# Best "song within a song" performance **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 7, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744 "2015-12-07T21:57:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![leftfield6](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leftfield6/32/18780_2.png) [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/1 "2015-12-07T21:57:28Z")
The Bruce Hornsby thread currently getting some posts reminds me of a thread I wanted to post. I attend a LOT of live performances, both big names, and shows where I’m one of 20 people there. One of the things I love about live shows is that artists sometimes throw out unexpected bonus goodies, like briefly jumping to another song in the middle of a song. Now, to be clear, I’m not talking about sampling, I’m talking about an entirely different song inserted, usually with a nice transition into and out of the inserted song. So, here is what I’m interested to see other examples of: [ul] [li]Artists performing his/her own song[/li][li]Transition to another artist’s song[/li][li]Then transition back to their song.[/li][li]has to be at least one or two verses and or chorus[/li][/ul] Here is my nominee for the best —\>[Bruce Hornsby performing Fortunate Son with Comfortably Numb inserted](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me5OCP_Ndsk) If you want to jump to the transition into Comfortably Numb, about 3:45 is a good point, but listening to the entire song sets it up better. Apparently he did this combo decades ago at a show, and it became so popular that it is now a staple at his shows. He has also performed the combo on stage with Roger Waters, who is a huge fan on the hybrid song. Any other good examples out there?? ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/2 "2015-12-07T22:26:53Z")
Unless someone says otherwise, I believe what you’re asking for are called “medleys”. Anyway, would these count as examples? Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels - [“Devil with a Blue Dress/Good Golly Miss Molly”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFVfrzstEto). Starts with “Devil”, goes to “Miss Molly” in the middle, ends with “Devil”. Dick Dale & The Deltones - "[Peter Gunn Theme"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zGAkac7BMc). Starts with “Peter Gunn”, shifts to the “James Bond Theme” in the middle, ends with “Gunn”. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/3 "2015-12-07T22:35:29Z")
Led Zeppelin would throw some half-songs in the midst of interminable live versions of “Dazed and Confused” and “Whole Lotta Love” – typically hommages to rockabilly or rhythm-and-blues predecessors like Eddie Cochran or Elvis Presley. I wouldn’t quite call them “medleys,” though. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/4 "2015-12-07T23:20:22Z")
Here’s a good one for this time of year: Jethro Tull, on their fine 1978 live album _Bursting Out_, play “A New Day Yesterday,” but in the middle (after a flute solo) they play [God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xnui4-fQhtQ). I guess it is more of a medley than a song-within-a-song, because they return not to “A New Day…” but rather end with “Bourrée,” but maybe it fits the OP well enough. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/5 "2015-12-07T23:30:58Z")
**Dream Theater** does this a ton. Here’s [“Peruvian Skies”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrl-7Kg7LS4) which includes excerpts from “Have a Cigar” (@1:28) and “Enter Sandman” (@6:54) Here’s [“A Change of Seasons”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xxg9XEkSi8) which mixes the guitar solo with a bunch of instrumental bits, including the Simpsons theme (around 12:00 or so) This performance of [“Surrounded”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=087AlHfvdsM) seamlessly segues into Marillion’s “Sugar Mice” Here’s a [“Pull Me Under/Master of Puppets”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2oPczmlBfE) mashup. And then there’s Genesis with [“Turn it on Again + That Damn Medley”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXLJ7tseIrA) which varied from tour to tour. ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/6 "2015-12-07T23:33:14Z")
Billy Joel does it a lot with “River of Dreams”. After the second chorus, when the band stops for a second, he usually goes into a completely different song before coming back around to the third verse. On the _2000 Years_ album (the Y2K show he did in Times Square) he goes into “Land of 1,000 Dances” (although I admit I had to look up that title) and on the _Last Play at Shea_ album (which I was at, btw) he goes into “Hard Day’s Night”. I wouldn’t call it a medley either, because there’s a clear stop before and after the song in the middle. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/7 "2015-12-07T23:49:11Z")
How about the way _Tainted Love_ segues into _Where Did Our Love Go?_ ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/8 "2015-12-07T23:50:59Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > How about the way _Tainted Love_ segues into _Where Did Our Love Go?_ Good one. Do they return to Tainted Love, though? If not, I don’t think it quite fits the OP (despite my Tull suggestion). ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/9 "2015-12-08T02:15:26Z")
I was going to say “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” by Eric Bogle. It segues into a little bit of “Waltzing Matilda” at the end. However, it doesn’t go back to the original song, so perhaps that doesn’t count. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/10 "2015-12-08T02:18:59Z")
Strumming: “This Boy” by the Beatles, transitioning to “Little Surfer Girl” by the Beach Boys. Dunno, but I tend to treat those two groups as PITSP. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/11 "2015-12-08T02:49:46Z")
Fountains of Wayne used to play an extended version of _Radiation Vibe_ with a nice medley of 70s/80s hits\* thrown in. \*Depending on the night, Jet Airliner/Do You Feel Like We Do/Carry On Wayward Son/Jet/Double Vision/Another Brick In The Wall/Everybody Wants You/White Wedding/Mad World, etc ---
**Author:** ![ginman999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@ginman999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ginman999)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/12 "2015-12-08T03:06:37Z")
Counting Crows do this with Rain King (Thunder Road). As well as other songs. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/13 "2015-12-08T03:13:39Z")
Woodstock. Ten Years After. Alvin Lee does Elvis Priestley’s _Blue Swede Shoes_ during _I’m Going Home_. ---
**Author:** ![Critical1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Critical1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Critical1)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/14 "2015-12-08T03:22:28Z")
Tom Waits, New Years Eve. He sings Auld lang syne in the middle of the song. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/15 "2015-12-08T04:44:59Z")
[This](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRFrZqTveaI) is a remix (Peter Gunn/Every Breath You Take), but it works well. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/16 "2015-12-08T05:39:46Z")
> [@buddha\_david](#): > > **Dream Theater** does this a ton. As do Transatlantic. [Suite Charlotte Pike](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCKJf2kFOiU) with Beatles medley in the middle ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/17 "2015-12-08T06:18:51Z")
Israel “Iz” Ka’ano’i Kamakawiwo’Ole sings his renowned medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World.” [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/fahr069-fzE/hqdefault.jpg "Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Israel Kamakawiwo'Ole") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fahr069-fzE) ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/18 "2015-12-08T06:40:18Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Israel “Iz” Ka’ano’i Kamakawiwo’Ole sings his renowned medley of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World.” > > [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fahr069-fzE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fahr069-fzE) Damn, you beat me to it!! But [this video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1bFr2SWP1I) is better. So, I’ll just mention Simon and Garfunkel’s _Scarborough Fair_. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/19 "2015-12-08T09:19:43Z")
No one likes “Stan”? ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2015, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744/20 "2015-12-08T10:14:52Z")
Kate Nash doing[_Foundations_ and _New England_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2-5gv81cC0)with Billy Bragg [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-song-within-a-song-performance/739744.md?page=2)