# Meta-songs: Songs about being a musician **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [September 6, 2022, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057 "2022-09-06T14:20:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/21 "2022-09-06T15:14:34Z")
Local H - [All The Kids Are Right](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bF_oW1KxdzA) Notable to me for being more amusingly self-deprecating than the usual mopey “Woe is me for being a musician” track. > First the band was wired, then the band was tired > Sluggish and a little slow > Just walking through the set, drunk as we could get > And what the hell was wrong with Joe? > You could tell the crowd was fading fast > Every song we played looser than the last > And it may be okay but you won’t wear our t-shirts now, anymore ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/22 "2022-09-06T15:17:09Z")
> [@Ponch8](#): > > “25 or 6 to 4” - Chicago > […] > …about trying to write songs. Interesting- never knew this. [The lyrics](https://genius.com/Chicago-25-or-6-to-4-lyrics) are vague enough to mean almost anything. It’s always been sort of a ‘background song’ I’ve heard a million times but never gave much thought to. So I got to wondering, what does “25 or 6 to 4” mean? Is is a reference to musical time signatures or something? [According to this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/25_or_6_to_4#Composition), it is indeed about trying to write a song in the middle of the night, and the title merely refers to it being “25 or 26 minutes before 4 AM”. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/23 "2022-09-06T15:17:42Z")
About half of the Hold Steady’s songs qualify, either explicitly about their particular experience as musicians or referencing a musician’s (typically wasted musicians playing seedy dives with seedier women) life generally: Stay Positive: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FY3V4ObYRsA/hqdefault.jpg "The Hold Steady - "Stay Positive" [Official Video]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY3V4ObYRsA) Rock Problems: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WQ5w80ODirg/maxresdefault.jpg "Rock Problems") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQ5w80ODirg) Joke About Jamaica (“The boys in the band know they’ll never be stars”): [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/yq2jnPqRDd4/hqdefault.jpg "The Hold Steady - Joke About Jamaica") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yq2jnPqRDd4) Which segue’s to Boys in the Band by the Libertines: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/T5gKg-OJwFk/hqdefault.jpg "The Libertines - Boys in the Band + lyrics (HQ)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5gKg-OJwFk) Also Welcome to the Machine by Pink Floyd [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lt-udg9zQSE/hqdefault.jpg "Pink Floyd - Welcome To The Machine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt-udg9zQSE) ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/24 "2022-09-06T15:21:15Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Also Welcome to the Machine by Pink Floyd And, for that matter, another song on that album (_Wish You Were Here_), “Have a Cigar.” > [@](#): > > Well, I’ve always had a deep respect an’ I mean that most sincerely > The band is just fantastic, that is really what I think > Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/25 "2022-09-06T15:22:57Z")
**Old 97s** - “Longer Than You’ve Been Alive” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Fjo0wTuDqYw/hqdefault.jpg "Longer Than You've Been Alive (Official Lyric Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjo0wTuDqYw) ---
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/26 "2022-09-06T15:22:58Z")
Dire Straits’ “Sultans of Swing” is well known. Another song about a down-on-their-luck band is Marshall Crenshaw’s “Steel Strings”. “Now the manager’s doing time in jail / And the pink Cadillac is up for sale” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/H0TsVWwDyYM/maxresdefault.jpg "Steel Strings") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0TsVWwDyYM) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/27 "2022-09-06T15:23:02Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > Also Welcome to the Machine by Pink Floyd Good example of a song about the music biz, which reminds me of “Have a Cigar”-- not only the same band, but from the same album. A masterpiece of bitter sarcasm. Roger Waters sure had a jaundiced eye for the music biz: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/tbdpv7G_PPg/maxresdefault.jpg "Have A Cigar") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbdpv7G_PPg) ETA: Argh, ninja’d! > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > And, for that matter, another song on that album (_Wish You Were Here_), “Have a Cigar.” ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/28 "2022-09-06T15:33:38Z")
