Songs about the band

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Inspired by Songs about other musicians, I was wondering about self-referential songs where they sing about themselves, their history, whatever. Not just songs that happen to have the same name as the band.

Felt - 'Ballad Of The Band'

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:12 (twenty-three years ago)

I guess solo artists would be OK too, as long as it's about their musical career, not just general autobiography.

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:14 (twenty-three years ago)

The Dismemberment Plan GETS RICH

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:16 (twenty-three years ago)

"Ziggy Stardust"

― Sean (Sean), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:17 (twenty-three years ago)

Belle & Sebastian's 'This is just a modern rock song'

― Bill E (bill_e), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:17 (twenty-three years ago)

"Ballad of John and Yoko"
(admittedly it's only 'bout part of the band,yes)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:18 (twenty-three years ago)

"Gratitude" from the first Labradford album. Credits through the vocoder.

― direct_program, Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:20 (twenty-three years ago)

"Smoke On The Water"
('onor the 'ire, mentalists!)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:23 (twenty-three years ago)

The Beta Band Rap

― Damian (Damian), Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Boston - "Rock And Roll Band"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 11 September 2003 00:30 (twenty-three years ago)

the Guess Who - 'We're an American Band'

― calstars (calstars), Thursday, 11 September 2003 02:50 (twenty-three years ago)

Creedence - 'Travelin' Band'

― calstars (calstars), Thursday, 11 September 2003 02:50 (twenty-three years ago)

"Smoke On The Water"
('onor the 'ire, mentalists!)

which brings to mind the inevitable...songs about specific moments re: being in a band, the joys, the sorrows etc. "Beth" by Kiss, for example.

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Thursday, 11 September 2003 03:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Which narrows the thread to an almost invisible point, so forget it :)

― Donna Brown (Donna Brown), Thursday, 11 September 2003 03:27 (twenty-three years ago)

Wings "Band on the Run"

― Bruce Urquhart (Bruce Urquhart), Thursday, 11 September 2003 03:47 (twenty-three years ago)

Pavement - "Range Life" (well, its about them being on tour with Stone Temple Pilots and how much they suck, but that works)

― Trayce (trayce), Thursday, 11 September 2003 03:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Minutemen - History Lesson, also Tour Spiel & a lot of other songs probably

― autovac (autovac), Thursday, 11 September 2003 08:28 (twenty-three years ago)

"Saturday Gigs" by Mott The Hoople - AND THEN WE WENT TO CROYDON!

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 11 September 2003 08:31 (twenty-three years ago)

Wings "Band on the Run"

This here's a really singular case, ppl.
Or was there ever another band who, y'kno, broke outta jail and made a song 'bout it, and they toured wordlwide and their song became friggin' famous - and yet the jailbreakers weren't caught and put behind bars again?
;)

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Thursday, 11 September 2003 09:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Destiny's Child, 'Survivor'

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 11 September 2003 10:18 (twenty-three years ago)

Mamas & The Papas: "Creeque Alley"

ABBA: Several, most notably "Super Trouper" and "The Day Before You Came"

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Thursday, 11 September 2003 10:28 (twenty-three years ago)

Aren't they just relationship songs that happen to be about members of the band?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 11 September 2003 10:29 (twenty-three years ago)

Oh come on, the best one of the lot: "The Ballad of Mott" by Mott the Hoople. Ian Hunter did that self-referential thang better than anyone.

― Dadaismus (Dada), Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:20 (twenty-three years ago)

'introducing the band' - suede
and all of 'rumours' by the mac (obv.)

― piscesboy, Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:24 (twenty-three years ago)

"Jocko Homo" by Devo
"We Rock" by Dio

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:46 (twenty-three years ago)

The Guess Who was a Canadian band. "We're an American Band" was Grand Funk.

Nas - Last Real Nigga Alive

― Tom Breihan (Tom Breihan), Thursday, 11 September 2003 13:57 (twenty-three years ago)

dr. hook and the medicine show - cover of the rolling stone
bruce springsteen - 10th avenue freeze out
kinks - rock and roll fantasy
john lennon - god

― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 11 September 2003 14:07 (twenty-three years ago)

Philistines Jr - The Army Song
Philistines Jr - The Continuing Struggle of the Philistines Jr
Philistines Jr - 145 Old Mill Road
Philistines Jr - The Sci-Fi Song
Philistines Jr - Analog vs Digital
Philistines Jr - The Russians Burned My Uncle's House Down

All About Chad - My Sister Hates The Band

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:24 (twenty-three years ago)

Some Sportsguitar song that goes "we're a band and we are friends"

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:26 (twenty-three years ago)

Treatment Bound - The Replacements

― BrianB, Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:32 (twenty-three years ago)

Poison - Home (Bret's Story) (the Poison song that most sounds like a Ramones song btw)

― jel -- (jel), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:35 (twenty-three years ago)

most hip hop to thread

― robin (robin), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:40 (twenty-three years ago)

"We Are the Clash" by the Clash (albeit Cut the Crap-era Clash Mk II)

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:58 (twenty-three years ago)

"Fishbone is Red Hot"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Thursday, 11 September 2003 16:59 (twenty-three years ago)

"Julian H. Cope" by Julian Cope
"Motorhead" by Motorhead
"Triumphal Theme" by Cop Shoot Cop

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 11 September 2003 17:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Bachman Turner Overdrive - "Rock Is My Life And This Is My Song" and "Roll On Down The Highway". Two on the same album!
Also, Husker Du - "Flip Your Wig"

― udu wudu (udu wudu), Thursday, 11 September 2003 17:09 (twenty-three years ago)

The Pinefox: 'Day Of Release'

― Mooro (Mooro), Thursday, 11 September 2003 18:52 (twenty-three years ago)

Them-"The Story of Them, Pts 1&2"

― Charles McCain (Charles McCain), Thursday, 11 September 2003 18:59 (twenty-three years ago)

Grandaddy: 'The Group Who Couldn't Say'?

