List of self-referential songs

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This is an incomplete list of songs, which can or may never satisfy any objective standard for completeness. Revisions and additions are welcome.

A self-referential song is a song that refers directly to itself. A song must directly refer to itself, rather than just describe a song that could fit the current song. Songs in alphabetical order.

Contents

0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] 0–9

"I can't believe that I write this shit."
I think that
You should know
That I forced this song.
"Twelve reasons why
Twelve reasons why I wrote this love song
It's off the cuff
I jotted down a shopping list of love
Of love, of love, of love
A reminder that there's nothing that can touch her."
I was dreamin' when I wrote this
Forgive me if it goes astray
. . .
I was dreamin' when I wrote this
So sue me if I go too fast
(see also "Deacon Blues" by Steely Dan, below)
Should I try to write some more
25 or 6 to 4
(The title refers to the time the song was written, 3:34 or 3:35AM.)
25 reasons while I'm still in love with you, I can give you 25 reasons while I'm ... wait a minute, I don't need no backround for the rest of this song baby....
(referring to the backup singers)
Ronnie was much more my style, she wrote songs just like this.
. . .
Amaranta, here's a kiss, I chose you to end this list.


Hast du etwas zeit für mich
singe ich ein Lied für dich
von 99 Luftballons
auf ihrem Weg zum Horizont.
Denkst du vielleicht grad' an mich
singe ich ein Lied für dich
von 99 Luftballons
und daß sowas von sowas kommt"
[translation]
"If you have some time for me
then I'll sing a song for you
of 99 balloons
on their way to the horizon
Perhaps you'll think of me
and I'll sing a song for you
of 99 balloons
and that nothing begets nothing" [literally: "and that something comes of something"]


Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] A

  • "A Cappella Choir In The Sky" by The Bobs
"Come on and gather 'round, ye chillin'
To the gospel I'm a-spillin'…"
  • "Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)" by Nine Days
"This is the story of a girl…"
"Put a dime in my jukebox, you'll only hear this song
It won't be fun for long"
"If we're adding to the noise
Turn off this song"
"This is the theme song of Jimmy Neutron."
"This song is called 'Alice's Restaurant'; it's about Alice... and the restaurant... But 'Alice's Restaurant' is not the name of the restaurant, it's just the name of the song... That's why I call the song 'Alice's Restaurant'..."
. . .
"...Remember Alice? It's a song about Alice..."
. . .
"And the only reason I'm singing you this song now is cause you may know somebody in a similar situation, or you may be in a similar situation, and if you're in a situation like that, there's only one thing you can do and that's walk into the shrink wherever you are, just walk in, say 'Shrink... You can get anything you want at Alice's restaurant.' And walk out..."
"This is a song about an innocent
Who died at the hands of a desperate man"
"Every time I look into your sparkling eyes
I see it all come true
Now I'm writing you this song
Because I love you so"
"This song is good, don't ask me why, it's all the hype that your money can buy."
"I'm singing this song
But it won't take long"
"It's hard to know the meaning of this song..."
"That's why I wrote this song..."
"This is not a love song
This is not a love song
I don't sing my mother tongue
No, this is not a love song"
  • "Amphetamines" by Eve6
"This is the last song I'll send your way
I smelled you on my shirt today"
"Make a hole with a gun perpendicular
To the name of this town in a desktop globe
Exit wound in a foreign nation
Showing the home of the one this was written for"
I'm afraid that if I write this song, she might break my heart in two
"Why must we sing this stupid song?
It's getting really annoying.
We apologize for its length.
We are filled with shame."
This is another boring b-side
Another load of tat
It has no redeeming features
And we're really proud of that
If the A-side makes a hit we don't care if this is missed
'Cos the sooner we get finished, the sooner we go home
  • "Another Song About The Rain" by Cracker
"Another song about the rain
Coming down it burns through me
Another song about the rain"
"Well I know they've always told you
Selfishness was wrong
Yet it was for me, not you
That I came to write this song"
"This is my forty-fifth depressing tune"
"Feel this composition, it's a brand new dub
First thing I did was went to the pub"
"Uh, heh heh, stop, Clef, can I rock, yo?
Get out the bathroom, let me go again from the top
Feel this composition, I wrote it in the tub
First thing I did was went to the pub
Tequila, worm, lemon, salt and no rocks
'Cause when it hits my chest, it gots to be hot
Huh, stop, Clef can I rock?"
And I really couldn't be bothered to write any more words
Da da dum dum dum da da da doo doo doo doo doo dee doo
And I really couldn't be bothered to play this final bit
(song stops abruptly)
You always asked why I had not
Written you a verse or two
Since that's the one thing I regret
I dedicate this one to you
Are you happy now?
Are you?

Shindell has said in interviews that when he first started performing this bitter, yet funny, song about a Halloween breakup, his friends would come up afterwards to ask him if he was all right, not realizing that it was fictional.

Oh, a second verse
Well color me fatigued
I'm hiding in the leaves
In the CD jacket sleeves
Tired of entertaining
Some double-dipped meaning
A soft served analogy
Those drunken angry slur
In 31 flavours
You gotta sink gotta sink gotta sink to swim
Immerse yourself in rejection
Regurgitate some sorry tale
About a boy who sells his love affairs
"Maybe I shouldn't be singing this song
Ranting and raving and carrying on"
"This song will become the anthem of your underground"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] B

"so don’t tell me what to write
and don’t tell me that I’m wrong……
and don’t tell me not to reference my songs within my songs"
"This is the ballad of Dorothy Parker"
  • "Beautiful Disaster" by 311
I try not to be like this
but I thought it'd make a good song
there's nothing to see, show's over
people just move along
I'm-a stop singing this song, because I'm high
I'm singing this whole thing wrong, because I'm high
And if I don't sell one copy, I'll know why, yeah yeah
Cause I'm high, cause I'm high, cause I'm high
I wrote this song so you'd understand
Because of you, babe, my dreams came true
I'm a great lyricist
I can write words like this
I like songs that always rhyme
That's why I made this one rhyme
Words this good don't write themselves
That's why I wrote them myself
"Beside the weeping willow pond, the moon shines on Bela
Who sings this song"
When I was a little girl, My Dad left my Mom
He used to always fart and sing this special song
There's no combination of words
I could put on the back of a postcard,
no song that I could sing, but I can try for your heart
"But now she's gone and I'm singing this song
To a lonely random bird on the wire."
Oh Universal King
My love for only you shall bring
The Light of Truth Eternal upon
The mysteries found in this song
"'Cause life's been so hard and so long
That's why I'm writing you this song"
Then I held her in my arms
And told her of her many charms
And I kissed her while the fiddles played
"Bonaparte's Retreat"
I'm singing this borrowed tune
I took from the Rolling Stones
Alone in this empty room
Too wasted to write my own
this song goes out to girls
that we haven't met just yet
this song is for stupid girls
who think that every boy is all about them
Oh, none of us knew his checkout time would come so soon
But before his brain stopped waving, he composed this tune:
When the toast is burned,
And all the milk has turned
And cap'n crunch is wavin' farewell.
When the big one finds you
May this song remind you
That they don't serve breakfast, in hell
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
'cause these words are my diary screaming out loud,
and I know that you'll use them however you want to
I wrote a song once about her
Called "The Brides Have Hit Glass"
And if you don't like my melody
I'll sing it in a major key
I'll sing it very happily
Now if everybody is on board
I'll take it back to that minor chord
And if I get killed for this rap
I got a million in cash
That says I will get you back in Hailie's name
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] C

