Rock 'n' Roll Spelling Bee: S-O-N-G-S That Have Us Spellbound

Let's face it: Spelling bee champs aren't likely to become rock stars. Yet every now and then a rock star will try to prove he or she is an ace speller. While the US' annual National Spelling Bee finals in Washington, D.C. this week reminds us that it's "i" before "e" except after, ah . . . whatever that was, we figured this was a good time to look at some of the more memorable songs with spelling in them.

'Respect,' Aretha Franklin
When the Queen of Soul demanded "R-E-S-P-E-C-T" in 1967, it was a battle cry for women who felt disrespected too long. Oddly enough, the original speller was a man, Otis Redding, who often -- in the words of Rodney Dangerfield -- gets no respect for writing this soul classic.
Degree of Difficulty: 2/10 -- "Just-a just-a just-a just-a little bit."


'Saturday Night,' Bay City Rollers
These light-fare teen favorites made the Archies look like a motorcycle gang. But this Rollers' bubblegum hit from 1976 had everyone chanting "S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y night!" before going out on the town.
Degree of Difficulty: 3/10 -- It's no "W-E-D-N-E-S-D-A-Y."


'Hollaback Girl,' Gwen Stefani
After Courtney Love suggested that Stefani was a cheerleader, the No Doubt frontwoman showed Love -- by dressing up like one for this 2005 song's video. But, hey, at least she's no ditz. She can spell "B-A-N-A-N-A-S."
Degree of Difficulty: 7/10 -- Seems like there should be another "n" in there somewhere.


'Beer Run,' Garth Brooks (with George Jones)
This 2001 song is about a bunch of good ol' boys hootin' and hollerin' at the end of their workday as they go on a "B double-E double-R-U-N." These guys should hook up with Todd Snider's 'Beer Run' crew, a group of frat boys who went on a "B double-E double-R-U-N" before Brooks and Co.
Degree of Difficulty: 5/10 We're still confused: Can there really be two different songs with "B double-E double-R-U-N" lyrics?


'Lola,' The Kinks
Ray Davies was inspired to write this 1970 song after seeing the Kinks' manager unwittingly dancing with a transvestite. In the song, the woman of indeterminate gender is named "L-O-L-A" and drinks "C-O-L-A," earning Davies bonus points for rhyming spelled-out words.
Degree of Difficulty: 6/10 It may be easy to spell, but have you tried to sing it?


'U.n.i.t.y.,' Queen Latifah
While Aretha demanded respect, Queen Latifah demanded the ladies band together in 1993 to stand up to fellow rappers who dissed their gender. The line "Who you callin' bitch?" pretty well sets the tone.
Degree of Difficulty: 2/10 After hearing it spelled out 27 times in this song, it'd be hard to forget.


'Velouria,' Pixies
Songwriter Black Francis (also spelled "Frank Black") said he once met a woman who was a Lemurian, which has something to do with mysticism, Mt. Shasta in California and lemurs. And since she was also hairy, he thought to combine Lemurian with the fabric velour. Guitarist Kim Deal spells out our hirsute heroine's name at the end of this 1990 Pixies number.
Degree of Difficulty: 10/10 Shoot, what was that name again? And lemurs? Really?


'Fire in Cairo,' The Cure
We're not exactly sure how flaming Egyptian cities are different from fires anywhere else, but if you're trying to impress someone, it apparently sounds poetic to say her eyes burn like a fire in Cairo. In this 1979 Cure tune, Robert Smith spells the title as if it's one word: "F-I-R-E-I-N-C-A-I-R-O."
Degree of Difficulty: 7/10 You could confuse "Cairo" with "Karo," as in the corn syrup, especially if you're hungry or constipated.


'Fergalicious,' Fergie
Forget the egotistical premise of Fergie's 2006 song, what with its "D to the E to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S" and all. What we want to know is why does Will.i.am spell "tasty" with an "e"? Doesn't he know he's a role model?
Degree of Difficulty: 9/10 If "tasty" is that hard to spell, this one has to be a real mind-bender.


'R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to '60s Rock),' John Mellencamp
Give Mellencamp credit for combining a spelled word with an acronym, both in the title and the song's chorus. He was performing a lot of soul covers in concert when he wrote this 1985 song that names several great soul acts but somehow neglects to mention fellow speller Aretha Franklin.
Degree of Difficulty: 1/10 -- You'd have to be dumber than a box of "R-O-C-K-S" not to get this one.


