Comments on: Help me find music about music!

Question: Help me find music about music!

zenja72 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:43:13 -0800

Help me find music about music! What are some songs about music, it's culture, etc.? Songs like The VU's Rock & Roll, Joni Mitchell's Woodstock, Billy Joel's It's Still Rock and Roll to Me, etc...

By: keribear

keribear — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:45:22 -0800

Billy Joel's The Entertainer came immediately to mind as well.

By: einekleine

einekleine — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:58:29 -0800

"Signed Curtain" by Matching Mole stands for an extreme example of this urge to meta. Check out Robert Wyatt's lyrics at base of the page.

By: snap_dragon

snap_dragon — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:59:25 -0800

John Cougar Mellencamp's R.O.C.K. in the USA from his Scarecrow album comes to mind.

By: mattoxic

mattoxic — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 04:59:34 -0800

Youtube let me down

But the Monitors "What will we be singing in the 80s"

Please don't mention Joni Mitchell and Billy Joel in the same sentence ever again. There is no need to do that.

By: goo

goo — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:12:11 -0800

Video Killed the Radio Star

By: sully75

sully75 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:12:56 -0800

The song His Indie World, by Mary Lou Lord, catalogs whatever indie bands are around at the time. She changes it to keep it up to date. It's a pretty great song.

The Heart of Rock and Roll by Huey Lewis.

Also one of my least favorite songs, Old Time Rock and Roll by Bob Seger (I think).

By: goo

goo — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:13:51 -0800

Melanie's Lay Down (Candles in the rain) is also about Woodstock.

By: LolaGeek

LolaGeek — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:23:04 -0800

From They Might Be Giants: Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal, Rhythm Section Want Ad, XTC Vs. Adam Ant, maybe Youth Culture Killed My Dog. Actually, here's a list of Their songs with music as a theme.

By: Sparx

Sparx — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:23:35 -0800

"Have a cigar", Pink Floyd (and sung by Roy Harper) on Wish You Were Here.

By: beige

beige — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:25:12 -0800

"Ripple" by the Grateful Dead; annotated.

By: Shave

Shave — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:33:11 -0800

"I Know Someone Who Knows Someone Who Knows Alan McGee Quite Well", "On Tape" or "Indiepop Ain't Noise Pollution" by The Pooh Sticks.

By: peewinkle

peewinkle — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:37:05 -0800

"It's Only Rock And Roll" by The Rolling Stones

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:48:34 -0800

Sebadoh's Gimme Indie Rock
The Capriocorns' The New Sound
Don McLean's American Pie

By: peacecorn

peacecorn — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:49:28 -0800

Nas' "Bridging the Gap"
Stevie Wonder's "Sir Duke"

By: zemblamatic

zemblamatic — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 05:53:35 -0800

"The Night Hank Williams Died" - Tim Hardin
"Kylie's Got a Crush on Us" - BMX Bandits
"The Bride Stripped Bare by 'Bachelors'" - The Bonzo Dog Band
"Overnight Sensation" - The Raspberries
"Music For Money" - Nick Lowe
"I love my Label" - Nick Lowe
"Sound Education" - I-Roy
"The Story of Them" - Them
"I know where Sid Barrett Lives" - The Television Personalities
"The Great Pub-rock revival" - Denim

By: futility closet

futility closet — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:00:36 -0800

The Killers, "Indie Rock & Roll"

By: brevator

brevator — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:00:39 -0800

Ziggy Stardust by David Bowie
Panic (Kill the DJ) by the Smiths
The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton by the Mountain Goats

By: largecorp

largecorp — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:04:58 -0800

"Hank, Karen and Elvis" by Young Fresh Fellows
"Long Live Rock" by The Who ("We were the 1st band to vomit in the bar And find the distance to the stage too far")
"The Load Out / Stay" by Jackson Brown (ode to the roadies?)
"Roland the Roadie and Gertrude the Groupie" by Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show (I believe lyrics by Shel Silverstein!)

By: SuperSquirrel

SuperSquirrel — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:09:18 -0800

Gone Country, by Alan Jackson

By: sjthomp

sjthomp — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:10:50 -0800

Paint a Vulgar Picture by The Smiths.
Box Set by Barenaked Ladies.

