There’s something cool about musicians quoting themselves. While there are many more than three examples, these are just some of my favorites. How about you? Let’s get a long list going so someone can write a book about the subject. Give us the lyric and the two songs. (Try not to include concept album lyrics, like The Wall, or something, where songs come back throughout the album in different permutations.)
1a. “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” by the Police
Released on the 1981 album, Ghost in the Machine, this top-10 hit features the following lyric: Do I have to tell the story/
Of a thousand rainy days/
Since we first met?/
It’s a big enough umbrella/
But it’s always me that ends up getting wet
1b. “O My God” by the Police
Following up in 1983 with one of their best-selling albums, Synchronicity, Sting used the same exact lyric toward the end of the song “O My God.” (He’d go on to use it AGAIN on his solo album Ten Summoner’s Tales in the track “Seven Days.”)
2a. “Sexx Laws” by Beck
Put out in late 1999, as Y2K fears ridiculously gripped the world, Midnight Vultures contains two songs with the same lyric. Here it is first, in its most famous incarnation, off the first song on the album: I’m a full-grown man/But I’m not afraid to cry
2b. “Debra” by Beck
A totally different type of tune altogether, “Debra” is the final song on the album and contains every word in the above referenced lyric, hold the last (“cry”).
3a. “She Loves You” by The Beatles
Released as a single in 1963, “She Loves You” is one of The Beatles all-time most popular tracks. In the U.K., it’s still the best-selling Beatles single ever.
3b. “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles
Magical Mystery Tour came out four years later, and featured the hit “All You Need is Love.” If you listen closely, you can hear the orchestra playing “Greensleeves” in the background (and elsewhere in the track, a lick from Glenn Miller’s “In the Mood” and a little bit from Bach, as well.)
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In the background of the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer,” you can also hear “Frere Jacques.”
posted by Steven on 7-7-2009 at 9:50 am
Pearl Jam:
(1991) Porch – “there aint gonna be any middle anymore”
(2002) 1/2 Full – “there aint gonna be, no middle anymore, it’s been said before”
posted by Hank on 7-7-2009 at 10:20 am
Try finding some recycled music.
The Doors’ “Five To One,” Kiss’s “She” and Pearl Jam’s “Alive” all contain the same 8-bar guitar solo. Now THAT’s freakin’ weird. But there’s alot to be said for imitation/flattery, so I don’t think it’s plagiarism IMO.
posted by Bubba on 7-7-2009 at 10:34 am
RA: Do You Call My Name (2003) and The Only One(2005). First line in the second verse in both songs: “So you just sit there stuck afraid to risk reality”
posted by Jack P. on 7-7-2009 at 10:52 am
Eurythmics’ “17 Again” quotes “Sweet Dreams.”
posted by Jix on 7-7-2009 at 10:58 am
Don’t know if this totally counts…
1) Jason Mraz has a song called “The Remedy” from 2004 with lyrics that go “The remedy is the experience…”
2) Later in his song “Wordplay” (2005) he says “I’ve got your remedy/For those who don’t remember me.”
posted by Kyla on 7-7-2009 at 11:00 am
This may be streching it…
1) Bush (Gavin Rossdale)- Dead Meat
“I’ll burn before I mellow”
2) No Doubt (Gwen Stefani)- Ex-Girlfriend
“You say you’re gonna burn before you mellow”
I’ve always loved that I noticed the intentional use of that lyric.
posted by K on 7-7-2009 at 11:26 am
This post reminded me of the Hold Steady, the most self-referential band of all time. There are about a dozen elements in Craig Finn’s songwriting that come up innumerable times throughout all of their albums as well as in those of his old band, Lifter/Puller. For example:
“Certain Songs” has “…hard drunks are for bartenders and the kitchen workers and the bartender’s friends”
“Cattle and the Creeping Things” has “…tripping is for teenagers, murder is for murderers and hard drunks are for bartenders. I think I might’ve mentioned that before.”
