# Songs That Reference Other Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2014, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980 "2014-01-16T17:21:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/41 "2014-01-16T21:35:01Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Pretty much everything Steve Miller did referenced at least one of his earlier songs. Indeed,and, as [The Master](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/972/in-steve-millers-the-joker-what-is-the-pompatus-of-love) told us, in one of his more sublime revelations, “The Joker” refers not only to several of Miller’s own songs, but also to “The Letter” by the Medallions (and The Clovers’ “Lovey Dovey”). The principal of my daughter’s high school, when she started there, was named, and liked to be known as, Steve Miller. When I first heard of this I asked her “Do some people call him the space cowboy?” Of course, she didn’t get it. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/42 "2014-01-16T21:39:53Z")
“The Devil Went Down To Georgia” refernces several folks songs, per [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil_Went_Down_to_Georgia#Musical_references): > [@](#): > > The songs Johnny plays are mentioned in the lyrics by reference only. In the order presented in the lyrics they are as follows: > > “Fire on the mountain, run boys run” is from “Fire on the Mountain”, a traditional bluegrass fiddle tune dating to at least the early 19th century. According to the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center Traditional Music and Spoken Word Catalog, “The tune seems to be associated with a cluster of playful rhymes and jingles used in children’s songs, play-party songs, and courting songs across the early frontier.” > > “The devil’s in the house of the rising sun” refers to “The House of the Rising Sun”, a traditional American southern folk song. > > “Chicken in the bread pan pickin’ out dough” refers to a well-known square dance patter that can be followed by another rhyming patter such as “Big pig rootin’ up a little tater row.” The patter logically belongs to an unnamed square dance song Johnny played. > > “Granny does your dog bite? No, child, no” is a corruption of an old folk rhyme that starts “Granny will your dog bite? / Your hen peck, your rooster fight, / Your turkey walk a fence rail? / No child, no.” Like “Fire on the Mountain”, “Granny Does Your Dog Bite?” is a traditional folk song recorded as early as 1938. ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/43 "2014-01-16T21:48:47Z")
The Beatles’ _Glass Onion_ makes reference to a number of their own songs: _Strawberry Fields, I Am the Walrus, Lady Madonna, The Fool on the Hill, Fixing a Hole_ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/44 "2014-01-16T21:51:42Z")
Don McLean’s American Pie has a few. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/45 "2014-01-16T22:13:18Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > Pretty much everything Steve Miller did referenced at least one of his earlier songs. Pretty much everything Steve Miller’s done references earlier songs, yes. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2014, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/46 "2014-01-16T22:21:25Z")
Leonard Cohen’s “[[URL=“http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/leonard+cohen/famous+blue+raincoat\_20082860.html”]Famous Blue Raincoat](http://www.lyricsfreak.com/l/leonard+cohen/famous+blue+raincoat_20082860.html)” mentions “Lili Marlene”. Paul McCartney’s “Silly Love Songs” references … well, most of the rest of his output, really. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/47 "2014-01-17T02:39:51Z")
Probably a few more [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=692679). mmm ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/48 "2014-01-17T02:53:59Z")
Ke$ha (a big Bob Dylan fan) mentions “The Times They are A-Changin’” in “Warrior.” Eminem brings up the urban legend about Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight” in “Stan.” P Diddy’s “Coming Home” mentions “Tears of a Clown,” “A House is Not a Home,” and “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now.” He says he hates the first two but loves the last one. “Everytime it comes on it makes me feel strong.” ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/49 "2014-01-17T04:40:29Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Probably a few more [here](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=692679). > mmm Some of my contributions from the previous thread: “Unseen Power of The Picket Fence” by Pavement is about REM. It mentions the albums Chronic Town and Reckoning and the songs “So. Central Rain”, “Dont Go Back To Rockville”, “Harbourcoat”, “Pretty Persuasion”, “Camera” and “Time After Time”. * * * A few from Drive-By-Truckers album, _Southern Rock Opera_. “Days of Graduation”: Everyone said that when the ambulance came The paramedics could hear “Free Bird” still playing on the stereo You know it’s a very long song “Ronnie and Neil”: And out in California, a rock star from Canada writes a couple of great songs about the bad shit that went down “Southern Man” and “Alabama” certainly told some truth But there were a lot of good folks down here and Neil Young wasn’t around Skynyrd was a bunch of Neil Young fans and Neil he loved that song So he wrote “Powderfinger” for Skynyrd to record But Ronnie ended up singing “Sweet Home Alabama” to the Lord “Let There Be Rock”: And I never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd but I sure saw Molly Hatchet And the band that I was in played “The Boys Are Back in Town” And I never saw Lynyrd Skynyrd but I sure saw AC/DC With Bon Scott singing “Let There Be Rock” tour With Bon Scott singing “Let There Be Rock!” * * * “Play It All Night Long”-Warren Zevon Sweet Home Alabama Play that dead band’s song Turn those speakers up full blast Play it all night long ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/50 "2014-01-17T05:11:43Z")
