If you know me, you know that I’ve devoted a massive chunk of my brain to music. No, not learning music theory or and instrument or even becoming a high-end stereo aficionado.

I mean I was glued to rock stations since roughly 1981. Classic, hard, alternative, country, if it had “rock” after any of those, I listened.

So, if you’re still reading, I played a game on Twitter asking people to name songs from a band that referenced other songs from that band. I’ve had a few rolling around my head for a few decades. Let’s get into it, shall we?

First up, the OG of self-referencing songs, The Beatles. Glass Onion and Savoy Truffle both did this.

I think Steve Miller wanted in on the action with Space Cowboy.

I think that must have inspired Steve Miller with “Space Cowboy”. “I told you about livin’ in the USA don’t you know I’m a Gangster of Love.”

Another serial self-song-stealer is none other than Sting, both in his solo work and with The Police.

“It’s a big enough umbrella, but it’s always me that ends up getting wet.” Sting used it in The Police’s “Magic” and called back to it in “O My God”

My personal favorite one of these is The Kinks’ Young Conservatives. He’s poking fun at Thatcherism and the Reagan years. It didn’t hurt that I was a Young Conservative myself and yes, I’m aware that the song isn’t an homage.

Davies slyly works a couple of older songs into his wry yet upbeat resignation. Just one example “It’s got to stop before it goes to fa-fa-fa-far.” That’s a David Watts reference, BTW.

My last one if also a huge personal favorite. The Who’s The Punk and the Godfather. The “punk” is actually the lyric in “My Generation” and he even says so. “But I grew and I bent Don’t you know? don’t it show? I’m the punk with the stutter. My my my my my mmmm my my my. GGGGG-g-g-g-g generation.”

Here are some others from Twitter friends.

Well have to take your word for it.

No video for that one.

I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did putting it together.