Songs by Artists About Other Artists
Posted by Leedsboy on 6 August 2008 - 11:12pm.
Just a pathetic excuse really to post Sinatra by Cake.
Made me wonder if there is a better song by one artist about another.
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Try these...
Bob Dylan - Blind Willie McTell
Paul Simon - The Late Great Johnny Ace
The Animals - The Story of Bo Diddley
The Replacements - Alex Chilton
Space & Cerys Matthews - The Ballad of Tom Jones(!)
And if those don't satisfy, try: Don Henley Must Die by Mojo Nixon or, a personal favorite, Ron Kavana's This Is The Night (Fair Dues To The Man), the most wonderful ode to Van Morrison.
Another Mojo Nixon song
I'm the proud owner of Mojo's "Debbie Gibson is Pregnant with my Two-Headed Love Child"
Mr Nixon certainly has a way with titles.
He also did the excellent "Elvis is Everywhere."
Elvis is probably worthy of a thread on his own. There's "Tupelo" by Nick Cave. An obscure but excellent song called "Gnawing on the Bones of Elvis" by The Crown of Thorns. "Black Velvet" by Allanah Myles. "Graceland" by Paul Simon.
I just realised if you put those in the right order they tell a story.
Tupelo (Elvis's earth shaking birth)
Black Velvet (Elvis in his prime)
Gnawing on the Bones of Elvis (The exploitation and decline of Elvis)
Elvis is Everywhere (Elvis becomes a God!)
Graceland (The healing powers of Elvis)
Who says these blogs are a waste of time? I came into this thread just to say basically "Hey you forgot to mention the Mojo song..." and before I finished I proved to myself that Elvis Presley is a GOD! He wasn't even in my mind when I started I guess he really is everywhere.
Porcelain Monkey
Warren Zevon provides the story's sad end in "Porcelain Monkey", which finds the King "Eating fried chicken with his regicidal friends".
Excellent!
I haven't heard it but from your description we can slot that right in.
That's not the end of the Elvis story, just the end of his physical life. It's his crucifixion. That means it comes in just before "Elvis is Everywhere" which is the resurrection.
If you take the premise that Elvis is Jesus (right down to the astonishing birth described in "Tupelo")to its logical end you have to come to the conclusion that future generation won't hang crosses around their necks they'll have little toilets instead.
Right You Are
Sorry - didn't read your chronology closely enough - "Porcelain Monkey" slots in where you said.
Incidentally, Paddy MacAloon wrote a song cycle (on the album "Jordan: the Comeback") which was partially about Elvis (conflated with Jesse James and God) which includes dialogue from the Spirit of Elvis contemplating his comeback (there's your Elvis-God premise again!)
Pop on pop
John Martyn - Solid Air (about Nick Drake)
Bowie - Song for Bob Dylan ('voice like sand and glue)
Dexys Midnight Runners/Van Morrison - Jackie Wilson Said
Scritti Politti - Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin), well not really about her so much I suppose
Nils Lofgren - Keith Don't Go (re Keith Richards):
Blog meld
As an experiment, double click on this so you get the You Tube page and read what the children have to say about each other in the comments. I find the lack of common courtesy, and inability to see the other's point of view, deeply depressing.
You are right
Sadly that's the norm
I forgot, Sven,
to thank you for the video. Great to see Nils again - put a grin on my face. I watched that OGWT programme in '76 while "preparing" for my A-Levels. A simpler time...my school got its first computers the year after I left.
I recall seeing it when first shown also
And good to do so again. We're such a nice polite lot, thanking each other for posting clips. So much better than that You Tube moronic rabble.
Theres a few here
Carly Simon You're so Vain (Jagger, Taylor?)
Don Mclean - American pie (Buddy Holly etc?
Pink Floyd - Shine on your crazy diamond (Syd Barrett)
Buddy Guy - Remembering Stevie (Stevie Ray Vaughan)
John Lennon - How do you Sleep (Macca)
Macca - Here Today (John Lennon)
Macca - Carry That Weight (The other three)
Bruce Sprinsteen - a smattering of songs about his musical mates and growing up etc
Wainrights...Loudon about Rufus (Breast Man) etc Martha about musical Parents
Chris Rea - What happened to Benny Santini (trick one! the proposed name for Chris Rea by his record company)
Eric Clapton - Have you ever loved a Woman (Meant for Patti and George Harrison..although not wrriten by RC)
Kate Bush - King of the Mountain - (Elvis Presly)
Les Zepp - there was on for Roy Harper was'nt there?
Dire Straits - Calling Elvis (Elvis P)
Neil Young - From Hank to Hendrix
Macca - Lovely Linda (wife and musician (?))
Suzanne Vega - Marlene on the wall (Marlene Ditrich (? spelling)
I always thought.....
