Jump to content

Songs that mention other artists


Farin

Recommended Posts

I think we had a thread like that not too long ago, but the only one I found was one with the last post from 2005, so I decided to go for a new one

If you find one that's only a few months old, that I missed feel free to merge :)

what songs do you know that explicitely mention other artists? :)

For the Girl ~ The Fratellis

She was into the Stones when

I was into the Roses

She was breaking my bones when

I was bursting their noses

She would tell me a secret

I would lose it the next day

You not supposed to be easy

Makes you sick in a bad way

or

The Seeker ~ The Who

I asked Bobby Dylan

I asked the Beatles

I asked Timothy Leary

But he couldn't help either

(it also mentions a Songfactor by name :coolio: )

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 120
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Peter, Paul & Mary's song I Dig Rock n Roll Music mentions The Mamas & The Papas, Donovan, Michelle and Cass by name and The Beatles:

I dig Rock and Roll music

And I love to get the chance to play. (and sing it)

I figure it's about the happiest sound goin' down today.

The message may not move me,

Or mean a great deal to me,

But hey! it feels so groovy to say:

I dig the Mamas and the Papas at The Trip,

Sunset Strip in L.A.

And they got a good thing goin'

When the words don't get in the way.

And when they're really wailing,

Michelle and Cass are sailin'.

Hey! they really nail me to the wall.

I dig Donovan in a dream-like, tripped out way

His crystal images tell you 'bout a brighter day

And when the Beatles tell you

They've got a word love to sell you

They mean exactly what they say

I dig Rock and Roll music

I could really get it on in that scene.

I think I could say somethin' if you know what I mean

But if I really say it, the radio won't play it

Unless I lay it between the lines

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh speaking of Rolling Stones...

She's Only 18,

Don't like the Rolling Stones

and

Bob Marley, poet and a prophet

both by RHCP. They probably have more. E.g. their cover of Higher Ground mentions 'Stevie' (Wonder) and Purple Stain mentions John Frusciante and If You Have To Ask mentions Flea and This Velvet Glove mentions themselves and...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Purple Stain mentions John Frusciante and If You Have To Ask mentions Flea and This Velvet Glove mentions themselves and...

actually, the thread is about songs that mention other artists :shades:

it's because it's not that unusual that musicians mention themselves or their bandmates in songs, you know? ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The classic "Creeque Alley", Mamas & Papas:

John and Mitchy were gettin' kind of itchy

Just to leave the folk music behind;

Zal and Denny workin' for a penny

Tryin' to get a fish on the line.

In a coffee house Sebastian sat,

And after every number they'd pass the hat.

McGuinn and McGuire just a-gettin' higher in L.A.,

You know where that's at.

And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass.

Zally said, "Denny, you know there aren't many

Who can sing a song the way that you do; let's go south."

Denny said, "Zally, golly, don't you think that I wish

I could play guitar like you."

Zal, Denny, and Sebastian sat (at the Night Owl)

And after every number they'd pass the hat.

McGuinn and McGuire still a-gettin higher in L.A.,

You know where that's at.

And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass.

When Cass was a sophomore, planned to go to Swathmore

But she changed her mind one day.

Standin' on the turnpike, thumb out to hitchhike,

"Take me to New York right away."

When Denny met Cass he gave her love bumps;

Called John and Zal and that was the Mugwumps.

McGuinn and McGuire couldn't get no higher

But that's what they were aimin' at.

And no one's gettin' fat except Mama Cass.

Mugwumps, high jumps, low slumps, big bumps---

Don't you work as hard as you play.

Make up, break up, everything is shake up;

Guess it had to be that way.

Sebastian and Zal formed the æ…¡poonful;

Michelle, John, and Denny gettin' very tuneful.

McGuinn and McGuire just a-catchin' fire in L.A.,

You know where that's at.

And everybody's gettin' fat except Mama Cass.

Broke, busted, disgusted, agents can't be trusted,

And Mitchy wants to go to the sea.

