Metasongs, songs within songs

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Justa Picker
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:37 PM

As is the flip side of Abbey Road, McGrath.

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Sarah T
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:35 PM

What about "THE PIPER OF DUNDEE"?

He play'd "The Welcome Ower the Main"
And "Ye's Be Fou and I'se be Fain"
And "Auld Stuart's Back Again"
    Wi' muckle mirth and glee
He'd play'd "The Kirk", he play'd "The Queer"
"The Mullen Dhu" and "Chevalier"
And "Lang Awa' But Welcome Here"
    Sae sweet, sae bonnielie.

It's in the DigiTrad.

-Sarah

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 08:03 PM

In a sense the whole of Sergeant Pepper is one big metasong.

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Chicken Charlie
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:41 PM

Well they were out there on the sea,
And the band played, "Nearer, My God to Thee"--
Fare thee well, Titanic, fare thee well....

There's another one about a goose and a gander singing "Rally Round the Flag," which just might be a Southron take on a Union song [BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM], if'n yawl catch mah drift.

I like the conceit about a song eating its own tail. I think "ALABAMA JUBILEE" does that too, depending on the version of words you use.

What was the name of the mellow rock song, "and the jukebox kept on playin' 'Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'..." [SUMMER RAIN by Johnny Rivers]

CC

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:32 PM

I remember, as a kid, hearing (I think) Patti Page on the radio, singing, "I was dancin' with my darlin' to the TENNESSEE WALTZ . . . " and thinking, "Hey, wait a minute. This song IS the Tennessee Waltz. How could she have been dancing to it when it hadn't even been written yet?" It didn't occur to me that it might be just a songwriter's conceit. I figured there had to be a logical explanation. There must have been an earlier version of the song that had no words, or different words. Anyway, the paradox bothered me.

Later I learned that there are lots of songs like this. Douglas Hofstadter would call this "self-reference." I recommend his book, "Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid." Is it possible you've already read it, Mrzzy?

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Joe_F
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:20 PM

"TURKEY IN THE STRAW" mentions a tune called "Turkey in the Straw" -- eating its own tail. "LOVE'S OLD SWEET SONG" also, arguably, mentions itself.

THE WHIFFENPOOF SONG mentions "SHALL I WASTING IN DESPAIR" and "MAVOURNEEN".

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Justa Picker
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:14 PM

ROLLING IN MY SWEET BABY'S ARMS and MY WALKING SHOES (Don't Fit Me Anymore).

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within song
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:12 PM

Of course there's ENGINE 143 and TITANIC both lead into NEARER, MY GOD, TO THEE.

And in a different context, three songs with national anthems or near national anthems: "ON THE ONE ROAD" leads into "A SOLDIER'S SONG"; "EDDYSTONE LIGHT" incorporates RULE BRITANNIA, and there's Dwight Yoakum's "I SANG DIXIE."

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Wendy_
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 07:02 PM

How about ALEXANDER'S RAGTIME BAND?

"and if you want to hear that Swanee River played in ragtime..."

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Matt_R
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 06:55 PM

Uh oh! Mrrz, I sang that one on my second tape. Don't tell me I forgot to send you one!!

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 06:42 PM

I like that one, M; and I'd forgotten about And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda. More?

Subject: Lyr Add: THREE VERSES (Confederate Railroad)
From: Matt_R
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 06:34 PM

BTW I might mention that Seamus Kennedy does a bang-up rendition of The Writing of Tipperary.

THREE VERSES
As recorded by Confederate Railroad on "Notorious" (1995)

He had a Martin; I had a Fender; we were thirteen years of age.
Out back in the tool shed, we were searching for a sound.
Every day all through that summer, we'd rock 'n' roll 'n' rage.
All the neighbors kept complaining, but it never slowed us down.

We sang three verses of "Dixie," "Can't Get No Satisfaction,"
"Rainy Day Women Numbers 12 and 35,"
"Try a Little Tenderness," "A Whiter Shade of Pale,"
"Turn! Turn! Turn!," "For What It's Worth," and "Long Black Veil."

We moved out to California, shooting for the stars—
The biggest thing since Elvis; nothing could go wrong,
But they took us for all our money and everything else we owned,
So we got ourselves some whiskey and we drank it all night long.

