# Songs about other musicians **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [February 10, 2022, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255 "2022-02-10T23:53:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/41 "2022-02-11T03:28:07Z")
Elvis is Everywhere - Mojo Nixon [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/mpb4ZAAP6Z4/hqdefault.jpg ""Elvis is Everywhere" by Mojo Nixon") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpb4ZAAP6Z4) ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/42 "2022-02-11T03:28:16Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FrkEDe6Ljqs/maxresdefault.jpg "Commodores - Nightshift (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrkEDe6Ljqs) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/43 "2022-02-11T03:28:54Z")
George & Ira Gershwin - By Strauss [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/D2FMkASX_xc/maxresdefault.jpg "By Strauss") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FMkASX_xc) ---
**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 11, 2022, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/44 "2022-02-11T03:31:54Z")
Danny Kaye – “Tchaikovsky” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/kuZvLArXU5s/hqdefault.jpg "Tchaikovsky by Danny Kaye - with lyrics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuZvLArXU5s) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/45 "2022-02-11T03:48:36Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JgRO2mk3LG0/hqdefault.jpg "ELVIS IS DEAD.. LIVING COLOUR.wmv") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgRO2mk3LG0) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/qZOUYrBfXhc/maxresdefault.jpg "Mick Harvey - Hank Williams Said It Best") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZOUYrBfXhc) ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/46 "2022-02-11T03:49:08Z")
Is it about Elvis, or is it about Johnny Rotton? [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/SiS2xK7lXqk/maxresdefault.jpg "Neil Young - My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue) ( Lyrics )") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiS2xK7lXqk) ---
**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:** [February 11, 2022, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/47 "2022-02-11T04:06:39Z")
The Wonder Stuff - [Mission Drive](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qg-JGLN02Ik) The song “Mission Drive” was inspired by Wonder Stuff singer Miles Hunt’s fall out with best friend and former flatmate Clint Mansell of Pop Will Eat Itself. Also… “Never Loved Elvis”. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2022, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/48 "2022-02-11T04:27:25Z")
Leonard Cohen’s “Chelsea Hotel #2”, about Janis Joplin [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/WmbFZA16nrE/maxresdefault.jpg "Leonard Cohen - Chelsea Hotel #2 (Official Audio)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmbFZA16nrE) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/49 "2022-02-11T06:41:59Z")
> [@Duckster](#): > > American Pie by Don McLean One _about_ Don McClean (originally by Lori Lieberman): [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k4A5XuMz_Tw/hqdefault.jpg "Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4A5XuMz_Tw) Another one to add to the list for Elvis: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/oSl4KX7zBTQ/maxresdefault.jpg "Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Tupelo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSl4KX7zBTQ) From the same album, Blind Lemon Jefferson: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/8CLy4NE3kbw/maxresdefault.jpg "Blind Lemon Jefferson (2009 Remaster)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CLy4NE3kbw) Then, I’m not sure I’d say it’s _about_ Lloyd Cole, exactly: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/9gnsWamIB4s/maxresdefault.jpg "CAMERA OBSCURA - Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken [Official]") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gnsWamIB4s) ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/50 "2022-02-11T07:05:11Z")
Not quite _about_ him, but, let me rickroll you with [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/m6hzkBihaew/hqdefault.jpg "Nick Lowe - "All Men Are Liars" (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6hzkBihaew) … Do you remember Rick Astley? He had a big fat hit, it was ghastly … I suspect he did provide inspiration for this song (which is decades old). ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/51 "2022-02-11T07:16:39Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > Edwyn Collins’ [Campaign for Real Rock](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SklI0Xl9dvE) - also mostly about His Bobness one person on the you tube vid said this : This song’s loaded with references: \* “frock coat”, from David Bowie’s “Queen Bitch” \* “Rag Mama Rag”, a song by The Band \* “Robert Zimmerframe” corresponds to Bob Dylan’s birth name: Robert Zimmerman \* “excuse me while I kiss the sky” from Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” \* “summer festival” is Woodstock I think one thing he’s saying is that rock had become a cultural institution, commodified and sanitized in the process (“the devil’s music exorcised”), and old rockers were complicit in this. Show less "do you remember rock and roll radio: by the Ramones namedrops about 30 years of talent Elvis Costello has been known to take one-off shots at john Lennon s perceived hypocrisy here and there like in “the other side of summer” obliquely he rants at other musicians in the song in the same manner also there’s “when smokey sings” by ABC ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/52 "2022-02-11T07:45:17Z")
