# Songs that basically consist of nothing but a long string of pop culture references
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [September 7, 2004, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491 "2004-09-07T15:23:38Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@emekthian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emekthian)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2004, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/21 "2004-09-07T22:53:40Z")
“Can’t Touch Me” and “My God This House Is Freakin’ Sweet” from Family Guy might qualify.
“Ju ju ju just like the bad guy/ from Lethal Weapon II/ I’ve got diplomatic immunity/ so Hammer you can’t sue…”
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### Author:  [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)
#### Post date: [September 7, 2004, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/22 "2004-09-07T23:02:07Z")
No specific brand names mentioned, I believe, but Tom Waits’ _Step Right Up_ is basically a long string of advertising cliches.
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### Author:  [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/23 "2004-09-08T00:02:23Z")
“Science Fiction Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show
“Back When My Hair Was Short” by Gun Hill Road. The original song was filled wiht 60s pop culture references. It was rerecorded with lyrics filled with 50s pop culture references.
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### Author:  [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/24 "2004-09-08T00:06:00Z")
The middle section of “A Praise Chorus” by Jimmy Eat World consists entirely of snippets of other songs and pop references (some admittedly obscure.)
As they say in another part of the song “stick around, nostalgia won’t let you down.”
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### Author:  [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/25 "2004-09-08T00:16:01Z")
> [@msmith537](#):
>
> As for American Pie, all I know is the chorus (and that a levy is like a dike or canal or seawall or something).
Actually, a levy is a kind of tax. Don McLean drove his Chevy to the **levee**.
To add to the list:
[_Rock And Roll Heaven_](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/righteous-brothers/rock-and-roll-heaven.html), The Righteous Brothers
Terry Cashman wrote _Willie, Mickey and the Duke_, also known as _Talkin’ Baseball_, [largely a list of players’ names and nicknames.](http://www.allthelyrics.com/lyrics/61_soundtrack/61/terry_cashmantalkin_baseball_willie_mickey_duke/) Cashman later wrote and recorded versions for most (if not all) teams in the majors, including the [Detroit Tigers](http://www.baseball-almanac.com/poetry/talkin_tiger_baseball_.shtml).
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### Author:  [@baronsabato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/baronsabato)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/26 "2004-09-08T00:18:41Z")
> [@Otto](#):
>
> _Sodomy_ from Hair might count, as might the song that starts off talking about LBJ on the IRC (can’t recall the exact title).
That would be “Initials”.
_LBJ took the IRT down to 4th Street USA
When he got there, what did he see?
The youth of America on LSD_
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### Author:  [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/27 "2004-09-08T00:23:10Z")
> [@lisacurl](#):
>
> Bowling for Soup’s “1985” fits this description nicely.
>
> I still like it, though.
Best video ever!
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/28 "2004-09-08T00:58:30Z")
The song _Hello_ by… umm, forgotten - help! It consists of a long string of celebrities’ names with the refrain “Hello, hello, hello…”
Who did that?
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### Author:  [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/29 "2004-09-08T01:07:39Z")
Sheryl Crow’s [The Na-Na Song](http://sherylcrow.org/songs/the_na-na_song.htm) is another.
I didn’t know there were so many of these…
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### Author:  [@wolf\_meister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolf_meister)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/30 "2004-09-08T01:08:18Z")
**"Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations**
Refers to just about _everything_ occurring in the early 1970’s.
[http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/Lyrics/1970/81970.html](http://www.webfitz.com/lyrics/Lyrics/1970/81970.html)
**Reality Chuck** - I thought there was only one rendition of Gunhill Road’s “Back When My Hair Was Short” - and I thought it included 50’s and 60’s references.
[http://www.borderblue.com/lyrics/song/06296](http://www.borderblue.com/lyrics/song/06296)
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### Author:  [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/31 "2004-09-08T01:15:46Z")
> [@Colophon](#):
>
> The song _Hello_ by… umm, forgotten - help! It consists of a long string of celebrities’ names with the refrain “Hello, hello, hello…”
>
> Who did that?
Anyone? Googling doesn’t help here. late 1980s-ish, British indie band I think.
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### Author:  [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/32 "2004-09-08T02:09:29Z")
Pop Will Eat Itself - Can You Dig It?
Sample lyrics:
We dig Optimus Prime and not Galvetron,
We dig “The Leader of the Pack” and the “Do-Run-Run”,
Spinderella and Bruce Lee, “The Bad and the Ugly”,
“V for Vendetta” and “Into the Groovy”.
(Can U dig it?)
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### Author:  [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/33 "2004-09-08T02:18:47Z")
_Vogue_ by Madonna?
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### Author:  [@caligynephobia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/caligynephobia)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/34 "2004-09-08T02:29:16Z")
_You Were Right_ by [Built to Spill](http://www.builttospill.com/) from their album Keep it Like a Secret. I think you can listen to it on their website. All classic rock lyric references.
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### Author:  [@Booker57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Booker57)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/35 "2004-09-08T02:45:29Z")
Garden Party by Ricky Nelson.
Thats all I got.
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### Author:  [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/36 "2004-09-08T03:02:13Z")
> [@Colophon](#):
>
> The song _Hello_ by… umm, forgotten - help! It consists of a long string of celebrities’ names with the refrain “Hello, hello, hello…”
>
> Who did that?
The Beloved?
> [@](#):
>
> little richard, little nell
> willy wonka and william tell
> salman rushdie and kym mazelle
> hello, hello, hello, hello…
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### Author:  [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/37 "2004-09-08T03:17:33Z")
Mark Wills [Nineteen Something](http://www.countrygoldusa.com/19_something.asp) has references to 1970s and 1980s fads.
Sample lyrics:
> [@](#):
>
> I took the stickers off of my Rubix cube
> Watched MTV all afternoon
> My first love was Daisy Duke
> In them cut off jeans
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### Author:  [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/38 "2004-09-08T03:21:20Z")
“R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A” by John Mellencamp springs to mind, too. I wish I hadn’t thought of this song just now – now it’s buried in my brain. (I’m not a Mellencamp fan by any stretch.)
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### Author:  [@Wisp00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisp00)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/39 "2004-09-08T04:14:16Z")
LFO’s “Summer Girls” - Has got to be _the_ most annoying radio song from about 5 years back. Every second or third line has some random reference that has absolutly nothing to do with the storyline of the rest of the song. I personally think they were just having serious trouble coming up with rhyming words.
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### Author:  [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)
#### Post date: [September 8, 2004, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-basically-consist-of-nothing-but-a-long-string-of-pop-culture-references/263491/40 "2004-09-08T07:47:23Z")
Most of the Beastie Boys’ songs have tons of pop culture references, especially the the singles from their last 2 big albums.
Some info on [Ch-Check It Out](http://www.beastiemania.com/songspotlight/show.php?s=checkitout&band=b) with a breakdown of all the references, and a link to lyrics.
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