# Songs that reference other songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 10, 2006, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080 "2006-04-10T14:40:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/21 "2006-04-10T17:31:54Z")
“Do I Need You” by Ann Peebles contains the line “I can’t stand the rain,” the title of her biggest hit and also the name of the album on which both songs originally appeared. ---
**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:** [April 10, 2006, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/22 "2006-04-10T17:38:09Z")
Simon and Garfunkel’s “A Simple Desultory Philipic” which is partially a backhanded tribute to Dylan, has the line It’s alright Ma Everybody must get stoned. 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 (a wonderfully funny song.) Jimmy Buffett’s “My Whole World Lies Waiting Behind Door Number Three,” has a line from Like a Rolling Stone about “do you want to make a deal” but it is not in the lyrics I found on the web. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/23 "2006-04-10T17:39:22Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Hootie and the Blowfish mention Bob Dylan in one of their songs and then quote a few lines from “Idiot Wind” That’s the one I had in mind; “Only Wanna Be With You”: Put on a little Dylan Sittin’ on a fence I said, “That line is great” you asked me what it meant by “Said I shot a man named Gray Took his wife to Italy She inherited a million bucks, and when she died it came to me I can’t help it if I’m lucky” I only wanna be with you Ain’t Bobby so cool I only wanna be with you Yeah \*\*I’m tangled up in blue \*\* I only wanna be with you ---
**Author:** ![Labdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/439d5e/32.png) [@Labdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labdad)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/24 "2006-04-10T17:52:29Z")
“Space Cowboy” by the Steve Miller Band begins with these words, referencing two songs of its previous album “Sailor:” “I told you 'bout living in the U.S. of A. Don’t you know that I’m a gangster of love” Of course, years later Steve Miller had a megahit with (the vastly inferior, IMHO) “The Joker,” beginning with: “Some people call me the space cowboy Some call me the gangster of love” ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/25 "2006-04-10T17:57:16Z")
> [@gigi](#): > > That’s the one I had in mind; “Only Wanna Be With You”: > > Put on a little Dylan > Sittin’ on a fence > I said, “That line is great” you asked me what it meant by > “Said I shot a man named Gray > Took his wife to Italy > She inherited a million bucks, and when she died it came to me > I can’t help it if I’m lucky” > I only wanna be with you > Ain’t Bobby so cool > I only wanna be with you > > Yeah \*\*I’m tangled up in blue \*\* > I only wanna be with you I had forgotten the Tangled Up In Blue reference that went along with the Idiot Wind quotes. Thanks! A Blood On The Tracks twofer. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/26 "2006-04-10T18:17:48Z")
James Taylor referenced his first album, James Taylor and the Flying Machine, in his classic "Fire and Rain: “Sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground” Gives the song an extra poignancy, not that it needs it. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/27 "2006-04-10T18:25:50Z")
A couple more James Taylor tunes: In Me and My Guitar, he mentions Who Do you Love In Captain Jim’s Drunken dream, he mentions Nearer My God To Thee I have a feeling that there are more from Taylor ---
**Author:** ![Jacob\_Silj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Jacob\_Silj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jacob_Silj)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/28 "2006-04-10T18:29:36Z")
Prince’s “The Ballad of Dorothy Parker” has the lines "my favorite song, she said, and it was Joni (Mitchell) singing ‘help me I think I’m falling’ " ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/29 "2006-04-10T18:32:06Z")
Kinks’ **Destroyer** … “Met a girl called **lola** and I took her back to my place Feelin’ guilty, feelin’ scared, hidden cameras everywhere” ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/30 "2006-04-10T18:54:21Z")
> [@Enginerd](#): > > The Beatles’ _Glass Onion_ includes references to numerous other Beatles songs. Yes, including the lines that were obviously the direct inspiration for the self-referential lyrics quoted in the OP (thus making it a double song-reference): > [@](#): > > I told you about the walrus and me - man > You know that we’re as close as can be - man > Well here’s another clue for you all > The walrus was Paul ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/31 "2006-04-10T19:06:21Z")
Speaking of the Kinks, their song “The Road,” which is sort of a career retrospective, includes the lines [quoted from memory] _The critics keep saying, "When are they gonna stop? They’re just **dedicated followers of fashion** who like putting down all the **well-respected men** who **came dancing** _… ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/32 "2006-04-10T19:09:12Z")
