Songs that Refer to Other Songs

not_the_dj

ICBM said:

The Waterboys - The Return Of Jimi Hendrix

Possibly not Mike Scott's finest hour as a songwriter, but it does reference quite a lot of Hendrix tracks.

Fantastic live once Steve Wickham rejoined the band. He rips it up on fuzz fiddle on that track. 

PolarityMan

the unforgiven II etc.

DLM

Hell To Pay by Winger (on the Japanese edition of Pull) is a diss track referencing Metallica songs after the dart incident.

koneguitarist

American Aquarium mentions 3 Tom Petty songs in When we were young. The bands name even comes from a song by Wilco I think. 

duotone

Mariah Carey - We Belong Together, She mentions 2 really good R&B/Soul songs. 

1. Bobby Womack - If You Think You're Lonely Now
2. The Deele - Two Occasions

https://youtu.be/0habxsuXW4g

“I can't sleep at night, when you're on my mind

Bobby Womack's on the radio

Saying to me, "If you think you're lonely now"

Wait a minute this is too deep (too deep)

I gotta change the station

So I turn the dial trying to catch a break
And then I hear Babyface
I only think of you
And it's breaking my heart
I'm trying to keep it together but I'm falling apart”

1. Bobby Womack - If You Think You're Lonely Now

https://youtu.be/IKH52rUZj9E

2. The Deele - Two Occasions

https://youtu.be/6vr9a46ZZ18

Kebabkid

'Raised on Radio' by Journey - more or less every line is a song (lyrics shown in the content)



 

horse

Craig Finn (vocalist from the Hold Steady) throws a couple in on his solo track No Future:

"Good old Freddie Mercury is the only guy that advises me

This time, he said if you can't beat them join them

...

The best advice that I've gotten was from good old Johnny Rotten

He said God Save The Queen

He said no future for you

No future for me"

Also Hold Steady's Constructive Summer refers to "the drums on Lust for Life", and not quite on topic "Raise a toast to Saint Joe Strummer

I think he might have been our only decent teacher"

richardhomer

Joni Mitchell’s masterful ‘Chinese Cafe’ which doesn’t so much reference as actually quote ‘Unchained Melody’:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hfm9VDZeWqY

Neill

Ricky Nelson's "Garden Party" mentions Hello Mary Lou and Johnny B Goode.

Litterick

Ringo Starr's Postcards from Paradise:

I sensed you there and everywhere
Until I saw you standing there
I am the greatest fan of you
And love is all I've got to do
It's all too much my little child
If you will be my honey pie
Eight days a week you will be mine
And get in bed all of the time

I'm begging you don't pass me by
And if you do please tell me why
I know you told me yesterday
You've got to hide your love away
But if your honey is bad to me
It told me "love and let it be"

And so on.

Kebabkid

Not a song but a band - 'Hotel California' and 'They stab it with their STEELY knives' supposedly refers to Steely Dan

freakboy1610

Rip it Up by Orange Juice - "And my favourite song's entitled 'Boredom'".

Grumpyrocker

Bidley said:

Megadeth - Victory.

Good shout. Back In The Day is another good nostalgic song, though that one is about the bay-area scene and doesn't reference particular songs. 

Kebabkid

Kebabkid said:

Not a song but a band - 'Hotel California' and 'They stab it with their STEELY knives' supposedly refers to Steely Dan

For you @richardhomer ; - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_California

Part of the lyrics, such as "Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends / She got a lot of pretty pretty boys she calls friends", are based on Henley's break-up with his girlfriend Loree Rodkin.[14][19] According to Frey's liner notes for The Very Best Of, the use of the word "steely" in the lyric, "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast," was a playful nod to the band Steely Dan, who had included the lyric "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" in their song "Everything You Did".[21] Frey had also said that the writing of the song was inspired by the boldness of Steely Dan's lyrics and its willingness to go "out there",[18] and thought that the song they wrote had "achieved perfect ambiguity."[20]

SidNewton

JerkMoans said:

Musicwolf said:

'How do you sleep?' (John Lennon).  Aimed at McCartney and including the lines "So Sgt. Pepper took you by surprise", "The only thing you done was yesterday" and "Since you've gone you're just another day".

Crikey. Bit harsh.

Harsh but fair.

richardhomer

Kebabkid said:

Kebabkid said:

Not a song but a band - 'Hotel California' and 'They stab it with their STEELY knives' supposedly refers to Steely Dan

For you @richardhomer ; - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_California

Part of the lyrics, such as "Her mind is Tiffany-twisted, she got the Mercedes bends / She got a lot of pretty pretty boys she calls friends", are based on Henley's break-up with his girlfriend Loree Rodkin.[14][19] According to Frey's liner notes for The Very Best Of, the use of the word "steely" in the lyric, "They stab it with their steely knives, but they just can't kill the beast," was a playful nod to the band Steely Dan, who had included the lyric "Turn up the Eagles, the neighbors are listening" in their song "Everything You Did".[21] Frey had also said that the writing of the song was inspired by the boldness of Steely Dan's lyrics and its willingness to go "out there",[18] and thought that the song they wrote had "achieved perfect ambiguity."[20]

Wasn’t sure why you tagged me in this - then saw I’d ‘lol’d’ your post. Slip of the finger on my phone I can only assume. Certainly not intentional. I have changed it to a ‘Wis’. Apologies.

gatheredinsong

koneguitarist said:

American Aquarium mentions 3 Tom Petty songs in When we were young. The bands name even comes from a song by Wilco I think. 

Oh yeah, "I am an American Aquarium drinker... I am trying to break your heart"

Never clocked that.