Self-Referencing In Songs - Classic or Dud?

That's a hilarious line.

Of course, now every damn hip-hop song has a reference to the artist that performed it. (BTW, speaking of conceited: "Nelly I... love you...")

But he is!

So, I broke into the palace
with a sponge and a rusty spanner
She said, "I know you, and you cannot sing"
I said, "That's nothing - you should hear me play piano"

and this

It's just like in the old days
I used to compose my own critical notices in my head
The crowd gasps at Cocker's masterful control of the bicycle
Skilfully avoiding the dog turd next to the corner shop
Imagining a blue plaque above the place I first ever touched a girl's chest

and this

This kid comes up to me
Says, "You've gotta raise your game"
The kid is half my age
"Pleased to meet you Mr Haines"

and this

Quick nip next door to the vendor of charisma
because the time, the place and the mood is right
And good old Kevin'll be all right
Here comes "His soul", get your pen and notebooks ready
But you won't look like me
You'll never think like me

classic.

- "Julian H. Cope" by....er...Julian Cope

- "Triumphal Theme" by Cop Shoot Cop

- "We're a Happy Family" by the Ramones (sorta....though they never mention their actual name)

- "This is Radio Clash," "We Are the Clash" (the latter being off the abortive CUT THE CRAP album) by the Clash

- "Public Image" by Public Image Ltd.

- "Adrenochrome" by the Sisters of Mercy

And by that I mean DUD. A million times DUD.

destroy: the song at the end of Youthanasia by Megadeth where Mustaine references all of his hits in the most godawful cheesy way imagineable.

But that's true, too!

You Better You Bet - The Who

"Tell me good Captain, how does it feel
To be driven away from your own steering wheel...."

Upon The My Oh My - Captain Beefheart

"He said 'Captain'
I said...."

Wot! - Captain Sensible

Not to mention Clash City Rockers - but why "abortive"? The album was released.... grated it was an abortION....

.... which reminds me:

"We Are The League" - Anti Nowhere League

Actually, on second thoughts....

Rrrrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh. "Worked up." Fuck you.

Er, hardly. I don't even particularly like indie.

Also, not their name but don't New Order play a snip of Love will tear us apart on (forget the track) Brotherhood?

Also, Ian Svenonius to thread.

Hang on John / John hang on -- Lennon

Loads of Lennon solo songs (or at least post-Yoko -- "Ballad of...") qualify here. He seems to be more a blurring of the private and public (see also:Eminem) than simply being self-referential.

(also I’ll add Miss Dy-Na-Mi-Tee-Hee and Belle and Sebastian.)

Brain dead, total amnesia,
Get some mental anasthesia,
Don't move, I'll shut the door and kill the lights,
And if I can't be wrong I could be right,
All good clean fun,
Have another stick of gum,
Man, you look better already,
Motorhead, remember me now Motorhead, alright

Fourth day, five day marathon,
We're moving like a parallelogram,
Don't move, I'll shut the door and kill the lights,
I guess I'll see you all on the ice,
I should be tired,
And all I am is wired,
Ain't felt this good for an hour,
Motorhead, remember me now, Motorhead alright

The interesting footnote here is that even this line did not render the song uncoverable.

Britney's done it live too I think.

Revive!

I'm delighted I've found this thread because for my regular quiz on Sunday, I've decided to feature a round of self-referencing songs in which the participants aren't told what the theme is - they have to figure it out from a bunch of 15-second intros.

Any others you can think of that were not mentioned in the old thread above (18 years ago!)?

Hot Chip's The Warning, for example, included the gently intoned line "Hot Chip will break your legs".

Amy Grant - Saved by Love

Show me a word that rhymes with Pavement
And I won't kill your parents
And roast them on a spit

(Harness your Hopes)

Iggy Pop - "Dum Dum Boys"

Hallelujah, hallelujah
When Shaun William Ryder
Will lie down beside ya
Fill you full of junk

Happy Mondays - Hallelujah. Love that line!

Polygon Window "UT1-dot" has an almost indecipherable robo voice that says something akin to 'introducing integration in step with electronic techno music controlled manually by Aphex Twin programs'. The rare self ref in a chin-strokey electronica work, although the track actually slaps.

In that case there's also Autechre's Goz Quarter, with a sample of Kool Keith saying something that sounds like (but probably isn't) "jam like autechre"

Another banger along the same lines is Chaos AD "Mind War Electro" which matter of factly repeats the tag of 'acid mind warp electro recorded by Squarepusher, 1995'

And of course "Come on you cunts lets have some Aphex acid!"

Kool and the Gang's "Hollywood Swinging"

I remember
Not too long ago
I went to a theater
And I saw the Kool & The Gang Show

it render's one's songs uncoverable.

For some reason I'm reminded of the Pet Shop Boys' "We're The Pet Shop Boys", which is self-referential when they perform it, but is itself a cover of a song by an act (My Robot Friend) who was *not* in fact the Pet Shop Boys. And there's a further cover by Robbie Williams!

I feel like The Fall must have something like 37 such songs...

Christy Moore, Cabaret:

Your wife says "Oh not Christy Moore, we've heard him loads of times before, We're gonna miss Gay Byrne on the Late Late Show"

“glass onion”

In Luxuria's Against the Past, they mention "Howard DeVoto Boulevard".

There's a much better thread on this here:

Non-rap examples of lyrics where the artist refers to him/herself by name

Thanks for the suggestions on here and the signpost to the other thread.

The New Kids on the Bock celebrate the expanse of their 1.5 year-long career in the song 'Tonight'.

The discography of Mike Jones

Two songs from Sparks:

The Wedding of Jacqueline Kennedy to Russell Mael
The Decline and Fall of Me - "goodbye future Mrs. Mael"

The Roches: The Death Of Suzzy Roche

Are You Jimmy Ray?

No, halfway there but for you.

UTAH SAINTS