What makes a "good" song title?

I like song titles that sound like clichés but aren't.

Like Meatloaf?

parentheses

Sounds Like A Cliché But It's Not (Baby)

yeah, i second parentheses.
and it must not be an apparent pun/joke.

Starting with the word "The".

Starting with the word "The"

...or A

Something which isn't actually in the song, but sounds like it could be.

Obscure hieroglyphs in place of text.

key to writing good lyrics:

references to satan, ancient greco-roman/judeo-christian and/or norse mythology, wizards/hobbits/orcs/trolls and other Tolkienesque sword and sorcery inagery, 50's/60's horror movies, science fiction, robots, utopias/dystopias, aliens and flying saucers.

also: songs about sexual prowess and life on the road and the horrors of war.

-- latebloomer (posercore24...), October 24th, 2005.

write what you know!

-- latebloomer (posercore24...), October 24th, 2005.

(same goes for titles)

song titles with colors in the title.

song titles with colors in the title.
Are you familiar with Ken Nordine? He wrote 34 of them!

Anything over 7 words is trying far too hard.

OK, noting all rules so far, the front runner is

Heaven 17, "... (and that's no lie)"

1. sound like clichés but aren't Check
2. parentheses Check
3. not be an apparent pun/joke. Check
4. Starting with the word "The" ... or A Check, oddly enough
5. Something which isn't actually in the song, but sounds like it could be. Check
6. Obscure hieroglyphs in place of text. No check, or are dots obscure hieroglyphics?
7. No underscores!!! Check
8. colors in the title. No check
9. Anything over 7 words is trying far too hard. Check

Oh you can waive my 7 words rule if you are Jim Steinman btw.

But Jim stein does try too hard.

Turning the song title into an acronym for no apparent reason.

Being "Sigmund Freud's Impersonation of Albert Einstein in America" helps a bit. There's no reason that more songs can't have this title; after all there are hundreds of "I Want You"s.

with the acronym rule as the 10th one, we have a "good song title machine" at work.
maybe we should check if the best song titles match the 10 mighty rules...

"some girls are bigger than others"

1. sound like clichés but aren't Check
2. parentheses No Check
3. not be an apparent pun/joke. Check
4. Starting with the word "The" ... or A No check
5. Something which isn't actually in the song, but sounds like it could be. No Check
6. Obscure hieroglyphs in place of text. No check
7. No underscores!!! Check
8. colors in the title. No check
9. Anything over 7 words is trying far too hard. No Check
10. acronym for no apparent reason No check

3/10 = bad song title..
next !

Should be "check" for 9. That's a 'dont' rule there.

oh, right.
4/10 then. still not good enough !

"Jane Fakes A Hug", "I've Made Enough Friends", "This Is Not What You Had Planned", "Everyone Chooses Sides", "Surprise Honeycomb", "Joneses Rules Of Sports", "Hats Off To Marriage Baby", "The House That Guilt Built" - I really like Wrens' titles

Possibly the greatest collection of titles on any (non-Anal Cunt) LP evah:

Dis - The Historically Troubled Third Album [Great LP title too!]

1 I'm Not Sagan 3:12
2 The Day We Danced in Your Swimsuit 1:59
3 Werewolves 2:53
4 Do All the Good Ones Have Muslim Names? 4:34
5 Hamartia, My Ass 2:00
6 Before Her Reformation 1:44
7 You May Get All the Ladies But I Got My Shit Together
8 Archivist of Smoke 1:40
9 Catch Me, I'm a Prick 2:18
10 Suddenly, Everyone's a Smoker 3:40
11 West Allis Book of the Dead 1:28
12 Another Friend You Fuck 2:38
13 Here's to Evil, Clink 3:28
14 Please Stop Blaming Your Personal Problems on Films
15 Mother of Mercy

Amazing. Wonder what they sound like?