Songs about other musicians

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was listening to "Aretha, Sing One for Me" by George Jackson and was wondering how many good songs like this there are.

"I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone" -- Sleater-Kinney
"If You Don't Like Hank Williams" -- Kris Kristofferson
"Sir Duke" -- Stevie Wonder
"Alex Chilton" -- Replacements

what else?

― chris herrington (chris herrington), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 21:54 (twenty-two years ago)

'Kevin Ayers' - Gorky's

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 21:59 (twenty-two years ago)

"solid Air" by John Martyn ( about Nick Drake) is the most sublime example.

― jed (jed_e_3), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:00 (twenty-two years ago)

'Faron Young' - Prefab Sprout

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:03 (twenty-two years ago)

'10000 Morrisseys' - Mr Floppy

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:04 (twenty-two years ago)

'Jackie Wilson Said' - Van Morrison
'Geno' - Dexy's Midnight Runners

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"Tom Verlaine" - The Telescopes (wasn't it? (wasn't that good, iirc))

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Anal Cunt to thread

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:06 (twenty-two years ago)

'Don't Want To Be Grant McLennan' - Smudge

'Tom Verlaine' was by the Family Cat, unless the Telescopes had another song.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:07 (twenty-two years ago)

If we're doing the 'Solid Air' not-mentioned-by-name thing then there are loads more. eg. 'When She Sang About Angels' by the Go Betweens, about Patti Smith.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:08 (twenty-two years ago)

'Nightshift' - The Commodores (about Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson)

Then there are all the poison paeans dealt with here

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"Albert Hammond Bootleg"
"Bastard Son of Dean Friedman"
"Styx Gig (Seen By My Mates Coming Out Of A)"
"Eno Collaboration"
"Ballad Of Climie Fisher"

All Half Man Half Biscuit

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:14 (twenty-two years ago)

"Styx Gig (Seen By My Mates Coming Out Of A)" is still one of my favourite titles ever.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:15 (twenty-two years ago)

yeh right: "Tom Verlaine" << Family Cat)

The musicians singing 'bout *themselves*:
Soft Machine's "The Moon In June" (which's not 'bout Keith, obv)
- the live version on BBC Radio.

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:29 (twenty-two years ago)

"When She Talked About Angels" by the Go-Betweens (about Patti Smith)

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:32 (twenty-two years ago)

"Shoot The Sexual Athlete" - Belle & Sebastian (about the Go-Betweens)

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:37 (twenty-two years ago)

"Beatles and the Stones", House Of Love

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"Tribute To Buddy Holly" - Berry, Mike and the Outlaws
"Debbie Harry" - Family Fodder
"Nick Drake" - Ida

― Carey (Carey), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Now I don't kno' Portugese, but isn't Vinicius Cantuária's "Pra Gil" 'bobut Gilberto Gil?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:45 (twenty-two years ago)

"Song For Randy Newman, Etc." by the Chills

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 22:48 (twenty-two years ago)

'double dong' about the band
'john cale' about the guy
'john sex' about the guy'
'mekons come to town' about the band
'really dave matthews' about the guy
'matthews comes alive' "
'lenny kravitz and lisbon' about the guy
'the night kramer met ann' about bongwater

by don lennon.

'american pie' by madonna is about buddy holly?

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:03 (twenty-two years ago)

no, it's about ethan

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"Sonic Youth At Disney World" - Mold

― dlp9001, Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"the delaney" by the libertines (er, does this count? inasmuch is it's one member writing a song about another)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:05 (twenty-two years ago)

"frank sinatra" by miss kittin & the hacker

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"nirvana" by blake babies

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

'Tunic (Song For Karen)' - Sonic Youth

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:06 (twenty-two years ago)

(probably my favourite so far - can't believe I forgot it)

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:07 (twenty-two years ago)

"unseen power of the picket fence" by pavement

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:08 (twenty-two years ago)

That's the one about REM. Is it good?