The Beatles’ “All You Need Is Love” not only mentions, but extensively quotes, their “She Loves You”. ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/33 "2006-04-10T19:19:26Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > In Captain Jim’s Drunken dream, he mentions Nearer My God To Thee In one of my faves, “Airplane”, the Indigo Girls sing: Up on the airplane Nearer my God to Thee I start making a deal Inspired by gravity 😉 and of course Harry Chapin’s “Dance Band on the Titanic”: Dance band on the Titanic Sing “Nearer, my God, to Thee” The iceberg’s on the starboard bow Won’t you dance with me Instrumentally, the Indigo Girls include Ode to Joy/Beethoven’s 9th at the end of “Cedar Tree”, but not lyrics. ---
**Author:** ![JustAnotherGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/58f4c7/32.png) [@JustAnotherGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JustAnotherGeek)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/34 "2006-04-10T19:26:56Z")
Supposedly, The Moody Blues and The Beatles referenced each other quite often. I only know of one for sure: In _Lady Madonna_, there is a reference to _Tuesday Afternoon_. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/35 "2006-04-10T19:43:34Z")
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” cribs music from J. S. Bach, although there’s no lyrical reference. The Beatles sing “Frere Jacques” in backing vocals in the chorus of “Paperback Writer.” They also insert a line from The Mersey’s hit “Sorrow” in “It’s All Too Much.” There used to be a huge blues/ r’n’b tradition of “response” songs, with hundreds of them for “Work with Me Annie” alone. This carried into early rock’n’roll to an extent, with bands doing follow ups like “Who Shot Mr. Lee?” and lots of references to song characters like Short Fat Fannie & Bony Moroni in dance numbers. There were also plenty of ‘follow up’ songs to county story songs like “Harper Valley PTA” and “Ode to Billie Joe,” some of them pretty obscure, which continue the tales. Lots of obscure horror novelty songs of the 60s reference the Purple People Eater. The full version of The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Mr. Bojangles” includes a short intro interview with an old man who begins singing a hymn. The Sex Pistols’ “New York” makes reference to The New York Dolls’ “Lookin’ for a Kiss.” I’m sure there are plenty more, those spring to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/36 "2006-04-10T19:45:47Z")
Ooh right, and both David Bowie & Peter Schilling followed up on the Major Tom character following “Space Oddity.” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/37 "2006-04-10T19:49:55Z")
> [@Crandolph](#): > > There used to be a huge blues/ r’n’b tradition of “response” songs, with hundreds of them for “Work with Me Annie” alone. This carried into early rock’n’roll to an extent, with bands doing follow ups like “Who Shot Mr. Lee?” and lots of references to song characters like Short Fat Fannie & Bony Moroni in dance numbers. Southside Johnny did a version of Springsteen’s “The Fever” which he later followed up with “I Ain’t Got the Fever No More”. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/38 "2006-04-10T20:07:20Z")
The blues started out as a folk music, which is all about sharing, aka, referencing others’ songs. When a folk music becomes a pop music style is usually hard to say. [Homer Simpson/]_That’s for the courts to decide!_[/HS] E.g.: > [@](#): > > “Pride and Joy” (Stevie Ray Vaughn): > _Well you heard about a love giving eyesight to the blind > My baby’s lovin’ cause the sun to shine_ > [@](#): > > Source:“Eyesight to the Blind” (Sonny Boy Williamson) If you want to get a good gist of the call-response thing, attend a black church. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/39 "2006-04-10T20:46:12Z")
Counting Crows’ “Mr. Jones”: _I want to be Bob Dylan Mr. Jones wishes he was someone just a little more funky_ Beatles’ “Yer Blues”: _I feel so suicidal, just like Dylan’s Mr. Jones_ Which all seems to come back to Dylan’s “Ballad of a Thin Man”: _Because something is happening here But you don’t know what it is Do you, Mister Jones?_ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2006, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080/40 "2006-04-10T21:47:24Z")
How many song titles can you find in Genesis’ “[Just a Job to Do](http://www.goldlyrics.com/song_lyrics/genesis/genesis/just_a_job_to_do/)”? First verse: In line 1: “It’s alright” - multiple songs, including Huey Lewis, but I don’t know who was first Line 2: “after midnight” - Clapton Line 3: “Bang Bang” - Cher Line 4: “The harder they run, and the harder they fall” - close enough to Jimmy Cliff for government work. Second verse: Line 3: “My aim is true” - Elvis Costello album title, and refrain of his “Alison”. Line 4: “I got a name” - Croce Line 4: “I got a line on you” - Spirit I’m sure there’s more in there, but that’ll do for now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/352080.md?page=3)