By: umbú

umbú — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:11:32 -0800

The bossa nova classic Desafinado (Off-key) by Tom Jobim is about itself. The first line is "If you think this is out of tune, my love..." only to defend the genre later "bossa nova is very natural..."

By: umbú

umbú — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:13:11 -0800

What I want to know is: Has anyone taken it a step further and written a song about this kind of song. Something like, "Remember when we used to rock about rock, a long, long time ago?"

By: pasici

pasici — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:16:28 -0800

As long as we're on Joni Mitchell, how about "Free Man in Paris"?

By: rokusan

rokusan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:30:47 -0800

They Might Be Giants Number Three, maybe?

By: Julnyes

Julnyes — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:35:02 -0800

"Looking for a Song" by Big Audio Dynamite

By: thread_makimaki

thread_makimaki — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:48:21 -0800

Another Bill Joel song - Piano Man (in a way)

Don McLean's American Pie (best audio quality I could find, ignore the horrible graphics and just listen to the music)

By: beachhead2

beachhead2 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:54:00 -0800

Money for Nothing - Dire Straits
Into the Great Wide Open - Tom Petty
Shooting Star - Bad Company

By: beachhead2

beachhead2 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:55:05 -0800

Turn the Page - Bob Seager. I think that song is all about being on the road.

By: mkb

mkb — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:59:26 -0800

Alabama 3's "You Don't Dance to Techno Anymore"

By: thread_makimaki

thread_makimaki — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 06:59:58 -0800

Sing! I used to love this when I was of Sesame Street age. Here's Lena Horne singing it with the Muppets. My favorite version by the Carpenters.

A very different one about singing and music: Sing for the moment (Eminem)

By: dm_nyc

dm_nyc — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:11:41 -0800

"Losing My Edge" by LCD Soundsystem
Lyrics here

By: doiheartwentyone

doiheartwentyone — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:13:28 -0800

Helen Love - Long Live The UK Music Scene

By: Viomeda

Viomeda — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:22:22 -0800

Radio Radio - Elvis Costello

And the radio is in the hands of such a lot fools tryin' to anesthetize the way that you feel!

By: Viomeda

Viomeda — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:31:12 -0800

And how could I forget? That fantastic glam swan-song, Mott the Hoople's great "Saturday Gigs."

By: einekleine

einekleine — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:44:33 -0800

Crikey, there are so many of them. I'm checking in on this question and realise I am actually listening to one whilst reading: It's The Ting Tings' Great DJ.

By: TedW

TedW — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:46:13 -0800

Perfectly Good Guitar by John Hiatt (inspired by the events at about 4:10 in this video).

By: Daily Alice

Daily Alice — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:50:15 -0800

"The Spirit of Radio" - Rush
"Limelight" - Rush
"The Music Never Stopped" - Grateful Dead

By: Lemurrhea

Lemurrhea — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:51:21 -0800

All videos are the first youtube ones I found, could be live or unofficial, but the music is right.

Bad Religion - Punk Rock Song
Barenaked Ladies - What a good boy (has the lyric "this song is the cross that I bear)
Cake - Commissioning a symphony in C, as well as "Sad Songs & Waltzes"
Cat Empire - The Chariot
Cloud Cult - The Deaf Girl's Song
There's always Everclear - A.M. Radio
Gogol Bordello - Immigrant Punk is about, well you know.
Gordon Lightfoot - I used to be a country singer
MC Frontalot with Kompressor - Rappers we Crush, and Indier Than Thou
MC Lars - Signing Emo, White Kids Aren't Hyphy
Porcupine Tree - Mellotron Scratch, and even better, The Sound of Muzak
The Ramones - Do you remember Rock 'n Roll Radio?, or Rock 'n Roll High School
Reel Big Fish - Rock and Roll is Bitchin', Sell Out, and a few more by them
Rooney - Popstars
Scissor Sisters - Music is the Victim
Spoon - The Beast, the Dragon Adored (And when you believe, they call it Rock and Roll)
Tenacious D - The Metal, and of course Tribute
Tom Lehrer - The Irish Ballad and Clementine
We Are Scientists - It's a Hit

Of those, the best are Bad Religion, Everclear, Porcupine Tree, and Reel Big Fish.

