I was thinking about Radar Love by Golden Earring and remembered that it references another song by Brenda Lee called Coming on Strong. However, I'm having a hard time thinking of another song that references other songs. 3 Dog Night's Old Fashioned Love song doesn't say the name of the song that is playing on the radio, nor does Bob Seger's Night Moves (song from 1962...) I can't remember if the Eddie Money song with Ronnie Specter (sp?) references a song or not? Or Godley and Cream's song Cry, does it reference 10CC's I'm Not In Love or just play the song in the middle of their song? Third Day references blackbird (Black Crowes), but doesn't mention any songs. Kenny Loggins mentions the theme of one of his other songs, but doesn't reference the name of the song. Help me out here. Please?

Golden Earring
Radar Love
by Barry Hay/George Kooymans

I've been drivin' all night, my hand's wet on the wheel
There's a voice in my head that drives my heel
It's my baby callin', says I need you here
And it's half past four and I'm shifting gear

When she's lonely and the longing gets too much
She sends a cable comin' in from above
We don't need no phone at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We've got a wave in the air, radar love

The radio's playing some forgotten song
Brenda Lee's "Coming on Strong"
The road's got me hypnotized
And I'm speeding into a new sunrise

When I get lonely, and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends her comfort, comin' in from above
Don't need no radio at all
We've got a thing that's called radar love
We’ve got a line in the sky, radar love

No more speed, I'm almost there
Gotta keep cool now, gotta take care
Last car to pass, here I go
And the line of cars drove down real slow

And the radio played that forgotten song
Brenda Lee's "Coming on Strong"
And the newsman sang his same song
One more radar lover's gone

When I'm feeling lonely and I'm sure I've had enough
She sends the comfort coming in from above
Don't need no radio at all
We got a thing that's called radar love
We got a line in the sky
We got a thing that's called radar love
We got a thing that's called radar love



Artist : Brenda Lee
Song : Coming On Strong

(David Wilkins)
Peaked at #11 on December 3 1966

COMING ON STRONG
COMING ON STRONG
I can feel the heartahces
COMING ON STRONG
I Can feel the teardrops
The pain and sorrow
Ever since you've been gone
They've been
COMING ON STRONG
Pain [pain]
Come on in [come on in]
Hello sorrow,
I see you're back
again [back again]
Teardrops [teardops]
glad you dropped by [you dropped by]
Cause you can help drown my pride
And since you're here [da da da]
The time seems to fly [da da da]
To let you know you're gonna be with me
Til I lose my mind
But you've been gone [da da da]
Much too long [da da da]
And I can feel the heartaches
COMING ON STRONG
Only thing you left me
Was misery for company
Memories of a love gone wrong
Thatkeep
COMING ON STRONG [COMING ON STRONG]
COMING ON STRONG (fade to end)

There's a young man in the corner playing 'Crazy' all night long
Quarters piled high upon the table

Cowboy Junkies, Where Are You Tonight?

We’re Gonna Pull Through
(Words and Music: Bergquist/Detweiler)

You take your own sweet time
Order us a glass of wine
And wink at all the rich folks in the room
We’re gonna pull through

We’ve been careful, we’ve been good
Doing most of the things we should
But the picture is much bigger than we knew
We’re gonna pull through

There’s no such thing as cool
And we’re gonna pull through

I’d rather feel your heat
On a wicked winter day
Than watch a holiday parade

With dancers and balloons
We’re gonna pull through

You hold me just the same way
Levon would play
And The Weight is my favorite song
We’re gonna pull through

Breaking our own rules
We’re gonna pull through

Maybe, sorta, kinda
If I really had to say
Something good is on its way
And we’re gonna pull through



Artist : Band
Song : The weight

I pulled in to Nazareth, was feeling 'bout half
past dead
I just need some place where I can lay my head
``Hey mister, can you tell me where a man might
find a bed?''
He just grinned and shook my hand, ``No'' was all
he said

Take a load off, Fanny
Take a load for free
Take a load off, Fanny
And you put the load right on me

I picked up my bag, I went looking for a place to
hide
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walking side by
side
I said ``Hey Carmen, come on, let's go downtown''

She said ``I gotta go but my friend can stick
around''

Go down Miss Moses, there's nothing you can say
It's just old Luke, and Luke's waiting on the
judgement day
``Well, Luke my friend, what about young
Anna-Lee?''
He said ``Do me a favour son, won't you stay and
keep Anna-Lee company?''

Crazy Chester followed me and he caught me in the
fog
He said ``I will fix your rat if you'll take Jack
my dog''
I said ``Wait a minute Chester, you know I'm a
peaceful man''
He said ``That's okay boy, won't you feed him
when you can?''

