# Songs about writing song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 5, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529 "2019-05-05T23:14:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/1 "2019-05-05T23:14:48Z")
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](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UK-DcAcQ-7Y), by Cake ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/2 "2019-05-05T23:19:11Z")
“You never even call me by my name” Sang by David Allen Coe Written by John Prine and Steve Goodman ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/3 "2019-05-05T23:21:12Z")
_Song Sung Blue_, by Neil Diamond. ---
**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:** [May 5, 2019, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/4 "2019-05-05T23:27:08Z")
_25 or 6 to 4_ by **Chicago**. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/5 "2019-05-05T23:30:59Z")
_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… ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/6 "2019-05-05T23:34:09Z")
Does the theme to _The Gary Shandling Show_ count? ---
**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:** [May 5, 2019, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/7 "2019-05-05T23:39:09Z")
[Your Song - Elton John](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSLQnBbA3k0) ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/8 "2019-05-05T23:49:42Z")
[Breathe (2 AM)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcvXr-9XtgA) 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_ ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/9 "2019-05-05T23:54:18Z")
[This song’s just six words long](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIIvJkSLSfw) ---
**Author:** ![MollyCatherine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@MollyCatherine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MollyCatherine)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2019, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/10 "2019-05-05T23:57:02Z")
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.) ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/11 "2019-05-06T00:01:24Z")
“It’s Only A Northern Song” - the Beatles ---
**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:** [May 6, 2019, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/12 "2019-05-06T00:15:38Z")
_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 ---
**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:** [May 6, 2019, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/13 "2019-05-06T00:16:36Z")
[The Song that Goes Like This.](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DF-fG8c-CMoU&ved=0ahUKEwjO0_CCz4XiAhUPVN8KHdj8A1cQyCkIRjAC&usg=AOvVaw3Euz7rHYwAPXI7i-dVp1p6) from _Spamalot_ "[Guitar and Pen"](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dxp9EdWnSX-c&ved=0ahUKEwjwlNzuz4XiAhXMVt8KHYzaDfIQyCkIRjAC&usg=AOvVaw3u8UDBpEtAiW4nbOYwis2S) by the Who ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/14 "2019-05-06T00:19:29Z")
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.” ---
**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:** [May 6, 2019, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/15 "2019-05-06T00:20:32Z")
“[Number Three](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVXZBA6tJPA)” - They Might Be Giants > [@](#): > > There’s only two songs in me and I just wrote the third > Don’t know where I got the inspiration or how I wrote the words “[This Is the Title](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Rmp_KQoe0g)” - Swirling Eddies > [@](#): > > i’ve only come up with a few lines > a few lines, just a few lines > can only come up with a few lines > i just sang the lines > these are the lines And then of course there’s “I Write the Songs” (written by Bruce Johnston, but made famous by Barry Manilow) ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/16 "2019-05-06T00:45:55Z")
[This Song-George Harrison](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0i9rjTxhpY) ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/17 "2019-05-06T01:32:53Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > _Song Sung Blue_, by Neil Diamond. Also by Diamond, _Beautiful Noise_. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/18 "2019-05-06T02:19:00Z")
There’s the beautiful “A Song For You”, by Leon Russell, [sung here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SvDlzNpJV6g) by Ruby Wilson, the Queen of Beale Street. ---
**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:** [May 6, 2019, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/19 "2019-05-06T02:22:23Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > "[Guitar and Pen"](https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3Dxp9EdWnSX-c&ved=0ahUKEwjwlNzuz4XiAhXMVt8KHYzaDfIQyCkIRjAC&usg=AOvVaw3u8UDBpEtAiW4nbOYwis2S) by the Who First cut from that same album: [New Song](https://youtu.be/GdTHq4jPHkM) _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) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2019, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529/20 "2019-05-06T03:45:04Z")
There’s that pretentious one by Barry Manilow, who did _not_, in fact, write it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-writing-song/833529.md?page=2)