# Songs About Other Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 13, 2016, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633 "2016-12-13T18:53:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/41 "2016-12-13T22:56:30Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > “Sad songs (say so much)”. That song indirectly references every sad song. That’s a lot of songs. Hey, if we’re going _there,_ then: Paul McCartney, singing about “Silly Love Songs”. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/42 "2016-12-13T22:56:36Z")
“Merry Christmas from the Family” includes fragments of “Feliz Navidad” and “Silent Night” with a reference to “The First Noel” played on the stereo. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/43 "2016-12-13T23:01:01Z")
The whole point of “Rock And Roll Heaven”, by the Righteous Brothers, is to talk up other singers and their songs: Jim Croce and Bad Bad Leroy Brown; Bobby Darin and Mack The Knife; and so on for Janis Joplin and Otis Redding and et cetera. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/44 "2016-12-13T23:30:18Z")
Other than _Killing Me Softly_, I’m not sure most of the subsequent examples really fit what the OP is asking about. The question seems to be looking for examples of songs that are **about another song** , not just that mention or list other songs. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [December 13, 2016, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/45 "2016-12-13T23:50:31Z")
Hootie & the Blowfish’s “Only Wanna Be With You” references Dylan’s “Idiot Wind” and “Tangled up in Blue”: > [@](#): > > Put on a little Dylan > Sitting on a fence > I say, “That line is great.” > You ask me what it meant by > “Said I shot a man named Gray > Took his wife to Italy > She inherited a million bucks > And when she died it came to me > I can’t help it if I’m lucky” > I only wanna be with you > Ain’t Bobby so cool? > I only wanna be with you > > Yeah, I’m tangled up in blue > I only wanna be with you ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/46 "2016-12-14T00:09:53Z")
Elton John’s _Goodbye Yellow Brick Road_. _Garden Party_, by Ricky Nelson: > [@](#): > > Played them all the old songs, thought that’s why they came > No one heard the music, we didn’t look the same. > I said hello to “Mary Lou”, she belongs to me > When I sang a song about a honky-tonk, it was time to leave > > Someone opened up a closet door and out stepped Johnny B. Goode > Playing guitar like a-ringin’ a bell and lookin’ like he should. > If you gotta play at garden parties, i wish you a lotta luck > But if memories were all i sang, i rather drive a truck Hello Marylou was a Nelson song. She Belongs to Me is a Dylan song that Nelson covered. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Prize](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d2c977/32.png) [@Sir\_Prize](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Prize)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/47 "2016-12-14T00:27:03Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Other than _Killing Me Softly_, I’m not sure most of the subsequent examples really fit what the OP is asking about. The question seems to be looking for examples of songs that are **about another song** , not just that mention or list other songs. I think this one qualifies: > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Tenacious D’s “Tribute”. So does Sing by the Carpenters. ---
**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:** [December 14, 2016, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/48 "2016-12-14T01:09:26Z")
My mention of “Going for a Song” certainly qualifies on both counts; it’s a song about having to play “A Whiter Shade of Pale” night after night after night so that you’re sick of it. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/49 "2016-12-14T01:43:27Z")
Genesis “the musical box” ---
**Author:** ![mistymage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mistymage/32/459_2.png) [@mistymage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mistymage)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/50 "2016-12-14T02:14:14Z")
George Jones “Who’s gonna fill their shoes?” references a ton of other songs and artists [George Jones - Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes? - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi3GgoLtlWk&list=RDVExw77xJsBQ&index=3) Lyrics at [Google Play Music is no longer available](https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tc5cufk6632mbkgh4mmxbnm3nsu?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-songlyrics) ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/51 "2016-12-14T02:32:19Z")