Catch a cannonball now to take me down the line
My bag is sinking low and I do believe it's time

To get back to Miss Fanny, you know she's the
only one
Who sent me here with her regards for
everyone

cool thread...

off the top of my head.

glass onion - the beatles
I told you about Strawberry Fields
You know the place where nothing is real
Well here's another place you can go,
where everything flows

reference: strawberry fields forever - the beatles

sweet home alabama - lynyrd skynyrd
Well I heard mister Young sing about her
Well, I heard ole Neil put her down
Well, I hope Neil Young will remember
A Southern man don't need him around anyhow

reference: southern man - neil young

Ronnie Spector sang the cameo & referenced her own (Ronnettes) Be My Baby in that Eddie Money song

Then Neil answered Skynyrd back (without actually referencing them)

"Walk On"
I hear some people
been talkin' me down,
Bring up my name,
pass it 'round.
They don't mention
happy times
They do their thing,
I'll do mine.

Ooh baby,
that's hard to change
I can't tell them
how to feel.
Some get stoned,
some get strange,
But sooner or later
it all gets real.

Walk on, walk on,
Walk on, walk on.

Wow I am impressed I never thought about songs referencing other songs - now I will

Regina Spektor's "On The Radio" references Guns N' Roses' "November Rain."

Oasis' "Be Here Now" references the album Let It Be.

Springsteen's "Thunder Road" sort of references "Only The Lonely" ('Roy Orbison singing for the lonely')

Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together"

I can't sleep at night
When you are on my mind
Bobby Womack's on the radio
Singing to me "If you think you're lonely now"
Wait a minute
This is too deep, too deep
I gotta change the station

Runnin’ Down A Dream - Tom Petty
It was a beautiful day, the sun beat down
I had the radio on, I was drivin
The trees went by, me and del were singin
Little runaway, I was flyin

Yeah runnin down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin on a mystery, goin wherever it leads
Im runnin down a dream

I felt so good, like anything was possible
I hit cruise control and rubbed eyes
The last three days the rain was unstoppabl e
It was always cold, no sun shine

Yeah runnin down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin on a mystery, goin wherever it leads
Im runnin down a dream

I rolled on as the sky grew dark
I put the pedal down to make some time
Theres something good waitin down this road
Im pickin up whatever is mine

Yeah runnin down a dream
That never would come to me
Workin on a mystery, goin wherever it leads
Im runnin down a dream

reference: Runaway - Del Shannon
As I walk along,
I wonder what went wrong,
With our love, a love that was so strong.
And as I still walk on,
I think of the things we've done
Together, a-while our hearts were young.

I'm a-walkin' in the rain,
Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain,
Wishin' you were here by me,
To end this misery
And I wonder--
I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder,
Why,
Why, why, why, why, why she ran away,
Yes, and I wonder,
A-where she will stay-ay,
My little runaway,
Run, run, run, run, runaway.

I'm a-walkin' in the rain,
Tears are fallin' and I feel the pain,
Wishin' you were here by me,
To end this misery
And I wonder--
I wah-wah-wah-wah-wonder,
Why,
Why, why, why, why, why she ran away,
Yes, and I wonder,
A-where she will stay-ay,
My little runaway,
Run, run, run, run, runaway.
Run, run, run, run, runaway.
Run, run, run, run, runaway.

-----------------------------------------------

and of course there's;

American Pie - Don McLean
A long, long time ago...
I can still remember
How that music used to make me smile.
And I knew if I had my chance
That I could make those people dance
And, maybe, they’d be happy for a while.

But february made me shiver
With every paper I’d deliver.
Bad news on the doorstep;
I couldn’t take one more step.

I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside
The day the music died.

So bye-bye, miss american pie.
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Did you write the book of love,
And do you have faith in God above,
If the Bible tells you so?
Do you believe in rock ’n roll,
Can music save your mortal soul,
And can you teach me how to dance real slow?

Well, I know that you’re in love with him
`cause I saw you dancin’ in the gym.
You both kicked off your shoes.
Man, I dig those rhythm and blues.

I was a lonely teenage broncin’ buck
With a pink carnation and a pickup truck,
But I knew I was out of luck
The day the music died.

I started singin’,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Now for ten years we’ve been on our own
And moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone,
But that’s not how it used to be.
When the jester sang for the king and queen,
In a coat he borrowed from james dean
And a voice that came from you and me,

Oh, and while the king was looking down,
The jester stole his thorny crown.
The courtroom was adjourned;
No verdict was returned.
And while lennon read a book of marx,
The quartet practiced in the park,
And we sang dirges in the dark
The day the music died.

