Difference between revisions of "References To Other Songs Or Musicians"

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=== Lyrical references ===
 
=== Lyrical references ===
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*[[Ana Ng]] - ''"All alone at the '64 World's Fair / Eighty dolls yelling 'Small girl after all'"'' - Disney's '''{{wp|"it's a small world"|It's a Small World}}''' song and ride repeats the line ''"It's a small world after all"'' in . The ride was unveiled at the fair and eventually moved to Disneyland.
+
*[[2017 IFC Welcome]] - Some lyrics borrowed from {{wp|Welcome to the Jungle}} by {{wp|Guns N' Roses}}
 +
*[[Absolutely Bill's Mood]] - Title references '''{{wp|Bob Dylan}}'s''' predilection for prepending irrelevant, emphatic adverbs to song titles (e.g., "{{wp|Absolutely Sweet Marie}}", "{{wp|Positively 4th Street}}", "{{wp|Obviously 5 Believers}}").
 +
*[[Ana Ng]] - ''"All alone at the '64 World's Fair / Eighty dolls yelling 'Small girl after all'"'' - Disney's '''{{wp|"it's a small world"|It's a Small World}}''' song and ride repeats the line ''"It's a small world after all"''. The ride was unveiled at the fair and eventually moved to Disneyland.
 
*[[Ana Ng]] - ''"It's like a whirlpool and it never ends"'' is a reference to the '''{{wp|Tommy Roe}}''' song "Dizzy": ''"My head is spinning, like a whirlpool it never ends."''
 
*[[Ana Ng]] - ''"It's like a whirlpool and it never ends"'' is a reference to the '''{{wp|Tommy Roe}}''' song "Dizzy": ''"My head is spinning, like a whirlpool it never ends."''
 
*[[The Biggest One]] - Lyrics play on '''{{wp|Gloria Gaynor}}''''s "I Will Survive" (''"Change the lock, throw away the key, I will survive"'')
 
*[[The Biggest One]] - Lyrics play on '''{{wp|Gloria Gaynor}}''''s "I Will Survive" (''"Change the lock, throw away the key, I will survive"'')
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*[[Circular Karate Chop]] - The lyric ''"{{wp|Short, sharp shock|short sharp shock}}"'' originally appeared in {{wp|Gilbert and Sullivan}}'s 1885 comic opera ''{{wp|The Mikado}}''. The same phrase has also been used in other musical and literary works.
 
*[[Circular Karate Chop]] - The lyric ''"{{wp|Short, sharp shock|short sharp shock}}"'' originally appeared in {{wp|Gilbert and Sullivan}}'s 1885 comic opera ''{{wp|The Mikado}}''. The same phrase has also been used in other musical and literary works.
 
*[[Damn Good Times]] - ''"She acts like David Lee Roth when he turned 21"'', song itself a reference to '''David Lee Roth''''s "Damn Good" from the 1987 DLR album ''Skyscraper''.
 
*[[Damn Good Times]] - ''"She acts like David Lee Roth when he turned 21"'', song itself a reference to '''David Lee Roth''''s "Damn Good" from the 1987 DLR album ''Skyscraper''.
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*[[Damn Good Times]] - ''"I know a girl who's got a record machine"'' is almost exactly the same as a line from "20 Flight Rock" by '''{{wp|Eddie Cochran}}'''.
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**''"I know a girl who's got a record machine"'' is almost exactly the same as a line from "20 Flight Rock" by '''{{wp|Eddie Cochran}}'''.
 
*[[Dog]] - ''"She's a dog who wrote the book of love"'', likely a reference to "Who Wrote the Book of Love?" by '''The Monotones'''.
 
*[[Dog]] - ''"She's a dog who wrote the book of love"'', likely a reference to "Who Wrote the Book of Love?" by '''The Monotones'''.
 