Regina Spektor’s “On the Radio” has lines about “We heard November Rain/That solo’s really long/But it’s a pretty song”. In a totally different genre, Moe Bandy’s [I Just Started Hated Cheating Songs Today](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qk_pW3N-ZSI) is pretty much a list of famous cheating songs. I count references to songs by Barbara Mandrell, Conway Twitty, Webb Pierce, Merle Haggard, and many lesser known acts. ---
**Author:** ![Roundabout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/dec6dc/32.png) [@Roundabout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roundabout)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/51 "2014-01-17T05:35:31Z")
The Ojays’ “Backstabbers” (referencing The Tempations’ “Smiling Faces Sometimes”.) ---
**Author:** ![Shakester](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shakester/32/437_2.png) [@Shakester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shakester)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/52 "2014-01-17T12:26:50Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > The Pogues’ “And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda” While I’d say the Pogues’ version is the definitive version, it’s a cover. [The song was written and originally recorded by Eric Bogle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_the_Band_Played_Waltzing_Matilda). [Dirty Old Town](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dirty_Old_Town) is a cover, too. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/53 "2014-01-17T13:50:49Z")
The Clash’s 2nd UK single _Remote Control_ is referenced in the opening line of their 3rd, _Complete Control_ “They said, release _Remote Control_, but we didn’t want it on the label.” Their 5th, _White Man In Hammersmith Palais_ Opens with the words “_Midnight To Six Man_” Half Man Half Biscuits _Bastard Son Of Dean Friedman_ ends with: “And _You Can Thank Your Lucky Stars_ that you’re not the bastard son of Dean Friedman” ---
**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:** [January 17, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/54 "2014-01-17T14:19:32Z")
> [@Shakester](#): > > While I’d say the Pogues’ version is the definitive version, it’s a cover. [The song was written and originally recorded by Eric Bogle](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/And_the_Band_Played_Waltzing_Matilda). Actually, according to your link, the first recording was by one John Currie in 1975. The June Tabor version I mentioned upthread was from 1976. Bogle didn’t record his first album, which included his own version, until 1980. ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/55 "2014-01-17T14:48:05Z")
The **ALABAMA** song [_If you’re gonna play in Texas_](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6r4E514nJg) references three different songs. \*f you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band That lead guitar is hot but not for [“Louisiana Man”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Man) So rosin up that bow for [“Faded Love”](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faded_Love) and let’s all dance If you’re gonna play in Texas, you gotta have a fiddle in the band I remember down in Houston we were puttin’ on a show When a cowboy in the back stood up and yelled, [“Cotton-Eyed Joe”!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton-Eyed_Joe)\* ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/56 "2014-01-17T14:51:41Z")
In the prologue to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s version of Jerry Jeff Walker’s [Mr. Bojangles](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjKNMb36SKY) (YouTube), Teddy sings part of “The Old Rugged Cross.” ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/57 "2014-01-18T19:38:12Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Indeed,and, as [The Master](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/972/in-steve-millers-the-joker-what-is-the-pompatus-of-love) told us, in one of his more sublime revelations, “The Joker” refers not only to several of Miller’s own songs, but also to “The Letter” by the Medallions (and The Clovers’ “Lovey Dovey”). > > The principal of my daughter’s high school, when she started there, was named, and liked to be known as, Steve Miller. When I first heard of this I asked her “Do some people call him the space cowboy?” Of course, she didn’t get it. ☹ I had a kid working for me a couple summers ago named Steve Miller. I made a Space Cowboy joke one day and he just looked at me funny. Too young to get it… :smack: Little River Band’s “Reminiscing” mentions Cole Porter’s “Night and Day”. https://www.youtube.com/embed/CZ_3G4xqSDQ?feature=oembed&wmode=opaque ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/58 "2014-01-19T05:15:10Z")
Cat Stevens’s song “I Never Wanted To Be A Star” references his songs “Matthew and Son”, “I’m Gonna Get Me a Gun”, and “I Think I See The Light”. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Me](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d2c977/32.png) [@Mr.Me](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Me)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/59 "2014-01-19T15:01:04Z")
They Might Be Giant’s [Why Must I Be Sad?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3BCVtYkbIs) refences a _lot_ of Alice Cooper songs: No More Mr. Nice Guy, I Love The Dead, Welcome To My Nightmare, Dead Babies, Raped and Freezing, Elected, Generation Landslide, Under My Wheels, Muscle Of Love, School’s Out, Only Women Bleed and Billion Dollar Babies. ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980/60 "2014-01-19T16:25:56Z")
I mentioned this in a previous thread a long time ago, but Bob Seger’s _Night Moves_ has the lyrics > [@](#): > > I woke last night to the sound of thunder > How far off I sat and wondered > Started humming a song from 1962 > Ain’t it funny how the night moves On a radio call-in show, with Bob Seger as a guest where people could ask him questions, someone asked him which song that was, and he said it was _Be My Baby_. (It’s actually from 1963, but 1962 rhymes better.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-reference-other-songs/678980.md?page=4)