We were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Helter skelter in a summer swelter.
The birds flew off with a fallout shelter,
Eight miles high and falling fast.
It landed foul on the grass.
The players tried for a forward pass,
With the jester on the sidelines in a cast.

Now the half-time air was sweet perfume
While the sergeants played a marching tune.
We all got up to dance,
Oh, but we never got the chance!
`cause the players tried to take the field;
The marching band refused to yield.
Do you recall what was revealed
The day the music died?

We started singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

Oh, and there we were all in one place,
A generation lost in space
With no time left to start again.
So come on: jack be nimble, jack be quick!
Jack flash sat on a candlestick
Cause fire is the devil’s only friend.

Oh, and as I watched him on the stage
My hands were clenched in fists of rage.
No angel born in hell
Could break that satan’s spell.
And as the flames climbed high into the night
To light the sacrificial rite,
I saw satan laughing with delight
The day the music died

He was singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
And singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

I met a girl who sang the blues
And I asked her for some happy news,
But she just smiled and turned away.
I went down to the sacred store
Where I’d heard the music years before,
But the man there said the music wouldn’t play.

And in the streets: the children screamed,
The lovers cried, and the poets dreamed.
But not a word was spoken;
The church bells all were broken.
And the three men I admire most:
The father, son, and the holy ghost,
They caught the last train for the coast
The day the music died.

And they were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
And them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die.
"this’ll be the day that I die."

They were singing,
"bye-bye, miss american pie."
Drove my chevy to the levee,
But the levee was dry.
Them good old boys were drinkin’ whiskey and rye
Singin’, "this’ll be the day that I die."

references:
- "who wrote the book of love" - the monotones
- "like a rolling stone" - bob dylan
- "helter skelter" - the beatles
- "eight miles high" - the byrds
- "jumpin' jack flash" - rolling stones

Wait, no one's mentioned "Spark" yet - "Was John the only Dreamer?" referencing John Lennon's "Imagine" (you may say, I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one).

There's a bunch of covers of "Mack the Knife" that reference other artists doing the song. I think it started with Ella Fitzgerald:
Oh bobby darin, and louis armstrong
They made a record, oh but they did
And now ella, ella, and her fellas
Were making a wreck, what a wreck
Of mack the knife

And then Frank Sinatra (w/ Sammy Davis Jr) did the same thing.

One that's sort of navalgazy - Veruca Salt referenced themselves in the song "Volcano Girls:"
I told you about the Seether before.
You know the one that's neither or nor.
Well here's another clue if you please,
the Seether's Louise.

And let's not forget Peter Shcilling's "Major Tom" which is a retelling of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."

i thought this was about the specific title of a song being referenced within the lyrics of another song. there are probably billions of references to lines of other songs and/or artists within songs out there.

Pepper

and Karin ref Dorothy Moore's Misty Blue....well, the song on j-box by Miss DM in Jesus in N.O.

yeah, i left that out, while it is clearly a reference, not a specific as the others. but, you're right, i'd count it.

I'm glad you brought up that tune. It's one of many great songs I totally burned out on ....and put on a "do not listen for a decade or so" shelf...but would love to ( & will) listen again soon

I think "moss grows fat on a rollin’ stone" is a reference to the music magazine, not the Dylan song.

I realize the magazine was named after the song, just sayin'...

i'm pretty sure that;

in the context of the song, i don't think so. i think it is a specific reference to bobby (the jester, that era/personna of dylan applies) and the song, he also sang for queen liz. and the "a voice that came from you and me" has to refer to him being noted as "the voice of the generation" " voice of the 60's"

And moss grows fat on a rolling stone

"Like a Rolling Stone" (1965) was Dylan's first major hit;
and since he was busy writing songs extolling the virtues of simple
love, family and contentment while staying at home (he didn't tour
from '66 to '74) and raking in the royalties. This was quite a
change from the earlier, angrier Dylan.

When the jester sang for the King and Queen

Bob Dylan played a command performance for the Queen of England.
He was *not* properly attired, so perhaps this is a reference
to his apparel.

An alternate interpretation is that this refers to the Kennedys
-- the king and queen of "Camelot" -- who were present at a
Washington DC civil rights rally featuring Martin Luther King.
(There's a recording of Dylan performing at this rally.)

In a coat he borrowed from James Dean

In the movie "Rebel Without a Cause", James Dean has a red windbreaker
that holds symbolic meaning throughout the film (see note at end).
In one particularly intense scene, Dean lends his coat to a guy who
is shot and killed; Dean's father arrives, sees the coat on the
dead man, thinks it's Dean, and loses it.