*[[Fake Out In Buenos Aires]] - ''"Land of a thousand fake outs"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|Wilson Pickett|Land of a Thousand Dances}}'''; ''"Faker's Delight"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|The Sugarhill Gang|Rapper's Delight}}'''; ''"Fake Around The Clock"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|Bill Haley|Rock Around The Clock}}'''
 
*[[Fake Out In Buenos Aires]] - ''"Land of a thousand fake outs"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|Wilson Pickett|Land of a Thousand Dances}}'''; ''"Faker's Delight"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|The Sugarhill Gang|Rapper's Delight}}'''; ''"Fake Around The Clock"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|Bill Haley|Rock Around The Clock}}'''
 +
*[[The Fellowship Of Hell]] - ''"Rock had a baby and they called it 'Aaaah'"'' is likely a reference to the '''{{wp|Muddy Waters}}''' song "The Blues Had a Baby and They Named It Rock and Roll."
 
*[[Free Bird's Rebirth|'''Free Bird''''s Rebirth]] - Reference to the '''{{wp|Lynyrd Skynyrd}}''' song.
 
*[[Free Bird's Rebirth|'''Free Bird''''s Rebirth]] - Reference to the '''{{wp|Lynyrd Skynyrd}}''' song.
 
*[[Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal]] - last verse in which TMBG makes references to several of their own songs ''"Well, I told you about the world - its address"'', ''"Chess Piece Face's patience must be wearing thin"'', etc., mimics the '''Beatles'''' "Glass Onion" ("''I told you about Strawberry Fields"'', etc, in which the Beatles reference themselves)
 
*[[Hey, Mr. DJ, I Thought You Said We Had A Deal]] - last verse in which TMBG makes references to several of their own songs ''"Well, I told you about the world - its address"'', ''"Chess Piece Face's patience must be wearing thin"'', etc., mimics the '''Beatles'''' "Glass Onion" ("''I told you about Strawberry Fields"'', etc, in which the Beatles reference themselves)
 
*[[How Now Dark Cloud?]] - ''"This is the end of the half-written tale / Of a man and the cake and the rain"'' the band's [[It's Not My Birthday|second reference]] to the '''{{wp|Richard Harris (actor)|Richard Harris}}''' single, '''"{{wp|MacArthur Park (song)|MacArthur Park}}"'''. MacArthur Park is a narrative ballad from the point of view of a man whose love affair has ended and contains the line, ''"Someone left the cake out in the rain"''.
 
*[[How Now Dark Cloud?]] - ''"This is the end of the half-written tale / Of a man and the cake and the rain"'' the band's [[It's Not My Birthday|second reference]] to the '''{{wp|Richard Harris (actor)|Richard Harris}}''' single, '''"{{wp|MacArthur Park (song)|MacArthur Park}}"'''. MacArthur Park is a narrative ballad from the point of view of a man whose love affair has ended and contains the line, ''"Someone left the cake out in the rain"''.
−
*[[I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die]] - Twist on ''"Hope I die before I get old"'' from '''{{wp|The Who}}''''s "My Generation"
+
*[[I Hope That I Get Old Before I Die]] - Twist on the line ''"Hope I die before I get old"'' from '''{{wp|The Who}}''''s "My Generation"
 
*[[I Love You For Psychological Reasons]] - Reference to the 1940s standard "{{wp|(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons}}," most famously sung by {{wp|Nat King Cole}}.
 
*[[I Love You For Psychological Reasons]] - Reference to the 1940s standard "{{wp|(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons}}," most famously sung by {{wp|Nat King Cole}}.
 
*[[Impossible]] - ''"Well I'd like to be an octofish"'' may refer to the '''{{wp|Captain Beefheart}}''' song "Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish" from the 1969 album ''{{wp|Trout Mask Replica}}''.
 
*[[Impossible]] - ''"Well I'd like to be an octofish"'' may refer to the '''{{wp|Captain Beefheart}}''' song "Neon Meate Dream of a Octafish" from the 1969 album ''{{wp|Trout Mask Replica}}''.
 +
*[[I Need Some Lovin']] - ''"Tears running down my spine"'' appears (in the slightly altered form of "tears ran down my spine") in '''{{wp|Phil Ochs}}''''s song "Love Me, I'm a Liberal."
 
