{"id":2779,"date":"2026-06-15T17:01:48","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/?p=2779"},"modified":"2026-06-15T17:01:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T21:01:49","slug":"jethro-tull-got-their-name-from-a-real-life-historical-figure-after-considering-a-few-colorful-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/articles\/jethro-tull-got-their-name-from-a-real-life-historical-figure-after-considering-a-few-colorful-alternatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Jethro Tull Got Their Name From a Real-Life Historical Figure After Considering a Few Colorful Alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Bands turn to a variety of sources of inspiration when it comes to their names, from pop culture and classic literature to the members’ names and inside jokes. For progressive rock band Jethro Tull<\/a>, they went with what worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the band’s own account<\/a>, their name changed on a weekly basis because they were struggling to get repeat bookings. “[W]e were so bad that we had to pretend to be some new band in order to get re-booked in the clubs where we aspired to find fame and fortune,” their website reads. Some of the names they tried out include Navy Blue, Ian Henderson’s Bag o’ Nails, and Candy Coloured Rain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The band’s booking agent, who had studied history in college, suggested the name “Jethro Tull.” That name came from a real person. He was an English agriculturalist who perfected the horse-drawn seed drill in the 18th century. He was a key figure who helped kickstart the Agricultural Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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