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:09 (twenty-two years ago)

The Lennon murder spawned the following tributes

Paul McCartney: "Here Today"
George Harrison: "All Those Years Ago"
Mike Oldfield: "Moonlight Shadow"
Elton John: "Empty Garden (Bye Bye Johnny)"

It is also claimed that "Seconds" by Human League may have been about the Lennon murder, although it may as well be about JFK.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:10 (twenty-two years ago)

And, yes, there is of course also The Flaming Lips' "Thank You Jack White (For The Fiber-Optic Jesus That You Gave Me")

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:11 (twenty-two years ago)

nick - i think it's my favorite pavement song ever. it ties together the falling-down sloppiness of early stuff with the inspired songwriting of the later albums with a real nasty fuckoff attitude that malkmus really nailed only a few times. we also first heard it just as public hysteria over "automatic for the people" was peaking at my high school, and we sort of all together realized that yeah, steve was right, we'd all been suckered by REM.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:17 (twenty-two years ago)

east river pipe "axl or iggy"

― the surface noise (electricsound), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:19 (twenty-two years ago)

But Malkmus loves REM, Vahid!

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Only early REM I think though, so maybe that's what you mean.

― N. (nickdastoor), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:25 (twenty-two years ago)

Teenage Fanclub's "Neil Jung", mh?

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah, that's really what "unseen power..." is about. um, sense of betrayal at rem's new profundity or maybe growing out of your favorite band or something. anyway don't hesitate to look it up, it's a good song.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

"E.M.Why" by The Ex (Gang of Four)

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"I am Damo Suzuki" by The Fall
"Not Now James, We're Busy" by PWEI
"Sweet Soul Music" by Arthur Conley
"Jimmy James" by The Beastie Boys

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Rock Me Amadeus"

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"When Harpo Played His Harp" by Jonathan Richman

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:52 (twenty-two years ago)

"James Brown" by BAD

― peepee (peepee), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"I Am Damo Suzuki"

The Fall, "Middle Mass" (which it took me forever to find out was about Marc Riley, which is funny since up till then I thought it was autobiographical, which is funny again since it's actually about Riley:

1. sucking (surprise)

and

2. ripping off/being a clone of MES)

Come to think of it, if other members of your band count, the Fall have a number of entries: "Craigness," "Stephen Song" ... I guess "The Mixer" could even sorta qualify ...

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:54 (twenty-two years ago)

ABC - "When Smokey Sings"

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

And there must be a Caetano Veloso song (with Gilberto G?), from the Tropicalia period, that proudly sports its Meatlz adoration in the title...
(Can't find the darn thing right now)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Urge Overkill, "The Mistake"

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:55 (twenty-two years ago)

And isn't "Godstar" about Brian Jones or something?

― brian nemtusak (sanlazaro), Wednesday, 10 September 2003 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"I Feel Better Than James Brown", Was (Not Was)
"Mr. Lennon", Ruja

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I thought "The Mistake" (an awesome, awesome song) was about themselves.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 31 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"The Freed Pig" Sebadoh (J Mascis)
"Nick Drake Tape" Clem Snide
"The wreck of the Arthur Lee" Robyn Hitchcock
"I saw Nick Drake" Robyn Hitchcock
And then there's The Boy with the Arab Strap
And then there's Mojo Nixon

― Shmuel (shmuel), Thursday, 11 September 2003 07:09 (twenty-two years ago)

'Johnny Thunders' by Vic Godard; 'I Can't Get "Bouncing Babies" by the Teardrop Explodes' by the Freshies

― bham, Thursday, 11 September 2003 07:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Malkmus did a retrospective appreciation of Reckoning for a magazine (Uncut? Mojo?) recently that confirmed his dislike of 'Time After Time'. I think he's nuts.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 September 2003 07:13 (twenty-two years ago)

"bring me the head of jerry garcia" by iron prostate, "empty garden" by elton john.

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 11 September 2003 07:20 (twenty-two years ago)

is this thread just for songs completely about a musician, or ones that just mention other musicians?

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 11 September 2003 07:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"Cool as Kim Deal" - Dandy Warhols

"Needle and the Damage Done" - Neil Young

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Thursday, 11 September 2003 08:06 (twenty-two years ago)

You're One by Imperial Teen is about Kurt Cobain too.

― Damian (Damian), Thursday, 11 September 2003 09:36 (twenty-two years ago)

They Might Be Giants, "We're The Replacements"

― Nick Mirov (nick), Thursday, 11 September 2003 09:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Roberta Flack, 'Killing Me Softly'
Eileen Rose, 'Tom Waits Crooning'
Black Box Recorder, 'Andrew Ridgeley'

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 11 September 2003 10:02 (twenty-two years ago)

bill drummond 'julian cope is dead'
julian cope 'bill drummond says'

― joni, Thursday, 11 September 2003 10:31 (twenty-two years ago)

Miles Davis wrote "He Loved Him Madly" as a tribute to Duke Ellington when he died.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Also Miles' "John McLaughlin" offa Bitches Brew.

