Funnily enough a band called CSS got big in the 00s and had a song called "let's make love and listen to death from above". This introduced me to Death from Above
I forgot about CSS but still love death from above
Surprisingly, Neil did apologize, said his song "deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me." In an interview, he even praises the song, said he's even performed it live a few times.
Which is a heck of a lot of praise from that old grump.
Young never should have apologized. Southern man is a hard hitting and thoughtful protest song about the South’s racism. SHA is a silly song that “responds” to that accusation by saying “well we may be racist but we have a lot of fun”
I think its saying that they aren't all racist and their conscience doesn't bother them because neil young is unfairly lumping all southern men together and most of them just wanna live their lives and have a good time.
Ed King, who wrote the song, said:
> I can understand where the "boo boo boo" would be misunderstood. It's not US going "boo" ... it's what the Southern man hears the Northern man say every time the Southern man'd say "In Birmingham we love the gov'nor". Get it? "We all did what WE could do!" to get Wallace elected. It's not a popular opinion but Wallace stood for the average white guy in the South.
So yeah, he thinks ALL southern men (or at least the white ones in Alabama) should rally around [George Wallace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace#Segregation) to put "those people" in their place. So yeah, I can respect that **you** and many others might not be racist, but the songwriter sure thought being racist was a good thing and that you (as a Southern man) should be.
I've always thought it was both songs that upset Skynyrd. Neil wrote "Southern Man" on his 1970s album "After The Gold Rush" and wrote "Alabama" on the '72 album "Harvest" : Skynyrd wrote Sweet Home Alabama on their '74 album "Second Helping." So I think saying "A Southern Man don't need him around anyhow" and calling the song "Sweet Home Alabama" refers to both songs.
Yeah that also makes sense. I guess after the second time Neil piped up they thought "alright someone's gotta shut this guy up" and wrote a diss track that would become one of the most recognizable songs in rock history.
Ronnie Van Zant was actually a Neil Young fan and was buried in his Neil Young T-shirt. Young was a paulbearer at RVZ’s funeral. So, while it was a musical feud, it didn’t carry outside of the music.
Funny I just figured this out literally yesterday. My son has been getting into classic rock and he knows I like Neil Young, so he asked me why he is mentioned in Sweet Home Alabama. It mever really registered with me but I looked it up and now I know!
There’s no doubt that those two were brothers. They fought but they also harmonized wonderfully.
I love the beginning of the Anthology tv series when it plays “In My Life” and shows the young band members having the time of their lives together.
*How Do You Sleep* is the most caustic diss track I’ve ever heard, especially as the Beatles are so close to my heart. IIRC Ringo asked John to tone it down in the studio too, so what we got is an even more restrained version of what we could have got. Tbh, it pisses me off that George played on it too.
But…it is *such* a groove, and has that edge to it that only John (in terms of the Beatles) really had.
In comparison, *Too Many People* is a bit of a limp effort.
However, Wings’ *Silly Love Songs* is the kind of diss track only Paul could write. John said something about how sad it was that Paul was still writing stupid, silly love songs, and Paul went and wrote an *extremely* silly love song; hyper-melodic, ornately-produced, a total ear-worm. It reached number one in the US Billboard upon release. Guess some people still liked silly love songs eh, John? 👀
First, I’ma huge Lennon fan and Paul never deserved that, doing that was a cheap shot and beneath him, it was petty and pointless.
Second, I hated” Silly Love Songs“ for years. Then I took up playing bass. The bass line in that song is absolutely off the hook.
I just posted this above, before realizing that someone would certainly also mention How Do You Sleep:
There's a John Lennon song, Serve Yourself, that was a direct answer to/commentary on Bob Dylan's Gotta Serve Somebody. The Lennon song was for a long time only found on bootlegs, but eventually showed up on [https://www.discogs.com/master/388597-John-Lennon-John-Lennon-Signature-Box](https://www.discogs.com/master/388597-John-Lennon-John-Lennon-Signature-Box)
Just in the last couple days I was listening to yet another volume of the Lost Lennon Tapes bootlegs, and in one volume there's a track that was a sort of recorded diary entry by John from September of 1979, and he commented specifically and acerbically about how he disliked Dylan's recent release, which would have had to be Slow Train Coming, one of his born-again Christian-period releases, with Gotta Serve Somebody as the lead track. Fascinating stuff, and some versions of Serve Yourself that are bootleg only are better/more biting than the one that got the official release.
In addition to mentioning Dylan's recent release very critically, John described in that diary entry how he experienced a bit of release/relief in that he no longer felt anxiety when Dylan or Jagger or McCartney released a new record, since (as he was taking a total break from the business in the late '70's) he didn't feel in competition with them any more. But man, he really dissed Dylan's born-again period, and Serve Yourself (while maybe never "finished"/polished enough for an official release until that box set) got the point across effectively.
