Songs that mention the title of other songs

Cafe Society
1

Kid Rock’s “All Summer Long” mentions “Sweet Home Alabama” in the lyrics. Another example is “Summer Rain” by Johnny Rivers: “All summer long we spent dancing in the sand/And the jukebox kept on playing ‘Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’” (Note that the “all summer long” theme is common to both songs.) The one other example I can think of is “American Pie,” which mentions several song titles.

Are there any other songs that explicitly mention the titles of other songs? I’m not talking about remakes or sampling.

2

Jimmy Buffett’s Bama Breeze mentions Freebird.

"Saturday night the bouncer Grady lets the ladies in free, with a fake ID
and a short enough skirt - yeah, figures what the hell could it hurt
Second set, the owner Lulu gets up with the band, a beer in her hand, and sings Free Bird slow, then she raises a toast - “here’s to Ronny and the boys - now everybody make some noise”

3

And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda.

4

Lynyrd Skynyrd - “Sweet Home Alabama” sends Neil Young a message about “Southern Man.”

Tom Petty - Is singing “Little Runaway” in the car with Del on the radio.

In “How Do You Sleep?” John Lennon says about Paul “The only thing you did was ‘Yesterday’.” He also says “So ‘Sgt. Pepper’ took you by surprise.”

The Beatles (well Lennon again actually) reference a lot of songs in “Glass Onion.”

I told you about strawberry fields,
Lady Madonna trying to make ends meet-yeah.
I told you about the fool on the hill,
Fixing a hole in the ocean

5

Travis on ‘Writing to Meet You’ mention Oasis:
The radio is playing all the usual,
And what’s a Wonderwall anyway?

6

The Mamas and the Papas “Creque Alley”

And California Dreaming
is becoming a reality.

7

Kenny Chesney - “I Go Back” mentions MellenCamp’s “Jack and Diane”

Yes - “I’ve Seen All good People” mentions Lennon with "Send an Instant Karma to me.

Hootie and the Blowfish - " I only Wanna Be with You " mentions Bob Dylan’s Tangled up in Blue

Golden Earring - “Radar Love” mentions artist and song - "The radio plays a forgotten song. Brenda Lee’s ‘Coming on Strong’ "

8

OTTOMH:

“Weather With You” - "Walking round the room singing ‘Stormy Weather’ "
“Amarillo” - "If someone hadn’t played ‘The Window Up Above’ "

9

And it was mentioned in turn in Warren Zevon’s “Play It All Night Long”: “Sweet Home Alabama/Play that dead band’s song”

10

A Praise Chorus by Jimmy Eat World.

Crimson and Clover
Our House
Kickstart my Heart
Rock n Roll Fantasy
Don’t Let’s Start
“Why did we ever meet?” by the Promise Ring, whose singer (“Davey”)is actually singing that part of the song.

Did I miss any?

11

“The Party Broke Up” by Was (not Was) has the line

“The singer kept singing ‘Beat It’”

12

“Put It Off” by the Tragically Hip has this line: I played “Love Tara” by Eric’s Trip on the day that you were born.

13

“Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” by Waylon Jennings and featuring Willie Nelson, cites a Willie Nelson song, “Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain.”

“An Acceptable Level of Ecstasy (The Wedding Song)” by Lyle Lovett describes a hacky opera singer, hired for a wedding, trying to sing “Moon River.”

14

American Pie names “Helter Skelter,” & “Eight Miles High,” along with references to a bunch of others.

15

The Tennessee Waltz.

The Maui Waltz.

16

**Jaime Brockett’s **“The Ballad of the U.S.S. Titanic” mentions “Nearer My God to Thee.”

Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You (for Lettinme Be Mice Elf Again)” lists several of the group’s earlier songs in one verse:

Dance to the music
All nite long
Everyday people
Sing a simple song
Mama’s so happy
Mama start to cry
Papa still singin’
You can make it if you try

17

**Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters ** by Elton John references There is a Rose in Spanish Harlem. I believe it was itself referenced in another song, but I’m drawing a blank at the moment.

18

The Sweet’s Wig Wam Bam has a verse about Running Bear (and Little White Dove).

19

Um, are you sure? The line is “And now I know Spanish Harlem are not just pretty words to say / I thought I knew but now I know that rose trees never grow in New York City”

I’m pretty sure he’s not referencing that song, but rather the neighborhood of Spanish Harlem in Manhattan.

20

I thought of two more: “Rock & Roll Heaven” by the Righteous Brothers mentions several, such as “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay.” “Night Shift” by the Commodores (post-Lionel Richie era) mentions several Marvin Gaye & Jackie Wilson titles.