Musical spiders

October 1, 2012 8:37 PM

My family has an ongoing joke about finding the Christmas spider. Help me find songs that mention spiders!

The joke started to help my sister react more calmly when finding a spider in the newly cut Christmas tree - oh, don't worry, it's just the Christmas Spider! She's still afraid of spiders, but has taken well to a couple cutesy spider presents I've given her over the years. This year I'd like to make her a mixed CD of songs that have spiders in the lyrics. Doesn't have to be much of a reference - got the idea from one mention of spiders in a Neko Case song, Fever.

Not looking for scary Halloweeny creepy crawlies or too-cute itsy bitsy spiders. Ideally she'll listen to most of the CD before she notices what connects the songs.

posted by dorey_oh to media & arts (26 answers total)

The Who's Boris the Spider.
posted by scratch at 8:41 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Spider - They Might Be Giants
posted by Cosine at 8:42 PM on October 1, 2012 [2 favorites]

Ani Difranco's Deep Dish
posted by Perplexity at 8:46 PM on October 1, 2012

Lullaby by The Cure.
posted by Yma at 8:48 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Knuckles by The Hold Steady
posted by clearly at 8:50 PM on October 1, 2012

Any of the various Spider-Man Themes. Tenacious D does a good one. As do The Ramones.

Varuca Salt has a good takeon it too, but it's not exactly the theme song.

And of course there's always No Doubt's Spiderwebs.
posted by theichibun at 8:51 PM on October 1, 2012

Wilco's "Spiders"
posted by dismas at 8:53 PM on October 1, 2012

Ziggy Stardust
posted by Ironmouth at 8:57 PM on October 1, 2012

Jewel's "Sammy the Spider"
posted by ZabeLeeZoo at 9:17 PM on October 1, 2012

Spider Cider by Man Man.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 9:40 PM on October 1, 2012

Spiders - The Vapors
posted by Confess, Fletch at 10:09 PM on October 1, 2012

Joanna Newsom's "Have One On Me"
posted by hermitosis at 10:37 PM on October 1, 2012

How about searching a Lyrics website?
posted by anon4now at 10:42 PM on October 1, 2012 [1 favorite]

Rocks and Flowers - caspar babypants

Spider Web - Joan Osborne
posted by batmonkey at 10:46 PM on October 1, 2012

I love that book!!!

Not a song, I know, but maybe it could go with the CD?
posted by JuliaIglesias at 11:24 PM on October 1, 2012

Jim Stafford - Spiders and Snakes
posted by needs more cowbell at 11:43 PM on October 1, 2012

Alkaline Trio's "Tuck Me In" mentions spiders, but, uh, it's also horrifying.

Also, the Spider-Man theme would work well on a mix.
posted by NoraReed at 12:44 AM on October 2, 2012

Daddy Long Legs - Peter Skellern
posted by freya_lamb at 2:19 AM on October 2, 2012

Did you know there is a Ukrainian legend of the Christmas Spider? I have two sparkly spiderwebs and a spider ornament from a Ukrainian Church sale on my tree.

http://www.kraftmstr.com/christmas/books/spider.html
posted by mermayd at 4:08 AM on October 2, 2012 [3 favorites]

Martin Charnin's "Fly," from Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music.
posted by thomas j wise at 4:47 AM on October 2, 2012

"Story from North America" by Garrett Davis and Kirsten Lepore
posted by martinrebas at 4:47 AM on October 2, 2012

They Might Be Giants: "Spider" and "Spiderman Theme."
posted by MonkeyToes at 5:35 AM on October 2, 2012

Devendra Banhart - Little Yellow Spider
Brian Eno - Spider and I
Will Oldham/Palace Music - The Spider's Dude is Often There
Ron Hunt - Spiderap
posted by hydrophonic at 7:05 AM on October 2, 2012

MonkeyToes' a-capella Spiderman Theme, above, is not They Might Be Giants, but from the not dissimilar Canadian band "Moxy Fruvous."

Also, Spider Crawling by Oingo Boingo (written by band frontman Danny Elfman)
posted by Sunburnt at 7:46 AM on October 2, 2012

OK, songs with spiders in the lyrics but not the title, so you can be sneakier about it:

"Coming Around Again," Carly Simon (I know you said no cute itsy bitsy spiders but I always thought this one was so pretty)

"Dune Buggy," The Presidents of the United States of America

"Trouble," Coldplay

"Superhumans," Flaming Lips

"Man in the Middle," Abba

"On Fire," Eminem

"Electric Heart," Devendra Banhart

(Believe it or not, the last two have tiny mentions of Christmas also!)

All available on Amazon mp3. As always, shouts to the BEST lyrics search engine, http://lyrics.filestube.com/ (believe me, there's more).
posted by dlugoczaj at 8:46 AM on October 2, 2012

So many great suggestions! Currently thinking to go with 2 mixed CDs, one of obvious spiders, one more subtle. Also the book - thanks JuliaIglesias! Marking all the answers as best, as I'm sure to use most if not all the suggestions. You guys are great!
posted by dorey_oh at 9:33 PM on October 10, 2012