There's something about THIS song ... Songs that reference themselves.

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like:
Ambulance Blues - "It's hard to say the meaning of this song.."
Yer Song - "You can tell everybody this is your song... "
Subbacultcha - (Thread title reference)

well, this could be a long, long list. But I'm bored, so here goes....

"This is the song, from the edge of the world" -Sioux

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, even just in the Pixies catalog, "Trompe Le Monde" is a better example of what you're talking about.

go little record go
it is named by
some guy named joe
and the words
are the letters of the words
said
electrically played
for outer space and those of they who paid
this song is twice ocurred

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"I bet you think this song is about you"

― LondonLee (LondonLee), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Last night I heard my momma singing this song

Middle of the Road - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

"Hypocrite"-Lush

I'm a hypocrite
I dish it out but I can't take it
and I know you think it's wrong
well maybe you're right
but this is my song

― Andrew Unterberger (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:14 (twenty-two years ago)

"so i decided to write you this song" - 'Because I Love You (The Postman Song)' by someone i forget

"and you can tell everybody this is your song" - Elton John

too many hip hop tracks to mention i suspect

― stevem (blueski), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:15 (twenty-two years ago)

This Song will be here when you're old
This Song will heat you when you're cold
Believe you when I don't
This Song will heal from your soul

This Song will help you find a place to live
And teach you not to take but give
This Song will help you on your dying doubts
This Song song will send your lover flowers
Rest by this Song and the peace it brings
Beautiful song it has wings

― mark grout (mark grout), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

THIS IS NOT A LOVE SOOOOOOOONG

― The Good Dr. Bill (Andrew Unterberger), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:18 (twenty-two years ago)

As long as we're onthe Pixies:
"This is a song about a superhero named Tony
It's called Tony's Theme"

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:19 (twenty-two years ago)

pulp 'the fear' is very meta

― pete b. (pete b.), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"How long, how long must we sing this song?"

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Song for the Asking - Simon and Garfunkel

― pete s, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:28 (twenty-two years ago)

Ron Sexsmith, can't think of the title "This Song" or something, it's the first track on the Steve Earle-produced album (one of RS's best).

― My Huckleberry Friend (Horace Mann), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:44 (twenty-two years ago)

"you made me so much money I wrote this song for you" - The Beautiful South Song For Whoever

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"Those bloody great ballads we hated at first
Well I bought them all, now I'm writing worse " - also the Beautiful South One Last Love Song

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

only a northern song-the beatles

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:49 (twenty-two years ago)

"This is Not a Song" by the Frank & Walters!!

This is not a song about politics
this is not a song about sex
If you want I'll talk about arrogance
and if you're respectfully dressed

This song is not about old James Dean
'cause he's mentioned in too many songs already
my friend

This is not a song about animals
this is not a song about trees
there are times when you cannot trust no-one
tell me why does this have to be

This song is not about rich or poor
it's about how we probably feel insecure
my friend

This is a song
I wrote especially for you
I want to say thankyou for having me too
'cause I'm glad to be here on this earth
living out all my dreams to their worth
and most of all I love you all and wish you well

― ailsa (ailsa), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"This is not a song" by the Frank and Walters

grrrrrr x-post

― hmmm, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"The bong in this Reggae song"

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:54 (twenty-two years ago)

"Well I don't normally do this / but let me give you a lil' preview of the remix"

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 14:58 (twenty-two years ago)

The apotheosis is perhaps "The Tennessee Waltz", in which the author was:

"Dancin' with my darlin' to the Tennessee Waltz"
"Remember(s) the night and the Tennessee Waltz"
"Lost my little darlin' the night they were playin'that beautiful Tennessee Waltz"
"Wonder(s) how a dance like the Tennessee Waltz could have broken my heart so complete"
States, "It must be the fault of the Tennessee Waltz"
"Blame(s) it all on the Tennessee Waltz"

and in which his girl "goes dancin' with the darkness to the Tennessee Waltz"