"Please close your eyes and concentrate
With every thought you think
Upon the recitation we're about to sing
Calling occupants of interplanetary craft"
Even this lyric is a "white man's burden"
Simply written by a worker bee
"I remember that time when you told me, you said,
'Love is touching souls'
Well surely you touched mine
'Cause part of you pours out of me
in these lines from time to time."
"This is how I thought I'd start my song
And it seems a little silly when I think of it
But now I'm so far along"
"Now I'm in the middle and I just don't know
If I'll make it any further if the words don't flow"
"This is the ending of my song. . .
And if I should die tomorrow it will carry on"
I know that there's something wrong with this song,
I just don't know what it could be.
"And right about then I should have asked if she knew,
What the Chelsea charged if we got a room for two.
But I didn't and I know I'm a schmuck, don't you doubt it,
The only thing I did was write this stupid song about it.
If I was Leonard Cohen or some other song-writing master,
I'd know to first get the oral sex and then write the song after."
  • "Children of the Korn" by Korn
Said in the the chorus.
And so all things, time will mend.
So this song will end.
"I know what's wrong--
Chuck E's in love with the little girl who's singing this song
Chuck E's in love with me"
"Rhythm ga tsuranatte ("The rhythm flows together")
This song kokoro ni hibiku yo" ("this song echoes in my mind")
"This song sounds good for you and me"
This bridge was written
To make you feel smitten-er
With my sad picture
Of girl getting bitter-er...
If you're listening to this song
Everything is going wrong
"Complete control, even over this song!"
"My song’s totally cool no yesterday’s news
Really hot okay, really not too gay
I’m coming here to stay"
"When you're feelin lonely,
You know just what to do,
Put on track eleven,
Get on with the groove."
"I don't care if it takes too long,
I don't really care about this song."
  • "CSS Descramble (This Function Is Void)" by Joe Wecker

(The lyrics to this song comprise a description of the DeCSS algorithm)

"I hate the DMCA
It makes this song illegal"
"Apprehension creeping like a tube-train up your spine
Will the tightrope reach the end?
Will the final couplet rhyme?"
The final couplet is the only one that does not rhyme:
"And suddenly it strikes you that they're moving into range
And Doctor Strange is always changing size"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] D

"Girls are gonna love the way I toss my hair,
Boys are gonna hate the way I sing"
"This is the night of the expanding man
I take one last drag as I approach the stand
I cried when I wrote this song
Sue me if I play too long
This brother is free
I'll be what I want to be"
  • "Death To Death" by Stars
"I have a way of seeing and it's nearly gone
and nobody was listening so I wrote this song
and when you know the chorus you can sing along
you destroy the thing you love
even though you know it's wrong"
Daddy couldn't be all wrong
(Not gonna let you slip away, I'm gonna be there)
And my mama made me learn this song
(You're gonna bring your love to me, I'm gonna get you)
CHORUS
The Deil's awa, the Deil's awa,
The Deil's awa wi th' Exciseman!
He's danc'd awa, he's danc'd awa,
He's danc'd awa wi th' Exciseman!
The Deil cam fiddlin thro the town,
And danc'd awa wi th' Exciseman,
And ilka wife cries: — "Auld Mahoun,
I wish you luck o the prize man!"
"We'll make our maut, and we'll brew our drink,
We'll laugh, sing, and rejoice, man,
And monie braw thanks to the meikle black Deil,
That danc'd awa wi th' Exciseman."
There's threesome reels, there's foursome reels,
There's hornpipes and strathspeys, man,
But the ae best dance e'er cam to the land
Was The Deil's awa wi th' Exciseman.
  • "Desert Song"
The desert song, calling,
Its voice enthralling,
Will make you mine.
"Right on time. will you stay
through the pouring rain?
Right on time...through the night,
your laughter is my light
Right on time, desperation song"
"I can't think of words to this music"
"Every song has a you
a you that the singer sings to
and you're it this time.
Baby, you're it this time."
"This is the last song I will ever sing
No, I've changed my mind again."
  • "Distracted" by i5
"When I’m standin’ in a line at the ATM
When I’m stirrin’ my sugar in my café mocha blend
When the radio is playin’ a song like this
I float away suddenly dreamin’ of your kiss."
"I want a song that gets attention
This is the way it goes"
"Do the Bearcat
Mmmmmm, that's the name of this song"
  • "Doin' The Things That We Want To" by Lou Reed
"I wrote this song 'cause I'd like to shake your hand
Doin' the things that we want to
In a way you guys are the best friends I ever had
Doin' the things that we want to ..."
"The second verse is dedicated to the men
More concerned with his rims and his Timbs than his women"
  • "Doornails" by NOFX
"This song is for winning losers
It's for lucky substance abusers"
  • "¿Dónde Están Los Ladrones?" by Shakira
¿Dónde están los ladrones, dónde está el asesino?
quiza alla revolcandose en el patio del vecino
¿y qué pasa si son ellos? ¿y qué pasa si soy yo?
¿él que toca esta guitarra, o la que canta esta cancion?
translation:
Where are the thieves, where's the assassin?
maybe snooping in the neighbor's backyard
and what if it's them, and what if it's me?
the one that plays this guitar, or the one that sings this song?
"The words I'm singing now mean nothing more than meow to an animal"
"Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy "
"He piloted this song in a plane like that one"
"I'm tryin' to get some sleep, but these motel walls are cheap.
Lincoln Duncan is my name, and here's my song.
Here's my song."
"I got that dust pneumony, pneumony in my lung,
I got the dust pneumony, pneumony in my lung,
An' I'm a-gonna sing this dust pneumony song.
...
Now there ought to be some yodelin' in this song;
Yeah, there ought to be some yodelin' in this song;
But I can't yodel for the rattlin' in my lung."
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] E

"What am I singing?
A song of seeds."
"I wrote this in a Boston jail"
"How stupid is it
I can't talk about
I gotta sing about it
and make a record of (my heart)"
"I walked out on the mesa
And I stumbled on this song"
"Only buy this if you're lonely
Only listen if you're blue
If you are married and you are happy
This song is not to do with you"
A story told from the point of view of a singer on a stage wanting to finish the song he's singing so he can meet a woman he's seen in the audience. The verses reference how far along the song is, e.g. the first verse ends with "But the song it was long / And I'd only begun," the second verse ends with "But the song it was long / And there was more to be sung," etc. At the end he finally finishes only to find that she has left -- "So I picked up my guitar / And began the next song."
"I wrote these words
For everyone who struggles in their youth"
"And now this song is over now, and now this song is over now."
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] F

"All my life I've been singing them sad songs
trying to get my message to you.
But this is the only song I can sing
and when I get to singing my message will be to you.
It goes: Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa"
"At this point, the boy who's listening to this song
is probably saying it's easier said than done and it's true"
"Second verse, the same as the first
I forgot the words again
. . .
Take me to the bridge"
  • "The Fear" by Pulp (nearly all of the song is self-referential)
"This is our music from a bachelor's den
The sound of loneliness turned up to 10
A horror soundtrack from a stagnant waterbed
And it sounds just like this"
"...Here comes the coda."
"I had a feeling when I wrote this song
Out on the porch, after the rain
And the feeling went something like this..."
"These lyrics are so frivolous
They really have no meaning
but I wrote them for you..."
"Dark eyes, dark hair, and looks that need a song."
"I walked out this morning and I wrote down this song
I just can't remember who to send it to"
and on my easel I drew
while I was thinking of you
and on the roof of my head
in came this five string serenade
"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…"
"We only wanted to finish this record with the minimum amount of effort which we are doing very successfully..."
"This track is dragging on...do you think it’ll ever end?"
  • "Fohat Digs Holes in Space" by Gong
"Well help me help me sing this song
I wanna stay living for much too long
Now I wanna ride this big brass gong"
"If you wonder how long I'll be faithful,
Well, just listen to how this song ends…"
A song that satirizes the pure power pop stylings of Fountains of Wayne by imagining a hotline for flailing songwriters. Explicit self-references include
"Slightly distorted melodic solo!"
"Try a wider interval!"
and something about "these three chords".
"Frank didn't like us,
Just wanted to have some fun.
So we played our music
And he put us on the run."
"That's the reason why we named this song Freedom"
"And if you don't believe in me, we'll play this tune over again."
"I Write This Alone On My Bed"
"In this song I say fuck 93 times"
  • "Fuckin' An Animal" by GWAR
"I'm not willing to spend anymore time on this song"

(Fugitive Alien)

"This is the song written for the train chase
This is the chase, Rocky and Ken
He tried to kill me with a forklift!
Olé!