[Billy Joel - “The Entertainer”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qAQZXgz7AA) ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/29 "2022-09-06T15:38:38Z")
Albert Hammond “Anyone Here in the Audience” Motorhead “Going to Brazil” ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/30 "2022-09-06T15:38:49Z")
My favorite song about songwriting: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/7vVJ2Om-QVg/maxresdefault.jpg "Robbie Fulks Fountains of Wayne Hotline") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vVJ2Om-QVg) ---
**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:** [September 6, 2022, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/31 "2022-09-06T15:45:43Z")
Traveling Band - Creedence Clearwater Revival. ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/32 "2022-09-06T15:59:13Z")
Cursive’s “Sink to the Beat” . Clint steps in to establish the beat 4/4 hip hop and you don’t stop this unique approach to start an EP intended to shock, create a mystique a cheap strategy, a marketing scheme building awareness for the next LP they’ve got a good fan base they’ve got integrity they’ve got a DC sound Shudder to Think, Fugazi and Chapel Hill Around The Early 90’s this is the latest from Saddle Creek ---
**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:** [September 6, 2022, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/33 "2022-09-06T16:07:04Z")
**Drive-By Truckers** got a bunch of them… _Opening Act_ _Angels and Fuselage_ _Shut Up and Get on the Plane_ and a few more… ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/34 "2022-09-06T16:08:34Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Traveling Band - Creedence Clearwater Revival. Lodi. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/35 "2022-09-06T16:08:48Z")
_We’re An American Band_ **Grand Funk Railroad** We’re an American band We’re an American band We’re comin’ to your town We’ll help you party it down We’re an American band ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/36 "2022-09-06T16:18:33Z")
> [@solost](#): > > it is indeed about trying to write a song in the middle of the night, and the title merely refers to it being “25 or 26 minutes before 4 AM”. That’s what they _say_. We all know it’s about drugs. it’s always drugs. 🙂 I remember when radio stations wouldn’t play it because they believed that. > [@solost](#): > > A masterpiece of bitter sarcasm. Roger Waters sure had a jaundiced eye for the music biz: He didn’t like any biz. From “Not Now, John”: Not now John we gotta get on with the film show Hollywood waits at the end of the rainbow Who cares what it’s about as long as the kids go I always figured this was referring to his experiences with the movie The Wall. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/37 "2022-09-06T16:20:27Z")
Add The Marshall Plan, from Blue Oyster Cult. It’s about a kid who has his girl “stolen” by some rock star at a concert, so he decides he’s going to become that guy. And does. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/38 "2022-09-06T16:22:17Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > _We’re An American Band_ **Grand Funk Railroad** Of course! I’m surprised that one didn’t occur to me as part of the OP. Just past the one-year anniversary of “Sweet sweet Connie” Hamzy’s death. She’s doin’ her act in Rock 'n Roll heaven now. ---
**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:** [September 6, 2022, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/39 "2022-09-06T16:33:55Z")
Barenaked Ladies “Hello City” Belle & Sebastian “This Is Just a Modern Rock Song” Squirrel Nut Zippers “Trou Macacq” and “Suits are Picking Up The Bill” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2022, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057/40 "2022-09-06T16:37:42Z")
> [@Nunyadambizznezz](#): > > Jackson Brown - The Load Out/Stay. > > … Of all of them, this was my favorite road weary song. That whole _Running On Empty_ album really spoke to me, as I was touring at the time. But what made it hit home was that it was recorded on the road. A few tracks were live, others recorded in hotel rooms, some backstage… … and at least one on the tour bus (you can hear trucks passing and the bus downshifting). . I double-checked myself on the tour bus song. Wikipedia sez: _“Nothing but Time”_ - Recorded “on the bus somewhere in New Jersey” (9/8/77) - Russ Kunkel is credited as playing “snare, hi-hat, and cardboard box with foot pedal.” - The song was recorded aboard the band’s [Continental Silver Eagle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle_Bus) tour bus (hence the lyrical reference to “Silver Eagle”). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/meta-songs-songs-about-being-a-musician/971057.md?page=3)