Inspirational verse:
You can take the stained glass from my window
You can drink my whiskey and champagne
You can drive a plough across my golf course
But please don't make me sing that song again
You can put piranha in my swimming pool
Kick me and I just won't feel the pain
Scratch your name all over my Lamborghini
But just don't make me sing that song again
It's not because it's hard to reach those high notes that it makes me sad
But when I think what I used to be -- ooh
It makes me feel so bad
It's not that I dislike the words
Though I must admit there are better words around
But every time I hear that tune
It really brings me down
I don't mind you asking for my autograph
But please don't ask what happened to my friends
Please don't show me any more old photographs
And please don't make me sing that song again
Where to begin with how great that is? A hilariously sardonic lyric, an amazing vocal (Fisher has the endearingly nasal singing voice I always wished I had), and it's gloriously melodic and brilliantly arranged (those perfectly placed arpeggio guitars and the madly gorgeous keyboard work.)
Hell, the electric piano stuff alone is worth the price of admission.
And I don't know about you, but I just lose it -- by which I mean with laughter -- when he plays the organ line from "Whiter Shade of Pale."
And that leads us, inevitably, to the weekend's business. To wit:
...and your favorite (or least favorite) post-Elvis pop/rock/soul/folk/country/hip-hop song/record referencing other songs, obliquely or explicitly, in its title or lyrics is...???
No arbitrary rules blah blah.
But if you're wondering about my fave (apart from the Fisher, obviously) it's...
I actually love the Olivia Neutron Bomb Newton-John original of that, but Hatfield's relatively recent (2018) cover is pretty much my favorite female vocal of this century so far. So sue me.
Alrighty then -- what would YOUR choices be?
And have a great weekend, everybody!!!
31 comments:
Okay, I'll start. Eric Bogle -- "And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda"
While mentioning no specific song, the following are worthy of consideration because of their reference to numerous bands"
"The Road" The Kinks
"Do You Remeber Rock And Roll Radio" The Ramones.
I see your Waltzing Matilda and raise you Tom Waits -Tom Traubert's Blues
Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo ("Billy Boy Arnold/Playing 'I Wish You Would')
Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Motel Matches ("Who Shot Sam")
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Thunder Road ("Roy Orbison's singing for the Lonely")
It's kind of an obvious one but Golden Earring's "Radar Love" (lyric refers to Brenda Lee's hit "Coming On Strong")
Wings // Venus and Mars
Rock Show - mentions Jimmy Page.
rob
Runnin' Down a Dream - Tom Petty (Del Shannon's Runaway)
VR
Just woke up, More when my personal trainer gets done workin' me over
Ashes to Ashes - David Bowie (Major Tom)
If Daddy Don't Sing Danny Boy Tonight - Hacienda Brothers
Glass Onion - Beatles
Yer Blues - Beatles (Dylan's Mr. Jones)
Young Americans - David Bowie (I heard the news today, oh boy)
Take Me Home Tonight - Eddie Money (Be My Little Baby)
VR
what can i say, Julio's late
VR, Oh god, of course! "Yer Blues - Beatles (Dylan's Mr. Jones)"
Steve - Dylan's Mr. Jones...
Let's not forget Counting Crows
Mr Jones (song)..." I wanna be Bob Dylan".
rob
Mama's and Papa's
Creeque Alley
rob
Well, Julio had his way with me. A double dose, since he missed me yesterday. I like his style. Work then massage then ice cream. Suffer reward. Anyway, I feel like a million bucks. Reborn. Better than Keith after he changed his blood in Switzerland,
What's with the meager response?
