Tip of the hat, a flip of the bird, songs that reference other musical acts

Just came across this via Bernard Zuel's twitter feed.
References Falling Joys (and their singer Suzie Higgie), The Clouds (their front ladies Jodi Phillis and Trish Young), Nick Cave and Paul Kelly (see below for deets)

Dyson Stringer Cloher - Falling Clouds


Jen Cloher writes about the lyric she wrote, the ripples, gender and sexuality and her life
https://medium.com/@jencloher/this-is-a-photo-of-me-in-1980-after-my-mother-relented-and-let-me-dress-myself-fb3a183194ff


We snuck in to see the band
Falling Joys, The Clouds
A killer double bill ‘91
Never heard guitar so loud
Suzie Higgie, Jodi Phillis, Trish Young
Turned things upside down
Underage in Adelaide
I stood up front head-banging
Hit a speaker
Knocked myself out
When I came to
I was changed
You kicked the door wide open
So I could walk onto that stage
Underrated, overlooked
A woman’s work is never done
Or it’s erased from history books
Nothing against Paul or Nick
But if you want to be remembered
Then you better have a dick

This one has always appealed to me since I first heard it somewhere in the 1970s. Moe Bandy singing Bandy The Rodeo Clown. The song was written by Lefty Frizzell and Whitey Shaffer and made it to the top ten on the country music charts.
(For the record, Bandy had at one time worked in the rodeo circuit)

Here he is several years performing the song...

Another from Moe Bandy, this is about Hank Williams
Hank Williams,You Wrote My Life

Earlier, I mentioned Lefty Frizzell (he co-wrote Bandy The Rodeo Clown). In a memorial tribute to Frizzell after his passing, Merle Haggard sang Goodbye Lefty

Tunic (Song For Karen) - Sonic Youth is about Karen Carpenter

Gives a shout out to Janis (Joplin), Richard (Carpenter), Elvis (Presley) and Dennis (Wilson?)




Dreaming, dreaming of a girl like me
Hey what are you waiting for, feeding, feeding me
I feel like I'm disappearing, getting smaller every day
But I look in the mirror, I'm bigger in every way

She said,
You aren't never going anywhere
You aren't never going anywhere
I ain't never going anywhere
I ain't never going anywhere

I'm in heaven now, I can see you Richard
Goodbye Hollywood, goodbye Downey, hello Janis
Hello Dennis, Elvis and all my brand new friends
I'm so glad you're all here with me, until the very end

Dreaming, dreaming of how it's supposed to be
But now this tunic's spinning, around my arms and knees
I feel like I'm disappearing, getting smaller every day
But when I open my mouth to sing, I'm bigger in every way

She said,
You aren't never going anywhere
You aren't never going anywhere
I ain't never going anywhere
I ain't never going anywhere

Hey mom! Look I'm up here, I finally made it
I'm playing the drums again too
Don't be sad, the band doesn't sound half bad
And I remember mom, what you said
You said honey, you look so under-fed

Another green salad, another ice tea
There's a tunic in the closet waiting just for me
I feel like I'm disappearing, getting smaller every day
But I look in your eyes, and I'm bigger in every way

She said,
You aren't never going anywhere
You aren't never going anywhere
I ain't never going anywhere
I ain't never going anywhere

Goodbye Richard, gotta go now
I'm finally on my own, but Dan's got a gig
Keep the love lights glowing, little girl's got the blues
I can still hear momma say: "honey don't let it go to your head"

Waylon and Willie and the boys

Neil Young
From Hank to Hendrix

Nerf Herder's 'Pantera Fans In Love' name checks bucket loads in this paen to early 2000's metal/grunge



I bleached my hair just like Vince Neil
Then you made me cut it like James Hetfield
We're gonna put an end to alternative rock
We'll find a way to make the Cranberries stop
We went to Sears for pictures at Christmas time
But they wouldn't let us make the metal sign
No they wouldn't let us make the metal sign
I'll bring the wine you bring the bread and cheese
It's hard to eat when you're headbanging
Makin' out in the middle of the pit
How come Slayer doesn't sing about this
If anything comes between you and me
Then heavy metal heaven, that's where we'll meet
We are Pantera fans in love
What's with these punk rock nerds, they can't even sing
I wish we'd never heard of the Offspring
A candlelit dinner, now we're holding hands
I taught you how to draw your first pentagram
We went miniature golfing but we didn't get far
Because we used the clubs to play air guitar
Oh we used the clubs to play air guitar now
I'll bring the wine you bring the bread and cheese
It's hard to eat when you're headbanging
Makin' out in the middle of the pit
How come Slayer doesn't sing about this
If anything comes between you and me
Then heavy metal heaven, that's where we'll meet
We are Pantera fans in love
We are we are Pantera fans in love
We saw Ozzy on our first date
Our special song is 'Crazy Train'
Makin' out in the middle of the pit
How come Slayer doesn't sing about this
If anything comes between you and me
Then heavy metal heaven, that's where we'll meet
We are Metallica fans
We are Megadeth fans
We are Manowar fans in love
We are Pantera fans in love

Wheatus' "Teenage Dirtbag" see Iron Maiden as the path to true love.

Rollover Beethoven

Cracker's "Teen Angst" protagonist needs Frank Sinatra to 'get you in bed'


'Cause what the world needs now
Is a new Frank Sinatra
So I can get you in bed

Leonard Cohen mentions "Frankie Laine was singing Jezebel" in one of his lesser songs. I don't want to put it here.

Two for the price of one James Brown.

Was Not Was - "I feel better than James Brown"



The Offcuts - "Break It Down James Brown"

Ian Dury and the Blockheads - "Sweet Gene Vincent"

Ian Dury was a huge fan of Gene Vincent in his adolescence.

Speaking of Was Not Was:

John Mellencamp, Ain't Even Done With The Night
"Sam Cooke singin' on the radio"

Vera Lynn

Eight Miles High - The Byrds

Was written about their first trip Britain (apparently one them gave the Small Faces some LSD - which led to Itchycoo Park being written). The time lines match up (both songs were released in 1966 (the British tour was August of 1965) - but The Byrds' support acts seem to have been Them and Donovan (but I haven't worked my way through all the gigs yet.

Rain gray town
Known for its sound
In places
Small faces unbound