# Songs with group member's names in the lyrics **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 25, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419 "2017-05-25T15:57:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sciurophobic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cab0a1/32.png) [@sciurophobic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sciurophobic)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/1 "2017-05-25T15:57:18Z")
For example, from The Supremes _Back in My Arms Again_ _How can Mary tell me what to do When she lost her love so true? And Flo, she don’t know 'Cause the boy she loves is a Romeo_ Or The Beatles’ _Glass Onion_ _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:** [May 25, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/2 "2017-05-25T15:59:33Z")
The Mamas & the Papas “Creeque Alley” is full of references to the group members and others. > [@](#): > > And no one’s gettin’ fat except Mama Cass. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/3 "2017-05-25T16:09:56Z")
Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room, Brownsville Station (my buddy Fang, and me and Paul) Or the Motley Crue version (my buddy Sixx, Mick, and Tom) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/4 "2017-05-25T16:17:08Z")
Hey You Love by Mouth and MacNeal > [@](#): > > I really don’t believe you, Big Mouth > You’re always been so untrue > > I know just what you mean, girl MacNeal > I tell you what I’m gonna do ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/5 "2017-05-25T16:22:07Z")
The beginning of **The Sweet’s Ballroom Blitz** singer Brian Connelly check in: Are you ready Steve? Mick? Andy? All right fellas, let’s gooooo!!! ---
**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:** [May 25, 2017, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/6 "2017-05-25T16:36:55Z")
Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show’s The Cover of the Rolling Stone starts with someone saying “Hey Ray, hey Sugar, tell 'em who we are!” Ray is band member Ray Sawyer. I’m not sure who Sugar is. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/7 "2017-05-25T16:38:25Z")
“[Hey Paula](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vOo-3XWxpo)” by Paul and Paula ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/8 "2017-05-25T16:38:49Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > The Mamas & the Papas “Creeque Alley” is full of references to the group members and others. Plus “John and Michy” (John & Michelle Phillips). Jethro Tull had several songs that alluded to “Jeffrey.” That was former band member Jeffrey Hammond (Ian Anderson renamed him Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond). Among the tunes: “Jeffrey Goes to Leicester Square,” “A Song for Jeffrey,” and “For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me.” George Harrison wasn’t in the Beatles any more when he wrote “Living in the Material World,” but the lyrics allude to “Richie” (Ringo). ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/9 "2017-05-25T16:40:04Z")
The White Stripes song “It’s True That We Love One Another” is practically a conversation, lots of mentions of Jack and Meg’s names. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/10 "2017-05-25T16:49:52Z")
Bruce Springsteen’s “10th Avenue Freeze-Out” is about the formation of the E Street Band, and while it doesn’t say Clarence Clemons’ name, it alludes to “the Big Man.” In the Bob Dylan parody “A Simple Desultory Philippic” by Simon and Garfunkel, the lyrics say " I’ve been Mothered, Fathered, Aunt & Uncled, Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled." (Roy Halee was their producer.) ---
**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:** [May 25, 2017, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/11 "2017-05-25T17:18:55Z")
“The Absence of God” by Rilo Kiley names a few people who are band friends, not members, but… _Mike, I’ll teach you how to swim If you turn the bad in me into good again_ …was Mike Bloom who did a stint with the band during that album period. Now that I mention it, “Papillon” has the line “Oh my God, Blake” in reference to band member Blake Sennett. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2017, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/12 "2017-05-25T17:19:03Z")
I don’t know if it counts, because technically it’s not part of the lyrics, but in Neil Young’s “Speakin’ Out” from _Tonight’s The Night_, just before Nils Lofgren’s solo Neil says “Alright, Nils, alright”. ---