― Nom De Plume (Nom De Plume), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

There are probably a whole thread's worth of those:
Cadillac Walk
(you name it) waltz
(you name it) blues

― dave225 (Dave225), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:09 (twenty-two years ago)

"And I'm wondering who could be writing this song"

― zappi (joni), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Tenacious D - "The Best Song in the World"

― BrianB (BrianB), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Pour me another cup of coffee
It is the best in the land
I'll put a nickel in the jukebox
And play the Truck Drivin' Man

- Truck Drivin' Man

― Rick Massimo (Rick Massimo), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:24 (twenty-two years ago)

The Weeping Song - Nick Cave

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:25 (twenty-two years ago)

i'm singing this borrowed tune
i took from the rolling stones
alone in this empty room
too wasted to write my own

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:35 (twenty-two years ago)

i was dreaming when i wrote this
so sue me if it goes too fast

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Now I know everybody's familiar with the stepping game. Yeah from the Loveland album. But ya'll know I had to go and do a remix and put it on the Chocolate Factory

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"GONNA HAVE YOU NEKED BY THE END OF THIS SONG" TIMBERLAKE, ROCK YOUR BODY.
"AND I'M TOO SEXY FOR THIS SONG" THE CLOSE OF I'M TOO SEXY BY RIGHT SAID FRED.

"IF YOU CAN GET YOURSELF TOGEATHER KINDLY WRITE A CRITICISM OF THIS SONG, HOW ITS EXQUISITLY CONSTRUCTED AND YET MECHANICAL AND SOMEHOW SLIGHTLY WRONG" MR SHUCK N JIVE BY WILLY NELSON AND WAYLON JENNINGS.

― LUKEY, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:46 (twenty-two years ago)

"AND YOU'LL HUM THIS TUNE FOR EVERMORE" COME ON EILEEN, DEXYS

― LUKEY, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

"...And the radio plays 'I Think I Need a New Heart'..."

--Magnetic Fields, "I Think I Need a New Heart"

(There's probably a lot more in Mr. Merritt's self-aware oovrah, but this was the first that came to mind.)

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

just for you, here's a love song.

― dz, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"I'm coming over and I won't be long/Just let me finish writing this song"

-Motorhead, "Fast And Loose"

― Myonga Von Bontee, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"it's hard for me to sing this song, we've been together for so long"

Ween "It's Gonna Be Alright"

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

...or how 'bout songs in which the singer basically describes the arrangement in 'real time', like "Dance To The Music" or "Cool Jerk"?

Or even any song with a lyric like "Second verse, same as the first" or "Let's take it to the bridge!"

― Myonga Von Bontee, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

What about when the singer refers to an instrumental break, not as in a rock n roll band stylee, but as part of the song's narrative:

Who - Wont Get Fooled Again; Daltrey "I pick up my guitar and play"
Townshend: fiddle-fadle

Brooce Springsteen - Thunder Road: "Well I got this guitar and I learned how to make it sing" identical fiddle-faddle

― pete s, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"Now we're going to break this thing down in just a few seconds. Now don't make me break this thing down for nothing."

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Steely Dan-Deacon Blues:"I cried when I wrote this song/Sue me if I play too long""

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

...and of course, to borrow from another thread:
Rednecks
by Randy Newman

Last night I saw Lester Maddox on a TV show
With some smart-ass New York Jew
And the Jew laughed at Lester Maddox
And the audience laughed at Lester Maddox too
Well, he may be a fool but he's our fool
If they think they're better than him they're wrong
So I went to the park and I took some paper along
And that's where I made this song

― Doobie Keebler (Charles McCain), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

The Songs That Celebrate Themselves

― gygax! (gygax!), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Ooooh, Future Generation by Luke Haines, I think it was on the Bootboys Auteurs album, the one I haven't got, and it goes something like, "This music could destroy a nation"

― Kate Jane Connolly (fixitgirl), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Sparks, my friends -- "A Song That Sings Itself"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

And of course "The Number One Song in Heaven."