*[[Iowa]] - ''"And if that broom don't fly / I'm gonna buy you / a Dustbuster"'' is a play on the traditional lullaby '''"{{wp|Hush Little Baby}}"'''.
 
*[[Iowa]] - ''"And if that broom don't fly / I'm gonna buy you / a Dustbuster"'' is a play on the traditional lullaby '''"{{wp|Hush Little Baby}}"'''.
 
*[[It's Not My Birthday]] - ''"When this grey world crumbles like a cake / I'll be hanging from the hope / that I'll never see that recipe again"'' is a play on ''"Someone left the cake out in the rain...and I'll never have that recipe again"'' from '''"MacArthur Park"''' by '''{{wp|Richard Harris (actor)|Richard Harris}}'''.
 
*[[It's Not My Birthday]] - ''"When this grey world crumbles like a cake / I'll be hanging from the hope / that I'll never see that recipe again"'' is a play on ''"Someone left the cake out in the rain...and I'll never have that recipe again"'' from '''"MacArthur Park"''' by '''{{wp|Richard Harris (actor)|Richard Harris}}'''.
 
*[[Let's Get This Over With]] - The line ''"And you know there is no parking on the dance floor"'' is a reference to "No Parking (On the Dance Floor)" by '''{{wp|Midnight Star}}'''.
 
*[[Let's Get This Over With]] - The line ''"And you know there is no parking on the dance floor"'' is a reference to "No Parking (On the Dance Floor)" by '''{{wp|Midnight Star}}'''.
 +
**The line ''"You don't have to go home but you can't stay here"'' may be a reference to '''{{wp|Semisonics}}''''s "Closing Time".
 +
*[[Lincoln, Washington, And That Jefferson Guy]] - Title is a reference to a lyrics from '''{{wp|Bob Dylan}}''''s  "Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues".
 
*[[Lucky Ball & Chain]] - A modified quote of '''{{wp|Darlene Love}}''''s song "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" (''"playing 'Here Comes the Bride' when he walks in the door"''), which itself references {{wp|Bridal Chorus|"The Wedding March (Here Comes the Bride)"}}.
 
*[[Lucky Ball & Chain]] - A modified quote of '''{{wp|Darlene Love}}''''s song "(Today I Met) The Boy I'm Gonna Marry" (''"playing 'Here Comes the Bride' when he walks in the door"''), which itself references {{wp|Bridal Chorus|"The Wedding March (Here Comes the Bride)"}}.
 
*[[Lullabye To Nightmares]] - ''"Lullabye to nightmares, whisper low"'' could be inspired by the 1952 song "{{wp|Lullaby of Birdland}}", covered by numerous artists like {{wp|Ella Fitzgerald}}.
 
*[[Lullabye To Nightmares]] - ''"Lullabye to nightmares, whisper low"'' could be inspired by the 1952 song "{{wp|Lullaby of Birdland}}", covered by numerous artists like {{wp|Ella Fitzgerald}}.
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*[[Money For Dope]] - ''"Autograph from '''{{wp|Julian Cope}}'''"''. The title is a line from the {{wp|John Lennon}} song "{{wp|Gimme Some Truth}}."
 
*[[Money For Dope]] - ''"Autograph from '''{{wp|Julian Cope}}'''"''. The title is a line from the {{wp|John Lennon}} song "{{wp|Gimme Some Truth}}."
 
*[[Mr. Klaw]] - lyrics are a parody of the '''{{wp|Mister Ed|Theme From ''Mister Ed''}}'''  
 
*[[Mr. Klaw]] - lyrics are a parody of the '''{{wp|Mister Ed|Theme From ''Mister Ed''}}'''  
−
*[[Nanobots (Song)|Nanobots]] - reference to the 1967 hit song "{{wp|Pictures of Matchstick Men}}" originally by the English rock band '''{{wp|Status Quo (band)|Status Quo}}'''. It was [[Pictures Of Matchstick Men - Dream Medley|covered by TMBG in 1992]] after being requested.
+
*[[Nanobots (Song)|Nanobots]] - reference to the 1967 hit song "{{wp|Pictures of Matchstick Men}}" originally by the English rock band '''{{wp|Status Quo (band)|Status Quo}}'''. It was covered by TMBG in 1992 after being requested.
 