We sang three verses of "Dixie," "Can't Get No Satisfaction,"
"Rainy Day Women," and "A Bad Moon on the Rise,"
"Try a Little Tenderness," "A Whiter Shade of Pale,"
"Turn! Turn! Turn!," "For What It's Worth," and "Long Black Veil."

Oh, he never quite got over it; we went our separate ways.
He traded in his music for cocaine nights and reckless days.
Still, I knew he always wanted to make one last journey home.

Near a small white church in the valley beneath a wooden bridge,
Patiently we waited on that cold Alabama ground,
And the preacher started preaching about our lives and about our times.
The sun was slowly sinking as we laid his body down.

And we sang three verses of "Dixie," "What a Friend We Have in Jesus,"
"Walk in the Garden," and "The Old Rugged Cross,"
"Try a Little Tenderness," "A Whiter Shade of Pale,"
"Turn! Turn! Turn!," "For What It's Worth," and "Long Black Veil."
We sang "Long Black Veil." (2x)

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Susanne (skw)
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 06:17 PM

Bill Caddick's 'THE WRITING OF TIPPERARY' (the words of which don't seem to be in the DT nor in the Forum).

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Grab
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:15 PM

"DEVIL WENT DOWN TO GEORGIA" mentions several tunes.

Dire Straits' "WALK OF LIFE" has a few (BE-BOP-A-LULA, WHAT'D I SAY).

Graham.

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: JudeL
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 12:01 PM

Derrick Gifford has one which refers to various people singing things like THE LILY OF LAGUNA. I can't remember the title just the chorus:

I still can hear them singing
those melodies go ringing
they float out on the balmy evening air,
and I'd give a million pounds
to be free without bounds
yes I'd be singing with em
I'd be there

jude

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Midchuck
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:59 AM

David Mallett's THE BALLAD OF SAINT ANNE'S REEL.

And my favorite Guy Clark line, from DUBLIN BLUES:

I have seen the David,
Seen the Mona Lisa, too.
I have heard Doc Watson
Play "COLUMBUS STOCKADE BLUES.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: wysiwyg
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:58 AM

The Gaither Vocal Band does a gospel number called "I HEARD IT FIRST ON THE RADIO" that is gorgeous, and it pays homage to many of the great hymns of all time in musical phrases that are close, but not identical, to the actual melodies... there is also one I think is called "A SONG THE ANGELS CANNOT SING" where Amazing Grace is referenced, the idea being that angels can't say they were ever lost, blind, etc. There's another one I can't quite recall too, about a camp meeting, where various well-known camp meeting songs appear briefly from verse to verse.

What I love about these is that they are not medleys at all; they are completely integrated into the song in which they appear.

~Susan

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Lyndi-loo
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:46 AM

Max Boyce's song "HYMNS AND ARIAS" mentions "Land of my fathers" and "AR HYD Y NOS (all through the night)"

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Gervase
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:41 AM

FAIRYTALE OF NEW YORK has ...and the boys of the NYPD choir were singing GALWAY BAY, while THE GALWAY SHAWL has a number of names of tunes in the lyrics.

Subject: RE: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: GUEST,Roger the skiffler
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:27 AM

"AND THE BAND PLAYED WALTZING MATILDA" is often referred to on the Mudcat. Rick's "IF JESUS WAS A PICKER" mentions several bluegrass songs eg "Billy in the Low Ground".
RtS (not knowledgeable, but quick!)

Subject: Metasongs, songs within songs
From: Mrrzy
Date: 11 Jun 01 - 11:11 AM

I know a country tune about what is going on "while the (pick an instrument) played the BONAPARTE'S RETREAT" but I don't know Bonaparte's Retreat. In The Green Fields of France/NO MAN'S LAND, they ask Did the band play The Last Post in chorus? Did the pipes play THE FLOWERS OF THE FOREST? but I've never heard either The Last Post (which is NOT Taps, right, just serves the same purpose?) nor Flowers of the Forest. What are the others that you know? And do you know the embedded song as well as the song doing the embedding? Just for fun, but since it's musical I didn't think the BS thread title appropriate, I know folks who filter those out to avoid the nonmusical threads...

[Many song titles in this thread have been converted to links by a Mudelf.]