Tom O' Bedlam - in Modern Culture

In Modern Culture

• Kenneth Patchen's surrealist novel The Journal of Albion Moonlight is loosely based on and makes frequent reference to the poem.
• Part II of Alfred Bester's novel The Stars My Destination is introduced with a section of the poem.
• Robert Silverberg's science fiction novel Tom O' Bedlam (1985) includes several quotations from the poem.
• John Brunner's 1968 novel Bedlam Planet prefaces each chapter with entire stanzas from the poem, titling the chapter after the subject of the stanza.
• Mercedes Lackey has co-authored a series of books whose titles are taken from verses of the poem.
• A character named Tom O' Bedlam is an important mentor/mystic/revolutionary in Grant Morrison's graphic novel The Invisibles.
• A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer mentions the song often, in quotes and as the party anthem of the Monarchist party in Aravis.
• Dan Abnett's Legion, part of the Horus Heresy series of Warhammer 40,000 novels, uses the first 4 lines of the poem.
• In Mark Twain's The Prince and the Pauper, John Canty says of Edward "Gone stark mad as any Tom o' Bedlam!"
• Tom O'Bedlam is an important inspiration for the character of Tom Tyson in the Rynosseros cycle of Terry Dowling. Tom Tyson in these stories has emerged from the Madhouse (here, a place where the Aboriginal tribes of the future Australia have confined rebels). Tyson has no memories and the cycle largely concerns his quest to recover these lost memories.
• Parts of Derek Walcott's poem, The Bounty (1997), are addressed to "mad Tom."
• Folk rock band Steeleye Span set the poem to music on the album Please to See the King.
• Jolie Holland recorded a version of Maudlin's song titled "Mad Tom of Bedlam" on her 2004 album Escondida. Charlene Kaye also recorded this version for her The Brilliant Eyes EP.
• Old Blind Dogs a traditional Scottish band recorded a version titled "Bedlam Boys" on their 1992 debut album New Tricks and a new arrangement on their 2004 album Four on the Floor.