# Songs that are about other songs, or other artists **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 6, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513 "2011-06-06T16:46:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/1 "2011-06-06T16:46:58Z")
What songs are about other songs or about other artists? Songs that are about other artists wouls seem to be common, though the only one I can think of right now is _Sir Duke_ by Stevie Wonder. Last night I heard a song that I’ve never heard before, which was about singing _Sweet Home Alabama_. Same chord progression and same piano riff, but definitely a different song. I thought that was really odd. Are there other examples of this? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/2 "2011-06-06T16:51:32Z")
You probably heard Kid Rock’s song… what’s it called? “All Summer Long.” Thanks Google. It also has pieces of “Warewolves of London” in it. And of course “Sweet Home Alabama” is a shot at Neil Young’s “Southern Man” but I think everyone knows this by now, as I’m sure you do too. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/3 "2011-06-06T16:55:22Z")
Warren Zevon’s “Play it All Night Long” refers to “Sweet Home Alabama” (“Sweet Home Alabama/play that dead man’s song.”) Mott the Hoople’s “Driving Sister” refers to their own “Half Moon Bay.” Matthew Fisher’s “Going for a Song” refers to “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” The song is about growing tired of singing a song and while the song isn’t named, you can hear the unmistakable organ part of “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” (Fisher was with Procul Harem and now claims credit for that particular riff.) The Beatle’s “Glass Onion” refers to several Beatles songs (“I am the Walrus,” “The Fool on the Hill.”) ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/4 "2011-06-06T16:55:58Z")
Just to have said something, even if it is obvious: _American Pie_ Also the Charlie Daniels song about “the South’s gonna do it again” (or whatever the real title is) that’s a directory of Southern Rock bands. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/5 "2011-06-06T16:57:49Z")
Marshall Bruce Mathers III refers to other artists in some of his compositions. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/6 "2011-06-06T16:59:38Z")
Weezer’s "Heart Songs’ from The Red Album is all about iconic songs/artists from the 70’s to early 90’s. Edit: And the last-verse goes all meta and is about how they became a band that other people now go “oh yeah, this songs takes me back.” ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/7 "2011-06-06T17:02:36Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > You probably heard Kid Rock’s song… what’s it called? “All Summer Long.” Thanks Google. Thanks, that’s what I heard. ---
**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:** [June 6, 2011, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/8 "2011-06-06T17:04:37Z")
“_Mike Post Theme_” by The Who. Also, “_God Speaks of Marty Robbins_”, which imagines there might have been ulterior motives for creating the universe. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/9 "2011-06-06T17:07:15Z")
[Life is a Rock…But the Radio Rolled Me](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16kh-AP4OCU) - singer doing his best Paul Simon impression. ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/10 "2011-06-06T17:09:36Z")
_Life Is a Rock_ is nothing but. Tim Curry’s “I Do the Rock” has a lot of references to music, as well as other pop culture. ETA: Grrrr, **ArgentTowers**! :shakes fist: ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/11 "2011-06-06T17:13:50Z")
Righteous Brothers-_[Rock And Roll Heaven](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEzLCif7e_k&feature=related)_ ---
**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:** [June 6, 2011, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/12 "2011-06-06T17:23:45Z")
Peter, Paul, and Mary did such a good job aping the Mamas and the Papas with I DIG ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC that plenty of folks think it _ **is** _ the Mamas and the Papas referencing the Beatles and Donovan. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/13 "2011-06-06T17:30:17Z")
> [@Zeldar](#): > > Just to have said something, even if it is obvious: _American Pie_ Along those lines, Lori Lieberman/Roberta Flack’s “Killing Me Softly with His Song” is about Don McLean. According to Wikipedia, though, “Empty Chairs” was the inspirational piece, not “American Pie.” ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/14 "2011-06-06T17:39:41Z")
_Complete Control_ by The Clash is about their song, _Remote Control_. ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/15 "2011-06-06T17:42:55Z")
R.O.C.K. in the USA by John Mellencamp lists several ground breaking artists in the history of rock n roll. ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/16 "2011-06-06T17:48:34Z")
The Clash song “Complete Control” references their own song “Remote Control” and how pissed off they are that CBS made them release it as a single. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/17 "2011-06-06T17:50:30Z")
If there are songs older than this one that fit the description of the OP, I would like to hear them: [All American Boy](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAL8f-bWuus) ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/18 "2011-06-06T17:53:09Z")
“Authority Song” by Jimmy Eat World is about trying to impress a girl by playing said Mellencamp song on the jukebox. Speaking of which their Praise Chorus also drops quite a lot of songs but isn’t necessarily “about” a specific song. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/19 "2011-06-06T17:54:16Z")
K.T. Tunstall’s _[Suddenly I See](http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/kttunstall/suddenlyisee.html)_ is reportedly about Patti Smith; specifically, Tunstall has said it refers to her looking at Smith’s _[Horses](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horses_(album))_ album cover. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/20 "2011-06-06T18:00:48Z")
Major Tom is a made up character David Bowie uses in several songs. He is also in the Peter Schilling song “Coming Home” which essentially re-tells the events in “Space Oddity.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513.md?page=2)