In a meta way, songs about writing songs, especially songs about writing the song being sung, fascinate me in the same way that breaking the 4th wall does. What are some good examples?
I’ll start
Sad Songs and Waltzes, by Cake
“You never even call me by my name”
Sang by David Allen Coe
Written by John Prine and Steve Goodman
Song Sung Blue, by Neil Diamond.
25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago.
Hook by Blues Traveler comes to mind.
“It doesn’t matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel I’ll convey
Some inner truth or vast reflection” etc…
Does the theme to The Gary Shandling Show count?
Breathe (2 AM) is Anna Nalick’s big song from 2004. Unfortunately, even to this day, when she gets a chance to appear on TV, that’s all they want her to perform. It’s a great song, but she’s written more in the last 15 years.
Here’s the last verse:
Two AM and I’m still awake, writing this song
If I get it all down on paper, its no longer
Inside of me, threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I’m naked in front of the crowd
'Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you’ll use them, however you want to
Write You A Song - Jon Pardi
“And then I’ll write you a song.
You might hear it on the radio.
Baby you never know,
But it’s gonna be just about you and me,
How much I miss you.
You’re the one that got away.
You’re gonna hear your song someday.”
(This is the chorus, the whole thing is on the same theme.)
Life Changes - Thomas Rhett
“And I wrote a little song about holding her hand and now everybody wanna die happy now”
(The line is a reference to his previous song Die A Happy Man. Life Changes is extremely - overly! - autobiographical.)
“It’s Only A Northern Song” - the Beatles
And a song I was writing was left undone
I don’t know why I spend my time
Writing songs I can’t believe
With words that tear and strain to rhyme
Kathy’s Song, Paul Simon
The Song that Goes Like This. from Spamalot
"Guitar and Pen" by the Who
James Taylor, Fire and Rain. “I woke up this morning, and I wrote down this song, I just can’t remember who to send it to.”
“Number Three” - They Might Be Giants
“This Is the Title” - Swirling Eddies
And then of course there’s “I Write the Songs” (written by Bruce Johnston, but made famous by Barry Manilow)
Also by Diamond, Beautiful Noise.
There’s the beautiful “A Song For You”, by Leon Russell, sung here by Ruby Wilson, the Queen of Beale Street.
First cut from that same album: New Song
I write the same old song with a few new lines
And everybody wants to cheer it
I write the same old song you heard a good few times
Admit you really want to hear it
(aka Townshend’s Lament…even in the latest interview, Pete re-affirms his deep desire to perform new material in concert as opposed to greatest hits. “All I’ve had to do is show up, play my guitar and swing my arm around.” Unfortunately for him, 95% of the concert-going public wants to hear those same old songs)
There’s that pretentious one by Barry Manilow, who did not, in fact, write it.