Cass can't make it; she says we'll have to fake it---

We knew she'd come eventually.

Greasin' on American Express cards;

Tents low rent, but keeping out the heat's hard.

Duffy's good vibrations and our imaginations

Can't go on indefinitely.

And California dreamin' is becomin' a reality...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About Beatles and Stones, and T.Rex... "All The Young Dudes" Mott The Hoople

The television man is crazy

Saying we're juvenile delinquent wrecks

Man I need a TV when I've got T. Rex

Hey brother you guessed

I'm a dude

All the young dudes

Carry the news

Boogaloo dudes

Carry the news

Now Jimmy looking sweet though he dresses like a queen

He can kick like a mule

It's a real mean team

We can love

Oh we can love

And my brother's back at home

With his Beatles and his Stones

We never got if off on that revolution stuff

What a drag

Beatles about Dylan in "Yer Blues"

The eagle picks my eye, the worm he licks my bone I feel so suicidal just like Dylan's Mr. Jones...

"Monterey" - Eric Burdon/Animals

The Byrds and the Airplane

Did fly

Oh, Ravi Shankar's

Music made me cry

The Who exploded

Into violent light (yeah)

Hugh Masekelas music

Was black as night

The Grateful Dead

Blew everybody's mind

Jimi Hendrix, baby

Believe me

Set the world on fire, yeah!

His majesty

Prince Jones smiled as he

Moved among the crowd

Ten thousand electric guitars

Were groovin' real loud, yeah

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sweet home Alabama - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Well I heard mister Young sing about her

Well, I heard ole Neil put her down

Well, I hope Neil Young will remember

A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

It's my life - Bon Jovi

Refers to Frank Sinatra and his song 'My way'

My heart is like an open highway

Like Frankie said

I did it my way

I just wanna live while I'm alive

It's my life

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Edna took Creeque Alley from me :P but here are some others~

"R.O.C.K. In The U.S.A~John Mellencamp

There was Frankie Lyman-Bobby Fuller-Mitch Ryder

(They were Rockin')

Jackie Wilson-Shangra-las-Young Rascals

(They were Rockin')

Spotlight on Martha Reeves

Let's don't forget James Brown

Nightshift~The Commodores

Marvin, he was a friend of mine

And he could sing a song

His heart in every line

Marvin sang of the joy and pain

He opened up our minds

And I still can hear him say

Aw talk to me so you can see

What's going on

Say you will sing your songs

Forevermore (evermore)

Jackie (Jackie), hey what'you doing now

It seems like yesterday

When we were working out

Jackie (Jackie, oh) you set

The world on fire

You came and gifted us

Your love it lifted us

Higher and higher

Keep it up and

We'll be there

At your side

Oh say you will sing

Your songs forevermore (evermore)

Cracks In A Photograph~Ryan Adams

If you run into my sister tell her "Elvis is cool but the Rolling Stones will sweep her away"

Edited by Guest
Radhi already mentioned Counting Crows
Link to comment
Share on other sites

No cherie, you are the genius, you get the credit ;) That's the first one I thought of, but I contributed plenty of others :D and here's more

Don't Rock The Jukebox~Alan Jackson

Don't rock the jukebox

I wanna hear some Jones *

'Cause my heart ain't ready

For the Rolling Stones

*That'd be the possum, George Jones

God-John Lennon

I don't believe in Elvis

I don't believe in Zimmerman

I don't believe in Beatles

Barenaked Ladies-Be My Yoko Ono

You can be my Yoko Ono.

You can follow me wherever I go.

Be my, be my,

Be my Yoko Ono...

But I don't like all these people

slagging her

for breaking up the Beatles.