By: davebush

davebush — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:51:44 -0800

Ramones: Rock and Roll Radio

By: namewithoutwords

namewithoutwords — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:55:50 -0800

The Ataris - Song For A Mix Tape which is about making a mix tape and putting this song on it (recursivity, anyone?)

The Exploited - Sid Vicious Was Innocent about Sid's alleged killing of Nancy Spungeon.

NOFX - Please Play This Song On The Radio self-referential to structure, and the reasons it deserves to be played.

Guttermouth - What If? about the Doors trying out Fred Schneider as a replacement for Jim Morrison.

By: essexjan

essexjan — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 07:59:56 -0800

Song for Whoever by the Beautiful South. It's about the gullibility of teenage girls who will take a song to No.1 if it's got their name in the title.

By: sully75

sully75 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:05:03 -0800

Cat Power-Song to Bobby about Bob Dylan

Joni Mitchell-Goodbye Porkpie Hat (added lyrics re: Lester Young to Charles Mingus's tunes)

By: Dub

Dub — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:15:58 -0800

Sorry, mostly beat/rhythm based
John Miles - Music

The Look - I Am The Beat
Grace Jones - Slave To The Rhythm

By: timsteil

timsteil — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:28:51 -0800

Rock Back Billy by John Hiatt
I Wouldn't Put My Guitar Down - Mike Henderson & Bluebloods
First Time I Met the Blues - Buddy Guy

By: Paid In Full

Paid In Full — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 08:58:54 -0800

I highly recommend "Do You Believe in Magic?" by the Lovin' Spoonful.

By: TedW

TedW — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:26:34 -0800

I can't believe no one has mentioned the Byrds "So You Want to be a Rock 'n Roll Star" yet.

By: theoddball

theoddball — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:31:34 -0800

YT links where available...

Nick Lowe - They Called it Rock
The Velvet Underground - Rock and Roll (the classic statement.)
Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show - Cover of the Rolling Stone (a novelty, but on point.)
CSS - Music Is My Hot, Hot Sex (also semi-famous for an iPod touch fanboy commercial.)
Jackson Browne - The Load Out (perhaps the definitive song of life on the road / touring. He's a terrific lyricist.)
Bob Seger - Turn The Page (more on the touring life)
Bob Seger - Rock and Roll Never Forgets (an homage to the genre: "all of Chuck's children are out there, playin' his hits")
Chuck Berry - Rock and Roll Music (One of the original declarations of love. See also The Beatles' cover)

By: heathergirl

heathergirl — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:35:48 -0800

"Hook" by Blues Traveler. So good.

By: mollweide

mollweide — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:48:17 -0800

XTC's Funk Pop a Roll and Travels in Nihilon fit the bill.

By: SurrenderMonkey

SurrenderMonkey — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 09:53:25 -0800

10cc - Dreadlock Holiday
LCD Sound System - Daft Punk is playing at my house
Sparks - When do I get to sing my way?

Every music-nerd musician will write some songs about music. After all, that's what they know and love.

By: Skot

Skot — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:08:16 -0800

Reunion, "Life Is A Rock (But the Radio Rolled Me)"

WE'RE DONE HERE, PEOPLE

*throws down mic*

This fucking song will now haunt me for days

By: scody

scody — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:23:34 -0800

The Jam, To Be Someone

By: juva

juva — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:23:11 -0800

Music by Madonna; not groundbreaking lyrics but the song is about...you know...music

By: sapphirebbw

sapphirebbw — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:30:57 -0800

Video Killed the Radio Star - The Buggles
Rockstar - Nickelback
I Write the Songs - Barry Manilow
Listen to the Music - The Doobie Brothers
Music - Madonna

By: Bella Sebastian

Bella Sebastian — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 11:36:50 -0800

