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.”
Also “Walk of Life” from “Brothers in Arms” says “He do the song about the knife”
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.
Making Movies.
“Well, I told you 'bout living in the US of A…”
“Some people call me the Space Cowboy…”
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.
Nope, 2 links and there’s still no “My Boyfriend’s Back” by Dire Straits
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.
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.
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.