And a voice that came from you and me

Bob Dylan's roots are in American folk music, with people like
Pete Seeger and Woody Guthrie. Folk music is by definition the
music of the masses, hence the "...came from you and me".

Oh, and while the King was looking down The jester stole his thorny crown

This could be a reference to Elvis's decline and Dylan's ascendance.
(i.e. Presley is looking down from a height as Dylan takes his place.)
The thorny crown might be a reference to the price of fame. Dylan has
said that he wanted to be as famous as Elvis, one of his early idols.

i'm sticking with the song.

I thought of another one, Leela Jame's song Music.

Music - Leela James

(Verse 1)

Somebody play on the guitar strings
Makes me think of my favorite songs
Reminds me of when I heard Aretha sing
Gladys, Tina, and Chaka Khan
Can't go back to yesterday
But can we just put the thongs away

(Bridge)

And fall back in love with music
Nothin' but the music

Oh

Everybody knows that Marvin's gone
Still I gotta tell you what's going on
Said the music gone

(Chorus)

Where'd the soul go?
It's all about the video
We don't sing no more
Where's the music gone?

Where'd the music go?
It's all just for the dough
It ain't soul no more
Where's the music gone?

(Verse 2)

Still hear Donny playin' them keys
Singin' one day we'll all be free
Can't even turn on my radio
Somebody hollerin' bout a bitch or a ho

(Bridge)

Right now I'm missing music
Black folks count on music

(Chorus)

Where'd the soul go?
It's all about the video
We don't sing no more
Where's the music gone?

Where'd the music go?
It's all just for the dough
It ain't soul no more
Where's the music gone?

Let's take it back
take it back
take it back


what's going on - Marvin Gaye
one day we'll all be free (Someday We'll All Be Free) - Donny Hathaway

Yeah, I should have remembered American Pie...I still have the 45 that you have to flip over to hear the rest of the song...

Nice one Bill!

How about U2?

Angel of Harlem

It was a cold and wet December day
When we touched the ground at JFK
Snow was melting on the ground
On BLS I heard the sound
Of an angel

New York, like a Christmas tree
Tonight this city belongs to me
Angel

Soul love...this love won't let me go
So long...Angel of Harlem

Birdland on fifty-three
The street sounds like a symphony
We got John Coltrane and a love supreme
Miles says she's got to be an angel

Lady Day got diamond eyes
She sees the truth behind the lies
Angel

Soul love...this love won't let me go
So long...Angel of Harlem
Angel of Harlem

She says it's heart...heart and soul...
Yeah yeah...(yeah)
Yeah yeah...(right now)

Blue light on the avenue
God knows they got to you
An empty glass, the lady sings
Eyes swollen like a bee sting
Blinded you lost your way
Through the side streets and the alleyway
Like a star exploding in the night
Falling to the city in broad daylight
An angel in Devil's shoes
Salvation in the blues
You never looked like an angel
Yeah yeah...Angel of Harlem

Angel...Angel of Harlem...
[Repeat and fade]

Never intended to dispute the obvious references to Dylan, just meant the line "And moss grows fat out of rollin' stone" has tons of resonance for anyone who lived through the descent of Rolling Stone as the voice of the hopes & fears of my generation in the 60s to the commercial rag it eventually became. After researching the actual historical timeline, however, the aforementioned decline took place after McLean recorded American Pie. So I stand corrected!

aww, c'mon that issue w/jessica simpson on the cover in her red high heels, panties and tight, short white t-shirt was smokin' hot.



*and actually the one that caused me to finally give up on it and end the subscription that i had since i was 16. i tore the cover off, wrote "cancel" next to the address box and mailed it to them.

Joni Mitchell's Chinese Cafe w/ references to Unchained Melody and
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow


Caught in the middle
Carol, we're middle class
We're middle aged
We were wild in the old days
Birth of rock 'n roll days
Now your kids are coming up straight
And my child's a stranger
I bore her
But, I could not raise her
Nothing lasts for long-
Nothing lasts for long-
Nothing lasts for long-
Down at the Chinese Cafe
We'd be dreaming on our dimes
We'd be playing-
"Oh my love, my darling"
One more time

Uranium money
Is booming in the old home town now
It's putting up sleek concrete
Tearing the old landmarks down now
Paving over brave little parks
Ripping off Indian land again
How long-how long
Short sighted business men
Ah, nothing lasts for long-
Nothing lasts for long-
Nothing lasts for long-
Down at the Chinese Cafe
We'd be dreaming on our dimes
We'd be playing-
"You give your love so sweetly"
One more time

