Best Songs With The Word “Down” In The Title
Are you looking for songs with down in the title? Then this is the right article for you as it ranks top choices of songs with down in the title. Explore with me!
Here are 19 songs with down in the title:
1. Down by 311
Ranking first on our list of songs with down in the title. This song was written by 311’s lead singer Nick Hexum and DJ S. A. Martinez as a thank you to their early fans for their loyalty and as a show of appreciation for their bandmates.
As soon as their second major label album Grassroots made the albums chart at #193 and received some radio play, 311 knew it was going to be a success for the group.
Hexum said in a Songfacts interview that “the momentum was building.” “We were aware that we were gaining traction, but it wasn’t due to the fact that we were media darlings or anything like that. It’s a ‘thank you’ to the band and to their followers.”
2. Down In A Hole by Alice in Chains
Jerry Cantrell penned this song in tribute to his longtime girlfriend, Courtney Clarke. This song captures the uncertainty and self-doubt that come with being in a relationship.
The lyrics, sung by singer Layne Staley, could be interpreted as a foreshadowing of his death from a drug overdose. His struggle with addiction can be seen in this song, which he had been writing for years.
This was released as a single alongside “Rooster,” a song that is stylistically similar to it in that it features harmonizing between Staley and Cantrell, the band’s softer acoustic side.
This is usually the fourth track on the album’s track list. If you’re looking for the 12th track, you’ll find it on some versions of the album.
After a three-year hiatus from live performances, Alice In Chains recorded and released the Unplugged album in 1996.
3. Down On The Corner by Creedence Clearwater Revival
Willy and the Poor Boys, a fictional jug band, were street musicians “playing for nickels, can’t be beat,” according to this song. CCR’s fourth consecutive million-selling album had the same name as the jug band.
The “band” is seen on the cover performing outside the Duck Kee Market to a (very) small crowd down on the corner. Aside from being half a block from the recording studio, this location had no significance. John Fogerty recalls only one visit to the studio after the album’s release, and that was a long time ago.
The cover featured CCR as the fictional band, but this was the only song that fit the theme. Because they were a down-to-earth, hard-working band, the Willy And The Poorboys moniker fit them perfectly. Using a washtub bass and a washboard, they emphasized the jug band theme.
On this, John Fogerty sung all the parts. It was overdubbed to give the impression that he was harmonizing with his own voice.
4. Down Rodeo by Rage Against the Machine
The name “Rodeo” refers to the affluent neighborhood of Los Angeles’s Rodeo Drive. The song’s message is that poor people should not kill themselves by destroying each other and their neighborhoods, but should instead focus their rage on the wealthy.
“We Hungry But Them Belly Full” is a line from a Bob Marley and the Wailers song that laments the nutritional injustices of class society.
The reference to Fred Hampton in the line is a nod to the radical Black Panther Party’s charismatic leader. In a controversial FBI raid on the Black Panther headquarters in Chicago, Hampton was shot and killed. This is one of the songs with down in the title that reflects on a lot of things.
5. Down South by Lady A
This was a lucky discovery when Lady A was selecting tracks for their 747 album. During an interview with The Boot, Dave Haywood reminisced about how much he fell in love with the song.
One of the co-writers and demo singers for Lady A was Stephanie Chapman, who happens to be Nathan Chapman’s wife. Charles Kelley said, “We gave it a lot more energy than what the demo had.”
“The demo had a more ‘American Honey’ feel to it, so we gave it a rougher, more gritty feel. As a whole, it’s not just confined to the South. It’s about longing for the familiarity of what you’ve grown accustomed to and what you’ve experienced as a child.
6. Down The Dolce Vita by Peter Gabriel
The song is mostly dialogue between the characters Aeron and Gorham, who are embarking on a sea voyage.
The song was part of a larger concept Gabriel was working on based on the character Mozo, which he hoped would eventually become a stage production. On the Air,” from Gabriel’s upcoming album, Mozo gets a bigger spotlight.
