Six Songs about Comic Books and Superheroes

New York Comic Con took place this past weekend. The event brought thousands of fans to the city to hear about the latest news in comic books, gaming, film and television, meet their favorite stars, purchase limited edition merchandise and cos-play as their favorite characters.

As many superhero characters have worked their way into our collective cultural consciousness, so too have they worked their way into music culture. There have been many songs written about the likes of Batman, Superman and others over the years. Some have been written to coincide with films made about said characters. Other times it’s because a character makes sense associated with their work.

Vinyl Bay 777, Long Island’s music outlet, has collected a list of rock artists who have written about comic book characters. Here are six songs that bring their character subjects to life.

1.       Ramones, “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker”: Most people are aware of the Ramone’s version of the “Spider-man” theme song. But what less people know is that their single “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” is also about a comic book character. Sheena, Queen of the Jungle was created by Fiction House in the late 1930s and was the first female character to have her own comic book title. Joey Ramone said in the booklet for ‘Hey! Ho! Let’s Go’ that he combined the character, who grew up in the jungle and fought slave traders, hunters and wild animals, with the “primalness of punk rock.” (video)

2.       Prince, “Batdance”: Written for the 1989 film ‘Batman,’ “Batdance” combines electronic elements with dialogue from the film and the original Batman theme. The song isn’t just about the Batman though, as there is just as much Joker dialogue as there is from the titular hero. (video)

3.       Queen, “Flash”: Queen wrote “Flash” in 1980 as the theme song for the film version of ‘Flash Gordon,’ which was originally a sci-fi comic strip by King Features. The song praises the hero who is “just a man” but “stands for everyone.” Pairing the theatrical bravado of Queen’s music with the film works well, as the song is just as campy as the film. (video)

4.       Anthrax, “I Am the Law”: One of those rare songs written about a comic book character that wasn’t commissioned for a film, Anthrax released “I Am the Law” in 1987 as a single from their album ‘Among the Living.’ The song is about ‘2000 AD’ character Judge Dredd, the vigilante “street judge” who would capture, convict and sentence criminals. “I Am the Law” captures the character’s story well and with the hardcore thrash metal grit it deserves. (video)

5.       Smashing Pumpkins, “The End Is the Beginning Is the End”: Frontman Billy Corgan  wrote “The End” as a musical challenge for himself, telling MTV back in 1997 that “for me, it was a great kind of artistic thing to do because it was very freeing. I wasn’t talking about myself or trying to represent the Smashing Pumpkins. I was trying to represent Batman.” A revised version was also used in the film version of the graphic novel ‘The Watchmen,’ which also works because the lyrics are more vague and dark than they are attached to the Batman himself. (video)

6.       Suicide, “Ghost Rider”: Inspired by the Marvel hero with the flaming head and motorcycle, Suicide’s “Ghost Rider” fawns over the character with lyrics that describe his appearance. The song’s low-sung darkness is broken up with Ghost Rider’s signature shriek. (video)

These are just some of the many songs written about comic books and superheroes. Such characters have been inspiring music for years and, in turn, songs like these, as well as films, have been able to make these characters part of popular culture and consciousness. Check these songs out and let us know what superhero songs you enjoy.

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Find music from these “super” artists and more at Vinyl Bay 777. As the top new independent record shop on Long Island, we have thousands of titles in various genres to choose from. Browse our wide selection of new and used vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, music DVDs and memorabilia in store at our Plainview location, or shop online at vinylbay777.com. With more titles being added to our selection all the time, you never know what kind of super finds you might uncover at Vinyl Bay 777.