# Homage songs (which are not covers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 26, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684 "2019-07-26T20:02:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/1 "2019-07-26T20:02:29Z")
Musical homages, I mean. How to explain? This really comes from the current [Cover Versions thread](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=879347). I posted an aside there about the Pulp song [A Little Soul](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XMDfMaKDa0), which is a clear musical homage to [Tracks Of My Tears](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY5-q18JbsU) by Smokey Robinson & The Miracles. If there was any doubt as to Pulp’s intent, [the sleeve picture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Little_Soul) of A Little Soul does away with it. It occurs to me that there must be many such examples of (intentional) homage in popular music, but I can’t really think of many (and I can’t find a previous thread on this subject.). The sax solo in [2HB](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP2KwDWSAV0) by Roxy Music is supposed to be an homage to [As Time Goes By](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riGdpXCPyfA) from Casablanca - but for the moment that’s me done. There must be a load more examples out there - so can we compile a list of homages? Links to homage and homaged (?!) plus a little commentary/explanatory would be great. j ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/2 "2019-07-26T20:13:43Z")
Can’t link because I’m at work, but Motorhead wrote R.A.M.O.N.E.S. as a tribute, and the Ramones ended up covering that one. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/3 "2019-07-26T20:17:29Z")
The Supersuckers song The Captain is a tribute of sorts, more of an anti-tribute to Captain Sensible of The Damned. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/4 "2019-07-26T21:07:06Z")
Do Weird Al’s “style parodies” count? They are tributes to a particular artist’s style rather than a particular song: - “Genius in France” - tribute to Frank Zappa - “Dare to be Stupid” - tribute to Devo - “Craig’s List” - tribute to The Doors ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/5 "2019-07-26T21:18:45Z")
Probably the Replacements’s **Alex Chilton.** [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ftTOEJfzdq0/maxresdefault.jpg "The Replacements - Alex Chilton (Official Promo Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftTOEJfzdq0) It rocks. Hard. Play it LOUD ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/6 "2019-07-26T21:28:34Z")
I am not sure if you are looking only for homages to an artist’s music, or also to the artist him/herself. If the latter is acceptable, I’ll submit my favorite Elton John song [Empty Garden](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWyy7Huc6KA), which is a tribute to John Lennon. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/7 "2019-07-26T21:48:02Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I am not sure if you are looking only for homages to an artist’s music, or also to the artist him/herself. Yeah, I’m not sure exactly what the OP is after either. Is an homage, in the sense that the OP is looking for, different from a tribute? The OP’s mention of Smokey Robinson made me think of the ABC song [When Smokey Sings](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXK71NEFkyI). And then there’s Ray Stevens’ tribute/homage [I Need Your Help Barry Manilow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36c5aFZSr4o). ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/8 "2019-07-26T21:55:32Z")
One of my favorites [the Commodores’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrkEDe6Ljqs) _Night Shift_. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/9 "2019-07-26T22:21:37Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Is an homage, in the sense that the OP is looking for, different from a tribute? Thinking about this more, I’m inclined to say that an homage doesn’t have to mention or be about the song or artist it’s an homage to; it just has to imitate or be inspired by their sound or style. So “When Smokey Sings” (that I linked to earlier) is a tribute; but if it sounds enough like Smokey’s own music, it’s also an homage. An example of a homage that is not a tribute might be “[Happy Roy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrKhuA7MjbA)” by the 77s, as an homage to Roy Orbison. As singer Mike Roe explains in introducing this [live version of the song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTLXMhGzsdk), “he sang sad songs more often than not… but this is a song we imagine Roy would sing if he was happy.” ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/10 "2019-07-26T22:26:07Z")
How about David Bowie’s [“Space Oddity”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Oddity) and Peter Schilling’s [“Major Tom (Coming Home)” / “Major Tom [völlig losgelöst]”](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Tom_(Coming_Home))? > [@Treppenwitz](#): > > Links to homage and homaged (?!) plus a little commentary/explanatory would be great. Bowie and Schilling both did songs (fourteen years apart) about [a fictional astronaut named Major Tom](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Tom). [Lyrics to Bowie’s “Space Oddity”](https://genius.com/David-bowie-space-oddity-lyrics) [Lyrics to Schilling’s “Major Tom (Coming Home)”](https://genius.com/Peter-schilling-major-tom-coming-home-lyrics) ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/11 "2019-07-26T22:32:24Z")
