They Might Be Giants recorded a song called “They Might Be Giants.”
“Jenny on the Block” by Jennifer Lopez
Oh, and if we want songs that mention the WRITER (not just the performer), there’s David Allen Coe’s country classic “You Never Even Called Me By By Name,” in which the lyrics mention that Steve Goodman wrote the song.
“Sweet Baby James” by James Taylor
“Creeque Alley” mentions each of the Mamas and the Papas and many of their friends
Billy Joel in “Piano Man”
Bob Dylan in “Serve Somebody”
And “Do the Freddie” by Freddie and the Dreamers
Let’s not forget Love Is Strange by Mickey & Sylvia.
"Sylvia? "
“Yes, Mickey?”
“How do you call your loverboy?”
So did his daddy:
Dear John by Hank Williams, SR.:
Now I went down to the bank this morning,
The cashier said with a grin,
I feel so sorry for you Hank,
But your wife has done been in
"Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On" by Jerry Lee Lewis:
Well I said come over baby, we got chicken in the barn
oooh… huh… Come over baby Jerry got the bull by the horns
We ain’t faken it Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
“You don’t even know who Liz Phair is” – Liz Phair, Rock Me Baby
Going back to the OP, I’m surprised I’m the first to note **Loudon Wainwright’s ** “They Spelled My Name Wrong Again”.
The Go-Go’s tune “Daisy Chain” calls out each Go-Go by name (though not the song’s co-writer, Jill Sobule).
Nitpick: James wrote this song for his nephew and namesake James.
In “Love will Keep us Together” record by the Captain and Tennile there is the line “Sedaka is Back”, but I doubt he actually wrote the line.
I think the same can be said about Ray Charles. That is, mentioning himself by name, not Bo Diddley.
Buster Poindexter’s cover of “Hit the Road, Jack” - an excellent cover, IMO - has the backup singers referring to Buster by name.
Show-Biz Kids by Steely Dan:
They got the house on the corner
With the rug inside
They got the booze they need
All that money can buy
They got the shapely bods
They got the Steely Dan T-shirt
And for the coup-de-gras
They’re outrageous
Also In the Court of the Crimson King by Barry Gibb.
Jimmy Buffett does this on any number of songs. Quick example: The Weather Is Here, I Wish You Were Beautiful
Jimmy, can I have an advance on my per diem?
in “As Wicked” by Rancid, the song finishes with
My best friend Marty said, “Tim you’re a lucky man”
in “Mattersville” by NOFX, there is:
We got a blackboard with some rules and laws
Hefe’s got an 18 car garage
Most the cars are smashed but so is spike
Twice a week on karaoke night
Eric Melvin lives next door to me
Limo and the locknecks head security
At the end of my cul de sac
Davey havok’s house is painted black
Hefe and Eric Melvin being members of the band.
On preview, I note that the thread title is “Songs that namecheck their own writer.” Neither Hefe nor Melvin wrote the song, but it’s close enough, I think.
Oh yeah, Green Day have a song called “Green Day” but I think they wrote that song before they adopted the name for the band.
I’m surprised Stephen King didn’t work this into the Dark Tower series somehow.
Actually, “they” did – the songs and voices were done by Ross Bagdasarian.