Waylon Jennings hit - _Bob Wills is Still the King_. A lot of people have forgotten Bob. He had a huge following in the 40’s,50’s and early 60’s. He appeared in19 films. > **[Bob Wills](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Wills)** > > James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although Spade Cooley self-promoted the moniker "King of Western Swing" from 1942 to 1969). > Wills formed several bands and played radio stations around the South and West until he formed the Texas Playboys in 1934 with Wills on fiddle, Tommy Duncan on piano and voc... [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/55DO5sNGZ_s/hqdefault.jpg "Waylon Jennings - Bob Wills Is Still The King (live)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55DO5sNGZ_s) ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/53 "2022-02-11T09:49:00Z")
Barbra Streisand [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UpxKKBLUP2g/hqdefault.jpg "DUCK SAUCE - Barbra Streisand (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpxKKBLUP2g) ---
**Author:** ![Lurking\_Quahog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lurking_quahog/32/21274_2.png) [@Lurking\_Quahog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lurking_Quahog)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/54 "2022-02-11T11:17:18Z")
Boozoo, Thats Who? NRBQ [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/Pf2saQFw7rM/maxresdefault.jpg "Boozoo, That's Who?") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf2saQFw7rM) ---
**Author:** ![Temporary\_Name](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@Temporary\_Name](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Temporary_Name)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/55 "2022-02-11T11:27:17Z")
There are many versions of this out there, but these tributes must be near the top of list of referring to other artists. (It does take him a while to get there.) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/K2_Kp_q786g/maxresdefault.jpg ""Hot Rod Lincoln" - Bill Kirchen & Redd Volkaert") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2_Kp_q786g) Another version: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/5wqzvE53B8M/maxresdefault.jpg "Bill Kirchen - Hot Rod Lincoln (2015)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wqzvE53B8M) ---
**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/56 "2022-02-11T11:44:00Z")
Springsteen’s Bobby Jean is widely considered to be a “love song” to his departing bandmate Steven Van Zandt (who, apart from his musical endeavors, would go on to star as consigliere Silvio Dante on The Sopranos). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/iGR_Rk74tOk/maxresdefault.jpg "Bobby Jean") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGR_Rk74tOk) ---
**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/57 "2022-02-11T12:08:39Z")
Charles Mingus’s tribute to Lester Young: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/CWWO_VcdnHY/maxresdefault.jpg "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWWO_VcdnHY) ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/58 "2022-02-11T12:45:32Z")
**Marc Cohn** references (the ghost of) **Elvis** in **Walking In Memphis** [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/PgRafRp-P-o/maxresdefault.jpg "Marc Cohn - Walking in Memphis (Official Music Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgRafRp-P-o) TCMF-2L ---
**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:** [February 11, 2022, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/59 "2022-02-11T12:49:23Z")
Ben Folds’ [“Late”](https://youtu.be/eynNJufKK2Q) is about Eliot Smith. [“Monkey”](https://youtu.be/guhYfq8tNEw) by Counting Crows namechecks Ben Folds. They also have a song called [“If I Could Give All My Love to You (Richard Manuel Is Dead)”](https://youtu.be/gawFdsHTWVY) which mentions the member of The Band in the title. In [“Mister Jones,”](https://youtu.be/-oqAU5VxFWs) Adam Duritz of Counting Crows says he wants to be Bob Dylan, and Elvis is mentioned in [“Round Here.”](https://youtu.be/SAe3sCIakXo) ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2022, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255/60 "2022-02-11T12:50:43Z")
**The Clash** and **1977** with the refrain ‘_No Elvis, Beatles or the Rolling Stones_’ [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/KorwwAjKpaY/hqdefault.jpg "The Clash - 1977") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KorwwAjKpaY) TCMF-2L [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-musicians/959255.md?page=4)