......Carly Simon was singing about Warren Beatty.
You are likely to be right
but in an interview on BBC Radio Front Row she would not say but I seem to recall she ruled out James Taylor but there was still 2 or more candidates that the song relates to
God!
She's still going to be teasing us about this when she's in her eighties and everyone will just say - you know what, we really don't care anymore.
Given Jagger sings backing vocals on "You're So Vain"...
I wouldn't have thought it was about him.
Wiki-bible writes
"Popular guesses on the subject include Mick Jagger (who sang uncredited backing vocals on the song), Cat Stevens, Warren Beatty, Kris Kristofferson (with whom she had had brief relationships), the unfaithful fiancé William Donaldson and Simon's ex-husband, James Taylor."
I accept everything wikipedia says as fact
so fair enough!!! I suppose that would give Jagger double vain points if it really is about him.
a few more
Chris Rea - Shirley, do you own a ferrari (Shirley Bassey)
Beatles - Dear Prudence (Farrow..artist as in actor)
Boy George - have his songs about beau Jon Moss
Macca - Hey Jude (JUlian Lennon)
Oh yes...
Stackridge/Korgis - Something About The Beatles
Tori Amos - Not David Bowie
ELO - Roll Over Beethoven
Hank Williams by Tim Hardin and Johnny Cash
Hank Williams inspired devotion. Even amongst the greats.
Smoke on the Water
By Deep Purple - about Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention and a big fire at a casino.
The Death of JB Lenoir by John Mayall.
I Will Always Love You by Dolly Parton is about Porter Wagoner.
Patti Boyd...
whilst not strictly an "artist" - she certainly qualifies as an artistic muse and has two of the better songs in the popular music cannon dedicated to her.
Something by The Beatles and Layla by Derek and the Dominoes...
Others...
Real Gone Kid (Maria McKee) - Deacon Blue
Astley in the Noose (Rick Astley) - The Wonder Stuff
What Happened to Ya (John Squire) - Ian Brown
Bobby Jean (Steve van Zandt) - Springsteen
Two gems
Jonathan Richman - Velvet Undergound
What lyrics!
They were wild like the USA / A mystery band in a New York way / Rock and roll, but not like the rest / And to me, America at it's best / How in the world were they making that sound? Velvet Underground.
American Music Club - Johnny Mathis's Feet
Al Bowlly's In Heaven
by Leona Lewis.
Or Richard Thompson. It's one or the other.
The Waterboys' "The Whole Of the Moon"...
... is about Prince.
And though the songs aren't really "about" the artists in question, The Freshies' "I Can't Get 'Bouncing Babies' By The Teardrop Explodes" was later "answered" by Julian Cope in "Passionate Friend", in the line "I've got 'All Sleep's Secrets' hidden in my bag," "All Sleep's Secrets" being an EP by The Freshies...
I think I've used up my quotation mark quota for the day there...
According to his FAQ
Mike Scott denies TWotM is about Prince.
http://www.mikescottwaterboys.com/mikescottwaterboys/News/faq.asp
Well, he should know!
But that's a very widespread story, I'm sure I didn't make it up :) He probably just told some journo he liked Prince at the time TWotM was a hit first time around, that's how these things get started...
Incidentally
Passionate Friend is about Ian McCullough's younger sister.
More Dylan-philes/Dylan files
Zimmerman blues: Ralph McTell (as performed also by the McTell including GPs)
Talking New Bob Dylan : Loudon Wainwright III
Mr Jones : Counting Crows (well, a name check at least)
Sara : Bob Dylan, self referential, maybe self reverential, if you follow -
"Sara, Sara,
It's all so clear, I could never forget,
Sara, Sara,
Lovin' you is the one thing I'll never regret.
I can still hear the sounds of those Methodist bells,
I'd taken the cure and had just gotten through,
Stayin' up for days in the Chelsea Hotel,
Writin' "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" for you."
Fabulous song, BTW. Both of 'em, but am I sacrilegious to prefer Sara?
Wasn't Beetlebum...
All about Justine Frischmann's peccadilloes?
nope
it's about George Harrisons buttocks
TRUFACT...
Dexys
Somebody mentioned Dexys/Van (Jackie Wilson Said). Can't let that go by without mentioning 'Geno'.
The Rockingbirds had a great little tune (I think called Jonathan Jonathan) about Mr Richman.
Sweet Soul Music by Arthur Conley was a pretty damn good tribute to his peers at the time.
Off the top of my head..
Steve Forbert - Wild As The Wind (Rick Danko)
Jimmie Vaughan - Six Strings Down (SRV)
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama - (Neil Young)
Gram 'n' Lowell 'n' other country folk......
