# Bands who recycle or call back lyrics from previous songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 3, 2013, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030 "2013-06-03T13:32:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/41 "2013-06-04T02:19:24Z")
Eminem has several that I can think of. In “My Name Is,” he has the line, “And Dr. Dre said, ‘Slim Shady you a basehead!’ Uh-uhhh! ‘So why’s your face red? Man you wasted!’” In “The Real Slim Shady,” he says, “and Dr. Dre said…nothing, you idiots! Dr. Dre’s dead, he’s locked in my basement.” ---
**Author:** ![Petey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f1d935/32.png) [@Petey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Petey)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/42 "2013-06-04T03:07:41Z")
> [@Just\_Ed](#): > > OK, here’s another (better) one for Dire Straits: “Tunnel of Love” (from the brilliant _Making Movies_ album) has Knopfler "Sing about the six-blade . . . " in reference to “Six Blade Knife” from their eponymous debut. Also “Walk of Life” from “Brothers in Arms” says “He do the song about the knife” ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/43 "2013-06-04T12:51:17Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > So as i look back, I’m not seeing it. I would swear as I was looking for this song there was a lyrics page of some sort with a completely different song.. now I cant find it… ugh.. > > Ok, so maybe it IS the same song. My other example however is valid for what I was thinking about… I can assure you there is no Golden Earring song called “When the Bullet Hits the Bone”. I did look it up just to make sure I wasn’t forgetting something, but there isn’t. I’ll have to think about it, I’m sure they have made references to their own songs, but off the top of my head I can’t think of any. Iron Maiden does this a lot though. Charlotte the Harlot is brought back 3 times that I can think of, if not more. I think Judas Priest has a few self referential songs as well. I don’t normally catch references to other songs unless they are really apparent, like the Bon Jovi song. I was a huge Dire Straights fan and never would have caught them. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/44 "2013-06-04T19:06:05Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > which Dire Straits album is that on? 😃 > (I believe the intent of the OP was artists revisiting their own lyrics or songs.) Making Movies. > **[Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits song)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet_(Dire_Straits_song))** > > "Romeo and Juliet" is a rock song by the British rock band Dire Straits, written by frontman Mark Knopfler. It first appeared on the 1980 album Making Movies and was released as a single in 1981. The song subsequently appeared on the Dire Straits live albums Alchemy and On the Night, and later on Knopfler's live duet album with Emmylou Harris, Real Live Roadrunning (though Harris does not perform on the track). The track was also featured on the greatest hits albums Money for Nothing The lyri... [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/mxfjSnMN88U/maxresdefault.jpg "Dire Straits - Romeo and Juliet HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxfjSnMN88U) ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/45 "2013-06-04T19:12:23Z")
> [@E-DUB](#): > > Steve Miller did this…a lot. “Well, I told you 'bout **living in the US of A** …” “Some people call me the **Space Cowboy** …” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/46 "2013-06-04T19:18:27Z")
In “Garden Party,” Ricky (“Call me Rick”) Nelson cited two of his earlier songs. The line “I said hello to Mary Lou, she belongs to me” referred to his cover of Bob Dylan’s “She Belongs to Me” and his 1961 hit “Hello, Mary Lou (Goodbye Heart).” Even though the Byrds didn’t write “Mr. Tambourine Man,” it was their biggest hit. Years later, in the song “Love That Never Dies,” Roger McGuinn sang “Throw a dime to the tambourine man, and kiss all the horses goodbye\*.” \*I suspect this MAY have been an allusion to “Chestnut Mare,” but I’m not sure. ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/47 "2013-06-04T19:31:15Z")
> [@Clothahump](#): > > Making Movies. > > [Romeo and Juliet (Dire Straits song) - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romeo_and_Juliet_(Dire_Straits_song)) > > [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxfjSnMN88U](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxfjSnMN88U) Nope, 2 links and there’s still no “My Boyfriend’s Back” by Dire Straits ---
**Author:** ![Sparky812](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb9ed0/32.png) [@Sparky812](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sparky812)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/48 "2013-06-04T19:43:49Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > Iron Maiden does this a lot though. Charlotte the Harlot is brought back 3 times that I can think of, if not more. I knew these 3 as well: “Charlotte the Harlot”, “22 Acacia Avenue”, “Hooks in You” Apparently the 4th is “From Here to Eternity” from Fear of the Dark. I had to look it up because even though I was in an Iron Maiden cover band in the late 80’s, I left the band a few months after _No Prayer_… came out. At the time, were playing “Holy Smoke”, “Bring Your Daughter…” and “Hooks in You” (because we loved that riff). I’d had enough Maiden by then and I never really listened to _Fear of the Dark_ or subsequent 1990s albums. ---
**Author:** ![diggerwam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/919ad9/32.png) [@diggerwam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggerwam)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/49 "2013-06-04T23:08:57Z")
The Hold Steady has created their own universe. People from song A are constantly referenced in other songs. Songs are good on their own, but are better once you realize how literary much of their musical output is. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2013, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030/50 "2013-06-05T01:34:17Z")
> [@Sparky812](#): > > I knew these 3 as well: “Charlotte the Harlot”, “22 Acacia Avenue”, “Hooks in You” > > Apparently the 4th is “From Here to Eternity” from Fear of the Dark. That would be the 4th time Charlotte comes back. I’ve listened to the newer stuff plenty, but I don’t think she’s been back. I do know there are a couple of other call backs, but I can not think of them any more. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bands-who-recycle-or-call-back-lyrics-from-previous-songs/660030.md?page=2)