Christmas is sparkling
Out on Carol's lawn
This girl of my childhood games
With kids nearly grown and gone
Grown so fast
Like the turn of a page
We look like our mothers did now
When we were those kids' age
Nothing lasts for long-
Nothing lasts for long-
Nothing lasts for long-
Down at the Chinese Cafe
We'd be dreaming on our dimes
We'd be playing-
"Oh my love, my darling
I've hungered for your touch
A long lonely time
And time goes by so slowly
And time can do so much
Are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
God speed your love to me."
=======================================
Unchained Melody
Oh, my love
my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me

Lonely rivers flow to the sea,
to the sea
to the open arms of the sea
lonely rivers sigh 'wait for me, wait for me'
I'll be coming home wait for me

Oh, my love
my darling
I've hungered for your touch
a long lonely time
and time goes by so slowly
and time can do so much
are you still mine?
I need your love
I need your love
Godspeed your love to me
================================

Will You Still love Me Tomorrow

Tonight you're mine completely
You give your love so sweetly
Tonight the light of love is in your eyes
But will you love me tomorrow
Is this a lasting treasure
Or a moment's pleasure
Should I believe the magic of your sigh
Will you still love me tomorrow
Tonight with words unspoken
You say that I'm the only one
But will my heart be broken
When the night meets the morning's sun
I like to know that your love
Is a love I can be sure of
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow
So tell me now and I won't ask again
Will you still love me tomorrow
Will you still love me tomorrow
Will you still love me tomorrow

Jimmy Eat World -- Praise Chorus

Are you gonna live your life wonderin' standing in the back lookin' around?
Are you gonna waste your time thinkin' how you've grown up or how you missed out?
Things are never gonna be the way you want.
Where's it gonna get you acting serious?
Things are never gonna be quite what you want.
Or even at 25, you gotta start sometime.
I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go.
Now all I need is just to hear a song I know.
I wanna always feel like part of this was mine.
I wanna fall in love tonight.
Are you gonna live your life standing in the back looking around?
Are you gonna waste your time?
Gotta make a move or you'll miss out.
Someone's gonna ask you what it's all about.
Stick around nostalgia won't let you down.
Someone's gonna ask you what it's all about.
Whatcha gonna have to say for yourself?
I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go.
Now all I need is just to hear a song I know.
I wanna always feel like part of this was mine.
I wanna fall in love tonight.
Crimson and clover, over and over.
Crimson and clover, over and over.
Our house in the middle of the street., why did we ever meet?
Started my rock 'n roll fantasy.
Don't don't, don't let's start., why did we ever part?
Kick start my rock 'n rollen heart.
I'm on my feet, I'm on the floor, I'm good to go.
So come on Davey, sing me somethin' that I know.
I wanna always feel like part of this was mine.
I wanna fall in love tonight.
Here tonight.
I wanna always feel like part of this was mine
I wanna fall in love tonight.

PROCOL HARUM, in their King of Hearts referencing a line from their own, A Whiter Shade Of Pale.
King of Hearts is said to've been a sequel to A Whiter Shade.


King Of Hearts

(G.Brooker / K.Reid / M.Noble)
But the King of the Broken-hearted
She cut the deck one more
By the light of thirteen candles
She said, "the winner takes it all --
Is that too much for you to handle?
So I wandered through my playing cards


=========================================================
Procol's A Whiter Shade of Pale
We skipped the light fandango
turned cartwheels 'cross the floor
I was feeling kinda seasick
but the crowd called out for more
The room was humming harder
as the ceiling flew away
When we called out for another drink
the waiter brought a tray

And so it was that later
as the miller told his tale
that her face, at first just ghostly,
turned a whiter shade of pale
She said, 'There is no reason
and the truth is plain to see.'
But I wandered through my playing cards
and would not let her be
one of sixteen vestal virgins
who were leaving for the coast
and although my eyes were open
they might have just as well've been closed

I've always taken the last line from the Cowboy Junkies' Blue Guitar as a reference to TVZ's You Are Not Needed Now, but I could be wrong:

Blue Guitar

I wish I had a blue guitar,
A blue guitar to play all night long.
Singing songs of loss and love.
Singing songs till morning comes.

Ghosts in the basement
Screams from the kitchen
I tell you folks I'm leaving.
Seems I can already hear the door slammin'.
I tell you folks I think I'm leavin'.

Goodbye to the highway
Goodbye to the sky
I'm headed out goodbye, goodbye.
Goodbye to the highway
Goodbye to the sky
I'm headed our goodbye, goodbye.

I wish I had a blue guitar,
A blue guitar to play all night long.
I wish I had a blue guitar,
A blue guitar to let you know somehow
You are not needed now.

