A misheard lyric on the new (and very good) Ryan Adams record had me hearing the line: “I heard your voice saying ‘Ryan’”. This got me thinking about singers quoting others talking to them by name (or merely referring to themselves by name). Always raises a chuckle from me.
“You say ‘David, what can i do? They wait for me in the hallways’.”
“But this is Phil talking: I want to tell you what I’ve found to be true.”
In live versions of Reptile, the Under the Milky Way Hitmakers’ singer reports that Eve says ‘Steve, we’d better blow’.
Aside from Sweet-style intro chants or MCs mumbling their own names over the intro, any other instances of conversational self-identifiers in pop?
I’d never heard that bit in Reptile so thanks for bringing it to my attention!
“Martin, one day you’ll find true love” – ABC’s Look Of Love
Gotta Serve Somebody.
You may call me Terry, you may call me Timmy
You may call me Bobby, you may call me Zimmy
Not sure if Field Commander Cohen counts though..
Timmy and Terry Zimmerman, the strange conjoined siblings he keeps locked up in the attic and never lets out. The family never speak about them, but they have beautiful, ethereal singing voices apparently.
“ Enter the dragon,
Exit Johnny Clarke”
“Move over rover, and let Jimi take over”
from Hendrix’s “Fire”
and much more formally…
“Famous Blue Raincoat” is in the form of a letter so it ends with the words, “Sincerely, L Cohen”
Ouija Board, Ouija Board – Morrissey
The table is rumbling
The glass is moving
No I was not pushing that time, it spells
STEVEN
The table is rumbling
The glass is moving
No I was not pushing that time
P U S H O double F
Sadly edited out from recent remasters.
“I just believe in me, Yoko and me, and that’s reality”
And then there’s the whole of The Ballad of John and Yoko, although “John” not heard in either.
Doesn’t he sing “I was the walrus,
But now I’m John” ?
He’s addressed by name, presumably by May Pang, in Dream #9.
Oh yes. Of course
Also “Hold On, John ….”
So who is the Egg Man?
My egg man – the man who delivers eggs – is called Jim.
I am skeptic. What does he look like? A simple line drawing will suffice.
A slim man in his early 60s, grey hair, glasses. Drives a van.
Note I did not say “the man who delivers my eggs” because, obviously, I have a midwife to do that. Just ask my mate David Icke.
“The Walrus was Paul”
Eric Burdon was the Egg Man because of a weird sexual practice he enjoyed
“I got a call the other day. It was my sister Carolyn saying Aretha..”
‘ Love has never shown its face… since the day you walked out that door….I’m still waiting’
Poor Diana
Ever the ultimate diva, La Ross has form with this. In The Supremes’ “Back In My Arms Again”, she sings ‘How can Mary tell me what to do, When she lost her love so true? And Flo, she don’t know, ‘cause the boy she loves is a romeo”
Captain Sensible did a whole song.
I suppose this is technically ‘Sweet-style intro chants or MCs mumbling their own names over the intro’ but:
I’m Charley, you know
I’m Norman, pleased to meet you
I’m Mickey, hello
Wilko
I’m Johnny, how are you doing ‘arry?
My name is David
And I’m Ian and guess what?
‘arry?
What John Turnbull, in his very broad Geordie tones, says after enquiring how we are is “alright? Champion!”
“My name is David” always sounds like a very tired hostage.
“Ian will kill us if you don’t pay the ransom. Please comply with his demands”
For some reason, this was a singalong song when changing both my kids’ nappies.
When I saw this in updates I thought (hoped?) it might refer to My Name is Prince (and I am verrrry funky)
Paul Simon: “Run that Body Down”
“Went to my doctor yesterday
She said I seem to be OK
She said, “Paul, you better look around
How long you think that you can
Run that body down?”
“Martin, one day you’ll find true love…not in that jacket, mind”
that’s the one thing, the one thing, that still holds true.
Al Stewart – “You should Have Listened to Al”
“…And everyone else looking sure of themselves but not me
And yes I was doing alright up until now
I’m beginning to think you should have listened to Al”
A conversational exchange between the Everly Brothers in Love is Strange:
Hey Don?
What Phil?
How would you call your baby home?
Well, if I needed her real bad, I guess I would call her like this
Baby, oh sweet baby, my sweet baby, please come home
Yeah, that ought to bring her home, Don!
It may be something to do with siblings. American duo The Pierces have a song called “Secret” which has the following exchange…
“Allison?”
“Yes, Catherine”
“I have something I want to tell you, but
You have to promise to never tell anyone”
“I promise”
“Do you swear on your life?”
“I swear on my life”
I hadn’t seen that before – very disturbing – thoroughly enjoyed it!