My Man, the Eagles (by Bernie Leadon, i.e. on the cusp of maintained credibility)
Voices on the Wind, Little Feat (well, i think it is)
And, as a riposte to the above mention of Southern Man, How about Warren Zevons uplifting ballad, "Play it all night long"?:
"Grandpa pissed his pants again
He don't give a damn
Brother Billy has both guns drawn
He ain't been right since Vietnam
"Sweet home Alabama"
Play that dead band's song
Turn those speakers up full blast
Play it all night long
Daddy's doing Sister Sally
Grandma's dying of cancer now
The cattle all have brucellosis
We'll get through somehow
"Sweet home Alabama"
Play that dead band's song
Turn those speakers up full blast
Play it all night long
I'm going down to the Dew Drop Inn
See if I can drink enough
There ain't much to country living
Sweat, piss, jizz and blood
"Sweet home Alabama"
Play that dead band's song
Turn those speakers up full blast
Play it all night long"
Sweet poetry!
Drive By Truckers
Then along come these guys and we get
Ronnie and Neil - from Southern Rock Opera
About of course Ronnie van Zant and Neil Young.
The dispute between these two is supposed to be media created.
The rumour/myth is that Neil carried Ronnie's coffin and Ronnie was buried in a Neil Young T shirt.
I've always assumed this to be at least half untrue, anybody got the facts?
William It Was Really Nothing...
...was allegedly addressed to The Associates' Billy Mackenzie. And their 1993 album Double Hipness includes the song "Steven, You're Really Something".
There's always something there to remind me...
... of Sandie Shaw's "Steven (You Don't Eat Meat)", about Steven Patrick himself of course...
Can't believe no-one's mentioned Bowie's "Song For Bob Dylan" yet, either... and The Commodores' "Nightshift" (about Jackie Wilson and Marvin Gaye.)
"Brian Wilson"
by the Barenaked Ladies. Occasionally performed live by the great Mr Wilson himself.
Brilliant......
....to hear 'Sinatra' from Cake again, those first two albums really stand the test of time (though I'm a sucker for a muted trumpet). Seem to have fallen away a bit recently though.
agreed
that was my first time hearing Cake - I loved it and will investigate further.
As for your topic have we had:
Vincent by Don McLean (V Van Gogh)
Peter Blake by Ian Dury
Pablo Picasso by Jonathan Richman
Andy Warhol by David Bowie
Andy's Babies by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions
Andy's Chest by Lou Reed
de Stijl (album) by White Stripes
Pop Art poem - the Jam
taking the visual artist route obviously
Michael Picasso
Have we mentioned Ian Hunter's song about Mick Ronson ?
Martha Wainwright
sang BMFA about her father Loudon.
And the matching pair of Fergal Sharkey songs - A Good Heart (written by Maria McKee about Benmont Tench), and You little Thief (the other way round).
and Loudon wrote about Martha and Rufus and the Missus
He wrote "Five Years Old" about the budding Rufus
"I´d Rather Be Lonely" about Martha ( which seemingly upset her very much indeed )
and several about / for /to his ex wife Kate ( or was it Anna ) McGarrigle , "Unhappy Anniversary" and "So Many Songs" are just two that I can think of.
and
Rufus is a Tit Man I seem to recall. Probably not correct anymore.
I just watched.....
Loudon singing the Mose Allison song "Feels So Good".
The Pixies song "Allison" is Frank Black singing about Mose Allison.
The Thin and Crusty Non-Supremes
Blimey, I do not bandy a lady`s name about willy nilly (excuse the vernacular), but I wouldn`t like to be a lass on a night out with Carly Simon and Joni Mitchell, You wouldn`t get a sniff. That Carly`s a bit fond of carving the old bedstead isn`t she? Did Joni not pen songs about all of CSN (I presume Nellie escaped her toothy advances)?
Perhaps a large mouth is essential when trying to, erm, squeeeeeze so many in before going home to the husband.
(get back on track, Smudge, this is getting misogynistic)
Is not Adam Ant`s `Goody Two Shoes` about his future collaborator Kevin Rowland?
He Himself and no-one else
According to Adam Ant's autobiography; "Goody Two Shoes" was all about himself. This checks out. After all, Adam didn't drink and he didn't smoke. I guess that's why those subtle innuendoes followed - based on the general belief that there must be something inside.
Honourable mention must also be made of The Reynolds Girls who gave Dire Straits, Fleetwood Mac and the Rolling Stones a savage lyrical mauling with their single, "I'd Rather Jack".
"It's a shout out directly to the kids - FROM the kids" said the portly, 48 year old multi-millionaire writer of the song as it bulldozed its way up the charts to No 17.
Scraping Foetus off the Wheel...
...Jim Thirlwell wrote "Sick Man" about Nick Cave
"Song For Randy Newman Etc"
by The Chills, on their Soft Bomb album:
"Others made the same mistake
Men like Wilson, Barret, Walker, Drake."