Cowboy Junkies

Cher

And how about this one:

Blue Moon Revisited (a Song For Elvis)

I only want to say
That if there is a way
I want my baby back with
me'cause he's my true love
my only one don't you see?

And on that fateful day
Perhaps in the new sun of May
My baby walks back into my
arms I'll keep him beside me
forever from harm

You see I was afraid
to let my baby stray
I kept him too tightly by my side
and then one sad day
he went away and he died

Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone
without a dream in my heart
without a love of my own

Blue Moon, you knew just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer for
someone I really could care for

I only want to say
That if there is a way
I want my baby back with me'
cause he's my true love
my only one don't you see?

Cowboy Junkies

Chuck Prophet, You Did, referencing the ever-popular & whacky Rama Lama Ding Dong & other doo-wop phrases
You Did

You Did
I got a letter this morning (x2)

Who put the "bomp" in the bomp-shooby-dooby-bomp?
Who put the "ram" in the rama-lama-ding-dong?
You did

I got a letter this morning

Who put the "bomp" in the bomp-shooby-dooby-bomp?
Who put the "ram" in the rama-lama-ding-dong?
You did
You did

I got a letter this morning

Wake me up if I should drift away
I don't wanna miss a thing
Take my hand and lead me all around
I don't care
Where we're going

Who dug the crude and made it flow?
Who proved that anything was possible?
You did

I got a letter this morning

Who built the house and brought it down?
Who raised the roof and never made a sound?
You did
You did

I got a letter this morning

Wake me up if I should drift away
I don't wanna miss a thing
Take my hand and lead me all around
I don't care
Where we're going

I got a letter this morning (x2)

Who rose right out of the morning mist
Opened my heart like a baby's fist?
You did

I got a letter this morning

Who cleared the static and made it sing?
Who put the wheel on the gravy train?
You did

I got a letter this morning
You did

Wake me up if I should drift away
I don't wanna miss a thing

I got a letter this morning

Take my hand and lead me all around
I don't care
Where we're going

I got a letter this morning

Who put the "bomp" in the bomp-shooby-dooby-bomp?
Who put the "ram" in the rama-lama-ding-dong?
Who put the "wang" in the wang-dang-noo, baby?
You did

I got a letter this morning (x4)
I got
I got a letter this morning

Who put the "flip" in the flippity-flop?
Who put the "hip" in the hippity-hop?
Who put the "boom" in the boom-boom-shaka-laka?
You did

I got a letter this morning
=====================================================================

Rama Lama Ding Dong
Oh oh oh oh
I got a girl named Rama Lama, Rama Lama Ding Dong
She's everything to me
Rama Lama, Rama Lama Ding Dong
I'll never set her free
For she's mine, all mine
Oh oh oh oh
I got a girl named Rama Lama, Rama Lama Ding Dong,
She's fine to me,
Rama Lama, Rama Lama Ding Dong
You don't believe that she's mine, all mine
I love her,
Love her, love her so.
That I'll never, never let her go.
You may be certain she's mine, all mine,
She's mine all of the time.
Oh I got a girl named Rama Lama, Rama Lama Ding Dong
She's everything to me
Rama Lama, Rama Lama Ding Dong
I'll never set her free
For she's mine, all mine

Rodney Crowell paying tribute to his former / late father-in-law, in I Walk The Line (Revisited) co-sung by John Cash

I Walk the Line(revisited)

I'm back on board that '49 Ford in 1956
Long before the sun came up way out in the sticks
The headlight showed a two rut roadway
Back up in the pines
First time I heard Johnny Cash
Sing I Walk The Line
I got my thrill behind the wheel upon my daddys lap
Grandpa rode co-pilot with a flashlight and a map
Cane pole out the window it was in the summertime
First time I heard Johnny Cash
Sing I Walk The Line

Johnny Cash;
I keep a close watch on this heart of mine
I keep my eyes wide open all the time
I keep the ends out for the tie that binds
Because you're mine, I Walk The Line

Rodney Crowell;
All these long years later it's still music to my ears
I swear it sounds as good right now as anything I hear
I've seen the Mona Lisa
I've heard Shakespear read real fine
Just like hearing Johnny Cash
Sing I Walk The Line

Johnny Cash;
As sure as night is dark and day is light
I keep you on my mind both day and night
And happiness I've know proves that it's right
Because you're mine, I Walk The Line

Because you're mine, I Walk The Line
================

I Walk The Line

I keep a Close Watch on This Heart Of Mine
I Keep my Eyes wide open all The Time
I Keep The Ends Out for The Tie That Binds
Because your Mine I Walk The Line

I Find It Very Very Easy To Be True
I Find Myself Alone When The Day Is Through
Yes, I'll Admit That I'm A fool For You
Because Your Mine I walk The Line