But, really, hardly any of their songs don’t contain an element used in another song.
posted by Jon on 7-7-2009 at 11:28 am
Dave Matthews repeats “rain on me” in a few songs (“Dreams of our Fathers”, “Little Thing”)
He also addresses at least two of his songs to Grace (“When the World Ends”, “Grace is Gone”)
posted by Bryan on 7-7-2009 at 11:43 am
A pretty obvious one is Britney Spears’ “Baby One More Time” and “Stronger”
“Baby One More Time”
“my loneliness is killin’ me/and I, I must confess I still believe…”
“Stronger”
“my loneliness ain’t killin’ me no more/I’m stronger…”
posted by Marisa Gesualdi on 7-7-2009 at 11:52 am
The lyrics for Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You Falettinme Bee Mice Elf Agin” includes the names of a number of the band’s hits (Everyday People, Sing a Simple Song, You Can Make It If You Try).
James Brown also included song titles in lyrics to subsequent songs, and Parliament had a number of familiar themes (the need for the funk, the dangers of losing or contaminating the funk, etc.) that were liable to turn up in any of its songs.
posted by Patrick on 7-7-2009 at 11:59 am
I thought for sure Bruce Springsteen would have some, but couldn’t think of any. He just recycles phrases (“promised land”, “the river”, “the price you pay”, “out in/on the streets”)
posted by Josh on 7-7-2009 at 12:09 pm
Genesis: Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (1973) ends with,”They say the lights are always bright on Broadway. They say there’s always magic in the air.” George Benson: On Brodway (1977) starts with, “They say the (NEON) lights are brith on Broadway. They say there’s always magic in the air.” Hmmmmmmmmm If someone can get a few $100,000 from McDs for spilling hot coffee in their lap. What’s this worth??
posted by Droid on 7-7-2009 at 12:25 pm
this isn’t exactly the same as the same band re-using their own lyrics, but still interesting. The bands “Taking Back Sunday” and “Brand New” used the same lyrics in their songs “There’s No ‘I’ In Team”(TBS) and “Seventy Times 7″(BN). The lyrics are “Is this what you call tact? You’re as subtle as a brick in the small of my back; so let’s end this call and end this conversation…” Jesse Lacey (brand new) and John Nolan (TBS) used to be friends back in the day and were even founding members of taking back sunday before jesse split to form the band the rookie lot, then eventually brand new. There was a falling out between the two over a girl and the resulting songs were their way of getting back at each other. If you listen to the rest of the songs, you can really get a sense of the disdain they had for each other. However in recent years they have reconciled and are once again friends.
posted by Jon on 7-7-2009 at 12:27 pm
Sting reused the lyrics, ” If you need somebody, call my name” & ” If you wanna keep something precious.” from his song “If You Love Somebody” in the song “We Belong Together”
posted by Ray on 7-7-2009 at 12:36 pm
The Refreshments. ‘Down Together’ “Cars break down and people break down and other things break down, too.” Recycled on their next album on ‘Fonder and Blonder’. Now they are Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers. Best band you’ve never heard of, or best band ever?
posted by Frank on 7-7-2009 at 12:46 pm
Stephen Stills recycled his own Buffalo Springfield lyric “Questions” for “Carry On” on the Deja Vu album.
posted by DC on 7-7-2009 at 1:04 pm
Electric Six uses these lyrics on ‘Improper Dancing’ and ‘Dance-A-Thon 2005′:
I want to reach into the fire of your heart
And I want to program all those beats right from the start.
Have you ever been to New York City?
On their latest album, Flashy, they also reuse a bunch of old lyrics on the song ‘Gar Bar Part 2′, but I think that’s intentional.
posted by Mike on 7-7-2009 at 1:52 pm
At eh end of the song “The Song is Over” on the Who’s “Who’s Next” album, the use the line “there once was a note Pure and Easy, playing so free like a breath rippling by” which was a lyric from the song “Pure and Easy” off of their “Odds and Sods” album. I think Pete was planning on using these on a concept album, but it never came to pass.
posted by harold on 7-7-2009 at 1:52 pm
I submit the entire album “Spirit” by Jewel.
I bought it and liked it when it first came out, then I listened to it one year later and became increasingly annoyed with her overuse of the phrase “fragile flame.”
I may point out that her poetry book that was released at the same time as the album contained similar phrases and imagery. .