*[[New Orleans]] - ''"There is a house in New Orleans"'' is a direct quote from the traditional lamentation "House Of The Rising Sun," made perhaps most famous by '''{{wp|The Animals}}''''; style parody of '''{{wp|Ozzy Osbourne}}'''
 
*[[New Orleans]] - ''"There is a house in New Orleans"'' is a direct quote from the traditional lamentation "House Of The Rising Sun," made perhaps most famous by '''{{wp|The Animals}}''''; style parody of '''{{wp|Ozzy Osbourne}}'''
 
*[[Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes]] - The title is a reference to "nothing's gonna change my world," a line from the '''Beatles''' song "{{wp|Across the Universe}}".
 
*[[Nothing's Gonna Change My Clothes]] - The title is a reference to "nothing's gonna change my world," a line from the '''Beatles''' song "{{wp|Across the Universe}}".
 
*[[Pencil Rain]] - ''"The possible dream"'' is a parody of the famous line ''"The impossible dream"'' from the musical version of '''''{{wp|Man of La Mancha|Don Quixote}}''''' (and, of course, TMBG's namesake comes from a cinematic reference to the same)
 
*[[Pencil Rain]] - ''"The possible dream"'' is a parody of the famous line ''"The impossible dream"'' from the musical version of '''''{{wp|Man of La Mancha|Don Quixote}}''''' (and, of course, TMBG's namesake comes from a cinematic reference to the same)
 +
*[[Puppets Gonna Fuck You Up]] - One line makes reference to {{wp|Cher|Cher's}} "{{wp|Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves}}".
 
*[[Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head]] - ''"Quit my job down at the carwash, didn't have to write no one a goodbye note"'' similar to ''"I quit my job down at the carwash, left my mother a goodbye note"'' in "{{wp|Guitar Man (song)|Guitar Man}}", made famous by '''Elvis Presley'''
 
*[[Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head]] - ''"Quit my job down at the carwash, didn't have to write no one a goodbye note"'' similar to ''"I quit my job down at the carwash, left my mother a goodbye note"'' in "{{wp|Guitar Man (song)|Guitar Man}}", made famous by '''Elvis Presley'''
 
*[[Sally Boy Candy Bar]] - Quotes lyrically and melodically from the line ''"I've been told when a boy kiss a girl"'' from the song "Boys" by '''{{wp|The Shirelles}}''' and '''The Beatles'''.
 
*[[Sally Boy Candy Bar]] - Quotes lyrically and melodically from the line ''"I've been told when a boy kiss a girl"'' from the song "Boys" by '''{{wp|The Shirelles}}''' and '''The Beatles'''.
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*[[The World Before Later On]] - ''"Where's our space face"'' references the term coined by '''David Bowie''' in "Moonage Daydream".
 
*[[The World Before Later On]] - ''"Where's our space face"'' references the term coined by '''David Bowie''' in "Moonage Daydream".
 
*[[You'll Miss Me]] - ''"It must be raining 'cause a man ain't supposed to cry"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|Dee Clark}}''''s 1961 hit "Raindrops."
 
*[[You'll Miss Me]] - ''"It must be raining 'cause a man ain't supposed to cry"'' is a reference to '''{{wp|Dee Clark}}''''s 1961 hit "Raindrops."
−
*[[You're On Fire]] - ''"The lights are low / The music is extremely loud"'' would appear to be an oblique reference to '''{{wp|ABBA}}'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "{{wp|Dancing Queen}}": ''"Lights are low and the music's high"''; [[John Linnell]] has expressed an [[Songs I Tried To Resist|undesired affection]] for the song
+
*[[You're On Fire]] - ''"The lights are low / The music is extremely loud"'' would appear to be an oblique reference to '''{{wp|ABBA}}'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s "{{wp|Dancing Queen}}": ''"Lights are low"'' and ''"the music's high"''; [[John Linnell]] has expressed an [[Songs I Tried To Resist|undesired affection]] for the song
 
