With his mastery of meter and an indisputable way with words, it’s no surprise that musicians flock to William Shakespeare for inspiration. Greats ranging from Lou Reed to Bob Dylan have drawn from the writer as an influence, and new blood like Titus Andronicus have even taken their name from one of his works. Today, the day rumored to be his birth date and one that surely is the day of his death, we’re taking a look at some of the more modern takes on his work in music.
10. Song: “Limelight” by Rush
Lines Most Inspired by Shakespeare: “All the world’s indeed a stage and we are merely players.”
The Inspiration: Rush may no longer be filling stadiums, but in its heyday of 1981 the band wrote a song about battling with success. “Limelight,” opens up with a paraphrase of a speech in Shakespeare’s As You Like It. The lyrics, which were written by the quiet-but-undeniably-smart drummer Neil Peart, came after the band’s success with albums like 2112 and Permanent Waves. Before that, the line was used for one of the band’s live albums, 1976’s All the World’s a Stage.
9. “Cordelia” – The Tragically Hip
Lines Most Inspired by Shakespeare:
“It takes all your power
To prove that you don’t care
I’m not Cordelia, I will not be there”
The Inspiration: Here’s another song inspired by characters featured in multiple Shakespeare plays. This time, the characters range from King Lear’s Cordelia to Macbeth. In the above reference, frontman Gordon Downie is referring to Cordelia’s ultimately forgiving ways at the end of King Lear, stating that he can’t be expected to do the same in his relationship gone sour.
8. “Miss Macbeth” by Elvis Costello
Lines Most Inspired by Shakespeare:
“And everyday she lives out another love song
It’s a tearful lament of somebody done wrong
Well how can you miss what you’ve never
possessed, Miss Macbeth?”
The Inspiration: Costello’s song, with a modern take on the title “Lady Macbeth,” paints the guilt-ridden now-Queen in a sensitive, almost relatable light.
7. “The King Must Die” by Elton John
Lines Most Inspired by Shakespeare:
“No man’s a jester playing Shakespeare
Round your throne room floor
While the juggler’s act is danced upon
The crown that you once wore”
The Inspiration: In a song that discusses a person falling out of power, Elton John eloquently references plenty of Shakespeare’s works including Julius Caesar (Caesar’s had your troubles) and Hamlet (Widows had to cry). And Bernie Taupin isn’t toying with the audience with the reference—John name checks Shakespeare in the first line “No man’s a jester playing Shakespeare ‘round your throne room floor” after playing some menacing, low piano chords.
6. “Titus Andronicus Forever” by Titus Andronicus
Lines Most Inspired By Shakespeare: “The enemy is everywhere.”
The Inspiration: Although it isn’t immediately clear from the lyrics in “Titus Andronicus Forever” that the words are based off of works of the playwright, the band’s name, song title and lyric selection showcase the influence. Drawing on one of Shakespeare’s least-loved plays Titus Andronicus, the band uses simple language to show war’s lasting presence across centuries, chanting “the enemy is everywhere” over and over again. And whether it’s set during Roman times (as the play is), The Civil War era (as the album is) or in modern day, the song’s abrasive approach and message is universal.