'Top Man,' Blur
Damon Albarn described the "T-O-P-M-A-N," one of the London-based characters from Blur's 1995 album 'The Great Escape,' as "naughty by nature." Later, he suggested the whole album was a mistake, saying he was depressed and going through male menopause when he wrote it.
Degree of Difficulty: 2/10 Only a challenge if you have to spell it with Albarn's fake Cockney accent.


'Gloria,' Them
Thanks to this 1964 song, penned by then-Them frontman Van Morrison, garage bands all over the world -- and Patti Smith -- know exactly how to spell "G-L-O-R-I-A." While it's not literally spelled out in the song, Gloria is clearly ready for some "A-C-T-I-O-N."
Degree of Difficulty: 2/10 As easy as it is spell "Gloria," it's actually easier to play 'Gloria' chords on guitar: E-D-A.


'D.i.v.o.r.c.e.,' Tammy Wynette
The grand pooh-bah of spelling songs, this tear-in-the-beer country classic by a five-time divorcée -- and 'Stand by Your Man' singer -- from 1968 features "D-I-V-O-R-C-E" and five other spelled words ("T-O-Y," "S-U-R-P-R-I-S-E," "J-O-E," "C-U-S-T-O-D-Y" and "H-E-double-L"). The narrator has to spell the troublesome words so her 4-year-old son doesn't catch on, which might just be an argument for reduced education spending.
Degree of Difficulty: 7/10 Divorce is always difficult.


'Hell,' Squirrel Nut Zippers
If you didn't know how bad hell could be, this 1996 neo-calypso ditty spells it out. But, hey, that's life (after death) in the "D and the A and the M and the N and the A and the T and the I-O-N."
Degree of Difficulty: 8/10 Would've been a lot easier just to spell "hell."


'Safety Dance,' Men Without Hats
If your only exposure to this 1982 New Wave song is the weird medieval video -- and we suspect it is -- you probably don't know the studio recording begins with hatless head Ivan Doroschuk slowly spelling out "S-A-F-E-T-Y." Nearly 30 years later, we still can't figure out why he did that.
Degree of Difficulty: 4/10 Forget about the spelling; what happened to their hats?


'L.O.V.E.,' Ashlee Simpson
The way Simpson sings it, you'd think it was spelled "L-O-L-O-L-O-L-O-V-E" (LOL!). In this 2005 hit, the love goes out to her friends, who comfort her when her boyfriend proves to be a "D-O-G."
Degree of Difficulty: 3/10 Easier if you lip-sync it.


'Method of Modern Love,' Hall and Oates
We could sing the first part -- "M-E-T-H-O-D" -- but always got thrown off by the "O-F-L-O-V-E" part. While Hall and Oates have recently gained new-found respect, if they don't make the Rock and Roll Fall of Fame it may be because this 1984 song tipped the scales. The Wu-Tang Clan apparently liked it enough: They used the "M-E-T-H-O-D" spelling and phrasing for the refrain in 'Method Man.'
Degree of Difficulty: 6/10 Too many letters!


'I Stand Accused,' Elvis Costello
This dude's so in love, he's going to actually spell it out for his special lady. Well, sort of. In Costello's cover of this '60s Merseybeat obscurity, he actually spells out, "I-S-T-A-N-D-A-C-C-U-S-E-D," which doesn't really sound romantic, except that he's accused of loving her and -- awwww -- about to be found guilty.
Degree of Difficulty: 5/10 It's the only song here that spells out an entire sentence. Should he have added the period?


'Cadillac,' Bo Diddley
Who said Bo don't know diddley? Well, OK -- that was a dated commercial reference. But Bo does know how to spell "C-A-D-I-L-L-A-C." Of course, the late R&B pioneer should, since that's the name he gave to a Gretsch guitar he designed. However, in this 1959 song it refers to the smooth-driving luxury car your grandparents like so much.
Degree of Difficulty: 5/10 Harder than a Ford, easier than a Mitsubishi.

'G.I.R.L.F.R.E.N. (You Know I've Got A)," Everybody Was in the French Resistance . . . Now
This response to Avril Lavigne's 'Girlfriend,' from an answer-songs side project by Art Brut's Eddie Argos, doesn't practice good spelling, but at least it doesn't try to spell out the band's name.
Degree of Difficulty: 10/10 Tough for the ones who insist on spelling it the dictionary way.