# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Suil\_Dubh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Suil\_Dubh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suil_Dubh)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/41 "2011-06-06T21:01:56Z")
“R.A.M.O.N.E.S” by Motörhead. “Smoke on the Water” by Deep Purple refers to Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, among other things. > **[Smoke on the Water | History](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoke_on_the_Water#History)** > > The lyrics tell a true story: on 4 December 1971, Deep Purple were in Montreux, Switzerland, to record an album (Machine Head) using a mobile recording studio (rented from the Rolling Stones and known as the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio—referred to as the "Rolling truck Stones thing" and "a mobile" in the lyrics) at the entertainment complex that was part of the Montreux Casino (referred to as "the gambling house" in the song lyric). > On the eve of the recording session, a concert with Frank Zapp... ---
**Author:** ![sco3tt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@sco3tt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sco3tt)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/42 "2011-06-06T23:47:20Z")
> [@woodstockbirdybird](#): > > I once made a mix of songs about Husker Du and its members: > > Mold - Bob Mould Hates Me > The Posies - Grant Hart > Anthemic Pop Wonder - How Great Was Husker Du > Splitsville - Husker Du > The Replacements - Something To Du Next time you put this mix together, throw in [Lulu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulu_(Trip_Shakespeare_album)) by Trip Shakespeare: “Lonely when I hear the band That used to play, when we were looking for music. Lonely when I hear the band Do you remember, do you recall?” ---
**Author:** ![Dietrich\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@Dietrich\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dietrich_K)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/43 "2011-06-06T23:47:32Z")
A few: [“Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xi3GgoLtlWk) - George Jones [“Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvZeYDBY4fw) - Waylon Jennings [“XTC vs. Adam Ant”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4PGhirgAq-0) - They Might Be Giants “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” Prince [“Morrissey Rides a Cockhorse”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z20UYhP8vIQ) - Warlock Pinchers “Instant Club Hit (You’ll Dance to Anything)” - The Dead Milkmen ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/44 "2011-06-07T05:18:14Z")
Man, I swear every third Cafe Society thread I contribute to, I mention Jeb Loy Nichols. But his songs are always talking about listening to other artists, and the one other fan I know of keeps saying we should get a playlist together with all of Jeb’s recommendations. \*We’ll get out all the old records Just the way we used to do. We’ll disturb the neighbors, And we’ll dance til the night is through… We got Tony Joe White, we got Merle Haggard, Culture and the Mighty Heaters, We got Bobby Womack and Curtis Mayfield, Bill Monroe, we got Bob Lou…(who?)… We got music…music…sweet music…yes we do.\* And that’s only one of a number of songs where he mentions what’s on the radio in the background, or what they were listening to on a road trip. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/45 "2011-06-07T06:20:53Z")
LCD Soundsystem, “Losing My Edge” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/6xG4oFny2Pk/maxresdefault.jpg "LCD Soundsystem - Losing My Edge (Official Video)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xG4oFny2Pk) ---
**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:** [June 7, 2011, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/46 "2011-06-07T06:29:57Z")
> [@cjepson](#): > > Speaking of which – P.J. Harvey’s album _Exile in Guyville_ is, according to her, a song-by-song reply to the Rolling Stones’ _Exile on Main St._ (“Reply songs” are a whole subcategory of “songs about other songs” and I’m pretty sure this has been done at least once on this MB.) _Exile in Guyville_ is Liz Phair, not PJ Harvey. ---
**Author:** ![gatorslap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gatorslap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gatorslap)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/47 "2011-06-07T06:41:19Z")
There are quite a few hip-hop songs that reference other artists, either in respect or to diss them. It’s more common for this to just be a few lines, but sometimes that’s the subject of the entire song. An interesting example is the group 3rd Bass, whose only major hit was a track dissing Vanilla Ice. Getting into more obscure stuff, there’s an amusing song called [“Hats Off to Halford”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFkpK0PjK4Y) that’s about Rob Halford (the lead singer of Judas Priest) coming out of the closet. ---
**Author:** ![Dietrich\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@Dietrich\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dietrich_K)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/48 "2011-06-07T12:44:34Z")
> [@Hunter\_Hawk](#): > > LCD Soundsystem, “Losing My Edge” > > [http://youtu.be/6xG4oFny2Pk](http://youtu.be/6xG4oFny2Pk) Also by LCD Soundsystem - [“Daft Punk Is Playing at My House”](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cj8JrQ9w5jY). ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/49 "2011-06-07T13:01:13Z")
