Icarus imagery in contemporary popular music

Icarus imagery in contemporary popular music

Icarus imagery in contemporary popular music uses Icarus, a figure of Greek mythology to express artistic disengagement and isolation or "anomie".
*Phish's song "The Squirming Coil" states "I'd like to lick the coil some day. Like Icarus, who had to pay. With melting wax and feathers brown, he tasted it on his way down."
* The Iron Maiden album, "Piece of Mind" features a song titled "Flight of Icarus." [http://www.maidenfans.com/imc/?url=album04_pom/commentary04_pom&lang=eng&link=albums#track3]
* Joni Mitchell 1976 album "Hejira" describes the flight of Amelia Earhart "like Icarus ascending on beautiful foolish arms," in the song "Amelia".
*U.S. unsigned band, Perseco has a song titled "The Levitation of Icarus", and is planning to record a concept album with loose references to the story of Icarus. [http://www.myspace.com/persecoband]
* Clutch mentions Daedalus and speaks of Icarus in their song Mercury. "Daedalus, your child is falling and the Labyrinth is calling."
* Holden Caulfield's album "Can't Stop Now" refers to Icarus and the Fall of Icarus).
* Jason Wilson and Tabarruk have a song titled "Icarus' Lament (Don't Look Down)"
* Enter the Haggis has a song called "Icarus"
* U2 references Icarus in their song "Even Better Than the Real Thing" with this line: "We're free to fly the crimson sky; the sun won't melt our wings tonight."
* Queen's song "No One But You" makes a reference to the myth of Icarus - especially in the chorus with the line "they're only flying too close to the sun"
*Billy Talent's song "Cut The Curtains" by mentions Icarus in the lyrics "Now here seems our wax wings have melted away;And we've only been here for one day;My faith fades away"
* Welsh band mclusky wrote a song titled "Icarus Smicarus" featured on their 2004 LP The Difference Between Me and You Is That I'm Not on Fire, which also refers to the myth in question.
* Savatage released the song "Alone You Breathe" which compares their guitarist) Criss, who died in a fatal car accident, to Icarus.
* The song "Too Close To The Sun" from the 1996 Alan Parsons release "On Air" relates the escape of Daedalus and Icarus from the labyrinth of the minotaur.
* The Paul Winter Consort recorded an instrumental song called "Icarus", written by Ralph Towner, which appears on the album of the same name.
* Rock band Thrice recorded a song called The Melting Point Of Wax on their 2003 album The Artist in the Ambulance. Similarly, the group wrote a song, "Daedalus" on their upcoming "Air" album. The track tells of Icarus's preparation to fly and his eventual fall, as told from the point of view of Daedalus.
* The song "Just a man" by the band Faith No More features a reference Icarus.
* The rock band Kansas has recorded three songs referencing Icarus. Their 1975 album "Masque" contains a song "Icarus (Borne On Wings Of Steel)". In 2000 they recorded a song called "Icarus II" about a wartime pilot, and Carry On Wayward Son.
* In composer Adam Guettel's song cycle Myths and Hymns, there is a song about the rise and fall of Icarus.
* Jazz/rock group Ohm, fronted by former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland recorded an instrumental song "Icarus Falls" for their 2005 album Amino Acid Flashback.
* The Rush song "Bravado" mentions Icarus in the line, "If we burn our wings flying too close to the sun"
* The Hopesfall song "Icarus" on their 2004 release A Types
* On the album 'Only Just Beginning' by Jason Webley, has a song "Icarus"
* On the album "Evolve" by Ani DiFranco, has a song "Icarus" .
* Emperor has an "An Elegy of Icaros,"
* Trance producer Flutlicht has created two tracks about Icarus "Icarus" and "The Fall".
* The song "Wax" by The One AM Radio makes reference to the story of Icarus
* The song "Lacrimosa" by Regina Spektor briefly references Icarus -* The song "Austin to El Paso" by Ghost Mice
* On Swedish guitar virtuoso Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force album, there was an instrumental track called "Icarus' Dream Suite"
*In 1974 Led Zeppelin launched their own record label known as "Swan Song".
* Liam Lynch makes reference to Icarus in "Wax Wings" from his album "EEL"
* "Blinded" by Third Eye Blind mentions Icarus in the last verse; "Icarus is a not a t-shirt, nor a swan song, no, he is born again..."
* Goth Band "The Crüxshadows" has an unlyricised song "Daedelus Flight...Icarus Falls"
* Christian bandJars Of Clay refers to Icarus in their song "Worlds Apart"
* Argentine band Soda Stereo makes reference to Icarus in their song "En la ciudad de la furia"
* The song "Icarus Decimated" by metal band Eyes of the Betrayer uses Icarus and his life as a metaphor.
* Perfect Machines have a song named "Icarus Modulus," which contains the lyrics "With plastic wings tonight we are invincible"
* Angra have a song titled "Metal Icarus", which seems to be based strongly upon the myth.
* Marillion's "The Great Escape" a song off the 1994 album Brave refers to Icarus.
* Buffalo, NY band It Dies Today have a song titled "A Romance by the Wings Of Icarus".
* Nine Inch Nails alludes to this myth in the song "Somewhat Damaged"
* In Hot Chip's 2006 single "Boy From School"'s video clip shows a winged person flying towards the sun.
* Rock band Alesana's album is titled "On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax",
* Composer Eugene Kurtz wrote a solo flute work for Craig Goodman, "Icare", published by Les Editions Jobert, Paris.
* Goth project Black Tape for a Blue Girl has a song titled "For You Will Burn Your Wings upon the Sun" on their 1996 album Remnants of a Deeper Purity.
* Japanese rock band Pierrot sings about the legend of Icarus in their song Ikarossu, released on the album Finale.
* "Last Plane Out", the first single from Kevin Gilbert's band and album titled "Toy Matinee", contains the lyrics, "I'm not the guy who sings the hymns, no bleeding heart to mend; but I like the part where Icarus hijacks the little red hen."
* Long Island, NY hardcore band Fall Of Icarus
* The song 'Only Ashes' by Something Corporate contains the lyrics
* The Gov't Mule song "Blind Man in the Dark" on their album Dose references Icarus with the line
* Ralph McTell's album "Red Sky" features a song titled "Icarus survived the fall"
* The Indigo Girls song "Go" contains the lines "Did they tell you you would come undone / When you tried to touch the sun?".
* The Mutton Birds song "The Heater" has the lines "Come close and listen while I sing / I won't melt your precious wings".
* Race The Sun's song titled "To Icarus With All Sincerity" aside from the name makes various references to flying too close to the sun.
* New Model Army's song "Too Close to the Sun" contains a reference to Icarus in the lyrics "With melting wax and feathers falling / And far below the old world turning sad and slow."
* Xandria's song "Fire of Universe" contains the lines "I'm an angel / Born from the breath of life / An Ikarus / Burning and falling down."
* Canadian punk band released a song 'Hey Icarus', which makes references to the story of Icarus and many about his failing wings (eg. "You will look into the sun, and i know you've come undone, your soul is stained")


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