*[[Your Own Worst Enemy]] - reference to '''Sonny Geraci''' of the band '''{{wp|Climax (band)|Climax}}''' singing ''"Precious and Few"''
 
*[[Your Own Worst Enemy]] - reference to '''Sonny Geraci''' of the band '''{{wp|Climax (band)|Climax}}''' singing ''"Precious and Few"''
  
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*[[Battle For The Planet Of They Might Be Giants]] - One section of music played is taken from '''{{wp|Chicago (band)|Chicago}}''''s "25 or 6 to 4".
 
*[[Battle For The Planet Of They Might Be Giants]] - One section of music played is taken from '''{{wp|Chicago (band)|Chicago}}''''s "25 or 6 to 4".
 
*[[Boat Of Car]] - The '''{{wp|Johnny Cash}}''' sample "Daddy sang bass" or "Daddy'll sing bass".
 
*[[Boat Of Car]] - The '''{{wp|Johnny Cash}}''' sample "Daddy sang bass" or "Daddy'll sing bass".
 +
*[[Cells]] - Borrows a guitar riff from {{wp|The Young Fresh Fellows}}' [[Hillbilly Drummer Girl]].
 
*[[Dallas]] - The '''{{wp|Yes (band)|Yes}}''' song "We Have Heaven" begins ''"Tell the Moon-dog, tell the March-hare"'', which inspired TMBG, already using the three opening words, to borrow this song's starting melody as well. The whole song is essentially a Yes style parody/tribute.
 
*[[Dallas]] - The '''{{wp|Yes (band)|Yes}}''' song "We Have Heaven" begins ''"Tell the Moon-dog, tell the March-hare"'', which inspired TMBG, already using the three opening words, to borrow this song's starting melody as well. The whole song is essentially a Yes style parody/tribute.
 
*[[Didn't Kill Me]] - Reminiscent of how "{{wp|Her Majesty (song)|Her Majesty}}" by '''The Beatles''' ends the ''{{wp|Abbey Road}}'' album in a similar way - both are simple, 25-second songs that feel tacked onto the end of the album.
 
*[[Didn't Kill Me]] - Reminiscent of how "{{wp|Her Majesty (song)|Her Majesty}}" by '''The Beatles''' ends the ''{{wp|Abbey Road}}'' album in a similar way - both are simple, 25-second songs that feel tacked onto the end of the album.
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*[[Maine]] - The intro to the song is lifted from '''The Beatles'''' "{{wp|Good Day Sunshine}}" (note the identical keyboard intro and the copy of Ringo Starr's opening drum fill).
 
*[[Maine]] - The intro to the song is lifted from '''The Beatles'''' "{{wp|Good Day Sunshine}}" (note the identical keyboard intro and the copy of Ringo Starr's opening drum fill).
 
*[[Minimum Wage]] - backing track borrows heavily from {{wp|Frank Sinatra}}'s cover of {{wp|Petula Clark}}'s "'''{{wp|Downtown (Petula Clark song)|Downtown}}'''," from his 1966 album ''{{wp|Strangers in the Night (Frank Sinatra album)|Strangers in the Night}}''.
 
*[[Minimum Wage]] - backing track borrows heavily from {{wp|Frank Sinatra}}'s cover of {{wp|Petula Clark}}'s "'''{{wp|Downtown (Petula Clark song)|Downtown}}'''," from his 1966 album ''{{wp|Strangers in the Night (Frank Sinatra album)|Strangers in the Night}}''.
 +
*[[Now That I Have Everything]] - Instrumental break borrows the melody of "{{wp|On Broadway (song)|On Broadway}}."
 
*[[Particle Man (Live At XM Studio)]] - imitates the style of '''The Beatles'''; the intro in particular is recognizable as that of "Strawberry Fields Forever."
 
