Songs that mention other songs

[Digital_Man]

Just heard "cross eyed Mary" by Jethro Tull where "aqualung" is mentioned. What other songs mention other songs either by the same band or another band. Bonus points for a band like JT mentioning another song they did.

[Man In The Mountain]

ABWH, "Quartet" mentions Roundabout, South Side of The Sky, Gates of Delirium, Awaken, and Long Distance Roundaround.... among others.

Spock's Beard "June" mentions "Waste Away" from the previous album.

[MeatDragon]

The Beatles' "Glass Onion" references "Strawberry Fields", "Fool on the Hill", "I am the Walrus" and several others...

[JKL2000]

That Barclay James Harvest song that mentions all those Beatles songs.

The Marillion song "The Damage" mentions "Genie" (both songs are on Marbles).

[Rufus]

[Dream Theater's Octovarium mentions Suppers Ready , Machine Messiah , Careful with that Axe Eugine , Day Tripper , Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds & a few others ! It must hold the record ?

[bill g]

Tonight, Tonight, Tonight from Genesis mentions 'In Too Deep' also from Genesis, and 'Carry That Weight' and 'Helter Skelter', by the Beatles of course.

[Kim Olesen]

Calling Elvis (Dire Straits) names a couple of Elvis songs.

[Digital_Man]

Tonight, Tonight, Tonight from Genesis mentions 'In Too Deep' also from Genesis, and 'Carry That Weight' and 'Helter Skelter', by the Beatles of course.

Never noticed that. I'll have to check that out and pay attention.

[Adrian]

"The End of the Line" by the Traveling Wilburys mentions "Purple Haze."

Billy Joel mentions "Rock Around the Clock" in "We Didn't Start the Fire."

[progrocket]

[Dream Theater's Octovarium mentions Suppers Ready , Machine Messiah , Careful with that Axe Eugine , Day Tripper , Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds & a few others ! It must hold the record ?

That's the one that immediately came to mind for me as well. Also among the references: Light My Fire, Gabba Gabba Hey Hey, My Generation, Day for Night, Cinema Show. The lyrics also make mention of Nightmare Cinema, the Dream Theater lineup when the switch the instruments around.

Also, I just wrote up a review for Echolyn's latest album, and noticed that "Island" makes a reference to "Heavy Blue Miles" off of The End is Beautiful.

[Adrian]

"And the band plays 'In the Mood'" -- from "Broadway Melody of 1974"

[Oreb]

Dylan, 'Sara' mentions writing 'Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands'

'Supper's Ready' mentions 'The Musical Box'

I don't think the OP's example of 'Cross-Eyed Mary' is correct: isn't it a reference to the character Aqualung rather than the song?

[Garden Dreamer]

Manowar - too many to mention. They often refer to their own songs.

[A. Scherze]

I don't think the OP's example of 'Cross-Eyed Mary' is correct: isn't it a reference to the character Aqualung rather than the song?

Yes. The same as Bowie bringing back Major Tom.

Now, what about "Crocodile Rock"? It's a song about itself.

[A. Scherze]

Billy Joel mentions "Rock Around the Clock" in "We Didn't Start the Fire."

How about "Miss American Pie"?

[Oreb]

Now, what about "Crocodile Rock"? It's a song about itself.

If we're going all 'meta', you could say that every cover version fits the bill - possibly a step too far?

[GuitarGeek]

Lots of Hawkwind songs have allusions to other Hawkwind songs in them. For instance, Sonic Attack is mentioned in Days Of The Underground. "Already weeds are writing their scriptures in the sand" is a line from We Took The Wrong Steps Years Ago which Dave Brock later recycled in Who's Gonna Win The War. I'm sure there are other examples, and about 20 years ago, I probably could have enumerated more of them, but I'm drawing a blank right now. Ask Jen, she'll know.

[Moribund]

Dancing With the Moonlit Knight mentions Paperlate.