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:08 (twenty-two years ago)

"nirvana" by elemeno p

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Did no one yet mention "I Know Where Syd Barret Lives"?

Re: "Michael Stipe (suck my long skinny pipe)" I recall a Spin feature on the Butthole Surfers long ago where they claimed to have written something similar on the side of their tour van. My memory of this is hazy.

― dlp9001, Thursday, 11 September 2003 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm fairly certain that the quote on the side of the Butthole's van went something like this:

Michael Stipe,
Despite the hype,
I wanna suck your big long pipe."

They use to live in Athens, and would park it outside his house.
(The same Spin article called my good friend Trevor [former B-Hole bassist] "the most hated man in America")

― peepee (peepee), Thursday, 11 September 2003 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I think that I remember that Johnny Thunder's Sad Vacation is about Sid Vicious.

― Matt Helgeson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:01 (twenty-two years ago)

Rickie Lee Jones "Chuck E.'s in Love"

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Mojo Nixon to thread:
Elvis is Everywhere
I'm Gonna Dig up Howlin' Wolf
Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with my 2-Headed Love Child
Don Henley Must Die
----
I'm wondering how REM standing up to the Union Army in "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" means that Malkmus thinks that they suck now. I mean, in that song he remenices about early REM and then he wants to go back to the Civil War and see them marching through Georgia and it ends with "there stands REM" - no indication that they've fallen off. I guess you could assume that Malkmus thinks they've fallen off, since clearly they have, but I wouldn't say it's what that song is about.

― BrianB, Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

the blow had a song about bob mould that was kinda cute. actually, i think it was about bob mould fans
amy correia's "blind river boy" was about jeff buckley

― Felcher (Felcher), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

pj harvey:memphis (j buckley)

― kephm, Thursday, 11 September 2003 17:42 (twenty-two years ago)

Bob Dylan-Song To Woody [Guthrie, that is]
Leonard Cohen-Chelsea Hotel #2 (Janis Joplin)
Bob Dylan-Blind Willie McTell (duh)
Gram Parsons-Return of The Grievous Angel (supposedly about Elvis)

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 11 September 2003 18:01 (twenty-two years ago)

the doublehappys - big fat elvis
some dude - walking in memphis
gillian welch - elvis presley blues
the byrds - so you wanna be a rock n roll star

― The Lady Ms Lurex (lucylurex), Thursday, 11 September 2003 22:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Mighty K.C. was a fucking sad song especially after those guys passed. Anyone remember "Michael Stipe" by P? - I think it was a Butthole Surfers side-project or something.

― Johnny Badlees (crispssssss), Friday, 12 September 2003 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

only living boy in new york - simon and garfunkel
written by paul about art, unknowingly to art - art is tom. when they were first together they released as a duo called Tom and Jerry.

so long frank lloyd wright - simon and garfunkel
again, written by paul about art - and art never knew. art studied architecture in college.

just lemme know if this is common knowledge....or maybe i'm a bit obsessed/have listened to the Old Friends box set too many times/read too many interview.....i dunno.

― zarathustra, Friday, 12 September 2003 03:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Who is "Styx Gig" by?

― sundar subramanian (sundar), Friday, 12 September 2003 03:33 (twenty-two years ago)

The Widowed Isis - (I Want To Be) Jim Morrison.

Don't ask.

― colin s barrow (colin s barrow), Friday, 12 September 2003 03:34 (twenty-two years ago)

"Rmaones"-Motorhead

― dwayne dibley (frownland), Friday, 12 September 2003 09:27 (twenty-two years ago)

oops - "Ramones"

― frownland (frownland), Friday, 12 September 2003 09:27 (twenty-two years ago)

thanks

― dwayne dibley (frownland), Friday, 12 September 2003 09:31 (twenty-two years ago)

"Michael Jackson" by Fatboy Slim.
"Markus Popp Can Kiss My Redneck Ass" by Lesser.
"Luke Vibert Can Kiss My Indie-Punk Whiteboy Ass" by Kid 606.
"There He Stood" by Jamaaladeen Tacuma (it's about Paul Robeson).
"The Baron" by Eric Dolphy (that one's about Charles Mingus).
"Miles' Mode" by John Coltrane (you can guess whom that one is about).

