home planet, but there were quite a few that mention its most famous (and deadly) mineral...
No: where he's from doesn't matter. At his best, Superman is an example to us all. To be better people. I'm not even a big Superman fan - I much prefer Spidey or Bats. But when he's done right, I still appreciate the moral to his story.
Quite a few songwriters choose Brian as a metaphor for the fine line between genius and madness. Take this one from Brendon Urie...
She said, "You're just like Mike Love But you wanna be Brian Wilson, Brian Wilson" Said, "You're just like Mike Love But you'll never be Dennis Wilson" And I said (Hey! Hey!) If crazy equals genius (Hey! Hey!) If crazy equals genius Then I'm a fucking arsonist (Hey!) I'm a rocket scientist (Hey! Hey!)
I used to think there was an answer In the music of my youth But I just read Brian Wilson's biography And now I know the truth Because his father never loved him And the band just wanted the money And Dennis was an alcoholic Who drowned looking for treasure And everyone who was around him Just gave him drugs and took his money He was dependent on social acceptance Just like every other human
Certain stars just appear effortlessly cool. Harry Belafonte was one of them. Actor, singer and close friend and confidant of Martin Luther King, Harry was a legend.
Let's see how he's remembered in the jukebox, starting with Tony Bennett, making up his own lyrics to a classic...
And if I never had a cent
I'd be rich as Harry Belafonte
With Barry Goldwater at my feet
On the sunny side of the street
Goldwater was a conservative Republican whom, I imagine, Harry had little time for.
Quite a lot of rappers name-drop Harry, understandably given his prominent civil rights activism over the years. Here's Black Thought from The Roots with Danger Mouse...
Ayo, don't even worry 'bout it, my legendary stylin'
Meanwhile, Aussie rockers The Church place Harry in very fine company...
Brian Wilson and William Tell We welcome you Harry Belafonte and Alexander Bell We welcome you Archangel Gabriel and Richard Hell We welcome And Tom Miller
Today belong to Joe Strummer though, who mentions Harry in not one, but two, of his tunes. Let's face it, if Joe Strummer namedrops you twice, you must be a legend.
Somebody's got to draw a line somewhere, And it might as well be Harry Belafonte
