LINGUISTIC CLASSIFICATION OF BAND NAMES Nathan Vaillette Last updated December 4, 2002 These are mostly divided up by syntactic category. However, some are classified syntactically, but not by what a syntactition would call "syntactic category," but rather by internal structure (like "NP + PP"). Furthermore, some of the classifications are semantic, some are even orthographic. All this classification is sort of thorny business, since band names seldom come with official explanations of their parses/interpretations. My categorizations are just based on my intuitive best guesses, though I've tried to note other plausible alternatives. Also, whether or not a band name starts with "the" is something I ignore unless it has interesting classificatory consequences. Additions/corrections/suggestions welcome. However, please don't cheat by searching databases of bands. Names marked with `*' have been contributed by students from Linguistics 202 at OSU. Many thanks. Please note that this list implies nothing about my musical tastes. But you can probably guess when I grew up from it. In no particular order: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- prepositional phrases -- In Sync From Nowhere* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- postpositional phrases -- 3 Doors Down --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Declarative Sentences -- They Might Be Giants Gene Loves Jezebel And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Imperative Sentences -- Note that most such examples can also be construed as verb phrases. Rage Against the Machine [but could be an NP: "my RATM is growing daily"] Take That Save Ferris* [this could in fact be a PP, as in "Everyone was there save Ferris] OK Go* Formulate* --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- interjections -- Yes Wham [or verb?] Aha --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- coordinate NPs (disregarding all "Somebody and the Anybodys") -- These are amusing to me because they can't distribute to the individual members. E.g. Guns 'n Roses can't be *the* Guns 'n Roses, since that would suggest that either some of them would be guns while the others were roses, or that each of them would be both a gun and a rose. Or one gun and a bunch of roses. Or... Guns 'n Roses Earth, Wind and Fire Love and Rockets --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- gerundive phrases -- These make much more sense as gerundives than as nouns modified by a present participle, yet people often want to treat them as the latter, saying e.g. "*the* Counting Crows" and "Darcy is my favorite Smashing Pumpkin". Counting Crows Smashing Pumpkins --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- quantified NPs -- No Doubt All Saints --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- singular indefinite count NPs (essentially, things with a/an) -- A Tribe Called Quest (Are there any others???) --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- acrostics -- Whatever you want to call them: names involving letters whose names when pronounced in sequence sound like a word. INXS [note that only the last part is really acrostic] XTC --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- acronyms -- Not counting dozens of popular acronyms for bands with non-acronymic names, e.g. CCR [Credence Clearwater Revivial], ELO [Electric Light Orchestra], NIN [Nine Inch Nails], etc. AC-DC TLC REM U2 [the name of the spyplane: is this an acronym for something?] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- plural NPs that don't seem to distribute over the members of the band -- Nine Inch Nails --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- palindromes -- Abba --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- hard-rock/metal band names that are singular NPs or NPs that otherwise fail to distribute -- Just an observation: these kinds of bands almost never take names of the form "(the) + distributive plural NP" like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Spice Girls, etc. But of course it all depends on how you demarcate the genre(s). Led Zeppelin The Who Guns 'n Roses [see coordinate NPs] Jethro Tull Poison Def Lepard Whitesnake Iron Maiden Black Sabbath Pink Floyd Metallica Kiss [could be verb, or even an imperative sentence] ZZ-Topp [what is this??] Queensryche Queen Van Halen AC-DC Aerosmith Slayer Exceptions known to me: The Black Crowes [sic] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- mass nouns -- Earth, Wind and Fire Poison Traffic --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- NPs postmodified by a PP -- Men at Work Men with Hats Porno for Pyros [Is there anyone else who always thought this was "Porno for Pirates"? A much better name, I might add.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- adjective phrases -- Deep Purple Live (pr. [layv]) Naughty by Nature Simply Red Disturbed* [could be verb] Staind* ([sic]) [also could be verb] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- what are these??? -- (Let's be honest, some of them aren't anything.) Ace of Base [I guess an NP... is it a card, or like a flying ace?] Right Said Fred [= "`Right', said Fred" ?] Soul Coughing [participial appositive (cf. "head hanging/soul coughing, he moped away")? Or just compound noun? UPDATE: Rob Malouf informs me that this can mean vomiting.] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Non-constituents -- Faith No More [unless it's the sentence telling Faith not to stop: "Faith, no, more!" Possible contexts: "I have faith no more" (archaic sounding); "I question my faith no more than the next guy", "Faith no more comforts me than confuses me"] Me and My --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Adverbial phrases -- [Thanks to Matt Makashay for finally breaking the adverbial barrier.] Truly Suddenly, Tammy! [honorable mention at any rate. Looks a bit more like a sentence made of an adverbial an an NP, e.g. "How should apply my mascara, Jim?" "Suddenly, Tammy!"] --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Interrogatives -- Still on the lookout for interrogative sentences. These guys are other consitutuents that the punctuation suggest are to play an interrogative discourse function. Thanks to Matt Makashay. Man or Astro-Man? Therapy? --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- "to"-Infinitives Phrases -- To Be Announced*