*[[Particle Man (Live At XM Studio)]] - imitates the style of '''The Beatles'''; the intro in particular is recognizable as that of "Strawberry Fields Forever."
−
*[[Rhythm Section Want Ad]] - Borrows the accordion solo from '''{{wp|Raymond Scott}}''''s "Powerhouse".
+
*[[Rhythm Section Want Ad]] - The accordion solo is borrowed from '''{{wp|Raymond Scott}}''''s "Powerhouse", although it is changed slightly.
 
*[[S-E-X-X-Y]] - The end of the song suddenly shifts into a minor orchestra piece, a la the Beatles "Glass Onion."
 
*[[S-E-X-X-Y]] - The end of the song suddenly shifts into a minor orchestra piece, a la the Beatles "Glass Onion."
−
*[[Where Your Eyes Don't Go]] - The bridge is a mix of the '''{{wp|Perry_Mason#Series|Perry Mason Theme}}''' and '''{{wp|I've Been Working on the Railroad|Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah}}'''.
+
*[[Where Your Eyes Don't Go]] - The bridge is a mix of the '''{{wp|Perry_Mason#Series|Perry Mason Theme}}''' and '''{{wp|I've Been Working on the Railroad|Someone's in the Kitchen with Dinah}}''', the latter's lyrics were used in the [[Where Your Eyes Don't Go (Demo) | demo]].
  
 
=== References to artists ===
 
=== References to artists ===
 
*[['85 Radio Special Thank You]] - ''"In April, we all sang a duet with '''{{wp|Tina Turner}}'''"''
 
*[['85 Radio Special Thank You]] - ''"In April, we all sang a duet with '''{{wp|Tina Turner}}'''"''
 
*[[Au Contraire]] - ''"'''{{wp|David Bowie}}''' came to town..."'', ''"'''{{wp|Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach}}''' had three of a kind"''
 
*[[Au Contraire]] - ''"'''{{wp|David Bowie}}''' came to town..."'', ''"'''{{wp|Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach}}''' had three of a kind"''
−
*[[Beatles And Bugs]] - Instrumental with title referencing '''[[The Beatles]]'''.
 
 
*[[Brooklyn]] - ''"Marty Markowitz - now he's not frontin' '''{{wp|Mark Wahlberg|the Funky Bunch}}'''."''
 
*[[Brooklyn]] - ''"Marty Markowitz - now he's not frontin' '''{{wp|Mark Wahlberg|the Funky Bunch}}'''."''
 
*[[The Day]] - ''"The day '''{{wp||Marvin Gaye}}''' and '''{{wp|Phil Ochs}}''' got married..."''
 
*[[The Day]] - ''"The day '''{{wp||Marvin Gaye}}''' and '''{{wp|Phil Ochs}}''' got married..."''
−
*[[Definition Of Good]] - ''"Listening to the work of '''{{wp|Captain Beefheart}}'''"''
+
*[[Definition Of Good]] - ''"Listening to the work of '''{{wp|Captain Beefheart}}'''"'' - the verse prior, "two flamingos engaging in a fruit fight" is a direct lyrical reference to Captain Beefheart's unhinged 1978 song '''Tropical Hot Dog Night'''
 
*[[Doris Cunningham (WFMU Demo)]] - ''"Yeah, we're into, uh, '''{{wp|The Kinks|Kinks}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Tears for Fears}}''', '''{{wp|Duran Duran}}''', right?"'', ''"'''{{wp|Frankie Goes to Hollywood|Frankie}}''', '''{{wp|Spandau Ballet}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|U2}}''', '''{{wp|Everything but the Girl}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Paul Young}}''', '''{{wp|Wham!}}'''; '''{{wp|George Michael}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Thomas Dolby}}''', of course"'', ''"'''{{wp|Sting (musician)|Sting}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Dead or Alive (band)|Dead or Alive}}'''"''
 
