Songs about public libraries

 

  • At the Library by Lorraine King is pure library propaganda but none the worst for it – “at the library, it’s all for free…” .

    • Library Card by Melvil Dewey – “Everybody put your card up! Everybody put your library card up!”.
    • Boasting six inch characters dancing on books and the line “having fun is never hard if you have a library card is Shhhh (a song about libraries) by Sky Rocket Jack.

  • An absolutely brilliant and hilarious song about a novel way to save libraries but hardly for the easily offended – Do it in the Library by Jonny and the Baptists.


Library – Gecko.

I love the library – Bucky.

Save Hungerford Library from Steph Richardson

From the New York Public Library list (April 2017):

Karen Go-Betweens. “The Go-Betweens featured the twin talents of singer-songwriters Robert Forster and Grant McLennan. The group released 9 albums between 1981 and 2005. The Forster penned hymn to a librarian named Karen was the b-side to the group’s first single 1978’s Lee Remick. This song  is the only one I know that  praises a librarian’s readers advisory skills”

“Young Adult Friction” Super 8  – The Pains of Being Pure At Heart. “A lot of songs that mention libraries seem to be about things happening in the library that are not strictly study related. I couldn’t find a single song about, say, bibliographic instruction or collection development. But that’s OK. In their song “Young Adult Friction,” New York City indie-poppers The Pains of Being Pure at Heart sing about an activity taking place in the library that should not be taking place in a library. Sex and libraries in songs is a common theme. Characters are either hanging around the library before going somewhere to do their courting, or are hoping for a date (or more!) from the sexy librarian. The lyrics to “Young Adult Friction” refer to “stacks” and “microfiche,” and there is a pun on Young Adult Fiction, so bonus points to The POBPAH. Knowledge of library terms also suggests that this group might have spent some time in the reading room. ”

Library Rap” –  MC Poindexter and the Study Crew .”I ‘d not heard of MC Poindexter and the Study Crew, so I did some searching online. It would appear that this song  appears in the 1990s science fiction show Sliders, in an episode called Eggheads ”

Lost in the Library – St Etienne. Instrumental. But the title is library-related so it’s included.

Thee Ecstatic Library – Comet Gain.

At the Library – Green Day. “All life happens in the library. Green Day is not a band I am very familiar with despite their being much the most well-known act in this post. This song seems rather jolly. I say seems… the protagonist, too shy to talk to the girl he has a crush on, sees her leave the library with her boyfriend. But he’s not bitter…”

French Navy – Camera Obscura. Mentions a library in the first line.

Swinging London – Magnetic Fields. “This is another sweet song that involves a library. That people are going to libraries is what matters. ”

Library card – Frank Zappa. ” “Students must carry this card at all times” suggests some kind of authoritarian dystopia, as if the library card has ceased to be your free pass to a world of knowledge, and has become a means of control by the state …”

Lisa Librarian – Velocity Girl. “hero needs some inspiration to help him think of something to tell the librarian”

  • #1 written by Maggie
    about 6 years ago

    Brilliant! A serious topic enlivened with humour – love John Doughtery’s

  • #2 written by Adrian
    about 1 year ago

    Just thought you might like this Tracey Ullman clip

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