# Songs written to diss other songs **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 6, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111 "2017-10-06T14:47:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/41 "2017-10-08T15:05:36Z")
Kitty Wells’ “It wasn’t god who made honky tonk angels” was an answer to Hank Thompson’s “The Wild Side of Life” This is a pretty important one, esp for feminists. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/42 "2017-10-08T16:50:30Z")
Tori Amos take a sideswipe at the breeziness of the Eagles in “Springtime of his Voodoo”: > [@](#): > > Standin’ on a corner in Winslow, Arizona > And I’m quite sure I’m in the wrong song ---
**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:** [October 8, 2017, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/43 "2017-10-08T18:17:26Z")
The song _Everything You Did_ by Steely Dan has the line, “Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening,” inspired by an argument Walter Becker had with his girlfriend. The girlfriend loved the Eagles and he grew tired of listening to them all of the time. The Eagles returned the mention with, “They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can’t kill the beast,” in _Hotel California_. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/44 "2017-10-08T18:34:04Z")
Stephin Merritt wrote a song for the Magnetic Fields called “A Pretty Girl is Like.” [lyrics](https://genius.com/2498244) [youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PevViEXDcY0) It’s a subtle but biting satire of Irving Berlin’s “A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody” in particular, and insipid pop-songwriting similes in general: > [@](#): > > [A pretty girl is like a violent crime > If you do it wrong, you could do time > But if you do it right it is sublime](https://genius.com/The-magnetic-fields-a-pretty-girl-is-like-lyrics#note-2498244) ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2017, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/45 "2017-10-08T19:20:47Z")
> [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](#): > > Once more with feeling: John Lennon’s _How Do You Sleep At Night_ was directed at Paul McCartney, regarding what John thought were personal insults on Paul’s _Ram_ album. I remember hearing that “Silly Love Songs” was a response back. If so, I think Paul got the last word: “[How do I sleep? I sleep by coming up with my response, the #1 song of 1976. YOUR TURN, JOHN!!!](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1976)” ---
**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/46 "2017-10-09T17:20:00Z")
With all of the mentions about Skynyrd ragging on Neil Young, nobody mentioned Molly Hatchet’s Gator Country, which has mild rebuffs of several other southern rock songs. > [@](#): > > I’ve been to Alabama, people, ain’t a whole lot to sse; > Skynard says it’s a real sweet home, but it ain’t nothing to me > Charlie Daniels will tell you the good Lord lives in Tennessee, ha! > But I’m going back to the Gator Country, where the wine and women are free > > … > > Old Richard Betts will tell ya Lord, he was born a Ramblin’ Man, > Well, he can ramble on back to Georgia and I won’t give a damn > Elvin Bishop out struttin’ his stuff with little Miss Slick Titty Boom, > But I’m going back to the Gator Country to get me some elbow room I think this falls short of dissing the other bands/songs, as it is more like bragging about Hatchet’s home turf. But close enough to include. ---
**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:** [October 9, 2017, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/47 "2017-10-09T18:29:17Z")
Ben Folds’ song “Brainwascht” is a rant against his pal John Mark Painter, of Fleming & John (a band Painter is in with his wife, Fleming McWilliams) because F&J put out a single on their MySpace page that seemed to be dissing Folds (dude is a great songwriter but he’s a bit of a prick as a person). Brainwascht lyrics: “If you want to write a letter, write a letter If you’d rather make a phone call, pick the phone up Call me But if you had to say it all with a pop song Couldn’t you at least have made me a good one?” [The offending F&J song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oopfb8DSj_Q) ---
**Author:** ![Guest-starring\_Id](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guest-starring_id/32/21736_2.png) [@Guest-starring\_Id](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guest-starring_Id)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/48 "2017-10-09T18:44:11Z")
A question: were all the self-references in “Glass Onion” tributes or disses? I’m pretty sure “Fool On the Hill” is Paul having a go at John. “Helter Skelter” I’d consider less of a diss and more of an angry rebuttal when Paul heard Pete Townshend bragging in a radio interview about the wild and crazy song The Who had just put out (“I Can See For Miles”), saying it was the noisiest, craziest, most raucous number out there. Paul’s “wot?” response to this was quite, well, TROUNCING, I thought. Cheap Trick has fun with Kiss by mentioning in “Surrender”: _Whatever happened to all the season’s losers of the year? When every time I got to thinking - when they’d disappear? Then I woke up - mom and dad were rolling on the cooooouuuch, Rolling numbers, rock and rolling, got my Kiss records oooouuuut._ More of a nod than a diss? \> _Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we all know Major Tom’s a junkie_. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/49 "2017-10-10T05:12:59Z")
