# Let's break the fourth wall, musically! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2004, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107 "2004-11-16T19:43:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lisa-go-Blind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Lisa-go-Blind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lisa-go-Blind)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/21 "2004-11-17T04:35:43Z")
“Take the Skinheads Bowling” by **Camper Van Beethoven** : “There’s not a line that goes here that rhymes with anything.” ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/22 "2004-11-17T04:38:36Z")
_Well you’re probably wonderin’, 'bout now Just what this here song’s about What’s probably got you you baffled more Is just what this thing here is for [Plays chords C-D, C-D] It’s nothing! It’s something I learned over in England!_ Bob Dylan, “I Shall Be Free No. 10” ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/23 "2004-11-17T04:45:33Z")
\ “This is the song that never ends…” ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/24 "2004-11-17T04:58:50Z")
\*\*Styx \*\*- \*Put Me On \*- “Put me on, I’m your brand new record album…”, the first track on Crystal Ball I was sure there was an R.E.M. one too but I can’t think of it right now … ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/25 "2004-11-17T05:01:14Z")
**Captain Amazing** : 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/26 "2004-11-17T05:09:21Z")
Tenacious D’s _Tribute_: "This is not The Greatest Song in the World, no. This is just a tribute. Couldn’t remember The Greatest Song in the World, no, no. This is a tribute, oh, to The Greatest Song in the World, All right! It was The Greatest Song in the World, All right! It was the best muthafuckin’ song the greatest song in the world. gee, ooh de flliga goo gee ooga fligoo giggoo ooh fligoo giggoo ge gee oogah goo gee oogah geegoogegegee, fligoo giggoo,oh flig, oh mama Lucifer And the peculiar thing is this my friends: the song we sang on that fateful night it didn’t actually sound anything like this song. This is just a tribute! You gotta believe me! And I wish you were there! Just a matter of opinion. Ah, fuck! Good God, God lovin’, So surprised to find you can’t stop it. " ---
**Author:** ![Manatee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/50afbb/32.png) [@Manatee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manatee)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/27 "2004-11-17T07:28:10Z")
Billy Joel dueting with Ray Charles on “Baby Grand.” The Who’s “New Song” kinda works by inference. As does “Guitar and Pen.” ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/28 "2004-11-17T08:00:50Z")
Baby Grand! :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/29 "2004-11-17T08:36:03Z")
This is a song about a superhero named Tony, it’s called Tony’s Theme! ---
**Author:** ![MacSpon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/34f0e0/32.png) [@MacSpon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacSpon)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/30 "2004-11-17T09:03:01Z")
Chris De Burgh, _This Song For You_. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/31 "2004-11-17T09:28:44Z")
The most extreme example of this I know is from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones in _Someday I suppose_, which has the effect of writing itself as it goes along: > [@](#): > > There was a place, > And the name of the place escapes me. > When I can’t remember, > It irritates me. > Could be I can’t remember, > Could be I choose to not, > Let’s move the song along > And try to find the plot. > There was a girl, > And I don’t know her name either. > She gave me love and I said I’d never leave her. > If I did I’d come back someday and find her. > Maybe I will. > I should write down a reminder. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 9:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/32 "2004-11-17T09:32:05Z")
The terrific song _A Rainy Night In Soho_. This song is nearly over, you may never find out what it means… Weird Al’s _This Song’s Just Six Words Long_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 10:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/33 "2004-11-17T10:02:10Z")
Bart Simpson’s rocker fantasy: Bart: I’d loik to play me latest chaht-toppah. It’s called _Me Fans Are Stupid Pigs_. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/34 "2004-11-17T10:16:01Z")
“Our love became our love by name when I wrote it to you in a song Our love goes on and on” -Rhett Miller “Our Love” ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Death](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecccb3/32.png) [@Evil\_Death](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Death)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/35 "2004-11-17T10:23:23Z")
\*\*I know a song that’ll get on your nerves, \*\*Get on your nerves, \*\*[SIZE=5] **Get on your nerves!** ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/36 "2004-11-17T11:24:46Z")
Billy Joel’s “Lullaby: Good Night My Angel”: Goodnight my angel, now it’s time to dream, and dream how wonderful your life will be. Someday your child may cry, and if you sing this Lullaby, then in your heart there will always be a part of me. ---
**Author:** ![MisterThyristor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecccb3/32.png) [@MisterThyristor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MisterThyristor)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/37 "2004-11-17T11:30:01Z")
And I think there are several children’s songs like that, but the only one I can think of is: I sing nothing, nothing, nothing. I sing nothing all day long. I sing absolutely nothing – How do you like my nothing song? (Second verse, same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse!) and so on _ad finitum_. ---
**Author:** ![Made\_in\_Macau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@Made\_in\_Macau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Made_in_Macau)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/38 "2004-11-17T12:17:01Z")
Steely Dan - Deacon Blue - ‘I cried when I wrote this song, sue me if I play too long’ Randy Newman - Rednecks - ‘So I went to the park and took some paper along and thats where I made this song’ Always liked the word ‘made’ there. Paul Simon - Song for the Asking Arlo Guthrie - Alice’s Restaurant - all of it but esp. ‘this is a song called Alice’s Restaurant, it’s the name of the song not the restaurant’ and ‘got to sing loud if you want to end war’ XTC - No Language in our Lungs - ‘I thought I had the whole world in my mouth, I thought I could say what I wanted to say, for a second that thought became a sword in my hand, I could slay any problem that would stand in my way. I felt just like a crusader, a Lionheart the Holy Land invader But nobody can say what they really mean to say and the impotency of speech came up and hit me that day and I WOULD HAVE MADE THIS INSTRUMENTAL BUT THE WORDS GOT IN THE WAY’ are some of my faves. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/39 "2004-11-17T12:28:11Z")
**Skyhooks** legendary Aussie band of the 70s. Smartarse Songwriters (G.Macainsh) There’s a lotta smartarse songwriters Who think they’re got the answers I wish they’d all just shut their mouths And get down with the dancers All those fancy words and major thirds Don’t mean much to me Million Dollar Riff (G.Macainsh) It might take three notes it might take four - Oh yeah Or somethin’ that sounds like a squeaky door - Oh yeah And you could be ridin’ in a limousine - Oh yeah And have your face in every magazine Million dollar riff Million dollar riff Million dollar riff Going round and round Million dollar riff Million dollar riff Million dollar riff We gotta get that sound Meanwhile I was still searchin’ and although I was beaten to **Beautiful South** ’s Song for Whoever my favourite lyric is: Deep so deep, the number one I hope to reap Depends upon the tears you weep, so cry, lovey cry, cry, cry, cry ---
**Author:** ![snorlax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@snorlax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snorlax)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2004, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107/40 "2004-11-17T12:40:41Z")
I’m having difficulty finding a reference to it, but doesn’t James Brown say “take it to the bridge” in _Sex Machine_? This is parodied in Led Zeppelin’s _The Crunge_ - “Where is that confounded bridge?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lets-break-the-fourth-wall-musically/275107.md?page=3)