This style of narrative-driven music is typical of Gabriel’s work with Genesis.
7. Down Under by Men at Work
The “Land Down Under” refers to Australia, where the band originated. In the words of lead singer Colin Hay, who spoke with Songfacts about the lyrics: “The chorus is really about the overdevelopment of Australia in many ways.
In that country, there was an absence of hope. In the end, it’s all about the greedy people stealing from the nation. As a whole, it is a celebration of the country, but not in a nationalistic or flag-waving way.
A patriotic anthem, this song is frequently misunderstood. Songfacts quotes Colin Hay as saying: “It’s ironic to me that so many people misunderstood the song’s meaning, when it wasn’t meant to be about anything specific.
Many subtleties are missed when people listen to songs like “Born In The USA,” because people like to drink beer, raise their arms, and feel patriotic. It’s a song about celebration, but what you celebrate about a country or a place is entirely up to you. This is one of the songs with down in the title I find interesting.
8. Downbound Train by Bruce Springsteen
Aside from “Born In The USA,” Springsteen recorded this as an acoustic demo in 1982, along with most of the songs that would eventually make up Nebraska.
9. Downtown by Petula Clarke
This was Petula Clark’s first hit in the United States, which took a long time to recognize her talent. She was a huge star in the UK, both as a singer and as a regular on the BBC.
When she began recording her songs in French in the early ’60s, she became popular in France as well. When Joe Smith, a Warner Bros. executive who was vacationing in England, heard the song and signed her to a deal in late 1964, it was an odd coincidence.
Petula became the first British female singer to top the charts in the United States during the rock era when her song “Downtown” was released in the United States (after 1955).
She was on a tour of French-speaking countries at the time, so she didn’t even have time to promote the song before it went to the top of the charts.
10. Downtown Train Rod Stewart
Tom Waits was the first to write and record this song. One of his most popular and critically acclaimed albums, Rain Dogs, was the source of this song.
It was widely regarded as one of his more conciliatory efforts, however. Sounds referred to it as a “conformist AOR song.”
11. Been Down So Long By The Doors
Farina’s 1966 novel Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up To Me inspired the title, which was released just two days before his death. Anger at the band’s perceived harassment by authorities, including Jim Morrison’s numerous arrests, fueled the song’s lyrical content.
Friend of Bob Dylan, Farina, was also a musician. The couple went on tour as Richard & Mimi Farina after he wed Joan Baez’s younger sister Mimi in 1963.
This album was released shortly after Jim Morrison’s death. On it, he put in some of his best work but was plagued by alcoholism and drug abuse. While on vacation in Paris, he was killed in mysterious circumstances.
In his 1928 song “I Will Turn Your Money Green,” bluesman Furry Lewis first used the phrase “been down so long, and it appears up to me.” “Tryin’ To Get To Heaven” by Bob Dylan used a different lyric from that song.
12. I’m down Beatles
It’s as if Paul McCartney is portraying a miserable sap in this song. But the song’s arrangement and backing vocals make it clear that the joke is on him. John Lennon and George Harrison respond in jest to his song “I’m down,” singing lines like “down on the ground” It’s as if they’ve already heard enough of his whining to be annoyed by it.
“How can you laugh when you know I’m down?” is a telling line. If a person refuses to help themselves, you can only feel sorry for them so much. You’ll have to laugh after that.
This song was written in the style of Little Richard by Paul McCartney. The Beatles were heavily influenced by American R&B singers like Richard.
The Hammond organ was played by John Lennon on this song. Lennon had never played keyboards on a record before. He used an electric piano a lot when The Beatles performed this song live.
13. I’m goin down. Bruce Springsteen:
Though recorded in May 1982, this song was not released until after the completion of the band’s debut album, Born In The USA.
“Down” is a typical Springsteen song, but it’s filled with more frustration than hope because the lady keeps “knocking” him “down.”