(Fugitive Alien: The Musical from Star Force: Fugitive Alien II)

"This is the song starting off our medley!
Our favorite Fugitive Alien song!
Don't try to kill us with a forklift!
Won't take very long;
Relax and sing along.
. . .
And that's our song! We hope that you enjoyed it.
And if you thought that it was stupid and trite,
Come on and kill us with a forklift!
All we wanna do, with love from us to you,
Is sing... the Fugitive Alien song!"
"Will this song have a happy ending?
Only the woman knows."
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] G

  • "G Turns to D" by Sloan
These songs are all about you
And I'm tellin' everyone I'm doin' fine without you
...
I deserve some credit
Or at least an edit
Take out the part that breaks my heart
And makes me sound uncaring
If you eliminate the swearing
Then I could show my mother
That you can go from one chord to another
...
She's aware it's all been done before
It's another song in this key
Yeah but this one's about me
  • "Gabriel's Mother's Highway Ballad #16 Blues" by Arlo Guthrie
"The sun come up while I wrote this song"
"Ooh! Get me away from here I'm dying
Play me a song to set me free
Nobody writes them like they used to
So it may as well be me"
"I'm singing this note 'cause it fits in well
With the chords I'm playing
I can't pretend there's any meaning here
Or in the things I'm saying"
"Me, well I was staying
I said 'Hey, what'd I do wrong?'
When a voice from up above said
'You're the schmuck who wrote this song.'"
"I don't have to tell you how much it sucks to be shot in the face
So I guess I'll save some time by not even writing this song at all"
"In fact, she's probably listenin' to this station right now..."
  • (liner notes read: "In fact she's probably reading these liner notes right now...")
"And so we dress to kid ourselves into thinking that we have nothing left" ...
"So you think you can change the way things are?
Well, give me the pen and I'll write the first sentence
It won't be a thesis or a blank question
It will be a song and will start out with 'and so we dress'"
"I try to sing this song now"
"So this final verse
Is a contradiction
And the more we learn
The less we know
We've been talking about a feeling
We both know inside, but couldn't find the words
I couldn't write this verse
I've seldom been so sure
About anything before
And they're comin' to the chorus now...
"I know by the time I finish this line I'mma hear this on the radio"
"I'm too drunk to light the bong
I'm to stoned to write the song"
This is the part of the song
That's really quiet
We play very soft
It sounds like a ballad
And this is the part
Where we play real hard
It's much louder
Than at the beginning
And we go back
To the quiet part
Again
If the whole song was this way
It would be boring
So we go back to playing loud
It's like the first time
But slightly louder
This is usually the place
Where it would be quiet again
But we don't want it to be
Too predictable
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] H

The entire song
"Man, if I could sing, I'd keep singing this song to my daughter."
"Well, it goes like this: the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift" (this is a description of the chord sequence which underlies the verse)
  • "Happy With What You Have To Be Happy With" by King Crimson
And when I have some words
This is the way I'll sing
Through a distortion box
To make them menacing
Yeah, then I'm gonna have to write a chorus
We're gonna need to have a chorus
And would seem to be as good as any other place to sing it till I'm blue in the face
"This is a hate song just meant for you
I thought that I'd write it down while I still could
I hope when you hear this you'll want to sue"
"Let me tell you that this song’s useful
Yes this song’s useful when you’re really drunk!
And you gotta learn the difference ‘tween I love ya
The difference ‘tween I love ya and whatever"
"I was walking along some downtown avenue
I was singing a new song to myself
it went it went something like this one
but I just couldn't get it to end
I was talking about this song to a friend of mine
and she sang me a new song of her own."
  • "Heartsong" by Zwan
"but heart songs
are still on my mind
there's never the time
to write down these lines";
"I love the babes, don't get me wrong.
Hey, that's why I wrote this song!"
"Her arms are wicked and her legs are long
When she moves my brain screams out this song"
  • "Here Again" by Rush
"I said I played this song so many times before
That the melody keeps repeating.
Growing new ideas, flowing chords and notes,
Like a mountain river bleeding."
"Because they haven't played this song on the air
Not that anyone but me even cared"
"Hey there Delilah, don't you worry about the distance

I'm right there if you get lonely, give this song another listen"

  • "Hidden Bonus Track" by The Bobs. The entire song "talks" about itself as a "track", but the specific song self-reference is:
"That was a decent solo.
Too bad it's in this song."
"Some people think the title of this song is irrelevant — but it's not irrelephant, it's a hippopotamus."
. . .
"The hippopotamus was no ignoramus
And sang her this sweet serenade..."
"Hit, who's calling this a
Hit, well I deserve a
Hit, calling this a
Hit, I don't deserve it."
"Not you the one behind ya girl"
I done spit 2 verses tryin' to find ya girl."
"This sad song stays on my mind…"
"I'm sorry I wrote this song for you
If it makes you feel bad I didn't mean it to..."
"Expecting everyone to bow and kiss your feet,
Don't you see respect is not a one way street?
Blaming everyone for all that you've done wrong,
I'll get my peace of mind when you hear this song."
"There is something amiss, I am being insincere.
In fact I don't mean any of this, still my confession draws you near.
To confuse the issue I'll refer to familiar heroes of long ago;
No matter how much Peter loved her, what made the Pan refuse to grow
Is that the Hook brings you back."
  • "Hook" by The Toms
"This is a verse consisting of words to get the song started;
Throw in a little love and someone broken-hearted.
This part coming up is what you're waiting for:
The line that's got to bring you to the record store.
We'll beat this hook line over and over until you've got it memorized."
"Hey, it's on.
Everybody knows this song."
later in the song:
"If I say fuck, two more times,
That's forty-six fucks in this fucked-up rhyme."
This is the humming song, you sing it when you're on your own
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] I