Paul Simon’s “So Long Frank Lloyd Wright” and “Rene and Georgette Magritte and their Dog After the War”… or was the OP only referring to \*musical \*artists? ---
**Author:** ![Promethea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Promethea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Promethea)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/50 "2011-06-07T13:22:13Z")
“Jackie Wilson Said” by Van Morrison “Geno” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners is a tribute to Geno Washington. “Out For The Count” by Orange Juice namechecks both Bobbie Gentry and one of her biggest hits: _“I dreamt of Bobbie Gentry and her warm enchanting smile/ she said she’d never fall in love again, at least not for a while.”_ “Sweet Gene Vincent” by Ian Dury and the Blockheads. ---
**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 7, 2011, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/51 "2011-06-07T14:03:01Z")
Oh, how about Jackson Browne’s “The Load Out/Stay?” > [@](#): > > We’ve got rural scenes & magazines > We’ve got truckers on the CB > We’ve got **Richard Pryor** on the video ---
**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:** [June 7, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/52 "2011-06-07T17:30:41Z")
“Late” by Ben Folds is about Elliott Smith, and his death. “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” mentions Leonard Bernstein, Leonid Brezhnev, and Lester Bangs. “Monkey” by Counting Crows makes a reference to Ben Folds. Ben Folds Five has a song called “Alice Childress,” though, to be fair, Ben Folds claims it’s about someone he knew growing up, and didn’t realize there was someone famous with that name. “Boxing” by Ben Folds Five is told from the perspective of Muhammad Ali, and in it, he’s talking to Howard Cosell. “Rockin’ the Suburbs,” by Ben Folds mentions Michael Jackson, Quiet Riot, and Jon Bon Jovi. ---
**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 7, 2011, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/53 "2011-06-07T17:40:36Z")
“Department of Youth” by Alice Cooper mentions Donny Osmond. WHAT! ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/54 "2011-06-07T17:53:17Z")
How about something from this century? “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus mentions Jay-Z and Britney Spears. “Tim McGraw” by Taylor Swift. “Harder, Better, Faster, Strong” by Kanye West mentions Prince. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/55 "2011-06-07T17:56:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What about songs that reference themselves? One version of “The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie-o” contains the line “And the band played ‘The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie-o’”. _And the only tune that the fiddle would play Was Oh, the Dreadful Wind and Rain._ Even when titled “Two Sisters” or “Cruel Sister,” the narrative that the narrative requires (revealing the murder) is itself. ---
**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/56 "2011-06-07T19:35:10Z")
“KRS-ONE” by Sublime ---
**Author:** ![woodstockbirdybird](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/woodstockbirdybird/32/7905_2.png) [@woodstockbirdybird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/woodstockbirdybird)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/57 "2011-06-07T20:04:16Z")
> [@sco3tt](#): > > Next time you put this mix together, throw in [Lulu](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulu_(Trip_Shakespeare_album)) by Trip Shakespeare: > > “Lonely when I hear the band > That used to play, when we were looking for music. > Lonely when I hear the band > Do you remember, do you recall?” > [@Ludovic](#): > > As long as it’s a formal mix, you could start it off with “Make Me a Mixtape” by the Promise Ring, which mentions Husker Du as the most prominent of a couple of bands they want to include in their mixtape. So while not entirely about Husker Du, it is about a mixtape 🙂 Thanks! I’ll add them in. ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2011, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/58 "2011-06-07T21:17:26Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > What about songs that reference themselves? One version of “The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie-o” contains the line “And the band played ‘The Bonnie Lass of Fyvie-o’”. In some other thread I mentioned the infinite regress of “The Tennessee Waltz”. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/59 "2011-06-09T14:55:28Z")
“Destroyer” by the Kinks appears to be a sequel to “Lola.” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2011, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513/60 "2011-06-09T16:34:09Z")
John Lennon’s nasty “How Do you Sleep” is all about Paul. Dylan’s “High Water Rising,” a great song, is a tribute to Charlie Patten, a blues pioneer who wrote songs about the 1927 Louisiana flood. Highway 61 era songs, especially “Desolation Row” are full of references to real artists and others. And he mentions Alicia Keyes in “Thunder on the Mountain.” There are lots of references to Dylan lyrics in other songs. “My Whole Work Lies Waiting Behind Door Number 3” which I heard Steve Goodman do is about “Let’s Make a Deal” has the line in “Like a Rolling Stone” “do you want to make a deal?” And Jaime Brockett’s song about the Titanic has “like all tough sailors do, when they’re far away at sea” from “Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-about-other-songs-or-other-artists/584513.md?page=4)