# Songs that reference other songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622 "2010-02-27T05:19:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/41 "2010-03-01T03:54:19Z")
A couple by Cowboy Junkies: “Where Are You Tonight?”: > [@](#): > > There’s a young man in the corner > Playing _Crazy_ all night long > Quarters piled high upon the table “Cowboy Junkies Lament” > [@](#): > > Ole Lady Rose, lookin’ down her nose > Lonely Miss Lily, hiding in the hall > Lily’s just praying for the trial to be over > Lady Rose’s just waitin’ for the axe to fall Which is too evocative of Bob Dylan’s “Lily, Rosemary & the Jack of Hearts” to be coincidental. And “Blue Moon Revisited (Song for Elvis)” which is self evident by title alone. ---
**Author:** ![wakingdream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/9f8e36/32.png) [@wakingdream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wakingdream)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/42 "2010-03-01T04:02:58Z")
I’m sitting here watching Neil Young sing Long May You Run for the Vancouver Olympics closing ceremony. He sings, “Maybe the Beach Boys have got you now, with those waves singin’ Caroline, No”. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/43 "2010-03-01T07:43:31Z")
In the Joni Mitchell song [Help Me](http://www.lyricsmania.com/help_me_lyrics_joni_mitchell.html) the line, “You dance with the lady with the hole in her stocking” is a reference to the folk song [Buffalo Gals](http://www.arlo.net/resources/lyrics/buffalo-gals.shtml). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/44 "2010-03-01T11:43:10Z")
John Fogerty’s _Centerfield_ references Chuck Berry: “Just a’roundin’ third and headed for home, it’s a brown-eyed handsome man” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/45 "2010-03-01T17:31:22Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > John Fogerty’s _Centerfield_ references Chuck Berry: > > “Just a’roundin’ third and headed for home, it’s a brown-eyed handsome man” The tip of the hat to Chuck Berry makes perfect sense in this song, because Chuck Berry was inspired to write “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” by Willie Mays. Who played… center field (for John Fogerty’s hometown team, the San Francisco Giants). ---
**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:** [March 1, 2010, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/46 "2010-03-01T17:58:37Z")
**Yer Blues** refers to “Dylan’s Mr. Jones” from **Ballad of a Thin Man** Jimmy Buffett’s **Door Number Three** refers to **Like a Rolling Stone** with a reference to Miss Lonely having to “make a deal.” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/47 "2010-03-01T18:54:27Z")
> [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](#): > > Yes’s “I’ve Seen All Good People” refers to an “Instant Karma” and has backing vocals chanting “All we are saying is give peace a chance.” Ironically, Alan White (who was Yes’s drummer for most of their history) played in the Plastic Ono Band, and was also the drummer on “Instant Karma”…but was not yet Yes’s drummer for “I’ve Seen All Good People” (it was Bill Bruford). In the Electric Light Orchestra’s “Shangri-La” (the last track on “A New World Record”), there’s the line: My Shangri-La has gone away / faded like the Beatles on “Hey Jude” ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/48 "2010-03-01T19:01:20Z")
“Tweeter and the Monkey Man”, by the Traveling Wilburys, is an homage to Bruce Springsteen, and its lyrics contain the following Springsteen song titles: - Stolen Car - Mansion on the Hill - Thunder Road - State Trooper - Factory - The River - Jersey Girl - Lion’s Den \* - Paradise \* - - Springsteen songs which were actually written **after** “Tweeter and the Monkey Man” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/49 "2010-03-01T19:04:18Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > In the Electric Light Orchestra’s “Shangri-La” (the last track on “A New World Record”), there’s the line: > > My Shangri-La has gone away / faded like the Beatles on “Hey Jude” Crud, missed that **MacSpon** had already listed this one. Sorry! ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/50 "2010-03-01T19:41:40Z")
If you’re going to mention Tone Loc, might as well mention Digital Underground’s “The Humpty Dance”: I sang on **Doowutchyalike** , and if you missed it I’m the one who said “Just grab 'em in the biscuits” And, as I’m somewhat embarrassed to remember, Humpty Hump did indeed deliver that immortal line on “Doowutchyalike.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/51 "2010-03-01T20:15:26Z")
“Shooting Star” by Bad company starts: “Johnny was a schoolboy when he heard his first Beatles song. _ **Love Me, Do** _, I think it was, and from there it didn’t take him long.” ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/52 "2010-03-01T20:16:38Z")
“New Cut Road” (I forget who wrote it–I kknow I have Johnny Cash and Emmy Lou Harris versions) references itself (the character in the song plays a song called ‘new cut road’) On Megadeth’s ‘youthanasia’ album ( I think) was a song where nearly all the lyrics were previous Megadeth song titles, but I can’t remember the name of that song. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/53 "2010-03-01T20:22:02Z")
Hootie and the Blowfish quote a whole chunk of Bob Dylan’s “Idiot Wind” in their song, “I Only Wanna Be With You,” and later mention “Tangled Up in Blue.” Some sources say Dylan sued them over that, others say he didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![FordTaurusSHO94](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/f07891/32.png) [@FordTaurusSHO94](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FordTaurusSHO94)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/54 "2010-03-01T21:00:43Z")
Alan Jackson’s “Midnight in Montgomery” references a lot of Hank Williams songs. Just about any country song references other songs or singers though. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/55 "2010-03-01T21:59:17Z")
Van Morrison’s “Jackie Wilson Said” starts with \*Jackie Wilson said, it was “Reet Petite” \* ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/56 "2010-03-02T16:32:59Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Aerosmith’s “What It Takes” has the line, “Girl, before I met you, I was F.I.N.E. fine,” a reference to their own earlier song F.I.N.E. (Someone once told me, “That doesn’t make the line any less stupid.”) The guys in Aerosmith have always been huge Yardbirds fans (they’ve done several Yardbirds cover songs on record and in concert), and in “Living on the Edge,” they paid direct homage to an old Yardbirds song: “If you can tell a wise man by the color of his skin, Mister, you’re a better man than I.” This line is almost a direct quote from the Yardbirds’ B-side “You’re a Better Man Than I.” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622/57 "2010-03-03T17:02:37Z")
Elvis Costello, “This Is Hell”: _“My Favorite Things” keep playing again and again But it’s by Julie Andrews and not by John Coltrane_ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/530622.md?page=2)