PSB songs that quote other artists' lyrics

[Ramzy]

I'm starting this thread having not been able to find anything similar in Geowayne's otherwise pretty exhaustive collection of PSB lists - how many PSB songs can we find where Neil's lyrics quote other songs deliberately, or at least in a way that could be deliberate?

The obvious example is "somebody spoke and I went into a dream" from Metamorphosis, which Neil has explicitly said is taken from The Beatles' A Day in the Life.

But there's two more I would make a case for. The first is "you may not always love me" in Why Don't We Live Together, which could very well be lifted from the first line of The Beach Boys' God Only Knows: I remember Neil choosing it as one of three records to play when they appeared on a radio show to promote Release in 2002 (one of the others was Crying at the Discotheque).

And the final one I can think of, which is maybe the biggest stretch, is "like an unmade bed" in A New Bohemia - which intentionally or otherwise quotes In My Room by Troye Sivan. Of course this is also a Tracey Emin reference and ordinarily I'd have dismissed the Troye link as a coincidence but Neil did list the Troye album in question as one of his favourites last year, and the back cover of the album (in some formats, anyway) actually depicts an unmade bed. The question is were the lyrics for A New Bohemia written before Troye's album came out in October 2023? It seems likely, so maybe this one is a red herring after all.

Anyway, can anyone think of any more where the quotation is substantial and unusual enough to appear deliberate, or at least subconscious? (I wouldn't count cliches or very short phrases that can't really be said to belong to one song in particular.)

[Straight_Talker]

“I stood at the kitchen sink, my radio played
Songs like Tainted Love and Love is Strange”

Yeah, they’re song titles, but that’s all I’ve got!

[Straight_Talker]

“I stood at the kitchen sink, my radio played
Songs like Tainted Love and Love is Strange”

“Please, please me’s Number One”

Yeah, they’re song titles, but that’s all I’ve got!

[Dog]

Good topic.

Hit music: “I’ve been working hard all day to pay those bills I’ve got to pay” is a lift from ABBA’s Money, Money, Money.

“We’re going home” in Home and dry is from The Beatles “Two Of Us”.

A new bohemia takes the line “is everyone gay?” From Bowie’s Buddha of Suburbia.

Shouting in the evening takes “oh what a feeling” from Lionel Richie’s Dancing On The Ceiling.

[Vintage Youth]

'Lost in bed and float upstream' from The Way It Used to Be invokes both I'm Only Sleeping and Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles.

[Constantin V.]

Searching for the face of Jesus

Lyrics from Madonna's song I want you.

[Ramzy]

Searching for the face of Jesus

Lyrics from Madonna's song I want you.

It's Marvin Gaye! But yes, good one. I was thinking more lines that are hidden in the lyrics - I Want You, and That's The Way I Like It in Party Song, are a bit more obvious, I suppose.

[Dog]

Searching for the face of Jesus

Lyrics from Madonna's song I want you.

It's Marvin Gaye! But yes, good one. I was thinking more lines that are hidden in the lyrics - I Want You, and That's The Way I Like It in Party Song, are a bit more obvious, I suppose.

It’s actually Between two islands.

[Ramzy]

Searching for the face of Jesus

Lyrics from Madonna's song I want you.

It's Marvin Gaye! But yes, good one. I was thinking more lines that are hidden in the lyrics - I Want You, and That's The Way I Like It in Party Song, are a bit more obvious, I suppose.

It’s actually Between two islands.

Whoops, of course it is. It's all filed under "I Get Along" in my head.

[dylanww73]

A new bohemia takes the line “is everyone gay?” From Bowie’s Buddha of Suburbia.

New London Boy

[Dog]

A new bohemia takes the line “is everyone gay?” From Bowie’s Buddha of Suburbia.

New London Boy

Of course, thanks

[telys]

Happiness is an Option:
"Everyone singing ‘War, what is it good for?’
while planning the next one?"

I guess they quote The Tempation's song (although covered by several other artists).

[Ramzy]

Happiness is an Option:
"Everyone singing ‘War, what is it good for?’
while planning the next one?"

I guess they quote The Tempation's song (although covered by several other artists).

Nice one!

[Drico One]

Eu quero espantar a dor
Para outro lugar
Se a vida é
Tão pura é

Olodum - Estrada da paixão

[Sandy Shaw]

I'm your puppet.. ..
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I%27m_Your_Puppet


By coincidence At the Dark End of the Street is a co-write from Dan Penn who co-wrote I'm Your Puppet too!