# 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:** 2
**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, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/21 "2014-02-20T23:06:47Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s not a song lyric, but on Primus’ first album Les Claypool tells the crowd, “We’re Primus and we suck.” A line he stole (sorta) from The Meatmen. LONG LIVE TESCO VEE! ETA: hey yeah, The Meatmen count here, many times over actually: Meatman, Meatmen Stomp, TSOL Are Sissies, One Down Three To Go, ABBA God & Me, Rock ‘N’ Roll Juggernaught, etc., etc. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/22 "2014-02-20T23:07:07Z")
Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band: “The Blimp” _It’s the thing that’s gonna make Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band fat, Frank!_ The Mothers of Invention: “Motherly Love” _The Mothers got love that will drive you mad._ Leonard Cohen: “Famous Blue Raincoat” _Sincerely, L. Cohen_ ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/23 "2014-02-20T23:08:17Z")
The Who had a song that asked “Who are you?” alot. ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/24 "2014-02-20T23:08:58Z")
Liz Phair, _Rock Me_ “Your record collection don’t exist You don’t even know who Liz Phair is” ---
**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, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/25 "2014-02-20T23:13:07Z")
Devo mentions their name in a number of songs, but usually it’s used as an adjective (i.e. “we’re all Devo”), so that prolly doesn’t count, but I thought of it so I’m posting it anyway. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/26 "2014-02-20T23:20:36Z")
The Clash did _Radio Clash_ Pink Floyd, _Have a Cigar_ “By the way, which one’s Pink?” They Might Be Giants had a song called _They Might Be Giants_. Skid Row yelled their name in, i want to say _Youth Gone Wild_? Janet Jackson in _Nasty Boys_ “No, my first name ain’t Baby. It’s Janet, Miss Jackson if you’re nasty.” Veruca Salt, sort of, in _Volcano Girls_, referencing the guitarist and a previous single “Here’s another clue if you please, the seether’s Louise.” Which of course is a reference to the Beatles doing in _Glass Onion_. ---
**Author:** ![Tanbarkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a698b9/32.png) [@Tanbarkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tanbarkie)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/27 "2014-02-20T23:20:38Z")
_Tabloid footprints in your hair Tabloid footprints everywhere We can’t be silent 'Cause they might be giants And what are we going to do unless they are?_ ---
**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, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/28 "2014-02-20T23:33:54Z")
> [@JSexton](#): > > Pink Floyd, _Have a Cigar_ > “By the way, which one’s Pink?” Does that count as a name check? I thought they were making fun of greedy record executives who wanted to sign the band but didn’t know the first thing about them. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/29 "2014-02-20T23:34:34Z")
_This is Radio Clash from pirate satellite_ Does _Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band_ count? ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/30 "2014-02-20T23:39:28Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > A line he stole (sorta) from The Meatmen. LONG LIVE TESCO VEE! > > ETA: hey yeah, The Meatmen count here, many times over actually: Meatman, Meatmen Stomp, TSOL Are Sissies, One Down Three To Go, ABBA God & Me, Rock ‘N’ Roll Juggernaught, etc., etc. The Meatmen RULE! The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion does this often, too. Particularly on _Orange_, I can remember: “Sweat”- _“That’s the sweat - of the Blues Explosion”_ “Blues X Man” “Flavor” The Monks had “Monk Chant”, though it only name checks them in the title. And the best one, in my mind is from The Dicks’ classic song “The Dicks Hate the Police”: _People tell policemen they’ve met their match. They placed on desert sand the Dicks were hatched._ ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/31 "2014-02-20T23:44:12Z")
In the Beatles song “Glass Onion,” in addition to referencing lots of their songs, John Lennon sings “the walrus was Paul”. Also, this might not count, but in their song “Come Together,” each stanza describes a different band member - but they use no names, just “he” for all of them. ETA: Also, in the Simon and Garfunkel song “Frank Lloyd Wright,” Frank Lloyd Wright is a metaphor for Garfunkel. But again, it might not be specific enough. ---
**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, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/32 "2014-02-20T23:44:59Z")
The Yellow Balloon had a hit single with “Yellow Balloon.” The B side was “Noollab Wolley” Alice Cooper had the lyric “She asked why the singer’s name was Alice” in “Be my Lover.” “The Intro and the Outro” by the Bonzo Dog Band name checks all the members of the band – plus a few others. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/33 "2014-02-20T23:49:05Z")
Shakira in “Hips Don’t Lie.” Lady Gaga and Red One in “Just Dance.” ---
**Author:** ![Orr\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ee59a6/32.png) [@Orr\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orr_G)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2014, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/34 "2014-02-20T23:59:14Z")
Make my funk the P.Funk, I want my funk uncut. ---
**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 21, 2014, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/35 "2014-02-21T00:00:57Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > The Meatmen RULE! > > \ > > And the best one, in my mind is from The Dicks’ classic song “The Dicks Hate the Police”: > > _People tell policemen > they’ve met their match. > They placed on desert sand > the Dicks were hatched._ You are obviously a person of towering intellect and impeccable taste! I am pleased to welcome you into my permanent circle of friends: **Gabba gabba we accept you, we accept you one of us!** ---
**Author:** ![minlokwat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minlokwat/32/2844_2.png) [@minlokwat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minlokwat)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/36 "2014-02-21T00:23:58Z")
Back in the 80’s \*\*Wang Chung \*\*proposed that _Everybody Have Fun Tonight_ but really what you want is that _Everybody Wang Chung Tonight_. We did. It wasn’t so bad. Also a deep cut from \*\*Steely Dan’s \*\*Countdown to Ecstasy, “Show Biz Kids” has the line: “_They got the shapely bods. They got the Steely Dan t-shirt_.” ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/37 "2014-02-21T00:55:12Z")
The Hold Steady…about a hundred times on their first record. ---
**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:** [February 21, 2014, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/38 "2014-02-21T01:10:54Z")
“Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are, **Iron Maiden** ’s gonna get you, no matter how far.” “Watching them crumble, watching them crawl **Iced Earth** has risen - nature will fall” “In a place of fire eternal, left **in flames**.” “Gonna keep on burnin’, always will Other bands play, \*\*MANOWAR \*\*kills!” “Everybody, everywhere in the whole world **Gamma Ray, Gamma Ray, Gamma, Gamma, Gamma Ray** Made of your existence **Gamma Ray** money and our failing I’ve waited for - to find **Gamma Ray.** ” “\*\*Annihilator \*\*(this machine) **Annihilator** \*\*Annihilator \*\*(this machine) **Annihilator** \*\*Annihilator \*\*(now you’re dead) **Annihilator** \*\*Annihilator \*\*(now you’re dead) **Annihilator** ” ---
**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:** [February 21, 2014, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/39 "2014-02-21T01:11:23Z")
“I been mothered, fathered, aunt and uncled Been Roy Haleed and **Art Garfunkeled** ” ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Mondegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/91b2a8/32.png) [@Lord\_Mondegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Mondegreen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2014, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822/40 "2014-02-21T01:16:32Z")
The early '70s Australian band Daddy Cool (better known for “Eagle Rock”) had a hit with “Daddy Cool” (not to be confused with the 1976 Boney M song of the same name). I seem to remember Roxette calling out their name on a song whose name escapes me for the moment. Not even sure if it was a single or an album track. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/name-checking-yourself-in-rock-music/681822.md?page=3)