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:46 (twenty-two years ago)

'Something Changed' -- Pulp

― ENRQ (Enrique), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Isaac Hayes' version of 'By the Time I get to Phoenix'.
Isaac speculates on the motivations of the guy who wrote the song for the first 11 minutes.

'Reggae Hit The Town' by the Ethiopians.
They break off half way through to have a chat about how great the song is, how it's sure to be a hit, and which specific DJ's will play it on the radio.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 16:57 (twenty-two years ago)

"This part of the song is called the second verse..." - Built to Spill, "Joyride"

― Jeremy (Jeremy), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"So what if the words ain't rhymin
Did you think that it's just a game?
I probably didn't even say that right
And I really don't give a damn"
Duran Duran "Hold Back the Rain"

"This, this is our new song
Just like the last one"
Radiohead "My Iron Lung"

"We're trapped inside the song"
I forget which Silver Jews song

― otto, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:32 (twenty-two years ago)

Since you buggers have already stolen my Pulp and Frank & Walters props, I'll go for:

"This Song's Just Six Words Long" by Weird Al/George Harrison

Couldn't think of any lyrics
No I never wrote the lyrics
So I'll just sing any old lyrics
That come to mind, child

I've gotta spend ti-ime
Three whole minutes of time
I've gotta spend plentya time
To do it right, child

etc

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:54 (twenty-two years ago)

More Pixies, still on the Trompe Le Monde LP:

We needed something to move and fill up the space
We needed something this always is just the case
Jefrey with one f jeffery took up his place
Sat on a carpet and with tablas in hand took up the chase
Jefrey with one f jefrey

― Matthew Perpetua (Matthew Perpetua), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 18:16 (twenty-two years ago)

"this was going to be called 'crap rap 14' but now it's 'STOP MITHERING!'" - the fall, "c'n'c's mithering"

― joseph (joseph), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 18:33 (twenty-two years ago)

This is the song that never ends
Yes it goes on and on my friends
Some people started singing it not knowing what it was
And they continued it singing it forver just because
This is the song that never ends
Yes it goes on and on my friends
Some people started singing it not knowing what it was
And they continued it singing it forver just because
This is the song that never ends
Yes it goes on and on my friends
Some people started singing it not knowing what it was
And they continued it singing it forver just because
This is the song that never ends
Yes it goes on and on my friends
Some people started singing it not knowing what it was
And they continued it singing it forver just because

― Sym (shmuel), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 18:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"This, this is our new song
Just like the last one"
Radiohead "My Iron Lung"

That doesn't really count I don't think, because that song is about "Creep" - not itself.

There's an Athlete song where they shout "CHORUS!" just before the....um....chorus. It's a bit annoying.

― Chris Jones (Crackity Jones), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 19:00 (twenty-two years ago)

one of my favourite song lyrics...

I think I saw you in an ice-cream parlour,
drinking milk shakes cold and long
Smiling and waving and looking so fine, don’t think
You knew you were in this song

― chomila, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 19:05 (twenty-two years ago)

This is just a little samba,
built upon a single note
Other notes are sure to follow
but the root is still that note ...

Now this new note is the consequence
of the one we've just been through
As I'm bound to be the unavoidable
consequence of you ...

There's so many people
who can talk and talk and talk
And just say nothing or nearly nothing

I have used up all the scale
I know and at the end I've come
To nothing I mean nothing

So I come back to my first note
as I must come back to you
I will pour into that one note
all the love I feel for you

Any one who wants the whole show show
do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si-do
He will find himself with no show
better play the note you know.

― Marcel Post (Marcel Post), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 19:33 (twenty-two years ago)

John Wesley Harding's entire back catalogue to thread!