Thanks for the reminder.....
....tho' maybe more a song about Glenn Tillbrook, Glenn Tillbrooks excellent "Interviewing Randy Newman, from 2001s The Incomplete Gleen Tillbrook. Makes you feel that meeting either of them would be a privelege.
Momus again!
http://imomus.com/devoto.html
Dont get me started on Country Music
There is a huge history of naming artists in Country Songs - to keep things under control in the last couple of years we've had top selling country albums containing -
Tim McGraw by Taylor Swift (album No1 Country, single charted)
Johnny Cash by Jason Aldean (album No1 Country, single top ten country)
and the current national and country No1 album "Love on the Inside" by Sugarland which contains
Steve Earle
It's not really about Cheerful Charlie
(nor Marlon, nor the young Mr Dean - couldn't bring myself to put the Eagles in here. Crap song.), but any excuse really :
Half remembered additions which could be wrong but...
When Smokie Sings by ABC? I liked it...
Also Johnny Cash by Sons and Daughters and Hello I'm Johnny Cash by Alabama 3 spring to mind.
Elvis Presley and America by U2 was bloated cack but undoubtedly a tribute.
And lest we forget The Ballad Of Climbie Fisher by the mighty Half Man Half Biscuit, who have payed tribute to a few in a few songs. Favorite lines of mine?
"I'm off to see the Bootleg Beatles/ As the Bootleg Mark Chapman"
When The Evening Sun Goes Down
and who can forget Irk The Purists?
"Husker Du, Du Du, Captain Beefheart ELO, Chris De Burgh, Sun Ra, Del Amitri John Coltrane!"
Another Half Man Half Biscuit one...
...was "The Bastard Son of Dean Friedman"
And on the subject of Bastard Sons...
... if artists whose names refer to other artists count, we mustn't forget The Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash. (Johnny, apparently, was asked and approved.)
A few more
Apologies if any of these are already posted. I didn't see them as I scanned through the contributions.
Jackson Browne's Of Missing Persons is about Lowell George.
On With The Song by Mary-Chapin Carpenter is partly about and wholly dedicated to the Dixie Chicks for their anti-Bush stance.
Emmylou's Boulder To Birmingham is about Gram Parsons.
Paul Rodgers wrote Free's Wishing Well about Paul Kossoff.
Jon Mitchell's Willy is about Graham Nash.
Neil Young's The Loner is about Stephen Stills and someone said Stupid Girl is about Joni Mitchell, but I'm not too sure about that.
John Cale's Mr Wilson is about Brian (and not as the reviewer in Sounds claimed at the time of release about our then Prime Minister).
Mick Jagger wrote Wild Horses about Marianne Faithfull.
Sheryl Crow's My Favourite Mistake may be about Eric Clapton
Paul Simon's So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright was a coded message to Art Garfunkel, which he then got him to sing. The Only Living Boy In New York is about the two of them.
Carole King's It's Too Late was for ex husband / songwriting partner Gerry Goffin.
Steve Earle's Fort Worth Blues is about Townes van Zandt.
Jimmy Webb
I am amazed that Richard Lowe hasn't beaten me to:
PF Sloan by Jimmy Webb
or
Jimmy Webb Is God by The Boo Radleys.
Singer's Hampstead Home
by Microdisney is allegedly about Boy George
Norma Waterson
Included songs by various artists on her "The very thought of you" and then paired them with songs about the artist in question. Eg:
Love of my life/Reply to Joe Haines (Freddie Mercury)
River Man/Solid Air (Nick Drake)
Change partners and dance/On Fridays he's Fred Astaire
The very thought of you/Al Bowly's in heaven
Over the rainbow/Bluebird (Judy Garland)
C'mon People,You missed the best one
Ben Lee.....
.....is very famous in Australia.
His song "I Wish I Was Him" is about Evan Dando(Lemonheads).
Dando covers his "All My Life" on his Baby I'm Bored CD.
Here's a very young Ben doing "I Wish I Was Him".
Bringing us up to date
"Lighten Up Morrisey" by Sparks off the new album. And didn`t Prefab Sprout do a track called "Faron Young"
Prefab Sprout
did indeed, but it wasn't actually about Mr Four In The Morning. (He noted pedantically.)
Brian Wilson and Hank
"Long White Cadillac" by Dave Alvin (The Blasters) is about Hank Williams' last ride. Excellent song made even better when sung dy Dwight Yoakam on his early "best of" album with Pete Anderson providing the twaaang on his guitah.
"Brian Wilson" by Barenaked Ladies. The definitive version is actually sung by...Brian Wilson. Check out the Live At The Roxy album.
Someone else sings about Hank!
Its Emmylou again!