  • "I Am The First Fifty Digits Of Pi" by Songs To Wear Pants To
"Man, I can't, I shan't, formulate an anthem
Where the words comprise mnemonics,
Dreaded mnemonics, for pi."
And I believe that if I'm crying while I write these words
Is it absurd or am I being real?
. . .
I believe that if you're bristling while you hear this song
I could be wrong, or have I hit a nerve?
"I bet they won't play this song on the radio
I bet you they won't play this new bleep song
It's not that it's buzz or beep beep controversial
Just that the dinging words are awfully strong"
  • "I Don't Care if You Disrespect Me (Just So Long as You Love Me)" by The Frogs
"That was a good drum break"
  • "I Don't Want Her (And Neither Do You)" by M00ntz!
"You're so vain. Yes, this song is about you."
"I hate working around the house
I hate mowing the lawn
I hate doing my homework
I even hate this song"
  • "I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away the Ending", by New Radicals
"By the way this girl was sexy and she wouldn't touch you. That may not be true but I said it so you'd feel involved with the song"
"I wanted to make a special song for you
So I set down, and I wrote..."
"Now you're probably wondering by now
Just what this song is all about
What's probably got you baffled more
Is what this thing here is for.
It's nothing
It's something I learned over in England."
"so the radio plays
'I Think I Need a New Heart'
just for you"
  • "I Wanna Be A One Day Fly" by One Day Fly
"Ja, dat is dus een slechte compositie, slecht arrangement, slechte productie, slecht gezongen, slechte tekst, slecht gespeeld, dus dat zal wel weer een hit worden, maar dat is logisch."
(translation: "Well, so that is a bad composition, bad arrangement, bad production, badly sung, bad lyrics, badly played, so I guess that will be hit, but that is logical.")
  • "I Wrote A Hymn For You" by Ole Van Dansk
This song is instrumental.
  • "I Wrote This Song" by Monica
"I love my baby so
But he's not here no more
Hard for me to understand
So I wrote him this song
Couldn't look him in his eyes
Knew I couldn't change his mind
So I wrote this melody
And I'm singing sweet goodbye"
"Listen close, as life turns its pages
Machiavelli here, kickin' rhymes for the ages
Seen things in stages, wise words spoken by sages
From SkyTel to BlackBerry pagers
Your crew don't phase us, we'll make you bustas pay us
Run up in your spot like CJ from San Andreas
"I wrote this song a long time ago
A real long time ago
Feel me!
I wrote this song a long time ago
It was the dopest song I ever wrote... in '94
"What can a nigga do, when half the people voted for George W.
It's a bitch, Fuck George W. -- can't be true --
I wanna choke him, because he's a snitch
I'm talking about George W. Smith
From city council, he ran in '93
Out in Oakland, you probably didn't hear about him
"I wrote this song a long time ago
A real long time ago
Way before Slim Shady was in demand
Way before we dropped baloney on Afghanistan
I wrote this song in '94
"How am I doin' this?
Look around the club, see everyone in the place
Showing 'Pac love got a smile on my face
The girl in the miniskirt has bad taste
Because her shirt don't match
And there's a puddin' stain on the back
What the fuck is that?
It might be doo-doo
"And you in the back, you ain't shit
You bought a gin and tonic but you didn't even tip
And if you hit the table one more time then the record might skip-might skip...
I told you, stop hittin' the table.
"Tupac Shakur,
I wrote this rhyme in 1994
I'm not alive!
Thug life!
Dave Chappelle, that ain't your wife
A married man, you've got two kids
Go home!
"I wrote this song a long time ago
A real long time ago
Way before Beanie Sigel had to do a bid
Way before Dave Chappelle had two kids
you ain't gettin no coochie."
This song appeared on Chappelle's Show and is a humorous song that Tupac Shakur is supposed to have written. The fact that it
references events that occurred after his death, including things that happen in the club in the skit, makes it obvious that the song is
not really by Tupac.
  • "If I Could Turn Back the Hands of Time" by R. Kelly
"How did I ever let you slip away
Never knowing that I'll be singing this song someday"
  • "If You Buy This Record Your Life Will Be Better" by The Tamperer
  • "I'll Have to Say I Love You in a Song" by Jim Croce
"Every time I tried to tell you
The words just came out wrong
So I'll have to say I love you in a song"
(Xander) "She clings, she's needy
She's also really greedy
She never --"
(Anya) "His eyes are beady!"
(Xander) "This is my verse! Hello?!"
"Second verse, same as the first" (Improvised; not part of the original music hall song by Fred Murray and R. P. Weston)
"I'm so worried about
Whether people like this song."
"I'm too sexy for this song."
  • "I'm the Man Who Murdered Love", by XTC
"It's the middle of the song..."
"Still I pray to God
This song will end happily."
"I'm feeling like a kid again,
I'm feeling like I just walked in the door,
and with my head on fire
I wrote this song - I don't know who it's for."
A secret all along, unless I've got this wrong
unless she hears this song
unless she hears it
on a tape inside her car
with her new husband and she
turns to him and says "I think that's me"
In the garage
Where I belong
No one hears me sing this song
  • "In The Springtime of His Voodoo" by Tori Amos
"Standin' on a corner in Winslow, Arizona
And I'm quite sure I'm in the wrong song"
  • "Independent Love Song" by Scarlet
"You could say this was an independent love song [...]
You might say this another boring love song"
"Like the words here in this song
We'll go on and on and on with our love"
"I designed this rhyme
To explain in due time"
"My tragic tale I won't prolong,
And if you do not enjoy my song,
You've yourselves to blame if it's too long,
You should never have let me begin, begin,
You should never have let me begin."
  • "Is That All" by U2
"Singing this song makes me angry
"I'm not angry with you
Is that all? is that all? is that all?
Singing this song makes me happy
I'm happy with you
Singing this song makes me dance
Is that all? is that all? is that all?"
"Gotta write a hit I think this is it
It's a hit
And if it's not
Then it's a holiday for a hanging"
"And if I play the same three chords,
Will you just yawn and say
It's all been done"
"This is the theme to Garry's show,
The theme to Garry's show,
Garry called me up and asked if I would write his theme song.
I'm almost halfway finished,
How do you like it so far?
How do you like the theme to Garry's show?"
"This ain’t a song for the broken-hearted"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] J

"Little ditty, about Jack and Diane."
"I'm coming over and I wont be long,
Just let me finish writing this song"
"This is the song that I'm going to be singing to you which is called 'Jesus is the answer'"
"So here go my single, dog, radio needs this
They say you can rap about anything except for Jesus
That means guns, sex, lies, video tape
But if I talk about God my record won't get played"
"All's quiet, except for this song. "
  • "End of my Rainbow" by Jude
"I wrote this song to keep from killing myself
It was all I had left when they said: We found someone else."
"Judy, you're just trying to find and keep the dream of horses
And the song she wrote was 'Judy and the Dream of Horses'"
...
"If you're ever feeling blue
Then write another song about your dream of horses
Write a song about your dream of horses
Call it 'Judy and the Dream of Horses'"
"Second verse, same as the first.
. . .
Third verse, different from the first."
"And I'm wondering who could be writing this song"
  • "Jug of Punch", Traditional & Robert Burns(?)
|           The Jug of Punch
|
| Bein' on the twenty-third of June,
|   As I sat weaving all at my loom,
| Bein' on the twenty-third of June,
|   As I sat weaving all at my loom,
| I heard a thrush, singing on yon bush,
|   And the song she sang was The Jug of Punch.
|
| What more pleasure can a boy desire,
|   Than sitting down beside the fire?
| What more pleasure can a boy desire,
|   Than sitting down beside the fire?
| And in his hand a jug of punch,
|   And on his knee a tidy wench.
|
| When I am dead and left in my mould,
|   At my head and feet place a flowing bowl,
| When I am dead and left in my mould,
|   At my head and feet place a flowing bowl,
| And every young man that passes by,
|   He can have a drink and remember I.
"Yeah, this album is dedicated"
"This song ... is called Justice Is Might
okay it's about ... sonic life ... that's right
...
this song is called Justice is Might"
"Another Damn song, Just another damn song"
"Ah, remember this?
Why, I must have been thirteen when this came out!
Or was it fourteen?
Or was it twenty-two?
I could have been twelve actually."
...
"There are two basses in this. I hope you all appreciate that."
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] K

  • "Karl Nilsson (Sometimes called The life of a boring man) by Povel Ramel


Swedish text
God dag på er alla mitt namn är Karl Nilsson
och jag ville sjunga en visa om mig själv
ty vädret är vackert och klockan är lite
och nu skall ni höra hur i livet det kan gå.
Hör på den som vill, tag lärdom av min sång
ty snart skall jag ta tåget och resa härifrån
Min visa är ny och diktad uti år
Och när jag sjungit den skal jag resa härifrån"
[translation]
"Good day everybody my name is Karl Nilsson
and I wanted to sing a song about myself
because tje weather is beautiful and the clock aint much
And now shall you hear how a life may turn out to be
Listen, everyone who wants and learn of my song
Beauce soon I will take the train and travel away (from here)
My song is new and wrote this year
And when I have sung it I will travel away (from here)"


"This is a public service announcement...
...with guitar!"
"Isn't that what you said?
what you thought this song meant?"
"This is our song of exultant joy"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] L