Bo Diddley made an entire career out of songs in which he mentioned himself by name!
For example….
“Bo Diddley” (1955)
“Diddley Daddy” (1955)
“Hey! Bo Diddley” (1957)
“Bo Diddley is a Lover” (1961)
Winding up with the aggrieved “Pay Bo Diddley!” when he got sick of being ripped off by everyone
MES often mentions himself and The Fall. The best one is probably in Paintwork:
Then I woke up, then I decided to recommence my diary
Then I read Paula Yates on Vision mopeds,
Then I found out we were not going to Italy
Later Mam said “Them continentals are little monkeys”
And yesterday we had liver and sausage over
And sometimes they say “Hey Mark, you’re spoiling all the paintwork”
And sometimes they say “Your thumbprints are on the paintwork”
Mark’ll sink us…
Also in The Reckoning: “And you’re sleeping with some hippie half-wit
Who thinks he’s Mr. Mark Smith.”
Slang King: “This is Mr and Mrs Smith to whom you are speaking”….
You might find a prince of men
Until that time, my name is Penn…
Scritti Politti (Green Gartside) references himself on ‘Umm’, from Anomie & Bonhomie;
‘I should have gone where the sun was shining,
Green can’t come to the ‘phone right now (my baby),’
I am puzzled by the recent announcement of Scritti rereleases. SDE suggests that they aren’t remastered or expanded versions, but that those may appear in the future. ‘Anomie’ was never on vinyl, and I hope its a decent cut, as there’s a lot of thumping bass on ‘Umm’ and ‘First Goodbye’.
Overnite on Provision has a backing vocal “Tell us about it, Green”
*goes away and listens to it*.
I’d never noticed that before!
On this one, from The Legendary Marvin Pontiac, the girl singers can be heard chanting “Marvin is good! Yeah!”
Mind you, at another point they can also be heard telling him to “Shut up! Shut Up! Shut Up!” so maybe they don’t rate him so highly after all.
Iggy Pop – Turn Blue: Jesus, this is Iggy
“She asked me why the singer’s name was Alice, I said listen baby, you really wouldn’t understand”
Alice Cooper, “Be my Lover”.
My name is Prince, and I am funky.
He had one of those convention lapel stickers with that on it, you know.
He had it on his lanyard.
So to speak.
Sheila E and Sheila Easton and numerous other Sheilas can testify to that.
Also, from ‘Bob George’:
You seeing that rich motherfucker again
What’s his name? Bob?
Bob, ain’t that a bitch?
What’s he do for a living?
Manage rock stars?
Who?
Prince, ain’t that a bitch?
That skinny motherfucker with the high voice?
Prince’s faves.
‘Cynthia and Jerry got a message that’s sayin’ ‘ (Dance to the Music)
“Come back, Nikki, come back. Your darling little Prince wants to GRIBDGRINDGRIND…”
Are there no examples of this from Half Man Half Biscuit?
While jogging my memory to find one, I chanced upon this oddity…
Yes, they do it in ‘God Gave us Life’
The Mamas & the Papas, “Creeque Alley”.
Mentions all four members by name, in addition to Zal Yanovsky of The Lovin’ Spoonful.
Well basically the entire history of rap is extreme self-identification. As I did the weekly shop this week listening to Miami early 90s taste merchant Tone Loc here’s some of his most braggadocious.:
Funky cold Medina
Cold coolin’ at a bar and I’m lookin’ for some action
But like Mike Jagger said, ‘I Can’t Get No Satisfaction’
The girls are all around but none of them wanna get with me
My threads are fresh and I’m lookin’ def, yo, what’s up with L O C?
Wild Thing
So when the show was finished I took her around the way
And what do you know she was good to go without a word to say
We was all alone and she said “Tone let me tell you one thing
I need $50 to make you holler I get paid to do the wild thing”
And Loc’d After Dark is (very typically) an entire song dedicated to the glory of Loc and some general dissing of other rappers.
MC’s, comin’ out like thunder
I’ll make you see why Stevie had to Wonder
Is he fiction or is he a myth?