In 1950, Goodnight Irene was a big hit. Several singers and bands released versions of the song. First a version by [The weavers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSDyiUBrUSk), then a version by [Frank Sinatra](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5XvNpztnKA), and then several others. Various versions played on the radio ad nauseam. Then came [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyEGKPxxxck) ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/50 "2017-10-10T05:14:20Z")
The earliest version I know, and my favorite is [Hoochie Coochie Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn3_fPwycbE) vs. [I am A Man](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYti8CIiOak) vs. [I’m a Man (Mannish Boy)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcAmwCnAChk). All of them are gorgeous, and the rivalry just enhances 'em. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2017, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/51 "2017-10-10T07:48:11Z")
[All Men Are Liars](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6hzkBihaew)–Nick Lowe Tradition requires I let you find out for yourself. ---
**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:** [October 10, 2017, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/52 "2017-10-10T11:02:39Z")
I’ve heard that Dylan’s _It Ain’t Me Babe_ with it’s chorus of “no, no, no it ain’t me babe” was aimed at the Beatles’ _She Loves You Yeah, Yeah, Yeah_ ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2017, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/53 "2017-10-11T18:41:47Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > In another thread the question of “Least favorite Dylan song” came up, and “Gotta Serve Somebody” immediately came to mind-an insipid tribute to his recent conversion to Christianity. Since I can’t find the thread in question, I’ll say here that I totally agree. That whole album was crap. “Precious Angel” was an OK song, in a kind of Planet Waves-y sort of way, but the rest of the album was totally unlistenable. It’s the only Dylan album I’ve owned that I’ve ever given away. And “Gotta Serve Somebody” itself just kind of plods wearily along. Terrible, terrible song. ---
**Author:** ![mo50](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8797f3/32.png) [@mo50](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mo50)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/54 "2017-10-14T16:00:32Z")
Don’t know if this counts, but I think the Traveling Wilburys wrote ‘Tweeter and the Monkeyman’ as a sort of affectionate send-up of Springsteen. ---
**Author:** ![CelticKnot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/celticknot/32/3392_2.png) [@CelticKnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CelticKnot)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2017, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/55 "2017-10-14T19:53:48Z")
“Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town” (recorded most notably by Kenny Rogers) was answered with “Billy, I’ve Got to Go to Town” by Geraldine Stevens. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/56 "2017-10-15T00:12:35Z")
> [@AHunter3](#): > > Tori Amos take a sideswipe at the breeziness of the Eagles in “Springtime of his Voodoo”: Jackson Browne, actually, unless she was unaware of who wrote that. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2017, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/57 "2017-10-15T00:15:44Z")
Hasa Diga Eebowai from The Book of Mormon is clearly a diss of Hakuna Matada from you know where. ---
**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:** [October 15, 2017, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/58 "2017-10-15T17:46:42Z")
We’re talking about a type of “answer song” - a song written in response to another song. There’s a list of them [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Answer_song). Here are a couple: “Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces” by Cheech and Chong in answer to “Love Jones” by Brighter Side of Darkness “Hippie from Olema” by The Youngbloods in answer to “Okie from Muskogee” by Merle Haggard ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2017, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/59 "2017-10-15T18:19:02Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Jackson Browne, actually, unless she was unaware of who wrote that. Well, I was, even if she wasn’t ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111/60 "2017-10-17T00:33:54Z")
Roy Wood left ELO pretty early on to form Wizzard. One of Wizzard’s early B-sides was a number called “Bend Over Beethoven” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-written-to-diss-other-songs/798111.md?page=4)