Here are some more:
Big Star – Thirteen (Paint It Black)
Don McLean -- American Pie (Helter Skelter, Eight Miles High, Jumpin' Jack Flash
Johnny Rivers - Summer Rain (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)
Bad Company - Shooting Star (Love Me Do)
Chris Kenner/Cannibal & the Headhunters/Thee Midniters/Wilson Pickett/Patti Smith- Land of a Thousand Dances (Boney Maroney, Mashed Potato, The Watusi, Long Tall Sally)
Drive-by Truckers - Let There Be Rock (Let There Be Rock, The Boys Are Back In Town)
Drive-by Truckers - Ronnie and Neil (Southern Man, Alabama, Powderfinger, Sweet Home Alabama)
Rick Nelson – Garden Party
Stills-Young Band – Long May You Run (Caroline No)
Steve Miller – The Joker (Space Cowboy, Gangster of Love)
Steve Miller – Jackson Kent Blues (Space Cowboy, Kow Kow
Dylan - Sara (Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands)
Kid Rock – All Summer Long (Sweet Home Alabama, Werewolves of London)
Traveling Wilburys - End of the Line (Purple Haze)
Drive-by Truckers - Days of Graduation (Freebird)
Dire Straits - Calling Elvis (Heartbreak Hotel, Love Me Tender, Don't Be Cruel, Return to Sender, Love Me)
Patti Smith – Elegie (Are You Experience)
Beatles - I Am the Walrus (Lucy In the Sky)
John Lennon - How Do You Sleep (Yesterday, Sgt. Pepper, Another Day)
Larry Williams – Short Fat Fannie (Slippin’ and Slidin’, Long Tall Sally, Rip It Up, Work With Me Annie, Heartbreak Hotel, Blue Suede Shoes, Hound Dog, Hello Marylou, Jim Dandy, Soul on Fire, Blueberry Hill)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama (Southern Man)
Warren Zevon - Play It All Night Long (Sweet Home Alabama)
Kinks - Destroyer (Lola, All Day and All of the Night)
Grateful Dead – Stagger Lee (Nearer My God to Thee)
Georgia Satellites - Baby So Fine (Can't Hardly Wait-Mats)
Nilsson - You Can't Do That (She’s a Woman, I’m Down, Drive My Car, Good Day Sunshine, Hard Day’s Night, Rain, I Want to Hold Your Hand, You’re Gonna Lose That Girl, Day Tripper, Paperback Writer, Do You Want to Know a Secret, Norwegian Wood, Yesterday, Strawberry Fields Forever)
Jason Isbell – Songs That She Sang In the Shower (Breakfast In Bed, Wish You Were Here, Yesterday’s Wine)
Genesis – Broadway Melody of 1974 (In the Mood, Needles and Pins, Blue Suede Shoes)
Deep Purple – Speed King (Good Golly Miss Molly, Tutti Frutti, Lucille)
Lou Reed – Dirt (I Fought the Law)
Molly Hatchet – Gator Country (Ramblin’ Man)
Buffalo Springfield – Mr. Soul (Satisfaction)
Atlanta Rhythm Section – Jukin’ (San Antonio Rose)
Led Zeppelin – Since I’ve Been Loving You (Never)
VR
Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd references Neil Young and his song Southern Man.
rs
Jackie Wilson Said by Van Morrison references Reet Petite by JW.
“Play It All Night Long” - Warren Zevon
“Jackie Wilson Said” - Van Morrison
Creedence Clearwater Revival: Lookin' Out My Backdoor (listening to Buck Owens)
Whoops... didn't see that Van post just above.... anyway...
“Cleaning Windows” - Van Morrison
“Ballad of a Well-Known Gun” by Elton John reworks a verse from “Lo And Behold!” by Dylan and The Band
"Nightshift" - Commodores
If any of you have an opportunity revisit
a great song in reference to Steves challenge -
From Simon and Garfunkel
A Simple Desultory Philippic ( Or How I was Robert McNamara' Into Submission)
The list of references is staggering
rob
One of my all time faves, Rob.
Couple of great verses -
I've been Rolling Stoned and Beatles 'till I'm Blind
I've been Lou Adlered and Barry Sadlerd*
Been Roy Haleed and Art Garfunkeled
* For those to young to remember, Robert McNamara was an architect of the Vietnam War
rob
Missed a relevant verse -
I've been John O'Harad, McNamared -
Also Barry Sadler sang Ballad of the
Green Beret
rob
is this thing working?
here are some moe
Struggling with internet goblins. Posted originally just before dawn. Apparently, it didn't take. So here it is in bits and pieces of memory, if it punches through.