Seeing this thread reminds me very much of one from 10 years back. Not identical, just a lot of overlap. Yeah, I got a lot of free time. > **[Metasongs!](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=357017)** > > Yeah, my mind was wandering on a cold and rainy commute home. I was trying to think of songs whose titles plainly refer to the title of another song within them. The only one I could really think of was “Tennessee Waltz,” that old country standard.... ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/52 "2016-12-14T03:08:51Z")
> [@mistymage](#): > > George Jones “Who’s gonna fill their shoes?” references a ton of other songs and artists [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi3GgoLtlWk&list=RDVExw77xJsBQ&index=3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi3GgoLtlWk&list=RDVExw77xJsBQ&index=3) Sort of a tangent to the OP, but regarding referencing other artists I’ll add John Hiatt’s “Memphis in the Meantime”: > [@](#): > > Until hell freezes over > Maybe you can wait that long > But I don’t think Ronnie Milsap’s gonna ever > Record this song Come to think of it, Hiatt references his own song in the song. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/53 "2016-12-14T14:36:58Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > I am enjoying “Annie’s Going To Sing Her Song” by Tom Paxton. Wherein the song Annie sings is called “Take Me Back Again.” Paxton also sang “Has Annie Been In Tonight?” and “When Annie Took Me Home.” Being a huge fan of his music, I love the tunes. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/54 "2016-12-14T14:49:58Z")
Perez Hilton’s [Thank You Broadway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYZrDMrAHvo) incorporates the titles of songs from various shows in the lyrics. Really well done. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/55 "2016-12-14T14:55:43Z")
How about Sweet Soul Music, by Arthur Conley? Several references, such as: > [@](#): > > Spotlight on Sam and Dave now > Ah don’t they look boss y’all > Singin’ hold on I’m comin’ > Oh yeah, oh yeah > > Spotlight on Wilson Pickett > That wicked picket Pickett > Singin Mustang Sally > Oh yeah, oh yeah ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/56 "2016-12-14T21:08:11Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Paxton also sang “Has Annie Been In Tonight?” and “When Annie Took Me Home.” Being a huge fan of his music, I love the tunes. When Annie Took Me Home has the lyric: Rafters rung, songs were sung Like [Spanish Is The Loving Tongue](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_is_the_Loving_Tongue) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/57 "2016-12-14T23:08:17Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Other than _Killing Me Softly_, I’m not sure most of the subsequent examples really fit what the OP is asking about. The question seems to be looking for examples of songs that are **about another song** , not just that mention or list other songs. Thank you Doug, you are correct. I also meant to specify: NO (MORE) AMERICAN PIE! ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/58 "2016-12-14T23:09:31Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > :smack: Don’ know how I could forget about this one: [Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said (I’m In Heaven When You Smile)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffCaPkqE6m8): > > “Jackie Wilson said > It was ‘Reet Petite’ > Kinda love you got > Knock me off my feet” > > I just yesterday finished a book about the making of Van’s classic album \*St. Dominic’s Preview \* and learned the astonishing fact that this recording was a first take, with only a second take tried but cut early. It’s a miracle IMHO. That one qualifies. What book is that – it sounds interesting. ---
**Author:** ![Nonsuch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nonsuch/32/2922_2.png) [@Nonsuch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nonsuch)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/59 "2016-12-14T23:20:05Z")
“Vera” from \*The Wall \*is about Vera Lynn and her signature WWII hit, “We’ll Meet Again.” ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 14, 2016, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633/60 "2016-12-14T23:44:25Z")
> [@jaycat](#): > > That one qualifies. What book is that – it sounds interesting. [Saint Dominic’s Flashback: Van Morrison’s Classic Album, Forty Years On](https://www.amazon.com/Saint-Dominics-Flashback-Morrisons-Classic-ebook/dp/B009FAKGHI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1481758428&sr=8-1&keywords=Saint+Dominic%27s+Flashback%3A+Van+Morrison%27s+Classic+Album%2C+Forty+Years+On) Yeah, I know it’s clumsily titled, and a bit short, but it gave an interesting account of the various sessions when the album was recorded and the involved musicians and producers. It’s also kind of a snapshot of Morrison’s professional life in early 1972. It’s not a masterpiece, but very interesting, and you can’t do wrong with $ 1.42 for the kindle version. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-other-songs/774633.md?page=4)