There are 80 repetitions of “down,” making this Springsteen’s most-repeated song ever.
14. The Fire Down Below by Bob Seger
The prostitution industry is the subject of this song. According to Seger, the company’s customers come from all over the world and represent a diverse range of socioeconomic backgrounds. All of them are trying to satisfy their “fire down below” by having sex with some of the ladies of the night.
A song about prostitutes isn’t something you’d expect Bob Seger to write, given his reputation for being shy and reticent. Despite the fact that many of his songs read like personal diaries, in others he acts as an observer.
“Fire Down Below” is one of those songs where he’s not expressing his feelings, but rather having a good time with the audience.
While Seger stated that he wouldn’t release a song like this on its own, “Night Moves” is a personal, poignant song that reveals Seger’s true self in context of the album.
Not only did this become one of Seger’s most well-known songs, but it also quickly rose to the top of the rock radio charts. Live, it is a big hit and frequently appears on his setlists.
15. The Downeaster Alexa by Billy Joel
This song is about the local fishermen in Joel’s hometown of Oyster Bay, Long Island. The song’s accurate depiction of the various locations to which the vessel would travel is based on the perspective of a struggling fisherman.
The difficulties these fishermen faced and the effort they put in to their work were brought to light by the song.
At that time, Joel had a boat called “The Alexa. Alexa Ray, his daughter, was the inspiration for the name. Alexa is also a musician, just like her father. >>
Joel enjoys boating as one of his hobbies. His personal management company is called Maritime Music, and he frequently uses nautical references in his music.
16. The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down by the Band
In this song, set during the American Civil War, Robbie Robertson depicts the old American South, which the Union army ultimately conquered. Robertson is a half-Mohawk Indian, half-Jewish Canadian, and the song has nothing to do with his heritage.
When Robertson visited the American South for the first time, he heard the phrase “The South will rise again,” which inspired him to write the lyrics for this song. This sparked his interest in the American Civil War.
Virgil Caine, the song’s protagonist, is a made-up character, but the “Danville train” and “Stoneman’s cavalry” did exist.
An important part of the Confederate Army’s transportation network would have been the train. Officer George Stoneman of the Union cavalry led railroad raids.
17. The Stars Look Down by the Rush
J. Cronin’s 1935 novel of the same name, which was adapted into a film in 1939, served as the inspiration for this story.
The story is set in a pre-WWII English mining town and follows the trials and triumphs of various families, including a young miner who fights to improve working conditions for coal miners but loses both his battle in parliament and his wife.
He had nothing to show for his efforts, so he went back to work as a miner.
18. Upside Down by Diana Ross.
This song was written and produced by Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. In the late 1970s, they were the team behind the disco band Chic.
Because he keeps their romance fresh and exciting, the singer in this upbeat song is willing to put up with his cheating lover’s behavior.
Rodgers explained that Ross’ desire to experiment with her career and have a little fun was the inspiration for the song. This is one of the songs with down in the title that I will not forget in a hurry, and it is surely one of my favorites.
19. The Old Man Down The Road by John Fogerty
The final song about our list of songs with the word down in the title is this great song. This song is about John Fogerty’s decade-long legal woes, which are the subject of this song.
Creedence Clearwater Revival songs were part of an early contract he signed that required him to give up the rights to them, but at the same time required him to continue recording.
Disillusioned with the music industry after the band broke up, he refused to play any of Creedence’s songs, in part because so many of them were upbeat and he was downcast.
The Devil is depicted in “The Old Man Down The Road” using imagery found in many blues songs where a Faustian bargain is made.
When Fogerty signed his contract, he gave up his songs (and, to some extent, his soul) in order to make music, and now he’s paying the price.
In the song, Fogerty tells the story of a man with a suitcase covered in rattlesnake hide, eyes as black as coal, who stands in your way. The record label is his personal demon.
