Songs That Refer To Other Songs (or reference other albums)

"And We Danced," the Hooters, 1985:

She was a be-bop baby on a hard day's night

 

"Fairytale of New York," The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, 1987:

The boys of the NYPD Choir were (still) singing "Galway Bay"

 

"Yoü and I" by Lady Gaga

On my birthday you sang me "A Heart Of Gold"

"The Ballad Of Dorothy Parker" by Prince

"Mind if I turn on the radio?"
"Oh, my favorite song" she said
And it was Joni singing "Help me I think I'm falling"

 

"Make Me Lose Control," Eric Carmen, 1988 has several:

Jennifer's got her daddy's car, she's playing "Uptown" on the stereo...

Jennifer's singing "Stand By Me" and she knows every single word by heart...

"Be My Baby" comes on and we're moving in time...

And then they play "Back in My Arms Again"...

 

"Sweet Home Alabama," Lynyrd Skynyrd, 1974:

A "Southern Man" don't need him around anyhow

 

Tom Petty - Running Down a Dream 'Me and Del were singing little Runaway...'

 

Listen honey, just like Ronnie sang Be my little baby
Eddie Money - Take Me Home Tonight

 

Treat She Nice by The Mighty Sparrow features the line 'try a little tenderness' in reference to the song of the same name. It is used in a somewhat black comedic sense as the subject of the song is an abusive man, hence is implied not to have any tenderness.

I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are) by Grand Puba features a few modified lines from Michael Jackson's early hit "I Wanna Be Where You Are", hence its subtitle.

Deadbeat Club by The B-52's features "And the jukebox playing real loud, 96 Tears" referring to the song by Question Mark And The Mysterians.

No I Can't Say by Microdisney features a random adlib of the lines from Rod Stewart's "Da Ya Think I'm Sexy" as an attempt to mock lounge bands who try to be current (the song being released almost a decade after that song).

 

My #1 fave: The Cash Brothers -- "Nebraska"




Tonio K.'s "H-A-T-R-E-D" mentions "Fountain of Sorrow" by Jackson Browne in a . . . less than flattering manner.

Psychedelic Furs -- "We Love You" namechecks "Fly Me to the Moon" and "Baby Love" and includes spoonerized lyrics from "My Mammy" ("I'd walk a million smiles for one of your miles").

 

"Rock and Roll Heaven," The Righteous Brothers, 1974:

Jimi gave us rainbows
Janis took a piece of our hearts
And Otis brought us all to the dock of the bay
Sing a song to light my fire
Remember Jim that way...

Remember bad, bad Leroy Brown
Hey Jimmy touched us with that song...
And Bobby gave us Mack the Knife
Look out, he's back in town

 

The Cramps, "Human Fly," 1978:

I've got 96 tears in 96 eyes

 

"The Uninvited Guest" by the Carpenters

"Like the old song "Torn Between Two Others," its not happening to others..."

 

Def Leppard's "Rocket" has several references. Here's a few:

Jack Flash, rocket man, Sergeant Pepper and the band
Ziggy, Benny and the Jets, take a rocket
We just gotta fly

Rocket yeah satellite of love

Jet Black, Johnny B ,Gene Jeanie, Killer Queen
Dizzy Lizzy Major Tom so c'mon
We just gotta fly

 

My error, the above should have been:

"Like the old song "Torn Between Two Lovers," it's not happening to others..."

 

Be Bop Deluxe - Surreal Estate. Towards the end Bill Nelson sings "The Long and Winding Road". This isn't included in the lyric sheet.

 

Postcard from a hooker in Minneapolis by Tom Waits references going out of my head by Little Anthony and The Imperials

 

The Dictators - New York New York - "If I wasn't blasting Sister Ray, I could lose my mind"

 

The Chickenfoot song "Bigfoot" mentions Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy.

 

Mystery Jets: Two Doors Down (mentions Marquee Moon)