(don't blame it on Yokey)

If I were John and you were Yoko

The Cowsills-Hair

It's not for lack of bread

Like the Grateful Dead

Darling

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sucks - KMFDM

We don't like Michael Jackson

We hate Depeche Mode

We don't care for Madonna or Kylie Minogue

Bad Touch - Bloodhound Gang

Sweat baby sweat baby sex is a Texas drought

Me and you do the kind of stuff that only Prince would sing about

So put your hands down my pants and I'll bet you'll feel nuts

Yes I'm Siskel, yes I'm Ebert and you're getting two thumbs up

The War's End - Rancid

Little Sammy was a punk rocker

You know his mother never understand him

Went into his room and smashed his Billy Bragg record

Didn't want him to hear that communist lecture

Let Me Ride - Dr. Dre

So would you just walk on by, cause I'm too hard to lift

And no this ain't Aerosmith

Edited by Guest
added songs
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Flight Of The Conchords~Bowie

Bowies in space.

Bowies in space.

What you doin' out there, man?

That's pretty freaky, Bowie.

Isn't it cold out in space, Bowie?

Do you want to borrow my jumper, Bowie?

Does the space cold make your nipples go pointy, Bowie?

Do you use your pointy nipples as telescopic antennae transmitting data back to Earth?

I bet you do, you freaky old bastard, you.

Hey Bowie, do you have one really funky sequenced space suit, or do you have several ch-changes?

Do you smoke grass out in space, Bowie?

Or do they smoke astro turf? (Oooh)

Receiving transmission from David Bowie's nipple antennae.

Do you read me Leutenent Bowie?

This is Bowie to Bowie.

Do you hear me out there, man?

This is Bowie back to Bowie.

I read you loud and clear, man. (Uh yeah man)

Your signals weak on my radar screen, how far out are you, man?

I'm pretty far out, that's pretty far out, man!

Ooh ahh ooh

I'm orbitting Pluto.

Oooh ahhh oooh.

Drawn in by it's groovitational, groovitational pull.

I'm jamming out with the Mick Jaggernauts, too.

And they think its pretty cool, man. (OHH)

Are you okay Bowie, what was that sound?

I don't know, man, I have to turn my ship around.

Eww it's the craziest thing.

Yeah I'm picking it up on my LSD screen.

But can you see the stratosphere, ringing a-ringing to a choir of afronauts singing.

Bowies in space.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

These 2 from 1974 mention multiple artists:

