Top 10 Songs that Originally Had Different Titles

1. Echoes - Pink Floyd

   

   It was originally referred to as "Nothing, Parts 1-24," then "The Son of Nothing," and then "The Return of the Son of Nothing." The latter title was used to introduce the as-yet-unreleased work during its first live performances in early 1971. It developed into "Echoes" about six months later.

   The band said "The Return of the Son of Nothing" was a joke about comic books and Godzilla-type movie sequels. The song was a homage to the minimalist composer Terry Riley.

2. Dude (Looks Like a Lady) - Aerosmith

   

   Originally, it was called "Cruisin' for a Lady" (according to Wiki). Desmond Child, who co-wrote the song with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry, said in an interview its title was "Cruisin' for the Ladies." Only a slight difference, but I don't know who is right.

   I made a list about this song, so I don't need to explain much here: Top 10 Interesting Facts About Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)."

3. Bleed - Meshuggah

   

   Originally, the song was called "Aneurysm."

4. Speed King - Deep Purple

   

   I think the name "Speed King" fits better anyway because of how this song sounds. It's a speed metal song.

   Ian Gillan wrote in his autobiography that "Speed King" was called "Kneel and Pray" for some time.

5. Yesterday - The Beatles

   

   Absolute truth - the original name was "Scrambled Eggs." Paul McCartney woke in the middle of the night with the complete melody running through his head. He quickly grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down the first two lines:

   "Scrambled eggs,

   Oh my darling, how I love your legs."

6. Hangar 18 - Megadeth

   

   Originally, it was called "N2RHQ." Dave Mustaine explained: "I wrote the song and called it 'N2RHQ' - it was like the numbers on the side of a plane. It was a future-tech thing. It was kind of sci-fi where I would go someplace in the future into space."

   That's an interesting alternative title for this song.

7. Dogs - Pink Floyd

   

   Originally, it was titled "You've Got to Be Crazy." The lyrics are slightly different (different words, same concept), but the actual song is the same.

8. Take on Me - a-ha

   

   A-ha wrote and recorded the first version of this song in 1982 with the title "Lesson One" - it had the basic keyboard riff but had different lyrics. In 1983, the song got the attention of Terry Slater, who became their manager and helped them get a contract with Warner Bros. Records. In early 1984, they re-wrote the song as "Take on Me" and recorded it with producer Tony Mansfield.

9. Pull Me Under - Dream Theater

   

   The song's working title was "Oliver's Twist," in tribute to Derek Oliver. The title also played on the title of Charles Dickens's novel, "Oliver Twist."

10. With a Little Help from My Friends - The Beatles

    

    The original title was "Badfinger Boogie." The Beatles changed it but used the name for something else: when they were signed to their label, Apple Records, they named them Badfinger.

    They also changed another thing: the first lines of the song were originally, "What would you do if I sang out of tune? Would you stand up and throw tomatoes at me?" Ringo didn't want to sing it, fearing that if they ever performed it live, he would be pelted with tomatoes.

    The working title was originally "Bad Finger Boogie," a reference to the fact that John Lennon had a hurt finger when they recorded the song. This is important because it became the inspiration for the name of the band Badfinger. John Lennon suggested they change their name from The Iveys to Badfinger, and they agreed.

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Fancy - Iggy Azalea

    
12. ?

    I Saw Her Standing There - The Beatles

    
The Contenders

13. Working for the Weekend - Loverboy

    

    The band said, "That one was originally, 'Everybody's Waiting for the Weekend.'"

14. Voulez-Vous - ABBA

    

    The working title for this song was "Amerika."

15. Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves - Cher

    

    The song was originally titled "Gypsies and White Trash," but the authors were asked to revise it and make the title less offensive.

16. Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) - Phil Collins

    

    The title was "How Can You Sit There." This song just didn't make it onto his previous album. So, when director Taylor Hackford asked Collins to write a song for the film Against All Odds, Collins changed the title and adapted it to fit the movie.

17. What's My Age Again? - Blink-182

    

    It was originally titled "Peter Pan Complex," but their record company, MCA, changed it during production. The record company thought the audience wouldn't understand the title - a "Peter Pan Complex" describes someone who doesn't want to grow up. Blink-182 wasn't happy with this decision.

18. Sheep - Pink Floyd

    

19. A Day in the Life - The Beatles

    

    Originally called: In the Life of...

20. Dreamin' - Weezer

    

21. Morning Glory - Oasis

    

    It was originally called "Blue," even though it's never mentioned in the actual lyrics.

22. Chiquitita - ABBA

    

    First, it was called "In the Arms of Rozellita." Bjorn Ulvaeus wrote the music to the song, liked the title, but couldn't find a matching story, so it became "Chiquitita."

23. Back Round - Wolfmother

    

    When the band started working on this song, the title was "Back Home."

24. Fernando - ABBA

    

    The working title was "Tango."

25. Fly - Blind Guardian

    

    A version of this song was recorded as "Dead Sound of Misery," which became a bonus track. "Dead Sound of Misery" is a darker version of "Fly," in a different key and with alternate lyrics.

26. Together Forever (The Cyber Pet Song) - Daze

    

    The original single release was called "Tamagotchi." Under that title, the song was physically released, and a music video was shot and aired. Then suddenly, on the album, it appears under the title "Together Forever (The Cyber Pet Song)" and was reissued as an identical physical single but with the new name instead.

    I couldn't find any source, but I am pretty sure there were copyright issues with the title. Funnily, it wouldn't be the first case of a toy company suing a Danish bubblegum dance band over a song title - Mattel sued Aqua over "Barbie Girl."

27. 2000 Light Years from Home - The Rolling Stones

    

    Originally called "Toffee Apple." Most of the songs on Their Satanic Majesties Request had unusual working titles that didn't relate to the final product, including "Acid in the Grass" (In Another Land), "Flowers in Your Bonnet" (She's a Rainbow), "I Want People to Know" (2000 Man), "Fly My Kite" (The Lantern), and "Surprise Me" (On With the Show).