Monsieur Coop points to a fun and ridiculous list of rock band name origins, both real and rumored. From the list:
AC/DC – 1) It is said that one of the band member saw it on an appliance and thought it had something to do with power. (It does mean “alternating current / direct current”.) The band used it not realizing it was also slang for a bisexual- the band claims NOT to be bisexual.
2) In the vogue of other anti-everything bands it stands for Against Christ/Devil’s Children.ALICE IN CHAINS – a funny rumor is that they were named after a lost episode from The Brady Bunch series!…
CHUMBAWAMBA – In a band member’s dream, he didn’t know which door to use in a public toilet because the signs said “Chumba” and “Wamba” instead of “Men” and “Women”…
JETHRO TULL – popular 70’s band that is named after the rather obscure inventor of the farmer’s seed drill…
JUDAS PRIEST – originally a mild curse said to avoid saying “Jesus Christ” – also from the Bob Dylan song “The ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest”…
T PAU – after a high priestess from the planet VULCAN in the American TV series STAR TREK…
YO LA TENGO -translates to “I have it” from Spanish – said to be the phrase called out by Hispanic baseball players when fielding a pop fly ball. Singer/guitar player Ira Kaplan got the expression from a book he was reading about baseball called The Five Seasons.
ZZ TOP – taken from the name of a Texas Blues man ZZ Hill. Though a rumor is that they got their name by combining Zig Zag and Top, two well known brands of “cigarette” rolling papers.