Life Is a Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)-Reunion

B.B. Bumble and the Stingers

Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers

Lonnie Mack and twanging Eddy

Here`s my ring, we`re going steady

Take it easy, take me higher

Liar, liar, house on fire

Locomotion, Poco passion

Deeper Purple, Satisfaction

Baby, baby, gotta, gotta

Gimme, gimme, getting hotter

Sammy`s Cooke`n, Leslie Gore-y

Ritchie Valens, end of story

Mahavishnu, Fujiyama

Kama Sutra, rama-lama

Richard, Perry, Spector, Berry

Righteous, Archies, Nilsson, Harry

Shimmy-shimmy-ko-ko-bopping

Fats is back and finger-popping

Life is a rock

But the radio rolled me

Gotta turn it up louder

So my DJ told me, whoo, whoo

Life is a rock

But the radio rolled me

At the end of my rainbow

Lies a golden oldie

FM, AM hits are clicking

While the clock is tocking, ticking

Friends and Romans, salutations

Brenda and the Tabulations

Carly Simon I behold her

Rolling Stone and centerfolder

Johnny Cash and Johnny Rivers

Can`t stop now, I got the shivers

Mungo Jerry, Peter, Peter

Paul and Paul and Mary, Mary

Dr. John the nightly tripper

Doris Day and Jack the Ripper

Gotta go, sir, gotta swelter

Leon Russell, Gimme Shelter

Miracles in Smokey places

Slide guitars and Fender basses

Mushroom omelet, Bonnie Bramlett

Wilson Pickett, stomp and kick it

Life is a rock but the radio

Life is a rock but the radio, whoooooo

---- Instrumental Interlude ----

Arthur Janov`s primal screaming

Hawkins Jay and Dale and Ronnie

Kukla, Fran and Norman Okla

Denver, John and Osmond, Donny

JJ Cale and ZZ Top and

LL Bean and De De Dinah

David Bowie, Steely Dan

And sing me proud, oh, CC Rider

Edgar Winter, Joanie Sommers

Ides of March and Johnny Thunder

Eric Clapton, pedal wah-wah

Stephen Foster, doo-dah doo-dah

Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda

Surfer Girl and Little Honda

Tighter tighter, honey, honey

Sugar sugar, yummy, yummy

CBS and Warner Brothers

RCA and all the others

Life is a rock

But the radio rolled me

Gotta turn it up louder

So my DJ told me

Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, oh

Life is a rock but

The radio rolled me, yeah

At the end of my rainbow

Lies a golden oldie

Listen, remember

They`re playing our song

Rock it, sock it

Alan Freed me, Murray Kaufman

Tried to lead me

Fishing, swimming, Boston Monkey

Make it bad and play it funky

Freddie King and Albert King

And B.B. King and frolicking...

Rock and Roll Heaven-Righteous Brothers

If you believe in forever

Then life is just a one-night stand

If there's a rock and roll heaven

Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band

Jimmy gave us rainbows

And Janis took a piece of our hearts

And Otis brought us all to the dock of a bay

Sing a song to light my fire

Remember Jim that way

They've all found another place

Another place to play

If you believe in forever

Then life is just a one-night stand

If there's a rock and roll heaven

Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band

Remember bad bad Leroy Brown

Hey Jimmy touched us with that song

Time won't change a friend we came to know

And Bobby gave us Mack the Knife

Well look out, he's back in town

They'll all be there together

When they meet in one big show

If you believe in forever

Then life is just a one-night stand

If there's a rock and roll heaven

Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band

There's a spotlight waiting

No matter who you are

'Cause everybody's got a song to sing

Everyone's a star

(Everybody's got to be a star)

If you believe in forever

Then life is just a one-night stand

If there's a rock and roll heaven

Well you know they've got a hell of a band

If you believe in forever

Then life is just a one-night stand

If there's a rock and roll heaven

Well you know they've got a hell of a band

If you believe in forever

Then life is just a one-night stand

If there's a rock and roll heaven

Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Long Time Gone~Dixie Chicks

Now they sound tired but they don't sound Haggard,

They've got money but they don't have Cash.

They got Junior but they don't have Hank.

Empty Garden~Elton John refers to John Lennon

And I've been knocking but no one answers

And I've been knocking most all the day

Oh, and I've been calling Oh, 'hey hey Johnny'

Can't you come out to play

Johnny can't you come out to play?

Johnny in your empty garden

Link to comment
Share on other sites

U2 - Bullet The Blue Sky ... "listening to John Coltrane and A Love Supreme"

Alex Chilton - The Replacements (self-explanatory)

You Can't Do That - Harry Nilsson... an early Beatles mash-up that ends with the line "Loving the Beatles forever".

Do The Pop - Radio Birdman "Saw the Stooges and the MC5".

The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker - Prince "her favorite song, she said, and it was Joni singing 'Help me'"

When Smokey Sings - ABC

I Want to Do It With Madonna - I don't know who did it.

Smoke On The Water - Deep Purple "Frank Zappa and The MOthers, who had the best place in town"

Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Says

Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken - Lloyd Cole "listening to Arthur Lee records"

London Calling - The Clash "phoney Beatlemania has bitten the dust"

Faron Young - Prefab Sprout ... mentions Faron YOung ;-)

Sir Duke - Steve Wonder mentions Duke Ellington, COunt Basie, Glen Miller, Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.

Lady Day - Lou Reed , about Billy Holiday?

Night Shift - the Commodores, mentions Marvn Gaye and Jackie Wilson

... and a bunch of others ;-)

LBBBB

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Please sign in to comment

You will be able to leave a comment after signing in



Sign In Now

×
×
  • Create New...