"So this is the first verse.
It's not very long, but I'm ready to move on."
"This is the last gay song that I will ever write
Oh it's the last gay song that I will ever
It's the last gay song that I will ever write
Oh it's a good thing
It's almost over
But when the chorus is in
Oh when the chorus is in
You know, you know, you know, you know I'm gonna fuck it up
And when the chorus is in
Oh when the chorus is in
Ha ha ha ha"
"This is the last song
This is the last line... goodbye"
"Now all my love is out
It's just for you
It's not a love song
It's the last song for you"
"It's the last song I'll ever write for you
It's the last time that I'll tell you
Just how much I really care
This is the last song I'll ever sing for you
You'll come looking for the light
And it won't be there"
. . .
"So I'll write you one more song
But it's the last time that I'll ever try"
"This is the last song
I'll write about you"
"This is the last song that I will dedicate to you"
"This may be the last thing that I write for long
Can you hear me smiling when I sing this song?
For you and only you"
. . .
"This is the last song"
"This won't be the first time
I ever wrote a song without you
But this will be the last time I ever write about you"
"This song, your song,
is the last song I'll ever do"
"This is the last song
This is the last song I'll sing for you
This is the last song
This is the last song I can give you"
"I was twenty-one years when I wrote this song.
I'm twenty-two now but I won't be for long.
Time hurries on.
And the leaves that are green turn to brown..."
"Sing a song for the wrong
and the wicked and the strong
and the sick as thick as thieves..."
"Yo, Pep, I don't think they're gonna play this on the radio"
"Live a life less ordinary
Live a life extraordinary with me
If I could name you in this song
Would it make you smile and sing along?
This is the goal: to get into your soul"
We got to let the music play
What the people need
Is a way to make ’em smile
It ain’t so hard to do if you know how
Gotta get a message
Get it on through
"They're pretty good musicians
But it don't make no difference
If they're good musicians
Because anybody who would buy this record
Doesn't give a fuck if there's good musicians on it
Because this is a stupid song
and that's the way I like it."
"I hope those cigarettes gonna make you cough
I hope you hear this song, and it pissed you off
I take that back, I hope you're doing fine
And if I had a dollar, I might give you ninety-nine
Little miss, little miss, little miss can’t be wrong
What’cha gonna do to get into another one of these
rock ’n’ roll songs?"
"I swear 'Looters' Follies' has never sounded so good."
I wrote this song for you, to show how I'm selling out...
"I don't believe these words I'm singing…"
"Lost in this world
I even get lost in this song"
"Now this here's a story about an escaped convict called long-gone lost John
It's got a nice chorus so...if anybody wanna join in: hear the way it goes..."
. . .
"If anybody asks you who sung the song,
tell 'em Lonnie Donegan been here and gone"
  • "Love Is How Y Make It" by Gong
"That is why we sing this song, and why there is a band called Gong"
  • "Love Song" by k-os
"Contrary to popular belief, this is not a love song"
"I'm gone, but I just want you to know
(Love song)
This is not a love song that I want to sing"
"Just for you here's a Love Song
Just for you here's a Love Song
And it makes me glad to say it's been a lovely day
And it's OK"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] M

"This is the story of Ma Baker,
the meanest cat from ol' Chicago town"
"Chorus:" (just before first chorus)
"We talked until the moon came up
About how life without love
Isn't worth very much
Then I played this song"
"You know I'd like to get to know you
but I ain't got the time, and I'm
I'm findin' it harder and harder
to make this damn thing rhyme"
  • "Medio-Core" by NOFX
"This song sounds like fifteen you've heard before
It's Medio-Core"
"And can't the band play on
Just listen, they play my song"
"Until hell freezes over, Maybe you can wait that long
But I don’t think Ronnie Milsap’s gonna ever record this song"
"Merciful God, this is a prayer…"
"If there's one point we'd like to make
With this festive holiday song,
It's that Christmas comes just once a year,
So for a few days, for crying out loud,
Can we all just get along?!"
"Here comes another song about Mexico
I just can't help myself
. . .
Here comes the same old verse about Mexico
We just can't help ourselves"
  • "A Miracle Of Science" by JetPlane Landing
"I am not afraid
of repeating the last line.
I am not afraid..."
"In case you're wondering we're singing
about growing up..."
"This is the first song for your mix tape
and it's short just like your temper"
"Song's not over yet"
"I'm writing desperate songs
while you're fast asleep inside"
"Mother, do you think they'll drop the bomb?
Mother, do you think they'll like this song?"
"Have you ever heard the words
I'm singing in these songs?"
This particularly rapid, unintelligible patter
Isn't generally heard, and if it is it doesn't matter
This was supposed to be my first single
But I just fucked that off so
Fuck it lets all have fun, let's mingle
I realize it's no one's fault
Ultimately I'm still a stranger
Even when I dream the same dream swarming in the light
I just feel uncomfortable

(There are more through-out the song)

I hope she's doing alright
I got no way to know
Unless she gets to hear this song
Hear it on the radio"
I hate to let other people hear me sing this song
If it reaches you before I do
Follow this song to I love you
That’s where you’ll find me
"This, this is our new song
Just like the last one
A total waste of time
My iron lung"
Now you're clean
And so discreet
I won't say a word
But most of all this song is true
Case you haven't heard
The words of this song describe how he plays it, naming the chords, runs, etc. Apparently it started as an exercise he would play before concerts, and then made up words to go with it.
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] N

"Oh Natasha, all I can do
Is write a song for you"
"Never ask us to play this song, or that song about our pants, or our Kitty-Doggie."
"I was 21 years when I wrote this song
I'm 22 now but I won't be for long"
  • "New Happy Birthday Song?" by NOFX
"We all want to embarrass you
That's why we're singing this song"
"I've been waiting for so long
To come here now and sing this song
...
This is a song to all my friends"
"This isn't the last song
There's no violin
The choir is quiet
And no-one takes a spin
This is the next to last song
And that's all"
"I wrote about you baby in this song
‘Cause I want to get next to you"
  • "The Nicest Girl I Know" by Vroom
"Your hair is soft, your skin's snow white
Like a clouded day, like the stars at night
Your eyes are blue like the sky in June
My love is true that's why I wrote this song for you
All I ever wanted was to see your face again"
"So I woke up in the morning,
With an idea for a song,
And I knew that this would come out,
And I knew it wouldn't be long"
  • "No E" by Songs To Wear Pants To
"This is a rap song in which
no lyrics contain that fifth capital"
  • "No Language in Our Lungs" by XTC
I would have made this instrumental
But the words got in the way
No Bad Religion song can make your life complete
I can't listen to the quiet
So I'll hum this mindless tune
I stole from some dumb country rock star
And I don't even know his name
The nothin' song sticks to your mouth
Like peanut butter on the brain
Nothin' ever stays the same
"Here's another song for Brenda
Yeah another tune for Josh and Joe
Another postcard from the highway."
Who should be sleeping
but's writing this song
Wishing and hoping
he weren't so damned wrong
  • "No. 1 Song in Heaven" by Sparks: Perhaps the least modest of self-referential songs, "No. 1 Song in Heaven," claims to have been written by God:
This is the Number One Song in Heaven
Written, of course, by the mightiest hand.
  • "Number Three" by They Might Be Giants is a song about writer's block, and how the song was written in spite of there only being "two songs in me". It is the third track on their self-titled album
"There's only two songs in me, and I just wrote the third
Don't know where I got the inspiration or how I wrote the words
Spent my whole life just diggin' up my music's shallow grave
For the two songs in me and third one I just made"
  • "Nitro Burning Funny Bong" by GWAR
"Another stupid stoner song"
  • "Nitro Burning Funny Cars" by Dead Milkmen contains a list of things no one will ever do with or about a nitro burning funny car, including have lunch and go camping. But the capper to the list, and last line of the song, is:
"No one will ever write a song called 'Nitro Burning Funny Cars'"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] O

