Photography music?

September 19, 2007 7:31 PM

Looking for songs about photography

or that have photography as a big part. I teach photography and would like a fun soundtrack. I have:
Kodachrome- Paul Simon
Picture Book --
Click Click Click Click

I want MORE! Help me out. Bonus love for links.

posted by cccorlew to media & arts (53 comments total)

Def Leppard's "Photograph"
Flock of Seagulls "If I had a Photograph of YouOUou..."
The Cure "Pictures of You"
J Geils "Centerfold"
posted by nkknkk at 7:33 PM on September 19, 2007

Just remembered the Flock of Seagulls song is called "Wishing"... and is now stuck in my head for the rest of the night. Thanks!
posted by nkknkk at 7:36 PM on September 19, 2007

Hold It, Flash, Bang, Wallop
(lyrics here)

Photograph by Ringo Starr
(lyrics)
posted by Oriole Adams at 7:36 PM on September 19, 2007

Spoon - I Turn My Camera On
posted by iconomy at 7:38 PM on September 19, 2007

Embarrassing that this is the first thing that comes to my mind, and it's a bit of a stretch, but: "Girls on Film", Duran Duran.

Stretching it further: "Centerfold", J. Giels Band.

"Into the Lens", Yes.

"Photograph", Def Leppard.
posted by Flunkie at 7:39 PM on September 19, 2007

Duran Duran - Girls on Film (you didn't say they had to be good songs)
posted by iconomy at 7:39 PM on September 19, 2007

Filter - Take My Picture
The Who - Pictures of Lilly
posted by iconomy at 7:42 PM on September 19, 2007

Death Cab for Cutie - Photobooth
(sorry I keep commenting but I keep remembering one more after I hit Post)
posted by iconomy at 7:43 PM on September 19, 2007

Rio by Duran Duran has some lyrics about model shoots and some SLR noises.
posted by antipasta_explosion at 7:45 PM on September 19, 2007

Oops -- sorry, iconomy had it, I was thinking of Girls On Film.
posted by antipasta_explosion at 7:46 PM on September 19, 2007

Bill Janovitz & Crown Victoria - I Found These Pictures
posted by puritycontrol at 7:52 PM on September 19, 2007

Camera by Wilco from the album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Non Photo Blue by Pinback off album Summer in Abbadon
posted by robotot at 7:55 PM on September 19, 2007

People Take Pictures of Each Other -- Kinks
Picture Book -- Kinks
Yawning or Snarling - The Tragically Hip
posted by neustile at 8:02 PM on September 19, 2007

Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends Theme:

Time it was, and what a time it was it was
A time of innocence
A time of confidences
Long ago, it must be
I have a photograph
Preserve your memories
They're all that's left you
posted by ottereroticist at 8:03 PM on September 19, 2007

Fountain of Sorrow - Jackson Brown
Looking through some photographs I found inside a drawer
I was taken by a photograph of you
There were one or two I know that you would have liked a little more
But they didn't show your spirit quite as true

You were turning round to see who was behind you
And I took your childish laughter by surprise
And at the moment that my camera happened to find you
There was just a trace of sorrow in your eyes
posted by madamjujujive at 8:16 PM on September 19, 2007

A bit obscure - but catchy - Camera Shy - The Lucksmiths
posted by Wolfie at 8:26 PM on September 19, 2007

"Camera" by Pavement
posted by travosaurus at 8:28 PM on September 19, 2007

My Camera Never Lies by Bucks Fizz.
posted by wannalol at 8:32 PM on September 19, 2007

Photograph - The Aluminum Group
This is Not a Photograph - Mission of Burma
Turning Japanese - The Vapors
Fotographia - Elis Regina and Tom Jobim
posted by hydrophonic at 8:36 PM on September 19, 2007

Time Lapse Photography by A Thorn For Every Heart
Camera by REM
posted by blaneyphoto at 8:41 PM on September 19, 2007

There's at least one wonderful poem by Ogden Nash called Waiting for the Birdie

Some hate broccoli, some hate bacon
but I hate having my picture taken
How could your family claim to love you-
And then demand a picture of you?

That's sort of the flavor of it there.
posted by pjern at 8:47 PM on September 19, 2007

Tom Waits-Picture in a frame
posted by Snoogylips at 9:00 PM on September 19, 2007

Not at all trying to be snarky, but have you tried Google? If you Google the words (not phrase) "photo songs" you will find several pretty good threads devoted to this topic as the first few hits.
posted by phoenixy at 9:07 PM on September 19, 2007

Steely Dan, Peg. (Not a song I like, but responsive to the question.)
posted by ClaudiaCenter at 9:29 PM on September 19, 2007

Photograph by Air from Pocket Symphony
posted by mikeand1 at 9:46 PM on September 19, 2007

"Camera Song" - Happy Supply
posted by juniper at 9:47 PM on September 19, 2007

Not at all trying to be snarky, but have you tried Google?
Yep, but sometimes people know find cool stuff that is less direct than the actual words I'd search on. Hive mind and all that. Plus, I really like the links, which some posters included.
posted by cccorlew at 10:00 PM on September 19, 2007

Saint Etienne's The Bad Photographer is a better song than the lyrics suggest.