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 19:52 (twenty-two years ago)

The Sisters of Mercy, "This Corrosion":

"Hey now, hey now now, Sing 'This Corrosion' to me"

― Curt1s St3ph3ns, Wednesday, 11 February 2004 20:37 (twenty-two years ago)

Matching Mole (Robert Wyatt post-Soft Machine proggy outfit), first two songs on s/t.
"Oh Caroline":
David's on piano, and I may play on a drum
And we'll try to make the music work, we'll try to have some fun
etc.

But to the nth degree "Instant Pussy":
This is the first verse
This is the first verse
and this is the chorus
Or perhaps it's a bridge
Or just another part of the song I'm singing
and on and on

― no opinion, Thursday, 12 February 2004 00:25 (twenty-two years ago)

At the end of "88 Lines About 44 Women" the singer says something like "And this is how I end this song."

― nickn (nickn), Thursday, 12 February 2004 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Shellac's "squirrel song" ("This is a fuckin' SAD song....we'll be lucky if i don't BUST out crying")and "song against itself" ("it's of two minds of it's own").

― blablablah, Thursday, 12 February 2004 02:34 (twenty-two years ago)

Bowie, Five Years
Swell Maps, Another Song
that Fall one that opens "what's this song about? uh nothin'"
Human League, The Black Hit Of Space, possibly sortof
Madonna, Beautiful Stranger
Idlewild (the one that says 'sing a song about myself' and the one that says 'you think this song is about you, but it's not about you', which is a bit confusing when you think about it really)

― ferg (Ferg), Thursday, 12 February 2004 02:51 (twenty-two years ago)

The Who - Getting in Tune
Jim Croce - Say I love you with a bong, oops - sorry, in a song.
Petula Clark - Love, This is my Song

Of these, go with The Who #.

― jim wentworth (wench), Thursday, 12 February 2004 05:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"Brothers Gonna Work It Out" by PE:

"In 1995 you'll twist to this
as you raise your fist to the music"

"Disappear" by Crooked Fingers

Cary don't cry I'm gonna disappear
And take these sad songs far away
So you can live your life

― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, 12 February 2004 05:24 (twenty-two years ago)

'song number one is not a fuck you song'

― bnw (bnw), Thursday, 12 February 2004 06:18 (twenty-two years ago)

"This is a song, that I wrote when I was young, and I called it "the Broken-hearted Blues"

The Broken-hearted blues (natch), T.Tex

― winterland, Thursday, 12 February 2004 08:40 (twenty-two years ago)

"Such Great Heights," Postal Service
"Bobby Jean," Bruce Springsteen

― morris pavilion (samjeff), Thursday, 12 February 2004 17:02 (twenty-two years ago)

in 500 years they'll play this song in museums

― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Thursday, 12 February 2004 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

twenty years pass...

"This part of the song is called the second verse..." - Built to Spill, "Joyride"
― Jeremy (Jeremy), Wednesday, 11 February 2004 17:18 (twenty years ago)

Great slow live version of Joyride here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOEM0UZAlaQ

― Against The 80s, Sunday, 24 November 2024 21:55 (one year ago)

Barry and the Bookbinders:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXwba5xApwo

― If you choose too long a name, your new display name will be trunc (SlimAndSlam), Sunday, 24 November 2024 22:08 (one year ago)

Camp Cope - The Omen

"so I wrote you this song, it probably isn’t as
good as all the other sad ones "

― Dinsdale, Sunday, 24 November 2024 22:31 (one year ago)

People posted three songs by Denim in the Songs That Celebrate Themselves linked upthread by gygax!(rip) that are not "Best Song in the World"

Maybe there needs to be a thread of Lawrence songs that are not self-referential.

― felicity, Sunday, 24 November 2024 22:33 (one year ago)

Shel Silverstein:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Gf0N6FOSk0

― If you choose too long a name, your new display name will be trunc (SlimAndSlam), Sunday, 24 November 2024 22:40 (one year ago)

You're So Vain
You probably think this song is about you

― llurk, Sunday, 24 November 2024 22:46 (one year ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0i9rjTxhpY

― glumdalclitch, Sunday, 24 November 2024 23:16 (one year ago)

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