Why do some song titles have a (bracket)?

[Steven.]

Maybe it's a silly question, but I've always wondered...

Why do some song titles have a bit more in a bracket after (or even before)?

Eg:
How We Do (Party)
Bury Me (6 Feet Under)
Run The World (Girls)
(You Drive Me) Crazy
All I Need (All I Don't)
Highway Unicorn (Road To Love)

[Mvnl]

Well in some of those examples I'd say it just looks better. 'Highway Unicorn Road To Love' is a bit of an unreadable mess.
What I never got is why questioning song titles hardly ever feature a question mark.

[Eric Generic]

(Because They Want) To Be Like Shania Twain.

[Mvnl]

I'd gone with Because They Want To! (Be Like Shania Twain) personally.

[Eric Generic]

Ha. Or, (Because They) Want To Be (Like) Shania Twain!

[Mvnl]

Seriously though, somebody should really ask Shania.

[Adreams]

What they can also be known as I think...

[Mvnl]

I think quite often it's a case of 'if we add that extra bit some silly people who didn't get the song title might still recognize it and buy it too!'

[IMHO]

If the title doesn't feature the most recognisable/catchy part of the song, they'll put it in brackets so people can easily identify it.

[Jonathan27]

Nothing beats (It) Feels So Good by Steven Tyler. That's legitimately absurd.

[Mr Blonde]

Well, when it's X (Y) I like to think of the bracket bit as being a subtitle. The title wouldn't make sense if you read it "Highway Unicorn Road To Love" or "Run The World Girls". It's like when books or movies would use "Highway Unicorn: Road To Love".

When artists have titles like (X) Y it just looks stupid and nonsensical to me. Why would the subtitle come before? It just looks ugly. Also, when the bracketed portion can easily make a logical song title with the unbracketed portion. Why is it "(You Drive Me) Crazy"?! Why not "You Drive Me Crazy" or just call it "Crazy".

[citoig]

What I never got is why questioning song titles hardly ever feature a question mark.

Well, I know that in films and plays, they're considered back luck, so they're rarely used. Maybe it's a thing that extends to the music industry too?*

(*Oh god, I've doomed us all. (On the plus side, the brackets bring me back on topic somewhat.))

[SunshineConcubine]

Shania Twain's best of is a punctuation party!

I think sometimes it helps to make the songs more recognisable as well as the reasons people have stated already. There's got to be hundreds of songs called 'Crazy' or 'Girls', but the brackets make 'em more unique, even if they're a bit cumbersome.

'How We Do (Party)' is a hideous song title.

[Mushroom3]

I believe it's properly 'How We Do (Party and Bullshit)' in its explicit form which makes more sense.

[bichard]

Sometimes it'd because it's grammatically correct as with Highway Unicorn. Sometimes it's because the song title may not actually feature in the song as with Lush's 500 which for single release was retitled 500 (Shake Baby Shake).

Then there's pretentiousness and utter wankery, as with the Shania and Steven Tyler examples.

[_hazzie_]

Shakespear's (Way With) Words. Vom.

It's usually done if there is another rememberable part of the song so it's more identifiable for people.

[Steven.]

Thanks for the replies! Guess it's not as pointless as I once thought!

[Someboy]

(To Annoy) Fans.

[MissGranolaSuicide]

Nothing beats (It) Feels So Good by Steven Tyler. That's legitimately absurd.

Oh my god is this real? I just snorted out loud at work..

[KhiaShamone]

"My Neck My Back (Lick It)" is a perfect example of why sometimes brackets are useful. You're not sure if it's *that* song - the brackets confirm (it).

[Eric Generic]

More than one set of brackets is a bit gratuitous....I always used to wonder what The Stranglers' were thinking of with "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)". I suppose it's mildly amusing!

[Little L]

"My Neck My Back (Lick It)" is a perfect example of why sometimes brackets are useful. You're not sure if it's *that* song - the brackets confirm (it).

This probably also applies to Nelly Furtado's Big Hoops (The Bigger The Better).

But for Shania Twain it has most likely become a sort of trademark thing.

[KhiaShamone]

This probably also applies to Nelly Furtado's Big Hoops (The Bigger The Better).

But for Shania Twain it has most likely become a sort of trademark thing.

I Agree! (¿It Is A) Trademark Thing?