This is Just a Modern Rock Song - Belle and Sebastian

By: hydropsyche

hydropsyche — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:00:23 -0800

This was the subject of my last MeFi Mix

Songs about Songs
American Music--Violent Femmes
That High Lonesome Sound--Peter Rowan and the Nashville Bluegrass Band
Do You Remember Rock'n'Roll Radio?--Ramones
Late Night Radio--Beth Wood
Radio Radio--Elvis Costello and the Attractions
Radio Song--REM
Put Your Records On--Corinne Bailey Rae
Contest Coming (Cripple Creek)--Michelle Shocked
Walk of Life--Dire Straits
One Song Glory--Rent
Number Three--They Might Be Giants
Seymour Stein--Belle and Sebastian
Nashville--Indigo Girls
My Sentimental Melody--The Magnetic Fields
Nothing Like a Song--Azure Ray
Musical Key--Cowboy Junkies
Reva Thereafter--Girlyman
How Can I Keep from Singing?--Pete Seeger

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:11:51 -0800

Oh, and Horses by Patti Smith (video), which incorporates the lyrics of another song about songs (and their dances), Land of 1000 Dances, originally by Chris Kenner. Here's Wilson Pickett's version of the song.

By: n y my

n y my — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:42:18 -0800

I highly secondly recommend "Do you believe in magic?" by the lovin' spoonful.

By: version control

version control — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:36:44 -0800

The entire Okkervil River album "The Stage Names". To be fair, some of it is also about TV, but songs like Unless It's Kicks and Plus Ones (spot the references to other songs) are exactly what you're asking for.

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:00:10 -0800

Leonard Cohen Tower of Song

By: pschuegr

pschuegr — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:14:40 -0800

Queen - Radio Ga Ga

By: pschuegr

pschuegr — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:16:29 -0800

Radiohead - Anyone Can Play Guitar

By: citron

citron — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 20:32:17 -0800

A ton of Pavement songs.. I love Pavement
"Stereo"
"Range Life"
"Cut Your Hair"

"Unseen Power of the Picket Fence"
Time after time is my least favorite song!!!!

By: citron

citron — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 21:03:06 -0800

Grandlife "We in Music" (brilliant house music song about.. house music)
Hole "Rock Star" (the one on Live Through This.. about Olympia WA and the riot grrl thing)
Sebadoh "Gimme Indie Rock"
Lois "Indie"
Sleater-Kinney "The Professional"
Annie "Me Plus One"

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:29:48 -0800

ACDC - Rock'n'Roll Ain't Noise Pollution.
The Cat Empire - 1, 4, 5 (best answer to a lack of lyrics evar)

By: pompomtom

pompomtom — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 23:34:45 -0800

Jamie T - Brand New Bass Guitar

By: Kattullus

Kattullus — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:37:25 -0800

Robots in Disguise' Turn It Up is all song and album references, even going so far as mentioning a couple of songs by the producer of the song's old band, Sneaker Pimps.

50 Cent has the following bit of lyric in Hate It or Love It: "My favorite rapper used to sing ch-check out my melody." Which is a reference to Eric B. and Rakim's My Melody, which is self-referential. From the lyrics:

Marley Marl synthesized it, I memorize it
Eric B. made a cut and advertised it
My melody's created for MC's in the place
They try to listen cuz I'm dissin them so pick up your face
Shook off your neck cuz you try to detect my pace
Now you're buggin', almost doggin' off my rhyme-like bass
The melody that I'm stylin', smooth as a violin
Rough enough to break New York from Long Island

By: 2or3whiskeysodas

2or3whiskeysodas — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:44:10 -0800

Time to Pretend by MGMT.

By: Eothele

Eothele — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 10:31:47 -0800

Joe's Garage, by Frank Zappa, if by "song" you mean "double concept album."

By: LobsterMitten

LobsterMitten — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:07:23 -0800

The Hit Song by DJ Format and Abdominal
Abdominal has a couple of other songs basically about how great his style is - surf around youtube, you'll find them. This is a common trope in hip hop (my song is so great).

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Fri, 02 May 2008 08:12:02 -0800

As much as late-era Rod Stewart makes me itch, his "Soul In The City" does seem to be about groovin' to oldies: the chorus goes, "Bring over some of your old Motown Record/We'll put the speakers in the window and we'll go/On the roof and listen to the Miracles echo through the alley down below..."