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 12 September 2003 09:42 (twenty-two years ago)

The Waterboys' It Should Have Been You is supposedly addressed to the late Johnny Thunders.

― Palomino (Palomino), Friday, 12 September 2003 20:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Liveonrelease - "I'm afraid of Britney Spears",

Pet Shop Boys' "The night I fell in love" is about Eminem,

Was Jennifer Rush's "Madonna's eyes" about the Queen of pop?

― Seb, Saturday, 13 September 2003 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

I hate to bring this up, but 'Killing Me Softly' was written about Don McClean (sp?) singing 'American Pie' about Buddy Holly. I'm going to write a song called 'With a Machine Gun' about this post.

― Speedy Gonzalas (Speedy Gonzalas), Saturday, 13 September 2003 20:08 (twenty-two years ago)

didn't quasi write one or more bitter songs about elliott smith? if so does anyone know what they are? cuz i can really relate right now.

― lolita corpus (lolitacorpus), Saturday, 13 September 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Range Life?

"The Stone Temple Pilots are elegant bachelors".

― MarkH (MarkH), Saturday, 13 September 2003 21:22 (twenty-two years ago)

That shit Cranberries song about John Lennon to thread!

Also, the KLF Kylie said to Jason and BMX Bandits Kylie's Got A Crush on Us

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 14 September 2003 11:10 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Assasination of Stephan Grossman" by John Fahey, but he spelt the name wrong, cos its Stefan i think.

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Sunday, 14 September 2003 11:17 (twenty-two years ago)

(disclaimer - I do realise neither Kylie or Jason could be technically classified as musicians)

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 14 September 2003 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

(disclaimer - I do realise neither Kylie nor Jason could be technically classified as musicians)

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 14 September 2003 11:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Adam Ant's "Goody two shoes", about Kevin Rowland... Or did someone just say that in the playground and I believed it.

― Keith Watson (kmw), Sunday, 14 September 2003 13:29 (twenty-two years ago)

didn't quasi write one or more bitter songs about elliott smith?
i guess they're on sword of god. little lord fauntleroy et al.

asking ilm when you can just ask your real life friend who you know knows the answer, classic or classic?

― lolita corpus (lolitacorpus), Tuesday, 16 September 2003 18:14 (twenty-two years ago)

"So Tough" - Slits (references Johnny Rotton and Sid Vicious)
"Instant Hit" - Slits (about Keith Levene of PIL)

― Paul Marfleet, Thursday, 18 September 2003 19:31 (twenty-two years ago)

ten years pass...

New Babe The Blue Ox album has a song called D. Boon and I got curious. I wonder if he's actually the musician with the most songs about him. Quick scan of Spotify reveals a whole bunch.

― dlp9001, Friday, 25 July 2014 14:56 (eleven years ago)

seven years pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IzjO6ADwD74

― xzanfar, Friday, 25 March 2022 13:40 (four years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WRSO3usjKA

― xzanfar, Friday, 25 March 2022 13:41 (four years ago)

Joni Mitchell - "That Song About the Midway"
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/joni-mitchell-dumped-david-crosby/

― raven, Saturday, 26 March 2022 11:21 (four years ago)

one month passes...

Pee Shy - "Jad Fair"

― j.o.h.n. in evanston (john. a resident of chicago.), Wednesday, 27 April 2022 16:56 (four years ago)

Cat Power, "Song to Bobby"

― immodesty blaise (jimbeaux), Wednesday, 27 April 2022 17:01 (four years ago)

William Butler Yeats in jeans
Got up to play guitar and sing
In some joint in Mission Beach last night
At the door sat Tom Waits
In a porkpie hat and silver skates
Jugglin' three collection plates, Jesus Christ

Townes Van Zandt standin' at the bar
Skinnin' a Hollywood movie star
And he can't remember where he parked his car
Or to whom he lost the keys
Full of angst and hillbilly haiku
What's a poor Ft. Worth boy to do
Go on rhyme somethin' for em' man
Show him how you really feel

--Guy Clark, but I like James McMurtry's version:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jwuzD-OHFE

― deep luminous trombone (Eazy), Wednesday, 27 April 2022 17:08 (four years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nysF0cVlF4A

Wiley - P Money

I can't think of another song bigging someone up who's part of the same scene

― paolo, Thursday, 28 April 2022 07:11 (four years ago)

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