What might be some songs emblematic of the plight of the television and film stand-in?  Here are some of our ideas!

R.E.M. – “Stand”

In the almost embarrassingly literal music video from the 1980s of this popular song you might still hear on the radio, one has to wonder why few people are actually standing and most of the people are dancing!  No matter!  This song is perhaps the most anthematic of stand-in songs … except when you’re standing in, you rarely hear when you’re asked to move to your second position, “Now face North…”

Bonnie Tyler – “Total Eclipse Of The Heart”
(aka “Turn Around”)

When you’re on set, unfortunately you can’t escape the compulsion to sing this song when it’s time to turn around the cameras to shoot an actor not in the current camera setup.  In case you missed the 1980s, this is the song everyone’s referring to.  We can’t help but wonder what it must have been like to stand in on this absurd music video. To speak to the absurdity, we’ve also provided the literal version.

XTC – “Standing In For Joe”

We’ve mentioned this song before on Stand-In Central. There’s no real music video for this song, but here’s the next best thing. The song is about standing in for a lover rather than an actor, but what the heck, here you go!

Phil Collins – “Take A Look At Me Now (Against All Odds)”

Stand-ins are often forgotten contributors to films and television shows. Sometimes they are even ignored, which can be a quite unpleasant feeling. Consider this song. It sounds like a stand-in for a star singing that his star didn’t recognize him. He’s saying, Take a look at me now. Recognize me. Ahh, the sadness.

Suzanne Vega – “Solitude Standing”

On that note, do you know a stand-in named Solitude? If so, this song by Suzanne Vega is about her plight. Solitude stands in doorways and goes through blocking …

They Might Be Giants – “You Probably Get That A Lot”

TMBG has so many songs, but this recent one overlaps with the stand-in experience a bit (especially if you’re standing in for a cephalophore). Many stand-ins resemble their actors, or perhaps other actors, so there’s rarely a gig when the stand-in’s appearance isn’t compared to another actor’s. Enjoy this catchy tune!

The Ball Brothers – “It’s About The Cross”

Granted, this is Christian music so “the cross” is referencing not what the stand-in references, but for the stand-in, crosses are nearly as important! So we’re including this song in our list of stand-in anthems.

Sean Altman – “Taller Than Jesus”

Keeping with the religious theme, height is a topic of security (and insecurity) for many a stand-in. Stand-ins obsess about height: Am I taller than my actor? Shorter? Should I share my actual height or not? Sean Altman’s song pokes fun at size in this song from his Jewmongous act.

Leighton Meester & Mike Frieman – “The Stand-In”

In this video of a live performance (plus a video of just the song and lyrics) of Check in the Dark’s “The Stand-In,” Mike Frieman is joined by Gossip Girl actor Leighton Meester to sing a song not about television stand-ins.

Okkervil River – The Stand-Ins Album

The band Okkervil River created a 2008 album titled The Stand-Ins whose videos featured other artists standing in for the members of the band, playing the album’s songs.  Okkervil River released an introduction as well as a trailer for the video project.  Both follow, along with a video by one of the “stand-ins” (the band Zykos).  The music of Okkervil River is quite folksy and fun!  This project demonstrates that stand-ins aren’t talentless … in fact, they can be just as talented as the people for whom they stand in.

Know a song that should be included in this list of stand-in anthems? Do tell! Share below!