Daft Punk’s Digital Love has a tribute to Supertramp’s Rhodes piano sound - [https://youtu.be/QOngRDVtEQI?t=165](https://youtu.be/QOngRDVtEQI?t=165) ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/12 "2019-07-26T22:39:42Z")
In the blues arena it’s pretty common. [Omar & The Howlers - Boogie Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk6iIt0L2Ps) (a tribute to John Lee Hooker) [Victor Wainwright - Thank You Lucille](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvJYvj0BhUY) (a tribute to BB King) ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/13 "2019-07-26T22:50:31Z")
I’m not sure where to put this, so I’ll stick it here. There’s a great youtuber called Ten Second Songs. A good chunk of his videos are already popular songs, done in the style of another musician. I can’t pick any specific clip, but [here’s his channel](https://www.youtube.com/user/TenSecondSongs/videos). And, while this is probably more for the cover songs thread. If you like Ten Second Songs, I also stumbled upon Frog Leap Studios a few months ago. His claim to fame is metal covers. I am not, by any means, a metal head. I’d struggle to even come up with more than a handful of metal bands. However, this guy is really good. Check out Toto’s [Africa](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH9FyLsfDzw). ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/14 "2019-07-26T23:24:07Z")
Links: Motorhead R.A.M.O.N.E.S Supersuckers “The Captain” about a failed joint venture: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/45Up1LFoATM/maxresdefault.jpg "The Captain") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45Up1LFoATM) ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/15 "2019-07-26T23:45:42Z")
**Drive-By Truckers** have a few. One about Elvis, one about members of The Band, at least one about Lynyrd Skynyrd. > [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > Play it LOUD I have two settings. LOUD and LOUDER. Are you suggesting I turn it down? ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/16 "2019-07-26T23:52:39Z")
The Dead Milkmen did “Watching Scotty Die” which is a homage to “Watching Scotty Grow” by Mac Davis (made famous by Bobby Goldsboro) I say “homage” because it’s not a parody in the same way Weird Al songs are a parody. It doesn’t sound the same but it is the Milkmen’s best attempt at a country sound. Watching Scotty Die - [Dead Milkmen - Watching Scotty Die - YouTube](https://youtu.be/Gjw5KPITaOw) ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2019, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/17 "2019-07-26T23:55:46Z")
Steve Morse did two albums of original material in the style of artists that influenced him: [Major Impacts](https://www.discogs.com/Steve-Morse-Major-Impacts/release/1264309) [Major Impacts 2](https://www.discogs.com/Steve-Morse-Major-Impacts-2/release/4845842) ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2019, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/18 "2019-07-27T00:07:20Z")
I don’t know if these count, but there’s [Van Halen](https://youtu.be/mvAGBz4ZJm4) by Nerf Herder and [I Was Jack (You Were Diane)](https://youtu.be/cYzY2a64Sns) by Jake Owen. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2019, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/19 "2019-07-27T01:22:10Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > **Drive-By Truckers** have a few. One about Elvis, one about members of The Band, at least one about Lynyrd Skynyrd. > > I have two settings. LOUD and LOUDER. Are you suggesting I turn it down? The Drive-By Truckers’ whole “[Southern Rock Opera](https://www.allmusic.com/album/southern-rock-opera-mw0000660406)” is a tribute to Skynyrd and Ronnie Van Zant in particular: [Ronnie and Neil](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIsZrg2wGms) Also: Van Morrison - [Jackie Wilson Said](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1R8MP3GGGs) Van Morrison - [Domino](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiDcPUOD-vY) (Fats of course) Another instance that I’ve never figured out to be a tribute or a rip-off is Van’s “[Beautiful Vision](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOPvaLmBm38)”, in which he takes the leading five notes (which never reappear in the original) of James Carr’s “[A Message To Young Lovers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGOhz2vsh4Q)” and makes it a new song. But I’d rather call it a homage. Steely Dan - [Mr. Parker’s Band](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yBcr4bWve5g)(Charlie Parker) I’m like others not exactly clear about the criteria of the OP, but a song that’s certainly a combination of a homage AND a tribute in sound is David Bowie’s “[Queen Bitch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5P63qGTm_g)”. It’s indicated on the original liner notes of “Hunky Dory” that this went out to V.U., and it sounds like a song from “Loaded”. And damned, I have a song in my mind that cites the main riff of the Stones’ “Let’s Spend The Night Together” at the end of the song, but I can’t remember, and google didn’t help this time… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2019, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684/20 "2019-07-27T01:37:19Z")
Bob Dylan’s “[Blind Willie McTell](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YexWI2IWkLM).” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/homage-songs-which-are-not-covers/837684.md?page=2)