# Song Sequels? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 27, 2001, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464 "2001-04-27T00:01:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2001, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/21 "2001-04-27T14:30:09Z")
Oh, how’d I forget? Buddy Holly followed up the classic “Peggy Sue” with the lame “Peggy Sue Got MArried.” ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/22 "2001-04-28T00:26:14Z")
Yep, it was a more common practice in those days, much as you see Halloween VI out there. “If it worked once, maybe we can milk it again.” These came in several categories 1. **Answer songs** as **astorian** mentioned. I believe the “Rock With Me Annie” had a “Work With Me, Henry” answer. The classic is probably Elvis’ 1960 #1 “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” which brought Thelma Carpenter and Dodie Stevens both to respond with “Yes, I’m Lonesome Tonight” 1n 1961 (peaking at #55 and #60, respectively on the charts). [And I’ve wondered if Barbara Mason’s 1965 “Yes, I’m Ready.” inspired Pacific Gas & Electric’s 1970 “Are You Ready?”] 1. \*\*Direct sequels \*\* like Buchanan & Goodman’s compliation “The Flying Saucer(Parts 1&2)” in August 1956 which was followed August 1957 by “Flying Saucer The 2nd”. 2. \*\*Opal songs \*\* including Kool & The Gang’s “Opal Sesame” from 1977 and 1972’s “Opal the Door (Song for Judith)” by Judy Collins. 3. **Honest sequels** in which the story is continued or modified as in several above. One of the all time best is Marty Robbin’s “El Paso City” which the singer is flying over the modern El Paso and thinking about the story in the earlier song. The lyrics of the latter can be found [here](http://www.roughstock.com/cowpie/cowpie-songs/r/robbins_marty/el_paso_city.crd) 4. **Takeoffs** such as the Shangri-La’s 1964 #1 hit, “Leader of the Pack” inspiring that same year a #19 song “Leader of the Laundromat” by The Detergents. No doubt there are others, but those come to mind immediately, ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/23 "2001-04-28T01:15:39Z")
Not technically a sequel, but Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” is certainly a response to Neil Young’s “Southern Man.” ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/24 "2001-04-28T01:18:45Z")
Oops. Sorry, RealityChuck. You already got the “Southern Man/Sweet Home Alabama” connection. I’ll learn to read more carefully in the future! ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/25 "2001-04-28T02:24:21Z")
Veruca Salt’s “Volcano Girls” has a line which says something like “I told you 'bout the Seether before,” referring to their previous song “The Seether.” Steve Miller had a whole thing about Maurice and/or the Space Cowboy. Yucko. But it does fit the topic. ---
**Author:** ![Daytona\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Daytona\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daytona_Dave)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/26 "2001-04-28T02:40:43Z")
The Drifters followed up ‘Up on the Roof’ with ‘Under the Boadwalk’ which has the opening line ‘When the sun comes up and burns the tar up on the roof’. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2001, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/27 "2001-04-28T03:06:02Z")
The Who followed up “The Song is Over” with “Pure and Easy,” which virtually quotes the last line of “The Song is Over” in its opening verse. The former is on _Who’s Next_, the latter, _Odds ‘n’ Sods_. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/28 "2001-04-29T22:54:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*Neil Young wrote “Southern Man,” Lynyrd Skynyrd replied to it in “Sweet Home Alabama.” Someone else (I forget the name of the song and the performer) wrote a song with the lyrics “Sweet Home Alabama/Sing that dead man’s song.” \*\* Warren Zevon: “Play It All Night Long”. “‘Sweet Home Alabama’/Play that dead band’s song/Turn those speakers up full blast/Play it all night long”. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/29 "2001-04-29T22:56:53Z")
Oh, and that song is also noteworthy for the only use of the word “brucellosis” in a rock song. Maybe in any song. ---
**Author:** ![racinchikki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@racinchikki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racinchikki)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2001, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/30 "2001-04-29T23:06:30Z")
Question about Metallica… I know what **The Unforgiven** is about, it’s pretty much obvious, but I get the distinct feeling I’m missing something about **The Unforgiven II**. What’s goin on there? ---