Naw, it’s just a dope rapper, you know Tone Smith
‘Cause every time you hear my song your hands clap
The Chosen One, puttin’ LA on the map
With no objection I plead my case
Tone Loc, full capacity, leavin’ out of space
The ace contender will never surrender
When I rock a show you always remember
The one and only, superior to many
Me losin’ a battle? Naw, I can’t remember any
Although, in the days, I may have lost one
Who the hell am I kiddin’, I ain’t been outdone
‘Cause I’m the best, and I live out West
And if you want a dope song, I’ll play your request
It don’t take much to make a crowd live
Just some Boots and some droids and a little bit of slide
I step on stage and clear my hair
My next start, hmm, just a knock-up dare
No Uzi, my voice from the start
But you never know (why?) ’cause I get Loc’ed After Dark
Wu-Tang have some of most surreal self-identification going on, here’s Clan In Da Front:
The RZA, the GZA, Ol Dirty Bastard, Inspectah Deck, you-God
Ghost Face Killer, the Method Man, Raekwon the Chef, the Master Killer
Raw Desire, LeVon, Power Cipher
Twelve O’Clock, Sixty Second Assassin, the 4th Disciple
The Brand White
K.D. the Down Low Wrecka, Shyheim AKA The Rugged Child
Doo-Doo Wales, Mista Hezakiah, better known as the Yin and the Yang
The Tru Masta, Asan, DJ Skane, The Tru Robocop comin’ through
Scientific Shabazz, my motherfuckin’ man Wise the Civilized
The Shaolin Soldiers, Daddy-O and Popa Ron
Comin’ down from the motherfuckin’ South end of things
There’s the track I’m Kool Moe Dee by Kool Moe Dee.
From the album, er, Kool Moe Dee.
Altogether now..
Something familiar,
Something peculiar,
Something for everyone!
Kool Moe Dee tonight!
Oh the awful title belies the quality
Of this unusual Kool Moe Dee
It’s the same for you and me
In the same vein the aforementioned Wu – first three albums
Enter The Wu-Tang
Wu-Tang Forever
The W
…tho better than that passive-aggressive English gent Mr Gabriel who forced by having no titles to call his first four solo albums all Peter Gabriel plus melty face, scratches etc.
Gary Tibbs and yours truleee!
Lou Reed – Coney Island Baby. ‘I’d like to send this one out to Lou and Rachel.’
She says Lou, Lou, Lou – its the beginning of a great adventure
And John Cale in Songs for Drella: “And then I saw John Cale…”
“Show Biz Kids” – ‘They got the Steely Dan t-shirts”
Janet Jackson, “Nasty”
“No, my first name ain’t baby
It’s Janet… Ms. Jackson if you’re nasty”
I first heard this on a previous CD swap (from @moseleymoles I think), here’s the B-52’s introducing themselves:
You got there ahead of me WW. I’ll have to make do with a similar but shorter set of introductions from Canadian band Stars…
Nice. I like Stars, but haven’t heard that before (I haven’t ventured any further back than Set Yourself on Fire).
Just two albums so far but I’ll get more – they’re pretty good.
could a band like the B-52’s happen today … and be a success … sadly I doubt it … just love them and everything about them
LOVE ACTION-HUMAN LEAGUE
And the loved ones who let me down
And couldn’t share my point of view
But this is Phil talking
I want to tell you
What I found to be true
See original post
Pulp, “I Spy”
“The crowd gasps at Cocker’s masterful control of the bicycle, skilfully avoiding the dog turd outside the corner shop”
See also “Come on Jarv, can’t I be the first? You make me so hot I think I’m gonna burst.”
“My name’s Nash and I’m a red muso!”
‘My name’s Ped, I ‘ate some people and I like some people.”
Did anyone actually ever call Steve Miller the Space Cowboy??
The Gangster of Love? That was Johnny!
https://youtu.be/Bhv2vvSCMf4
Hilarious when the sheriff asks if he is ”Guitar Watson” in the third verse.
The opening lines of his superb “Too Late” with Larry Williams;
“Hey Mr Watson
Listen to what the lady told me.
She said “Larry, I’m sorry, I gotta go”
My man Lightnin’ Hopkins did it all the time, in third-person narrative style, e.g. “Lightnin’ sure was pleased”.
But my favourite example comes from Iggy Pop: “she says, Jimmy just you shut your mouth.” (China Girl)
One of the Broken: “Hi, this is God here”
(There may well be some amongst us who aren’t clear that Paddy Mcaloon is God)
I was going to go with ‘We Let The Stars Go’ by the mighty Sprouts:
“Paddy Joe, say Paddy Joe
Don’t you remember me ?”
Or Devil Came a Calling
“ He said to me Patrick
What do you think so far”
She said, “What kind of name is Prophet anyway?”
I said, “I don’t know what kind of name it is.”
Chuck Prophet – Hot Talk
Hello, everybody this is Russell
Right before I sing I`m gonna make a muscle
Sparks – Wacky Women
The Floaters – Float On
Half sung, half spoken
Alternative version by Lenny Henry:
Rah, rah-ah-ah-ah
Roma, roma-ma
Gaga, ooh-la-la
Earlyish single by David Bowie, ‘Can’t Help Thinking About Me’:
“Now I leave them all in the never never land
The station seems so cold the ticket’s in my hand
My girl calls my name, Hi Dave
Drop in, see you around, come back
If you’re this way again”
Randy Newman’s My Life is Good has him name dropping & suggesting that Bruce Springsteen wanted him to stand in.