*[[Doris Cunningham (WFMU Demo)]] - ''"Yeah, we're into, uh, '''{{wp|The Kinks|Kinks}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Tears for Fears}}''', '''{{wp|Duran Duran}}''', right?"'', ''"'''{{wp|Frankie Goes to Hollywood|Frankie}}''', '''{{wp|Spandau Ballet}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|U2}}''', '''{{wp|Everything but the Girl}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Paul Young}}''', '''{{wp|Wham!}}'''; '''{{wp|George Michael}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Thomas Dolby}}''', of course"'', ''"'''{{wp|Sting (musician)|Sting}}'''"'', ''"'''{{wp|Dead or Alive (band)|Dead or Alive}}'''"''
 
*[[Escape From The Planet Of The Apes]] - ''"the planet where '''{{wp|Mick Jagger}}''' lives"''
 
*[[Escape From The Planet Of The Apes]] - ''"the planet where '''{{wp|Mick Jagger}}''' lives"''
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*[[Twisting]] - ''"She doesn't have to have her '''[[The dB's|dB's]]''' records back"'' and ''"She doesn't have to have her '''[[Young Fresh Fellows]]''' tapes back."'' Also recalls the dance hit, "The Twist," by '''{{wp|Hank Ballard}}''' and popularized by '''{{wp|Chubby Checker}}'''. [[Twistin' (Live NYC)]] refers to '''{{wp|Primus (band)|Primus}}''' instead of [[Young Fresh Fellows]].
 
*[[Twisting]] - ''"She doesn't have to have her '''[[The dB's|dB's]]''' records back"'' and ''"She doesn't have to have her '''[[Young Fresh Fellows]]''' tapes back."'' Also recalls the dance hit, "The Twist," by '''{{wp|Hank Ballard}}''' and popularized by '''{{wp|Chubby Checker}}'''. [[Twistin' (Live NYC)]] refers to '''{{wp|Primus (band)|Primus}}''' instead of [[Young Fresh Fellows]].
 
*[[We're The Replacements]] - Refers, of course, to punk rock band '''{{wp|The Replacements}}'''. ''"Hey where's Tommy"'' refers specifically to bassist '''Tommy Stinson'''.
 
*[[We're The Replacements]] - Refers, of course, to punk rock band '''{{wp|The Replacements}}'''. ''"Hey where's Tommy"'' refers specifically to bassist '''Tommy Stinson'''.
−
*[[Where Your Eyes Don't Go]] - '''{{wp|Kurtis Blow}}'''.
+
*[[Where Your Eyes Don't Go]] - "''You're free to come and go / or talk like '''{{wp|Kurtis Blow}}''''' "
 
*[[XTC Vs. Adam Ant]] - '''{{wp|XTC}}''', '''{{wp|Adam Ant}}''', '''{{wp|Bow Wow Wow}}''', '''Beatle''' based pop.
 
*[[XTC Vs. Adam Ant]] - '''{{wp|XTC}}''', '''{{wp|Adam Ant}}''', '''{{wp|Bow Wow Wow}}''', '''Beatle''' based pop.
 
*[[You Don't Like Me]] - ''"Reading in the bath, '''{{wp|Nirvana (band)|Nirvana}}''', and baseball caps"''
 
*[[You Don't Like Me]] - ''"Reading in the bath, '''{{wp|Nirvana (band)|Nirvana}}''', and baseball caps"''
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*[[Other Songs With References To TMBG]]
 
*[[Other Songs With References To TMBG]]
 
*[[TMBG Remakes]]
 
*[[TMBG Remakes]]
 +
 +
==External links==
 +
*[https://youtu.be/K7cG1R6YFzw "Every Music Reference & Sample in They Might Be Giants Songs"] on YouTube by [[User:CapitalQ|CapitalQ]]
  
 
[[Category:Song Themes]]
 
[[Category:Song Themes]]

Latest revision as of 18:09, 18 March 2025

TMBG often make obvious or subtle references to other songs, musicians, bands, or performers. This list includes many of those references. However, without the Johns' stamp of validation, it must be admitted that some of them may just be guesses.

Lyrical references[edit]

Musical references[edit]

References to artists[edit]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

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