This is a song, not like the other ones,
secret and selfish and somewhat hollow.
In the middle of this song there seemed to grow another
Of indeterminate length and origin.
To populate a people's song, first you must do something wrong.
If you've never been infirm you can never be strong.
"Please, please, explain to me, how this all has come to be, we forgot to mention something here."
"There's a band playing on the radio
with a rhythm of rhyming guitars.
They're playing
Oh Yeah
on the radio.
And so it came to be our song"
  • "OK I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't" by Brand New
"I hope this song starts a craze
The kind of song that ignites the airwaves
The kind of song that makes people glad
To be where they are, with whoever they're there with
...
Every line is about who I don't wanna write about any more"
  • "Old Shoes (and Picture Postcards)" by Tom Waits
"Well I'm singing this song, cause it's time it was sung
I've been putting it off for a while"
I'll start this off without any words
...
One more special message to go
And then I'm done then I can go home
I'm really not complaining, I realize it's just a job
And I hate hearing belly-aching rock stars whine and sob
'Cause I could be bussing tables, I could well be pumping gas
But I get paid much finer for playing piano and kissing ass
This is one I wrote just and hour ago, and 3.6 at last
This one goes out to the one I love
This one goes out to the one I've left behind
A simple prop to occupy my time
This one goes out to the one I love
"People will know when they see this show
The kind of a guy I am"
Just one more chance
I know I was wrong
Don't give up so easily
Don't you know it's killing me?
Just one more chance, to sing this song
I'll never let you down, no
Just one more chance
"This is just a little samba, built upon a single note"
This is not some Bible like on the road
It's just a song about coming home
When you're listening to this song
You might think that the chords are going wrong
But they're not
He just wrote it like that
And if you aren't shakin'
There's something very wrong
'Cause this may be the last time
You hear the boogie song, ohhh
  • "Open Road Song" by Eve 6
"My pile shakes as I hit eighty on the open road
This is an open road song"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] P

"And Eddie, I miss you more than all the others,
This song is for you my brother"
"Now it's time for this song to end"
  • "Pilgrims, Martyrs, and Saints" by David J
"Don't stone the martyr
It'll only make him strong
He's a stone's throw from the masochist
And an arm's length from this song"
"Early mornin' sunrise come and pull the song from me
So I can turn away and rest my tired eyes
I can't escape the haunting of a lonely melody
It runs around and `round without a compromise
So where you gonna go, what you gonna do
You know I can't say no, can't say good-bye to you
I can't stop the flow 'till you've decided to"
(The entire song is about itself)
(Wheeler couldn't fall asleep until she wrote this song)
Won’t you play some simple melody?
Like my mother sang to me.
One with a good old fashioned harmony.
Play some simple melody.
Do me a favor, would you sing this to me slow?
Cause I'm thinking it's my song
  • "Please Don't Release This Song" by Mitch Benn is a supposed lost John Lennon track in which he begs the record company not release it posthumously.
Please don't release this song
Just 'cos I'm dead and gone
You know I wasn't satisfied with it
If I'd meant it to be heard
I'd have finished off the words
Instead of da-da-da-da-da this bit
  • "Please Play This Song on the Radio" by NOFX
"We wrote this song, it's not too short, it's not too long
It's got backup vocals in just the right places
It's got a few oohs and ahhs
And it takes a little pause
"This song is a poem to myself
It helps me to live"
"Jenny played keyboard, Johnny played drums,
Called little baby and a big bonhomme
Everybody tell me have you heard? pop goes the world.
It goes something like this: (p p p pop)"


"- D'abord ta chanson elle march'ra jamais
pissque elle rime même pas,
et pi y a même pas un refrain,
c'est pas populaire, eh ! banane !!!
- C'est vrai qu'elle est un peu baclée,
c'est parc'que sur mon disque
des chansons j'en avais qu'neuf,
et y m'en fallait dix !!!
"- Anyway your song will never chart
'Cause it doesn't even rhyme
And there's not even a chorus
That's not popular, hey! stupid!!!
-True, it's a bit rushed
That's because on my record
I only had nine songs
And I needed ten!!!"


"Third verse, same as the first"
"I could be right
I could be wrong
I feel nice when I sing this song"
"There are so many other fuckin' robots out there
and this is just a punk rock song"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] Q

  • "Que fait-tu lá, Petula?" written and recorded by Petula Clark, about the British public's reaction to her French stardom
"en esta frase sólo pido tu perdón
por qué no escribo algo mejor"
(Translation: "In this line, I'm asking you to forgive me
For not writing something better")
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] R

"R-A-D-I-O, my radio
Play my song forever"
  • "Radio Song" by Jet
"This won't be played on your radio tonight"
"Dance slowly, prance slowly,
While you hear that pretty rag.
Dance slowly, prance slowly,
Now you do the real Slow Drag."
"Nothing to hold on to
We'll use this song to lead you on
And break the truth with more bad news. . ."
"Won't you help me sing, this song of freedom"
"So I went to the park, took some paper along
And that's where I made this song."
  • "Referee's Alphabet" by Half Man Half Biscuit which is a recited alphabetical list to music as given by a fictional football referee. Blackwell also remarks on the bird noises played over the song.
"W is for Walter Pidgeon whose Mr. Griffiths in How Green was My Valley
I may have started to sound like during this song"
"Whatever happens
If we're still speaking
Pick up the phone
Play me this song."
"Reuben James
In my song you live again
And the phrases that I rhyme
Are just the footsteps out of time
From the time when I knew you
Reuben James
[...]
Just to sing one last refrain for Reuben James"
What happened to this song we once knew so well?
Signed promise for moments caught within the spell
I must have waited all my life for this moment
  • "Ridin' Topless" by Ja Ja Ja (Downes Nystrom)
Well some lines do and some will never rhyme
And some cars do and some are out of time
And some songs do and this one suits me fine
"I was tweaking by myself one night that's when I wrote this tune"
"Better have you naked by the end of this song [...]
Cause I gotta have you naked by the end of this song"
"Gonna write a little letter
Gonna mail it to my local DJ
It's a jumpin little record
I want my jockey to play
"Roll Over Beethoven"
Gotta hear it again today"
"Please don't wake me from this, my golden slumber
I am proud to be a part of this number"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] S

"And this is not my tune
But it's mine to use"
"I'm writing a song all about you
A true song as real as my tears
But you've no need to fear it
For no one will hear it
'Cause sad songs and waltzes
Aren't selling this year."
"Eis aqui este sambinha, feito numa nota só"
"This is just a little samba, built upon a single note"
[Last line]
"and that's the end of the song"
"Well we got no class
and we got no principles
and we got no innocence
we can't even think of a word that rhymes"
"If a stranger turns up missing, this song is my confession"
Numerous instances, particularly: "You're the secretest song on the album, Secret Song..."


"Dies ist ein wundervolles Lied
Ein bisschen hirnlos, aber schön
Ein wirklich zauberhaftes Lied
Man kann es hörn, aber nicht sehn
. . .
Wir singen hier ein schönes Lied
Hundertprozentig jugendfrei
Kein Wort von Sex oder Gewalt
Diese Zeiten sind vorbei"
"This is a wonderful song
Little bit brainless but lovely
A really glamorous song
You can't see it but hear
. . .
Here we sing a lovely song
100% adaptable for youth
Not one word about sex or violence
This time is over"