Was it deep and artsy? Or was it completely loaded?
I lean toward the latter.
posted by Melissa Webster on 7-7-2009 at 2:06 pm
Neko Case’s song “John saw that number” is referenced in the New Pornographer’s “All the Old Showstoppers” which starts out “When John saw that number, he lied.”
posted by anotherfascist on 7-7-2009 at 2:10 pm
Again Dave Matthews Band- from the “Stand Up” album…and on two songs in a row, no less….
Everybody Wake up:
“And our finest hour arrives
See the pig dressed in his finest vine
And believers stand behind him and smile”
the next song, Out of My Hands:
“Now our finest hour arrives
See the pig dressed in his finest vine
And all the believers stand behind him and smile
As the day lights up with fire”
posted by jen italia on 7-7-2009 at 2:21 pm
“Glass Onion” by The Beatles, anyone? How many times do they quote themselves in that one?
posted by Jake Le Master on 7-7-2009 at 2:23 pm
This doesn’t necessarily fit in with the pattern… but I’ve always loved Bob Dylan’s “Sara” off of “Desire” in which he sings:
“Stayin’ up for days in the Chelsea Hotel, Writin’ ‘Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ for you.”
in reference, of course, to the song, “Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands” which was written about his wife Sara Lowndes. It appears on “Blonde on Blonde.”
posted by Renis on 7-7-2009 at 4:30 pm
Travis had a wonderful B-side called “Standing on my own” in which they sing.
“Cause I’m standing on my own,
And this house is not a home
It’s so sad to see you go,
Things are high, things are low,
And it’s good to know you know,
When you got nowhere to go,
Well, you can spend the night with me.
I will sleep on the settee.”
They reused the whole thing in their recent song “Selfish Jean” except they changed “I will sleep on the settee” to “There will be no guarantees that I’ll be here.”
posted by Leigh on 7-7-2009 at 5:39 pm
I find that Oasis is always using lyrics about running out of time.
Captcha: Riverside Store
posted by Cameron on 7-7-2009 at 7:48 pm
I’ve always liked the end of Sting’s “Love Is The Seventh Wave” where he sings; “Every breath you take/Every move you make/Every cake you bake/Every leg you break.”
posted by Joe Maz on 7-7-2009 at 8:28 pm
Regarding Genesis and the “Broadway” lyrics: Thge lyrics originally come from a song called “On Broadway” from the 60s. Genesis was not the first.
posted by Jeff Campbell on 7-7-2009 at 8:37 pm
Canadian songwriter Spencer Krug has cited previous songs through different bands, notably Swan Lake’s “All Fires” which references Sunset Rubdown’s “They Took a Vote and Said No.”
Sunset Rubdown – “They Took a Vote and Said No”
“Well there are things that have to die
So other things can stay alive
The fire burns, it burns to live
It has to burn alive to give.”
Swan Lake – “All Fires”
“I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again
all fires have to burn alive, to live.”
posted by The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Sunnydale on 7-7-2009 at 10:34 pm
David Lowery while in Camper Van Beethoven used the line “angel all dressed in black” on Eye of Fatima. He modified a bit in Eurotrash Girl, which he recorded in Cracker to angel in black
posted by Scott on 7-8-2009 at 12:11 am
Looks like Sting is big on repeating his lines; aside from the Police songs mentioned in the article and the comment re: the line “if you need somebody…” he also repeated lines from the song “Every Breath You Take” by the Police at the end of his song “The Seventh Wave” on his “Dream of the Blue Turtles” album he can be heard singing: “Every breath you take, every move you make” then playfully adds the lines “Every cake you bake, every leg you break”
posted by Jester on 7-8-2009 at 3:43 am
The bass line in the second Police song referenced is Daytripper by the Beatles.
posted by thom on 7-8-2009 at 3:50 am
Modest Mouse does this pretty often… the best example I can think of is “White Lies Yellow Teeth” and “Spitting Venom” both contain the verse, “you were talking soda pop/you talked it quite a lot/the opinions that I do not give you/the opinions I ain’t got”.
posted by Suzanne on 7-8-2009 at 4:27 am
John Mayer’s first album does this! I loved it.