As Sure as Night Is Dark And Day Is Light
I Keep You On My Mind Both Day And Night
And Happiness I've Known Proves That It's Right
Because Your Mine I Walk The Line

You've Got A Way To Keep Me On your Side
You Give Me Cause For Love That I Can't Hide
For You I Know I'd Even Try To Turn The Tide
Because Your Mine I Walk The Line

I Keep A Close Watch On This Heart Of Mine
I Keep My Eyes Wide Open All The Time
I Keep The Ends Out For The Tie That Binds
Because Your Mine I Walk The Line

I usually think of this in the negative sense. As in when bands refer to their own songs as a sure sign the band is done and have no more ideas.

Witness:
Blue Oyster Cult: "Still Burning'" (if you have to say it it's probably not true.)
Asia: "The Heat Goes On" (If you are referencing a hit song from your first album on your third album, it's not a good sign.)

There are others I'm sure.

Conversation With The Devil by Ray Wylie Hubbard

I had a dream last night I was cast into Hell by a jealous God
The Devil walked up and said you don't need no lightning rod
It hardly ever rains down here I can't recall the last storm
You aint gonna need that leather jacket it gets kinda warm
There's one way in there's no way out looks like you're to stay
The place is a mess, it's overcrowded, more are coming in everyday.

I said ah man, wait a minute there's gotta be something wrong
I aint a bad guy just write these little songs
I always pay my union dues don't stay in the passing lane
And he said what about all that whiskey and the cocaine
I said well yeah but that's no reason to throw me in Hell
'Cause I didn't use the cocaine to get high, I just liked the way it smelled.

He said come on over here son, let me show you around
Over there's where we put the preachers, I never liked those clowns
They're always blaming me for everything wrong under the sun
It aint harder to do what's right, it's just maybe not as much fun
Then they walk around thinking they're better than me and you
Then they get caught in a motel room doing what they said not to do.

Now the murderers and the rapists they go in this firey lake
As well as most of the politician's and the cops on the take
And all the mothers that wait to get to KMart to spank their kids
Instead of showing what to do what's right, they just hit 'em for what they did
And all the daddy's who run off and abandon their daughters and sons
Anybody that hurts a child is gonna burn until they're done.

Everybody is down here I said who's up in Heaven with God and the Son?
Oh some saints and mystics and students of metaphysics 101
People who care and share and love and try to do what's right
Beautiful old souls who read little stories to their babies every night
What you won't find up in Heaven are christian coalition right wing conservatives
Country program directors and Nashville record executives.

Now I said I've made some mistakes, but I'm not as bad as those guys
How can God do this to me or can't he sympathize?
He said you're wrong about God being cruel and mean
God is the most loving thing that's never been seen
I said hotshot tell me this which religion is the truest?
He said they're all about the same, Budda was not a Christian, but Jesus
woulda made a good buddist.

Well, I thought about my future I didn't seem to have much of one
I looked around to leave but there was no place to run
I said I don't suppose I could go back and try living again?
You know like reincarnation I hear that's the way it's always been
I can't answer that he said you're gonna have to wait for that response
But it's not any more unusual to be born twice than it is to be born once.

Well, it looked like I was gonna be stuck here as far as I could tell
I thought I might as well suck up you know what the hell
I said you know that song that Charlie Daniels did?
About how you went down to Georgia and played fiddle against that kid?
He said yeah it broke my heart but you know what are you gonna do
I said to tell you the truth I thought your solo was the better of the two.

Well, then I woke up and I was lying in my bed
I went upstairs and kissed my little boy on his sleeping head
I took this dream as a sign from God so I thought I'd better pray
I said don't ever speak to me directly and thanks anyway
Now so much has changed about me besides me just giving up red meat
Some get spiritual cause they see the light and some cause they feel the heat.

"Autoclave," The Mountain Goats

Hand me your hand, let me look in your eyes
As my last chance to feel human begins to vaporize
Maybe it’s the heat in here, maybe it’s the pressure
You ought to head for the exits, the sooner the better
I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam
And no one in her right mind would make my home her home
My heart’s an autoclave
My heart’s an autoclave

When I try to open up to you I get completely lost
Houses swallowed by the earth, windows thick with frost
And I reach deep down within, but the pathways twist and turn
and there’s no light anywhere, and nothing left to burn

And I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam
And no emotion that’s worth having could call my heart its home
My heart’s an autoclave
My heart’s an autoclave

I dreamt that I was perched atop a throne of human skulls
On a cliff above the ocean, howling wind and shrieking seagulls
And the dream went on forever, one single static frame
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name

And I am this great, unstable mass of blood and foam
And no one in her right mind would make her home my home
My heart’s an autoclave
My heart’s an autoclave

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Where Everybody Knows Your Name," by Gary Portnoy and Judy Hart Angelo

Making your way in the world today
Takes everything you've got
Taking a break from all your worries
Sure would help a lot
Wouldn't you like to get away

All those nights when you've got no lights
The check is in the mail
And your little angel hung the cat up by its tail
And your third fiancee didn't show
Sometimes you wanna go

Where everybody knows your name
And they're always glad you came
You wanna be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You wanna be where everybody knows your name ...