Chuck Berry – Roll Over Beethoven (Blue Suede Shoes)
First Edition - Just Dropped In (Eight Miles High)
Lori Lieberman/ Roberta Flack – Killing Me Softly With His Song (about Empty Chairs-Don McLean)
Todd Rundgren – Fair Warning (Hello, It’s Me, Long Time & a Long Way to Go, I Saw the Light, Just One Victory)
The Who – Cut My Hair (Zoot Suit a bit of a stretch)
Yo La Tengo – Paul Is Dead (Sympathy For the Devil)
Bob Seger – Night Moves (started hummin’ a song from 1962 – according to Bob it's about Be My Baby even though it's actually from 1963)
Genesis – The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway (On Broadway)
Arthur Conley – Sweet Soul Music (Hurtin’ Thing-Lou Rawls, Hold On I’m Comin’, Mustang Sally, Fa Fa Fa Fa Fa)
Sam Cooke – Having a Party (Soul Twist, Mashed Potatoes)
Deep Purple – Space Truckin’ (Fireball) – Space
VR
andmoreagain -
Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue Got Married (Peggy Sue)
Chuck Berry - Bye Bye Johnny (Johnny B. Goode)
Nick Lowe – All Men Are Liars (Never Gonna Give You Up)
Ryan Bingham – Mr. Dylan’s Hard Rain
Gillian Welch – My First Lover (Quicksilver Girl -Steve Miller Band)
Prince – The Ballad of Dorothy Parker (Help Me-Joni Mitchell)
Sam Cooke – Shake (Loop De Loop)
James Taylor – Suite for 20G (Bony Maroney, Peggy Sue)
Jan & Dean – From All Over the World (I Get Around, Maybellene, Memphis)
Contours/Brian Poole & the Tremeloes/Dave Clark Five – Do You Love Me (The Twist, Mashed Potato Time)
Beatles – Savoy Truffle (Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da)
Sheb Wooley – Purple People Eater (Short Shorts, Tutti Frutti,Tequila)
VR
I can't believe I didn't remember "Killing Me Softly....
My cup runneth over -
Sly & the Family Stone - Thank You Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin (Dance To the Music, Everyday People, Sing a Simple Song)
Mitch Ryder – Jenny Take a Ride (C.C. Rider)
Five Du-Tones/James & Bobby Purify/Mitch Ryder – Shake a Tail Feather (Loop De Loop)
Mott the Hoople - Drivin' Sister (Half Moon Bay)
Penguins – Memories of El Monte (slew of doo-wop songs)
Toby Keith – Weed with Willie (Whiskey River)
Steve Goodman - Penny Evans (Heart & Soul)
Waylon Jennings – Bob Wills Is Still the King (San Antonio Rose)
Shooter Jennings – 4th of July (Stranglehold-Ted Nugent)
Beatles – All You Need Is Love (La Marseillaise, She Loves You)
Rolling Stones – Exile on Main Street Blues (a slew of Exile titles)
VR
Steve – I got one more – it’s a bit cheezy, but ….
Righteous Brothers – Rock & Roll Heaven
If you believe in forever
Then life is just a one-night stand
If there's a rock n' roll heaven
Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band
Jimi gave us rainbows
And Janis took a piece of our hearts
And Otis brought us all to the dock of a bay
Sing a song to light my fire, remember Jim that way
They've all found another place, another place to play
If you believe in forever
Then life is just a one-night stand
If there's a rock n' roll heaven
Well you know they've got a hell of a band, band, band
They've got a hell of a band
-----------
Foo Fighters were great last night, though I really miss Taylor. Stadium gig, but we were in the sweet spot. Hives opened. Going back manana. Selling points - I love the most recent FF album and the Pretenders are opening.
VR giving till it hurts - and as 86 used to say, "And loving it!
P.S. My daughter, who was surfin' and chillin' with me at Huntington Beach offered another suggestion. We just ate at Great Mex Grill at Balboa and during dinner she came up with a song I don't really know, but I love the song it refers to.
Belle & Sebastian - Piazza, New York Catcher (Walk Away Renee)
I wish that you were here with me to pass the dull weekend
I know it wouldn't come to love, my heroine pretend
A lady stepping from the song we love until this day
You'd settle for an epitaph like "Walk Away, Renee"
I didn’t know that one — how wonderful.
Cheap Trick--Surrender
"Rollin numbers, rockin rollin. got my Kiss records out."
Ramones--Jackie Is a Punk
"Second verse, same as the first" (Herman's Hermits--were they referencing someone?)
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