**Author:** ![No\_Way\_Jose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/58956e/32.png) [@No\_Way\_Jose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/No_Way_Jose)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/13 "2017-05-25T17:23:43Z")
Van Halen - Ice Cream Man: “Better look out now 'cause Dave’s got something for you.” Van Halen - Unchained: “C’mon, Dave. Give me a break.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/14 "2017-05-25T17:26:24Z")
In "The Bride Stripped Bare by ‘Bachelors’’ by the Bonzo Dog Band, the lyrics mention band members “Legs Larry” (Smith), Mr. (Rodney) Slater, and Neil (Innes). Another of their songs was “Mr. Slater’s Parrot.” “My Pink Half of the Drainpipe” has the lyric “Rodney’s bass saxophone solo as promised.” And, of course, “[The Intro and the Outro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMqdwtd8TrQ)” introduces all the members of the band: Vivian Stanshall, Neil Innes, Legs Larry Smith, Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell, Sam Spoons, Roger Spear, Rodney Slater, John Wayne, Robert Morley, General de Gaulle, Adolph Hitler, Liberace, Eric Clapton . . . . ---
**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:** [May 25, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/15 "2017-05-25T17:48:56Z")
From The Kinks’ autobiographical song “The Road”: _Pete played on the bass guitar Liked to get around, mixing with all the stars But Mrs. Avory’s child was all fingers and thumbs But solid as a rock, setting time on the drums While Dave the Rave hit the rock ‘n’ roll riffs Yours truly strummed away with a slightly limp wrist_ From They Might Be Giants’ “They Got Lost”: _John said to John “I think we make a left at the light There should be a big ‘B’ assuming this map is right” John looked over and he said, “Hey, no it’s not It’s a crumpled up wrapper From the fast food that we got”_ ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/16 "2017-05-25T18:33:27Z")
The Eighties incarnation of King Crimson had a novelty song called “Crimson Barbershop,” which mentioned all four members of the group by name (bassist Tony Levin did all the vocals by himself). [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/EJGQ-mDgcL8/hqdefault.jpg "Tony Levin - King Crimson Barbershop 2012") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJGQ-mDgcL8) “I’m Tonyyyyyyyy I’m Billyyyyyyyy I’m Bobbyyyyyyy I’m Belew. We’re here to sing and play for you Oh we’re the King Crimson band – and don’t you know it We’re the best in all the land – all the land We play bass and the drums and guitar for you And if you really want we’ll throw the Stick in too Oh we’re the King Crimson band (on EG Records) And you know we think that’s grand So settle back to have some fun And tap your foot in 21.” ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/17 "2017-05-25T18:46:48Z")
“The Ballad of Mott the Hoople” contains these lines “Buffin lost his childlike dreams And Mick lost his guitar. And Verden grew a line or two And Overend’s just a rock & roll star.” Dale “Buffin” Griffin was their rummer, Mick Ralphs was their guitarist, Pete “Overend” Watts was their bassist, and Verden Allen was their organist. ---
**Author:** ![Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/channing_idaho_banks/32/250_2.png) [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/18 "2017-05-25T18:52:31Z")
Basically every rap song, ever. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/19 "2017-05-25T18:52:44Z")
Old 97s - “The One”. Basically the band pulling off a bank heist. \*I got a check for nothing All made out to someone I truly love – myself. Murry says we’re going take the money sometime Well it might as well be this time We’re gonna spend it all on ourselves Ken picked this bank at random I said “Do we shoot them?” He said either way’s alright. Whistling Boy that’s Phillip he’s our drummer He does the Theme From Endless Summer You know he’s waiting out in our ride.\* ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419/20 "2017-05-25T19:05:22Z")
Belle & Sebastian “This is Just a Modern Rock Song” \*“Stevie’s full of good intentions Rich is in to rock ‘n roll Stuart’s stayin’ in and he thinks it’s a sin that he has to leave the house at all.” \* Also the Dead Milkmen song “Bitchin’ Camaro” starts with Rodney asking Jack _“Hey Jack, what’s happenin?”_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-group-members-names-in-the-lyrics/787419.md?page=2)