And back to artists who reference their own songs, there's always the Long Blondes.

"Heaven Help the New Girl"

No more nights in the flat
In the flat above the pet shop
Hiding every picture of your boyfriend
He never has to go behind my back again
Because I don’t speak to him now

No more fights in the car,
In the back of his car
A car that never started and the rows they never stopped
He never has to go behind my back again
Because I don’t speak to him now

I say
Heaven help the new girl
If she has to go through what I went through too

Don’t get me wrong
If you want someone
Who's gonna lead you on
He's the one for you
Don’t get me wrong
If you want someone
Who's gonna treat you bad
He's the man
But who wants that anyway

Oh
Heaven help the new girl
If she has to go through what I went through too
Heaven help the new girl
If she has to go through what I went through too

So go
Just go
Because you'll be never 19 again
And I thought I told you before
You don’t need a boyfriend

So go
Just walk
It doesn’t matter if its raining or dark
And if by some strange stroke of luck
I pick you up
then we can drive to the country
Left to ourselves
And (?)

Heaven help the new girl
If she has to go through what I went through too

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Once and Never Again"

19, you're only 19 for God's sake,
Oh, you don't need a boyfriend.
19, you're only 19 for God's sake,
Oh, you don't need a boyfriend.

Look what he's made you do to your arm again,
He said he'd come round but he's gone out with his friends,
And I know how it feels to be your age
and feel the world is caving in.

Another drama by the kitchen sink tonight,
You said you'd cut yourself whilst washing up the knives,
Another week off school won't do you any good,
And I know how it feels to be your age.

19, you're only 19 for God's sake,
Oh, you don't need a boyfriend.
19, you're only 19 for God's sake,
Oh, you don't need a boyfriend.

Come back with me, and find out what you really want,
Come home with me you'll only have to do it once,
'cause I know what it feels like to be your age,
You only have to do it once,
And never again.

Another drama by the kitchen sink tonight,
You said you'd cut yourself whilst washing up the knives,
Another week off school won't do you any good,
And I know how it feels to be your age.

You know I'm not so young,
I spend an hour getting ready every day,
And still I end up looking more or less the same,
But I could show you,
a thing or two.

Oh, I could show you the ropes,
Yes I could show you the ropes,
And I would cut my hair for you,
'Cause I know how it feels.

I know how it feels to be your age,
I know how it feels to be your age,
Oh, how I'd love to feel a girl your age,
Your age,
Once and never again.

"California" by Wave:

I'm on my way
Heading for the sun
that's where I'll stay
I'm never going back home
do you ever feel like
you need a change
hang out where no one knows your name

Librarian * My Morning Jacket
"... Karen of the Carpenters singing in the rain." ...

Truckin' * Grateful Dead

Could this be the Sweet Jane of Lou Reed/Cowboy Junkies fame?

"What in the world ever became of sweet Jane?
She lost her sparkle, you know she isn't the same
Livin' on reds, vitamin C, and cocaine,
All a friend can say is ain't it a shame?"

One of the best songs that refers to another song ever!...

A Lifetime by Better Than Ezra

The chorus:

And I know I wasn't right,
But it felt so good.
And your mother didn't mind,
Like I thought she would.
And that R.E.M. song was playing
In my mind.
And three and a half minutes
Felt like a lifetime

"......with those waves singin' Caroline....Oh Caroline No...." ref to Beach Boys Caroline No

from Long May You Run * Neil Young

1970 Monte Carlo by The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash

I pour myself behind to wheel
too tired to think and too numb to feel
and hear that 350 whining low
all I need is an open road and some
Johnny Cash on the stereo
and things ain't as bad as they seem

1970 Monte Carlo Chevrolet
I swear sometimes you were my only friend
with a headliner ripped and torn
just like me she's a little worn
but you could always see me home again

"Get rhythm" blasting from the dash
in a cloud of smoke and cigarette ash
that old girl starts up every time
any time that I'm feelin' low I put the
Man in Black on my stereo
and that brings a smile to my face

I ain't braggin but that girl can really roll
she's never left me busted flat or
standing in the cold