# Famous Songs Named After Made-Up Characters

> Three famous songs named after fictional characters who never existed.
- Title: Famous Songs Named After Made-Up Characters | Shortify
- Summary: Three famous songs named after fictional characters who never existed. Elton John's 'Levon', The Beatles' 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', and Johnny Cash's 'A Boy…
- Keywords: elton john, the beatles, johnny cash, maxwell's silver hammer, a boy named sue, fictional characters, songwriting, music, American Songwriter
- Source: American Songwriter — https://americansongwriter.com/3-famous-songs-that-were-named-after-characters-who-never-actually-existed
- Author: Kat Caudill
- Published: 2026-11-06T13:30:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: elton john, the beatles, johnny cash, maxwell's silver hammer, a boy named sue, fictional characters, songwriting, music, culture
## Levon by Elton John
Elton John's song 'Levon' was named after a person in The Band but Levon Helm disliked the song.

> Levon
## Maxwell's Silver Hammer by The Beatles
The Beatles' song 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer' is an analogy for life's frustrations, according to Paul McCartney.

> Maxwell's Silver Hammer
## A Boy Named Sue by Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash's song 'A Boy Named Sue' was inspired by fictional characters and became a No. 1 hit.

> A Boy Named Sue
## Key takeaway

Elton John's 'Levon', The Beatles' 'Maxwell's Silver Hammer', and Johnny Cash's 'A Boy Named Sue' were inspired by fictional characters.