― Mooro (Mooro), Thursday, 11 September 2003 18:59 (twenty-three years ago)

The Byrds: 'So You Wanna Be A Rock'n'Roll Star'?

― Mooro (Mooro), Thursday, 11 September 2003 19:08 (twenty-three years ago)

Neil Young: 'Thrasher'

Paul Simon: 'The Boxer'

― Mooro (Mooro), Thursday, 11 September 2003 19:13 (twenty-three years ago)

beatles - glass onion

― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 11 September 2003 19:36 (twenty-three years ago)

The Rheostatics - "We Went West" is about their first tour.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 11 September 2003 20:22 (twenty-three years ago)

Drive-By Truckers: 'Road Cases'

― southern lights (southern lights), Thursday, 11 September 2003 20:29 (twenty-three years ago)

kenn firpo rent explosion - 911

...and various other KFRE songs

― fact checking cuz, Thursday, 11 September 2003 20:39 (twenty-three years ago)

Marine Girls, "Marine Girls"

― Sam J. (samjeff), Thursday, 11 September 2003 20:44 (twenty-three years ago)

"Stay Beautiful" by the Manics
"we're a mess of eyeliner and spray paint" etc

― ailsa (ailsa), Thursday, 11 September 2003 22:09 (twenty-three years ago)

"Adrenochrome" by the Sisters of Mercy

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Thursday, 11 September 2003 22:11 (twenty-three years ago)

"Theme from McAlmont & Butler"

― Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Thursday, 11 September 2003 22:13 (twenty-three years ago)

Tindersticks - "Ballad Of Tindersticks" from Curtains (1997)

― blutroniq (blutroniq), Thursday, 11 September 2003 22:35 (twenty-three years ago)

eleven years pass...

So practically the whole of The Texas Jerusalem Crossroads by Lift To Experience, when it's not about fire and brimstone and Palestine and God's wrath and angels etc, is about how LtE will avoid the fire and brimstone because they are "the best band in the whole damn land / and Texas is the reason" (as explicitly explained in "These Are The Days").

So, as a subset of this question, please list / discuss songs where the singer claims to be in the BEST band.

― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Monday, 2 March 2015 12:48 (eleven years ago)

Dunno, but for the main question – "German Overalls" by Peter Hammill.

― anthony braxton diamond geezer (anagram), Monday, 2 March 2015 12:53 (eleven years ago)

"Angel Delight" - Fairport Convention

― Hideous Lump, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 02:46 (eleven years ago)

Continuing in the Hammill vein, VDGG's "The Liquidator".

― RICHARD GROWTH (fake penthouse letters mcgee), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 04:03 (eleven years ago)

"This Time" - Smashing Pumpkins

― when is the new Jim O'Rourke album coming out (spazzmatazz), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 05:51 (eleven years ago)

Re: the original question, The Who, "Postcard," "Long Live Rock

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 06:27 (eleven years ago)

Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel, Make Me Smile (Come up and See Me)

― ledge, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 08:57 (eleven years ago)

So, as a subset of this question, please list / discuss songs where the singer claims to be in the BEST band.

Captain Beefheart, "Best Batch Yet"

― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 12:44 (eleven years ago)

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - 1% of One

sort of maybe about Pavement?

'Blind Sven from Netherlands, he knew not what bands he mixed / They sounded a bit like the Zephyrs and a bit like the Jicks'

― Unheimlich Manouevre (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 12:48 (eleven years ago)

looking at a lyrics site, maybe i got the lyrics wrong? that's what i hear anyway

― Unheimlich Manouevre (dog latin), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 12:51 (eleven years ago)

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

― The Crucifixion Of Sean Bean (DJ Mencap), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 12:52 (eleven years ago)

The Germs' "Forming." Especially the last 30 seconds or so.

― mike a, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 15:22 (eleven years ago)

Eric B & Rakim's "Put Your Hands Together" is about *not* having a band. I'm putting it here out of contrarianism.

― mike a, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 15:25 (eleven years ago)

Manfred Mann: "The One In The Middle" (originally written about/for The Yardbirds, who passed it back to author Paul Jones who retooled it for his band)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZ-t1UdD04Q

― Don A Henley And Get Over It (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 19:47 (eleven years ago)

"Tonight", New Kids On The Block's paean to their sprawling four-year history.

― U SNOOZE U LOOZE BRAH (Old Lunch), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 19:50 (eleven years ago)

more Who: "Tea and Theatre," "Join Together."

― Montgomery Burns' Jazz (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 20:12 (eleven years ago)

Several by Zappa — "Jazz Discharge Party Hats," "Punky's Whips" (about Terry Bozzio's obsession with a publicity still of a guy named Punky Meadows), "Stevie's Spanking," the entirety of 200 Motels. Plus several not-actually-funny onstage skits featuring band members and captured on tape -- the groupie routine, the room service routine, "Dummy Up," "Progress?", etc.

"Moulty" was probably referenced in the other thread in the original post, but not mentioned here yet.

― you make me feel like danzig (WilliamC), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 20:14 (eleven years ago)

Jigsaw Puzzle? (Stones)

― Iago Galdston, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 20:15 (eleven years ago)

Molly Hatchet, "Flirting With Disaster"

― mike a, Tuesday, 3 March 2015 20:44 (eleven years ago)

most rap songs. also this one by my Youngbl00d Brass Band homies:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iz1ozZ6I-Zs

― lil urbane (Jordan), Tuesday, 3 March 2015 20:50 (eleven years ago)

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