“ He said, “Rand, I’m tired
How would you like to be the Boss for awhile?”
Music Hall was the pop of its day.
‘Gan ‘n see Geordie Ridley’s show /
The Mechanics’ Hall at Blaydon /
Oh me lads ….’ etc.
‘You poor stupid cow was my opening line
Oh Jake don’t get wry
You know it goes down in my diary’
‘Silently Screaming’ a My Life Story b-side written by Jake Shillingford
Blind Willie McTell in Lay Some Flowers On My Grave, repeatedly through the verses. For example:
“Put a wreath of flowers at my right side
Then you’ll know that McTell’s satisfied”
Also in Searchin’ the Desert
“My woman’s got a mojo
Says she keeps it hid
McTell’s got somethin’ to find that mojo with”
…unless he’s namechecking the Tickle-on-the-Tum Hitmaker.
Have we had “This is Sarah Nixey talking” from Black Box Recorder’s Andrew Ridgley?
Kevin Rowland on ‘Don’t Stand Me Down’s opening track. ‘My name is Kevin Rowland, I’m the leader of the band.’ Also, Jeff Lynne on ‘Zoom’, where he plays most of the instruments, tells himself to ‘take it, Jeff,’ before launching into a solo on the track ‘Easy Money’.
How could we have forgotten Rockin’ Good Way by Bonnie Tyler and Shakin’ Stevens?
Bonnie sings:
“Shaky that’s a rocking good way, that’s a rocking good way
That’s a rocking good way to mess around and fall in love, yeah”
There is a song on the current t CD swap that I have compiled that name checks two artists that both appear on the song.
I cant tell you who as that would be giving the game away.
You and your bloody Cheeky Girls!
On Got A Whole Lot of Lovin’ , Joe Simon sings;
If you see a train a-comin, a-huffin and a-blowin flame,
It’ll be Joe Simon Baby, tryin to get back in your arms again…
Just doin’… y’know
https://youtu.be/sM_9As_2VAg
Loudon Wainwright III has a lot of songs where he mentions himself in the lyric. One that springs to mind is T.S.M.N.W.A. on the Career Moves album.
Does that win the hamper for @DanP ?
‘Tell those girls that you’ve got Joni/
She’s coming back home ‘
(Blue Motel Room)
Have we had Alex Harvey yet?
I’m walking down the street mindin’ my own affair
When two policemen grabbed me and I’m unaware
They said “Is your name Alexander?” and I said “Why, sure!”
They said “You’re the cat that we’ve been looking for.”
In Jr Walker’s “Come See About Me”;
“Come see about Junior, that’s me!”
“Clash City Rockers”,
“Radio Clash”
and, of course, “We Are The Clash”, even though they weren’t really by that time.
“We’re the Goodies. How do you do”
T! R! E! X!
Shouted out during the intro of The Groover
The lyrics to Fairport’s Angel Delight reference the band, plus engineer John Wood and the manager at the time.
Does “Oh, by the way, which one’s Pink?” count?
I hate it when you get right down to the last entry on the blog before confirming that someone got there first…
I just talked to Jesus
He said, “What up Yeezus?”
I said, “Shit I’m chillin
Tryna stack these millions”
I am a God- Kanye West
Hip-hop duo EPMD did a trail for Key 103’s Stu Allen in 1989. The memorable result was not poetic gold.
Yo E, what’s up with Uncle Fester
I don’t know but I’m coolin’ in Man-chester
I got a homie known as my pal and
First name is Stu, next name is Allen
Sheriff say “Is you Johnny “Guitar” Watson?” In a very deep voice
And I say “yes sir brother sheriff, and that’s your wife on the back of my horse”
Oooooh I’ve just got one.
Don’t Fall by Middleton’s finest The Chameleons.
“Mark Mark, above everything else…Don’t Fall!!”
I played ‘The Talking Animals’ by T Bone Burnett over the weekend and I had forgotten about the closing track – ‘The Strange Case of Frank Cash and the Morning Paper’ – where towards the end of the song our protagonist, Frank, complains about being a fictional construct created by some guy called T Bone Burnett. Quirky and witty, with a good coda…
The one and only Paddy McAloon, ‘Devil Came a Calling’ from 2013’s Crimson Red:
He showed me a house
It was as big as a star
He said to me Patrick
What do you think so far?
Ruggish!
…sorry, ancient reflex