“My Stupid Mouth”:
I’m never speaking up again
It only hurts me
I’d rather be a mystery than she desert me
Oh, I’m never speaking up again
Starting now
“Your Body is a Wonderland”
I’m never speaking up again
I’ll use my hands
posted by Reese on 7-8-2009 at 9:57 am
My favorite part of “All You Need Is Love” is the “she loves you, yeah yeah yeah” at the end — it kind of brings the Beatles full circle for me. (and makes for an amazing power lyric when signing along in the car…just saying)
:)
posted by Melissa on 7-8-2009 at 10:36 am
Radiohead uses these lyrics in both Myxomatosis and Cuttooth (an Amnesiac B-Side):
I don’t know why I feel so tongue-tied
I don’t know why I feel so skinned alive
posted by Jim F. on 7-8-2009 at 10:55 am
I’ve always liked this one:
Led Zepplin’s “D’yer Mak’er”
Every breath I take, oh oh, oh oh
Oh, every move I make, eh, yeah
The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”
Every breath you take,
Every move you make….
Just always wonder if a young Sting was listening to Zep when I was….
posted by Zane on 7-8-2009 at 11:03 am
…and I’m sure everyone has noticed that almost every song Michael McDonald has written uses the word “fool” or some derivation of it in the lyrics.
posted by Zane on 7-8-2009 at 11:11 am
The Dresden Dolls’ “Backstabber” contains the line:
“Don’t tell me not to reference my songs within my songs”
Does this count as an instant self-reference?
posted by M on 7-8-2009 at 2:13 pm
In The Steve Miller Band’s “The Joker,” he sings:
“Some people call me the space cowboy. / Yeah! Some call me the gangster of love. / Some people call me Maurice, / Cause I speak of the Pompatus of love.”
“Space Cowboy” and “Gangster of Love” are both lines from previous songs by the band.
The “pompatus” line is originally from their song “Enter Maurice,” although the word is more well known from “The Joker.”
For the whole story on this strange word – which I thought was fascinating – click on my name for an article from the Straight Dope.
posted by Jaclyn McKewan on 7-8-2009 at 8:41 pm
“All You Need Is Love” also has a “Yesterday” quotation in it (just the first word, right before “She Loves You” starts). And don’t forget La Marseillaise at the beginning.
posted by Liz on 7-9-2009 at 9:09 pm
In the song “What I got” by Sublime:
Take a small example/Take a tip from me.
Also in “Summertime” by Sublime:
Take a tip, take a tip, take a tip from me.
posted by Michael Ruiz on 7-9-2009 at 9:17 pm
Another for Modest Mouse here.
“I don’t know but I’ve been told you never die and you never grow old” is in, at the very least:
1. A Different City
2. I Came As A Rat
3. 3 Inch Horses, 2 Faced Monsters
posted by Mae on 7-16-2009 at 12:05 am
coldplay says “if you never try then you’ll never know” in two of their songs – i know one is fix you but i can’t remember the other one, it could possibly be clocks but idk
posted by ah ah ahhhhh on 7-30-2009 at 3:30 am
SR-71 has done this in a rather clever way. Their biggest hit, “Right Now,” from the album -Now You See Inside- starts us off:
‘Yeah, she may not be Miss Right, but she’ll do right now.’
Now, on their second album, -Tomorrow-, the song “She Was Dead”:
‘Already told her she’s Miss Right Now, but I wish she was Miss Yesterday.’
I suppose not a truly recycled lyric, but it is a reused theme, and almost a two-part story.
posted by Jason on 8-8-2009 at 1:58 am
! Simon and Garfunkel!
Somewhere They Can’t Find Me: I can hear the soft breathing/of the girl that I love/as she lies here beside me/asleep with the night/and her hair in a fine mist/floats on my pillow/reflecting the glow of the winter moonlight
Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.: I can hear the soft breathing of the girl that I love/As she lies here beside me/Asleep with the Night/And her hair in a fine mist floats on my pillow/Reflecting the glow of the winter moonlight
posted by Tindy on 11-22-2009 at 5:45 am