**Author:** ![Smorfie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Smorfie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smorfie)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/31 "2001-04-30T03:53:48Z")
“Hound Dog” (Big Momma Thorton) was followed up by “Bear Cat” (by a male singer). This song was, of course, modified a bit before being covered by Elvis. “My Girl” (Temptations) was followed by “My Guy” (forget which girl-group). Answer songs have a long, long history in what was called ‘Race Music’ (Black American music before about 1960)in this country, and are still popular with the ‘toasters’ and DJs in Jamica. [For example, Chuck Berry’s “Maybelline” was originally titled ‘Ida Red’ as a followup to the song by that name.] ---
**Author:** ![Smorfie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Smorfie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smorfie)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/32 "2001-04-30T03:59:36Z")
Bear Cat was by Rufus Thomas My Guy was Mary Wells ---
**Author:** ![Protesilaus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Protesilaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Protesilaus)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/33 "2001-04-30T04:21:33Z")
There was a sequel written to “Daisy” (the song HAL sung in _2001_) where Daisy repiles to her proposal. > [@](#): > > Michael, Michael, here is your answer true. > I’m not crazy - not for the likes of you. > If you can’t afford a carriage > There won’t be any marriage. > For I’ll be damned if I’ll be jammed > On a bicycle built for two. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/34 "2001-04-30T09:34:57Z")
Would a reprise count? There’s not only Sgt. Peppers, which doesn’t add that much that is new. But there’s a reprise on the Eagles Desperado for both Doolin-Dalton and Desperado. The reprise of both was wrapped into one song at the end. That one does add new information on both songs. Arlo Guthrie revisted Alice’s Restaurant with Alice’s Restaurant revisited which I like much better then the original. In it he theorizes on why Nixon edited out 18 minutes. I’ve always assumed that Harvest, and Harvest Moon by Neil Young were related, although it isn’t explicit in the songs. The same goes for Meatloaf with his Bat out of Hell and Bat out of Hell II… Is that the name of the sequel? ---
**Author:** ![Myrnalene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@Myrnalene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Myrnalene)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/35 "2001-05-01T01:42:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zoggie \* > \*\* > > Why sad and lame? Both songs rock, IMHO. \*\* You have YHO, I have M. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_the\_Immortal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Max\_the\_Immortal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_the_Immortal)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/36 "2001-05-01T07:33:30Z")
It’s a little-know fact that Britney Spears’ “Baby, One More Time” is actually a follow up to her first song, “Please Hit Me”… _ducks and runs_ ---
**Author:** ![Pabitel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bbce88/32.png) [@Pabitel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pabitel)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/37 "2001-05-01T20:09:43Z")
“Johnny B. Goode” and “Bye Bye Johnny” by Chuck Berry ---
**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:** [May 1, 2001, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/38 "2001-05-01T21:56:51Z")
I stopped listening to Bon Jovi long ago, but one of his newer albums make a reference or two to Tommy and Gina, those wacky kids from “Livin’ On a Prayer.” ---
**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/39 "2001-05-01T22:03:45Z")
Say, didn’t Tommy used to work on the docks? ---
**Author:** ![Daytona\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dfb087/32.png) [@Daytona\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daytona_Dave)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464/40 "2001-05-01T22:49:43Z")
I think I have come up with a couple more (open to debate): 1. Mamas and Papas ‘Creeque Alley’ ("… and California Dreaming is becoming a reality") sequel to ‘California Dreaming’ . 2. Don McLean’s ‘American Pie’ ("…this’ll be the day that I die") sequel to Buddy Holly’s “That’ll be the Day”. 3. George M. Cohan’s “Yankee Doodle Dandy” sequel to “Yankee Doodle”. 4. The Beatles “If I Fell” {"…and I found that love is more than just holding hands.") sequel to “I Wanna Hold your Hand”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-sequels/63464.md?page=3)