Songs about a musician's death...before they actually died?

Okay, so this is going to be an esoteric and short list to be sure, but there's at least a few, er, pre-mortem eulogies by muscians about other musicians out there:



The Replacements - "Johnny's Gonna Die"

Johnny Thunders lifestyle seemed in imminent danger of catching up with him as early as The Replacement's debut album in '81, though Thunders wouldn't actually succumb to Too Much Junkie Business for another decade. Anyone know if he ever heard this song?

 

L.A. Style - "James Brown Is Dead"

Still very much alive in '91, this song made me go running off to check the newspapers to make sure I hadn't missed the Godfather of Soul kicking the bucket. Of course, when he eventually did pass away (good gawd!), what was the first thing to pop into my head? Something from his long, illustrious catalog of grade A funk and scintillating soul? Nope, this bit of techno weirdness from '91. Go figure.

Any others?

 

Hank

 

Not a specific song but the album (and it's cover) did tell a tale...

 

Chuck Willis (died shortly after this release)

 

"Crazy John," by Tom Paxton (1970), a note of support for John Lennon at the height of his political activism - it didn't predict his death exactly, but some of the lyrics seem depressingly prescient now:

Crazy John, why you wanna go back again?
Crazy John, talking with the desperate men?
You have to be crazy, John, for taking those chances,
When you could be lazy, John, just playing for dances.

 

"My Death" (Brel) - Scott Walker

 

Not really a musician, and not really about him being dead at the time. He was just outside, looking in. Timothy Leary.

The Moody Blues - Legend of a Mind

 

Keith Don't Go
by Nils Lofgren

 

The Who's "Mirror Door" mentions Doris Day among a list of deceased musicians. She's still alive.

 

Not sure if these self-references count:

The Who - My Generation ("I hope I die before I get old.")
Nick Drake - Northern Sky ("Would you love me 'til I'm dead?")

 

And by the same token, Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit in the Sky."

 

Woke Up This Morning and Found Myself Dead.

This title has appeared on posthumous Jimi Hendrix albums on various budget labels. I believe it's from a Scene Club performance in 1968. This material often shows up on albums featuring fake and doctored recordings. Still, it's a cool title.

 

Mojo

 

Well, Jeff Buckley's Grace is notorious for lyrical references to water, waves, death etc. Which is incredibly eerie considering how he died.

 

Nirvana - I Hate Myself and Want to Die
Colorfinger - Kill Jerry Garcia

 

"Rod Hull Is Alive...Why?" by Half Man Half Biscuit.

 

The End Of The End- Paul McCartney speculates on what he would like to happen on the day he dies.

Also, can't remember the specifics, but there's at least 1 (and maybe 100!) Elliott Smith songs foretelling his own demise.

 

"Alex Chilton" by the Replacements

 

Tex Ritter - "I Dreamed I Was There In Hillbilly Heaven" (aka "I Dreamed Of A Hillbilly Heaven")

 

The Beatles - Revolution #9

"Turn me on dead man"

 

warren zevon - keep me in your heart

james taylor - frozen man

 

Aren't the posts supposed to relate to songs about musicians who are now dead but were alive when the songs were recorded/released? Lots of posts about musicians who are still with us...

 

Got To Give It Up-Thin Lizzy
I believe Phil Lynott was telling us something.