Totally seconding the Aluminum Group and Air suggestions from above - both gorgeous songs.

R.E.M. have both Camera and Photograph.

The Bird & The Bee have a cute, They Might Be Giants-esque little electro-bubblegum number called I Hate Camera that's pretty terrific.

Also in the electro-pop domain, Depeche Mode's Photographic.

So many more in the canon, but these are songs I'd actually recommend.
posted by mykescipark at 10:37 PM on September 19, 2007

I Am a Camera - originally recorded by The Buggles, and then by Yes.

The above video is Yes & members of The Buggles playing it together.
posted by Poolio at 10:58 PM on September 19, 2007

I found a picture of you
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-ohhh-oh-oh
Those were the happiest days of my life

The Pretenders, Back On The Chain Gang
posted by fandango_matt at 10:59 PM on September 19, 2007

"Breathe Me" by Sia. Not a song about photography, but with a music made from a few thousand Polaroids.

http://www.collider.com.au/webclips/sia_large.mov
posted by Xere at 11:25 PM on September 19, 2007

*with a music video
posted by Xere at 11:25 PM on September 19, 2007

Freeze Frame by the J. Geils Band
posted by Myself at 11:39 PM on September 19, 2007

Blue Money by Van Morrison
posted by Ironmouth at 12:10 AM on September 20, 2007

Kitchens of Distinction, "Polaroids":
These damn pictures
I could forget things so quickly
but they're always here
and I cannot throw memories away
Here comes the sickler with his brand-new polaroids
posted by xil at 12:17 AM on September 20, 2007

"Photograph" by Weezer

"Of Montreal" by The Stills includes the lines:
The night's so happy
The bass drum heavy
The photo glossy
The people pretty
posted by good in a vacuum at 2:08 AM on September 20, 2007

Jobim's Desafinado:
English version (George Michael):
I took your picture with my trusty Rolleiflex
And now all I have developed is complex

More links: here, here
posted by mi at 2:43 AM on September 20, 2007

"Eye Camera," Richard Davies, on the really very amazing album Telegraph. Also Camper Van Beethoven do a cover of Ringo Starr's "Photograph" on Vampire Can Mating Oven.
posted by methylsalicylate at 3:49 AM on September 20, 2007

I woke up this morning with Supermodel (you better work!) by RuPaul stuck in my head for no apparent reason. I can only imagine that somehow my brain knew this question would be here.
posted by lampoil at 3:57 AM on September 20, 2007

Family snapshot- Peter Gabriel
Photo Shop- Ian Anderson
posted by Gungho at 4:27 AM on September 20, 2007

In Penny Lane there is a barber showing photographs
Of every head he's had the pleasure to know.
And all the people that come and go
Stop and say hello.
posted by trip and a half at 5:43 AM on September 20, 2007

(Oh, crap. Cut and pasted the first google results without reading carefully. I'm pretty sure it's: "Of every head he's had the pleasure to have known...")
posted by trip and a half at 5:47 AM on September 20, 2007

Too many cameras
And not food
This is what we've seen
Driven to Tears
Driven to Tears
posted by grateful at 6:59 AM on September 20, 2007

Peg by Steely Dan
I've seen your picture
Your name in lights above it
This is your big debut
Its like a dream come true
And when you smile for the camera
I know they're gonna love it

I like your pin shot
I keep it with your letter
Done up in blueprint blue
It sure looks good on you
So wont you smile for the camera
I know I'll love you better

Peg
It will come back to you
Peg
It will come back to you
Then the shutter falls
You see it all in 3-d
Its your favorite foreign movie
posted by safetyfork at 7:07 AM on September 20, 2007

I swear I did find on Peg and the Dan. Sorry for the double answer.
posted by safetyfork at 7:08 AM on September 20, 2007

Let Me Take Your Photo by the Speedies. It's on I-tunes for a listen.
posted by kimdog at 7:08 AM on September 20, 2007

Photo Jenny - Belle and Sebastian
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 7:40 AM on September 20, 2007

Oh, and "Fotografia" - Juanes and Nelly Furtado, if Spanish language is ok.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 7:42 AM on September 20, 2007

in project polaroid by kool keith he raps about photoshop
posted by yeahyeahyeahwhoo at 7:57 AM on September 20, 2007

You've already got "Picture Book," so I suppose you've also got "People Take Pictures of Each Other"?

The Cure - Pictures of You
posted by Reggie Digest at 8:06 AM on September 20, 2007

John Mayer - 3x5

Though it's about how he's NOT taking pictures, so you may not actually want to use it.
posted by natabat at 8:29 AM on September 20, 2007

Gentlemen Take Polaroids by Japan
The Model by Kraftwerk

There was Aztec Camera but I don't know if they did any photography songs.
posted by jdfan at 11:44 AM on September 20, 2007

The Photo Song - Holger Czukay
posted by bink at 3:01 PM on September 20, 2007