[Digital_Man]

Dancing With the Moonlit Knight mentions Paperlate.

The thing is "paperlate" came out almost ten years later.

Genesis mention lots of super heroes in their songs(especially superman)but not really any other songs. King Crimson quoted themselves musically on at least one occasion(as have the Kinks)but they didn't really mention any songs either(other than the aforementioned "tonight tonight tonight."

[trurl]

Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) mentions or references about a million singers and bands but also many songs... I remember Good Vibrations but I'm too lazy too look up the others.

[GuitarGeek]

I seem to recall there was some rap group had got in trouble for mentioning MC Hammer's mother in one of their songs. Apparently, the one thing you don't do when dissing someone is talk about their mother. But I believe the group claimed that the line was an allusion to Hammer's song Turn This Mother Out. I forget who that was now, but I think they also did a diss track about Vanilla Ice.

[happytheman]

Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me) mentions or references about a million singers and bands but also many songs... I remember Good Vibrations but I'm too lazy too look up the others.

This one?...
B.B. Bumble and the Stingers, Mott the Hoople, Ray Charles Singers
Lonnie Mack and twangin' Eddy, here's my ring we're goin' steady
Take it easy, take me higher, liar liar, house on fire
Locomotion, Poco, Passion, Deeper Purple, Satisfaction
Baby baby gotta gotta gimme gimme gettin' hotter
Sammy's cookin', Lesley Gore and Ritchie Valens, end of story
Mahavishnu, fujiyama, kama-sutra, rama-lama
Richard Perry, Spector, Barry, Archies, Righteous, Nilsson, Harry
Shimmy shimmy ko-ko bop and Fats is back and Finger Poppin'

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

FM, AM, hits are clickin' while the clock is tock-a-tickin'
Friends and Romans, salutations, Brenda and the Tabulations
Carly Simon, I behold her, Rolling Stones and centerfoldin'
Johnny Cash and Johnny Rivers, can't stop now, I got the shivers
Mungo Jerry, Peter Peter Paul and Paul and Mary Mary
Dr. John the nightly tripper, Doris Day and Jack the Ripper
Gotta go Sir, gotta swelter, Leon Russell, Gimme Shelter
Miracles in smokey places, slide guitars and Fender basses
Mushroom omelet, Bonnie Bramlett, Wilson Pickett, stop and kick it

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

Arthur Janov's primal screamin', Hawkins, Jay and
Dale and Ronnie, Kukla, Fran and Norma Okla
Denver, John and Osmond, Donny
JJ Cale and ZZ Top and LL Bean and De De Dinah
David Bowie, Steely Dan and sing me prouder, CC Rider
Edgar Winter, Joanie Sommers, Osmond Brothers, Johnny Thunders
Eric Clapton, pedal wah-wah, Stephen Foster, do-dah do-dah
Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Surfer Girl and Little Honda
Tighter, tighter, honey, honey, sugar, sugar, yummy, yummy
CBS and Warner Brothers, RCA and all the others

Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
Gotta turn it up louder, so my DJ told me (whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Life is a rock but the radio rolled me
At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie

spoken:
Listen--remember, they're playing our song!
Rock it, sock it, Alan Freed me, Murray Kaufman, try to leave me
Fish, and Swim, and Boston Monkey,
Make it bad and play it funky.
(Wanna take you higher!)

[Lopez]

The garage-band tributors The Barracudas mention "Louie, Louie" and "Chewy, Chewy" and a bunch of other garage-type hits in their "I Wish It Was 1965 Again." (Oddly, "Chewy, Chewy" was released in 1968.)

[Ten Thumbs]

Northern Pikes song Blame The Song mentions their own songs Teenland, Things We Do For Money, and also mentions Stairway To Heaven.

[GuitarGeek]

Oh, shit, I forgot about Punk Rock Girl by The Dead Milkmen mentions California Dreamin' (specifically alluding to the then recent Beach Boys cover of the song).