  • "Señorita With a Necklace of Tears" by Paul Simon
If I could play all the memories
In the neck of my guitar
I’d write a song called
“Señorita With a Necklace of Tears”
(spoken intro)
Dressed only in clothes
From her head to her toes
This is the way
The talking part goes
As if this happening wasn't enough
I got to go and write a song just to remind myself how bad it sucked.
  • "Shortest Song In the World" by Ronny Light & Kenny Price
This is the shortest song in the world
  • "Si El Norte Fuera El Sur" ("If the North were the South") by Ricardo Arjona
"Si el norte fuera el sur...
seria la misma porquería,
yo cantaría un rap
y esta canción no existiría"
"If the north were the south
I would play the same crap
I would sing a rap
And this song would not exist"
This is the first verse
This is the first verse
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 that I'm singing
This is the second verse
Or it may the last verse
This is the second verse
Or it may the last one
And this is the chorus
Or perhaps it's a bridge
Or just another key change
Never mind
It doesn't hurt
It only means that I lost faith in this song
'Cause it won't help me reach you...
  • "Silly Love Songs" by Wings
"You'd think that people would have had enough of silly love songs.
But I look around me and I see it isn't so.
Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs.
And what's wrong with that?
I'd like to know, 'cause here I go again"
I'll try to make this perfectly clear, I'm so transparent I disappear
These words I lyrically defecate upon songs I boldly claim to create
Clint steps in to establish the beat, 4/4 hip-hop and you don't stop
This unique approach to start an EP, intended to shock, create a mystique
A cheap strategy, a marketing scheme, building awareness for the next LP
They've got a good fan base, they've got integrity
They've got a DC sound, Shudder to Think, Fugazi
And Chapel Hill around the early 90s: This is the latest from Saddle Creek
Maybe you've been through this before
But it's my first time so please ignore
The next few lines cause they're directed at you
I'm with the skater boy,
I said see you later boy,
I'll be backstage after the show.
I'll be at the studio,
Singing the song we wrote,
About a girl you used to know.
"Give me something strong, and I'll sing this song
...
Give me something wrong, but I'll sing this song"
If you hear this song one million times
it still won't be enough.
"What is this song all about?
Can't figure any lyrics out
How do the words to it go?
I wish you'd tell me, I don't know [...]
It's unintelligible
I just can't get it through my skull [...]
And I forgot the next verse
Oh well, I guess it pays to rehearse
The lyric sheet's so hard to find
What are the words? Oh, nevermind"
"This is my smokin song. It aint very long but guaranteed to get the job done."
"Don't worry what this song would say, you'll never hear it anyway. They won't play this song on the radio, so far, so bad, that's how it goes."
"The rhyme scheme to this song was mostly flawless, it might have made good poetry. It could have bridged the gap between the classes, and overthrown the bourgeoisie. It made a couple points about the future, and how the past was kind of uncool, and if you ever tried to play it backwards, it told the kids to stay in school."
"This song is rad. You could ask your dad. He won't be mad. This song is stupid."
"This is a song about Susan.
This is a song about the way things are.
This is a song about the scary things you see from the corner of your eye."
  • "Something Changed" by Pulp
"I wrote this song two hours before we met,
I didn't know your name or what you looked like yet."
"Where would I be now if we'd never met?
Would I be singing this song to someone else instead?"
"When a canary drives a tractor, something's wrong
When your president's an actor, something's wrong
When your jacket's plagued with dandruff, something's wrong
If you think that this song matters, something's wrong."
  • "(Sometimes I Feel So) Uninspired" by Traffic
"So today you might be down
But by tomorrow you'll be sailing
And you won't even hear these words I speak"
"I betcha think this song is about you"
"This is just another song about it
This is just another song about."
  • "Song About Nuthin'" by Powerman 5000 (the entire song is self-referential
"I'm writing a song for a friend,
a song for a friend who's gone"
Oh, hear this Robert Zimmerman
I wrote a song for you
About a strange young man called Dylan
With a voice like sand and glue
"Here is my song for the asking
Ask me and I will play
So sweetly, I'll make you smile."
  • "Song for the Lonely" by Cher
"This is a song for the lonely, can you hear me tonight?
For the broken hearted, battle scarred
I'll be by your side
And this is a song for the lonely
When your dreams won't come true
Can you hear this prayer
Because someone's there for you"
  • "Song for You" by Fuel
"So I sing this song for you
There's nothing left for me to do"
"I've been so many places in my life and time
I've sung a lot of songs, I've made some bad rhyme
I've acted out my love in stages
With ten thousand people watching
But we're alone now and I'm singin' this song for you"
  • "Song for Whoever" by The Beautiful South, about how his beloved inspired the author to write the song and then make a whole deal of money with it.
"Oh Cathy, Oh Alison, Oh Phillipa, Oh Sue
You made me so much money, I wrote this song for you
Jennifer, Alison, Phillipa, Sue, Deborah, Annabel, too
I wrote this song for you"
"This is a song from the edge of the world..."
  • "A Song From Under The Floorboards" by Magazine
"This is a song from under the floorboards
This is a song from where the wall is cracked
My force of habit, I am an insect
I have to confess I'm proud as hell of that fact"
"Baby this is a / Song / Instead of a kiss..."
"Darlin' this is a / Song / Instead of a touch..."
"It is for those who like to cling
It is to those, to those I sing
Here is a song instead of a clutch
Instead of a moon
Instead of a soothing touch
In the afternoon ..."
"It is so easy
To sing this song about you
What you are is inside of me
Could easily be
Could easily be
Could be expressed through
This sobby pink song about you"
(almost the entire song is self-referential)
  • "The Song that Goes Like This" from Spamalot

Entirely self-referential - almost every line describes the song or the music as it occurs.

"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'll continue singing it forever just because..."
[repeat ad infinitum]
"Hey, hey Woody Guthrie, I wrote you a song
'Bout a funny ol' world that's a-comin' along."
"Songs about songwriting suck so I'm writing a song that's a song about songwriting."
"Laura . . . know this song for always
Laura . . . show this song to no one."
"This song is not for you,
only for people living like we do,
and not for the true."
  • "Songwriter (Part 1)" by Justin Hayward
"Now this ain't the best number
I ever wrote
But I wrote it for you
And you alone.
"So now I go and grab my things, girl, I must be moving on.
I couldn't stand to face you, so I, I guess that's why I wrote this song."
"You're watching Spy Hard!
It's the theme from Spy Hard!"
"This is a sad fucking song
We'll be lucky if I don't bust out crying"
"i bet you think this song is about you
don't you?
don't you?
don't you?
don't you?"
"And go see your mates
And when they don't look happy
Play them this tape"
"Welcome to my Christmas song"
"Whether you're coolin' on the corner
With ya fly bitch
Or laid back in the shack
Play this track"
  • "Still On It" by 7Seconds
Don't worry, I'm still on it, on it.
Still strong and on it, on it.
This song goes on and on and on."
"Wait, man, that's just a lie
it's a lie she tells her friends
there's a real song, a real song
that she wouldn't even admit to herself"
...
"Love has gone away
and there's no one here now
And there's nothing left to say"
"And early morning when I wake up,
I look like Kiss but without the make up,
And that's a good line to take it to the bridge."
"Just a stupid little love song
(3 chords and a microphone)
Just a stupid little love song
(hip hop and rock n' roll)
So sit right down I'll sing this song to you"
"and when you scan the radio
I hope this song will guide you home."
"What do I have to do to get through all of this?
I'm writing it down
I bet you thought this song was about you"
"I'm just a notch in your bedpost
But you're just a line in a song"
  • "Sunday Bloody Sunday" by U2
"How long, how long must we sing this song?"
"To our crazy fans
we wrote this song"
"Sometimes we have a deadline
for writing our songs
Five minutes left to write this one
la, la la, la la, la la la"
"But don't download, go out and buy the record"
"We may be doing something wrong
We could be runnin' a little too long
I guess we'd better end this song
I said I believe in swordfish
(He believes in swordfish)"
"The subtext of this song
I've thought about it for so long
But it's really not the sort of thing
That people want to hear us sing"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] T

