# Name-Checking Yourself In Rock Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822 "2014-02-20T21:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**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:** [February 20, 2014, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/1 "2014-02-20T21:38:38Z")
Was enjoying some Beastie Boys last night when it occurred to me that while name-checking yourself in rap and hip-hop is near required, it’s not really something you hear in other genres. Examples: “One-two-three-to-the-four/Snoop Doggy Dog and Dr. Dre at your door” “Beastie Boys known to let the beat …/ hmm, drop?” “Mr. Moles on da beats/And Missy be the beats behind the beats” (Missy Elliot) Ok, I actually don’t know enough country or techno to know if it’s common there. Trying to think of examples outside of rap & hip-hop. [ul] [li]“Milkmen Stomp” by The Dead Milkmen[/li][li]“KMFDM Sucks” (and other songs) by KMFDM[/li][li]“Put the Book Back On The Shelf” by Belle & Sebasitian has a coda where they mention themselves[/li][/ul] I don’t think “Bad Company” by Bad Company fits the bill. They’re not talking about a band. Any others? Note I’m not looking for songs where the singer talks about “me” or “me and the band” (example: Willie Nelson’s “Me and Paul”) but rather explicitly says the band’s name or their name. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/2 "2014-02-20T22:02:21Z")
Deep Purple’s shoutout to Frank Zappa & the Mothers is the first thing that comes to my mind. Lynyrd Skynyrd’s mention of how they don’t need Neil Young around, anyhow, was the 2nd. ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/3 "2014-02-20T22:03:46Z")
Metallica, _Whiplash_ off of\*\* Kill 'Em All:\*\* “But we will never stop We will never quit cause we are Metallica” ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/4 "2014-02-20T22:12:46Z")
The Queers “You’re Tripping” contains the couplet “Bring on the beers/'Cause we are The Queers” John Lennon name-checks The Beatles in his solo song “God” (“I don’t believe in Beatles”). Although it’s not the usual braggadocio associated with hip-hop name-checking, in fact it’s quite the opposite. I can think of lots of songs about life on the road or the early days of the band that don’t explicitly name the band. There’s also lots that name check other artists. But name-checking yourself does seem rare in rock. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/5 "2014-02-20T22:19:48Z")
“Wilco (the Song)” by \*\*Wilco \*\*has the lyric _Wilco will love you baby._ **Old 97s** ’ “Barrier Reef” contains the line “My name’s Stuart Ransom Miller” which many think is Rhett Miller name-checking himself but it’s actually a song about his dad. Rhett himself is Stewart Ransom Miller II and his dad is the original. From something he wrote about the song: > [@](#): > > In “Barrier Reef,” I state my full name for the record, making it seem it’s the one song that must be strict autobiography. Well, if it pleases the court, I’d like to present the following piece of evidence in my defense: I am not Stewart Ransom Miller, I am Stewart Ransom Miller, The Second. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/6 "2014-02-20T22:21:49Z")
It’s not a song lyric, but on Primus’ first album Les Claypool tells the crowd, “We’re Primus and we suck.” ---
**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:** [February 20, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/7 "2014-02-20T22:30:23Z")
“Creeque Alley”; by the Mamas and the Papas fits the definition. All members of the group are name checked. “The Movies Are a Mother to Me” by Loudon Wainwright III ends with the line “Between Loudon and himself.” ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/8 "2014-02-20T22:33:30Z")
One of the many reasons I hate rap and hip hop. One of the music feeds on my cable keeps playing this song (one of the very few hip hop songs on that feed) by Britney Spears and Will I Am where they say their names as part of the chorus. It makes my toes curl. But the first answer to your question that I thought of was the 60’s hit “Tighten Up”, where Archie Bell introduces himself before he begins singing. ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/9 "2014-02-20T22:33:34Z")
“Shake it don’t break it - wrap it up and Jerry Lee Lewis will be glad to take it!” ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/10 "2014-02-20T22:33:57Z")
When I saw Warren Zevon solo in a small club, he added the following line to “Werewolves of London”: “…better stay away from him; he’ll rip your lungs out, Jim!” (long pause) “He was lookin’ for Jimmy Buffett.” (Picks up on the riff.) ---
**Author:** ![koeeoaddi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/koeeoaddi/32/408_2.png) [@koeeoaddi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koeeoaddi)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/11 "2014-02-20T22:34:56Z")
Joni Mitchell, Blue Motel Room _Tell those girls that you’ve got Joni She’s coming back home_ ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/12 "2014-02-20T22:39:20Z")
“Shine A Little Love,” by Electric Light Orchestra–backing vocals sing “ELO” during last chorus. During “Ocean Breakup” from “On The Third Day,” “ELO” is repeated in Morse code during the intro. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/13 "2014-02-20T22:43:38Z")
Somewhat obscure, but [“CSS Sucks” by C.S.S.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Loy4NBjnsWI&list=PLEG0E1aH65OcOSRsPOj4lpYKFnr4bd90x) ---
**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:** [February 20, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/14 "2014-02-20T22:51:52Z")
Hey hey we’re The Monkees. Motorhead, you can call me Motorhead. You got the Supersucker drive-by blues. ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/15 "2014-02-20T22:54:00Z")
David Allan Coe name-checks himself as well as Merle Haggard and Charlie Pride in “You Never Even Called Me By My Name” ---
**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:** [February 20, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/16 "2014-02-20T23:01:28Z")
Move over, Rover, and let Jimi take over. ---
**Author:** ![Steophan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steophan/32/9595_2.png) [@Steophan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steophan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/17 "2014-02-20T23:01:54Z")
Tenth Avenue Freeze Out by Bruce Springsteen mentions him and saxophone player Clarence Clemons by fairly obvious aliases (Bad Scooter and The Big Man). The song is a somewhat mythologised version of the formation of the E Street Band. The song was also used as a rather moving tribute in concert after Clemons’ death by performing it but with silence where his sax solo would have been. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/18 "2014-02-20T23:03:02Z")
> [@bobot](#): > > Hey hey we’re The Monkees. > Motorhead, you can call me Motorhead. > You got the Supersucker drive-by blues. I love that song. ---
**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:** [February 20, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/19 "2014-02-20T23:04:54Z")
Me checking in again… Go Jim Dandy! I’ll take a break now… ---
**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:** [February 20, 2014, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/20 "2014-02-20T23:06:33Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I love that song. Ha Ha!! 🙂 That was 3 seperate examples. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822.md?page=2)