This here's a story 'bout Billy Joe and Bobby Sue
There's not a line that goes here that rhymes with anything
Dwelling on the past, from back when I was young
Thinking of my school days and trying to write this song
This is the theme to Garry's show
The opening theme to Garry's show
Garry phoned me up and asked if I could write a theme song
  • "Te Dedico Mi Cancion" by Rigo Tovar from Volumen 8:¡Oh, qué gusto de volverte a ver!
Esta cancion de amor
te la dedico a ti
Es de mi inspiracion
para ti solamente
english translation
(This song of love)
(I dedicate to you)
(It's from my inspiration)
(solely for you)
Because in this life that he leads
There's nowhere for George and his library
Or the son with his gun to belong
Except in this song
  • "Tennessee Bird Walk" by Jack Blanchard
Oh, remember me, my darling when spring is in the air,
And the bald headed birds are whispering everywhere.
When you see them walking southward in their dirty underwear,
That's the Tennessee Bird Walk.
  • "Tennessee Waltz" written by Redd Stewart
I was waltzing with my darlin' to the Tennessee Waltz
When an old friend I happened to see
I introduced him to my loved one and while they were waltzing
My friend stole my sweetheart from me.
I remember the night and the Tennessee Waltz
Now I know just how much I have lost
Yes I lost my little darlin' the night they were playing
The beautiful Tennessee Waltz.
When I started this song, I was still thirty-three
  • "These Words" by Natasha Bedingfield
These words are my own
Threw some chords together
The combination D-E-F
It's who I am, it's what I do
And I was gonna lay it down for you
I try to focus my attention
But I feel so A-D-D
If the love that I got for you is gone
If the river I've cried ain't that long
Then I'm wrong yeah I'm wrong
This ain't a love song
Hey now, hey now now
Sing This Corrosion to me
Hey now, hey now now now
This is just a modern rock song,
This is just a tender affair,
I count 'three, four' and then we start to slow,
Because a song has got to stop somewhere.
This is not a song about politics
This is not a song about sex
This song is not about old James Dean
'Cos he's mentioned in too many songs already, my friend
This is a song I wrote especially for you...
"This is for all you girls, about thirteen…"
… and many variations on this theme.
"This one's for the ladies,
Who wait for us after the shows
They star in our videos
Cause without 'em this gig would be nothing;"
"This one'll never sell, they'll never understand
I don't even sing it well, I try but I just can't
But I sing it every night and I fight to keep it in
'cause this one's for you, this one's for you"
"This song will need you when you're old,
This song will heat you when you're cold,
Believe you when I don't,
This song will heal you from your soul."
"Although I wrote this song for you,
This song is for me too."

The entire song is about the song and the methods used in its singing. Example:

"This is the first verse of this song
It sets the beat, and it starts out strong"
"This song has nothing tricky about it
This song ain't black or white and as far as I know
Don't infringe on anyone's copyright"
"This song is all I have to give now
Nothing more to say
Words are running out, there's no more
Carry me back"
  • "This Song Brought To You By A Falling Bomb" by Thursday
"This song has been brought to you by a falling bomb."

(last line of song)

"Oh, this song's got no title, just words and a tune"
  • "(This Song's Just) Six Words Long" by "Weird Al" Yankovic - Even though the title is a falsehood, the lyrics in the song refer to themselves constantly. Parody of "Got My Mind Set On You" as performed by George Harrison
"This song's got nothin' to say
But I'm recording it anyway"
  • "Those Damn Blue Collar Tweakers" by Primus
Now the flame that burns twice as bright
Burns only half as long
My eyes are growing weary
As I finalize this song
Wish somebody'd help me write this song.
"The time is gone, the song is over,
thought I'd something more to say".
"... and now our song is done!"
Heavily self-referential song that parodies a typical Boy band band ballad, including lines like:
"Repetition of the title of the song"
"This song's in his memory,
Immortal Tommy K"
"This is a song about a superhero named Tony
It's called Tony's Theme"
"I'm tryin' to right my wrongs,
But it’s funny those same wrongs helped me write this song"
"This is not the greatest song in the world, no.
This is just a tribute.
Couldn't remember the greatest song in the world, no, no.
This is a tribute, oh, to the greatest song in the world"
Why do I find it hard to write the next line?
  • "Turn Around" by They Might Be Giants repeatedly references the narrator singing the song, or having it sung to him.
"And then the ghost of my dance instructor
Pushed me down into an open grave
And as the dirt rained down she played a xylophone and sang me this song"
"This kind of a story has no snazzy end
It's in the telling you really need an ear to bend
So much for the story of somebody so bad
Living invisible, trying not to make anybody mad"
"Daddy please hear this song that I sing"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] U

  • "U Got It Bad" by Usher
I've been there, done it, humped around
After all that, this is what I found
Nobody wants to be alone
If you're touched by the words in this song
Then baby...
"Uncle Dave, he misbehaved
He said he didn't like this song
Even though he said he didn't like this song
That don't mean he won't sing along"
  • "Under The Influence" by Eminem
"So you can suck my dick if you don't like my shit
Cos I was high when I wrote this
So suck my dick"
"This song is here
To keep you strong"
"It's been so long to write this song
But that's what it takes"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] V

"What else is new?
What could I do?
But sing this valley winter song I wrote for you"
  • "Vivir sin aire," by Maná:
"Me encantaría matár está canción"


"Vóór de release van de vorige, yo, was dees al in de maak
't Is al te laat (zeker weten) want ik heb 'm al af
Snel he, gast? Ja, ik heb mezelf zelfs verrast"
"Before the release of the previous one, yo, this one was already in production
It's already too late (I'm sure) because I have already finished it
Isn't that fast, homie? Yes, I have even surprised myself"


Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] W

(Willow) "I think this line's mostly filler"
This is a song
For my warriors.
Maybe I'd impress her by being in a band and
Maybe if I act real tough she'd let me hold her hand and
Maybe I'll win her heart by writing this song about her
They'll be happy to know that as I saw you go
You were singing this song.
We'll meet again, don't know where, don't know when.
I didn't write the words you hear me singing
I didn't sing the line before this one
You were not the one I was addressing
That person took a train to Africa
"This is a weeping song
A song in which to weep
While all the men and women sleep
This is a weeping song
But I won't be weeping long"
I'm just a man, I'm not a hero
Just a boy, who's meant to sing this song
Just a man, I'm not a hero
I -- don't -- care
We've got the right to choose, and
There ain't no way we'll lose it
This is our life, this is our song
"The pain reflected in this song
ain't half of what I'm feeling inside..."
  • "West End Musical" by Mitch Benn is a series of brief songs describing the clichés of musicals in the appropriate style
This is the great big opening song
The kind that Lloyd Webber writes and arranges
"I couldn't tell you
I was wrong;
Chickened out, grabbed a pen and a paper,
Sat down, and I wrote this song."
"It's all very good at first
All the beer and cocaine
I'm on the beach in the first verse
With my kid and no fame"
"I apologize to any of the parents of the kids who bought this album, and to the kids, and to their pets for having to listen to this. Especially this song. It's terrible."
"And you won't find me singin' on this song when I'm gone
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here"
  • "When I'm With You" by Sparks
"It's the break in the song
When I should say something special"
  • "Where It's At" by Beck
"That was a good drum break..."
"I'm gonna sing on this song that I wrote..."
"But she met me, she led me, and I ate what was fed me, 'til I purged every word from this song"
"That's the moss in the aforementioned verse."
"What would you think if I sang out of tune,
would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song,
and I'll try not to sing out of key."
"This is no song for the dislocated"
"Is everybody ready for the single
And it goes ah, la la la"
This is just a, simple song
That I've made for you on my own,
If anyone should ask you who composed this song
Say it was I and I sing it all day long"
"Listen to me while I sing this song
"You might just think the words are wrong"
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] X

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] Y

"I came along, I wrote a song for you, and all the things you do, And it was called 'Yellow.'"
"I don't know no love songs
and I can't sing the blues anymore,
but I can sing this song,
and you can sing this song when I'm gone."
"By the time you hear this I may well be dead
And you my friend might be next
'Cause we're all gonna die."
"You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you"
"Let's all get up and dance to a song that was a hit
Before your mother was born"
"My gift is my song and this one's for you. You can tell everybody that this is your song."
"Well a few of the verses well they've got me quite cross
But the sun's been kind while I wrote this song
It's for people like you that keep it turned on."
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] Z

Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


[edit] See also

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../l/i/s/List_of_self-referential_songs.html"