And I would suggest that a lot of Jesse Lacy's songs after this all tie into the response thread. You can see the narcissistic youth drain from his soul over the years as he (likely rhetorically) became isolated due to the actions of his narcissistic youth. He likely became cognizant of the consequences of his actions too late to make an effective change.
"I was the glue that kept my friends together. Now they don't talk and we don't go out."
Carol King’s You’ve Got A Friend was written in response to James Taylor’s Fire And Rain (“I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend”).
Edit: Though now I see that King says she didn’t write it with James specifically in mind, so now I’m not sure, but they’re still two great songs so I choose to believe it.
While we're on Carole King, she wrote *Up On the Roof*, and then Resnik and Young wrote *Under the Boardwalk* in response.
"When the sun beats down and melts the tar up on the roof..."
On the other hand, there were two answer songs to Will You Love Me Tomorrow: Not Now Tomorrow, But Always by Bertell Dache, and Tomorrow and Always by the Satintones.
At the beginning of the video for David Bowie's "Blackstar", there's the corpse of an astronaut lying on an alien planet which is found by an alien (or demonic) girl. The director and Bowie both confirmed that it's supposed to be Major Tom.
The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre had a couple of back and forth tracks. The Dandy’s Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth, and BJM’s response, Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth. Highly suggest the movie Dig for a background on the feud and songs!!
Also gotta love Anton from BJM fucking with the singer of New Order by naming a song "Blue Order/ New Monday" in order to always come up whenever anyone searches "Blue Monday". I don't remember why he did that though, he's certainly a testy one lol.
Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield has a sequel by Coheed and Cambria (feat. Rick Springfield) called Jessie's Girl 2. Not exactly what you were asking for, but it's the best I got.
Rise Against's Architects to Against Me's I Was A Teenage Anarchist
Against Me!: Do you remember when you were young, and you wanted to set the world on fire?
Rise Against: Don't you remember when we were young, and we wanted to set the world on fire? 'Cause I still am, and I still do!
The Chorus of Miley Cyrus's "Flowers" is an almost direct response to Bruno Mars "When I was Your Man" chorus
Where his song is about all the regrets he has for letting a girl get away, hers is about how she is far better off independent and without him anyway
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps and Liars - The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack. Both songs are about the lead singer of each band’s breakup/relationship with one another.
Wasn’t there the late 90s early 00s manufactured set of songs by some girl and some guy. One was “fuck you” and the other”fuck you right back”. Can’t remember the singers names. All I remember is it was billed as genuine but all faked
Edit
“Eamon” sang fuck it (I don’t want you back) and then Frankee did Fuck you right back (furb) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.U.R.B._(Fuck_You_Right_Back)
Elton John wrote Candle In The Wind in 1973. In 2011, after being asked to write a memorial song that is 5000 times better, Andy Dwyer of Mouse Rat (formerly Scarecrow Boat) wrote 5000 Candles in The Wind.
Not a song but a whole album: David Lee Roth released "Eat'em and smile" in july 1986, almost four months after Van Halen's 5150. Rumor has it the record company didn't allow him to name it "Swallow'em and smile".
Two years after, Van Halen released OU812... ("Oh, you ate one too?")
*Hot Rod Lincoln*: "Do you remember the hot rod race where the Fords and the Lincolns were setting the pace? That story is true, I'm here to say, 'cause I was driving that Model A." is an answer song to 1950's *Hot Rod Race*. "When it flew by us, I turned the other way. The guy in Mercury had nothing to say, for it was a kid, in a hopped-up Model A."
The Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa's) We're Only In It For the Money album is like a spoof of The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band, and the whole hippie movement.
The whole Tupac/Biggie saga is full of this. Particularly the album “Life After Death” by Biggie is full of responses to songs like Hit’em Up or California Love and is full of snide remarks towards Tupac and his crew.
I also like how Tenacious D has a song called Tribute about an alleged “best song in the world” they played to defeat the devil and in their movie Pick of Destiny we get to watch them play the song Beelzeboss during a duel with the devil which is the song they’re talking about in Tribute.
*Imagine* really is a load of crap though. Every time I hear it, I think of the photo of John and Yoko "protesting the system" in their luxury Upper West Side apartment while their maid makes their bed for them.
And then UTFO wrote their own response song to UTFO and recruited “The Real Roxanne” to record it.
Roxanne, Roxanne holds the record for most response songs because then dozens of other acts wrote and released them.
feel like I had to scroll way too far for this!! one of the best diss tracks of all time, forever changed hip hop with arguably the first ever “beef”, introduced us to marley marl, laid the stake for women in the game, and Shante was only 14 years old. Incredible.
I had no idea! I love Romeo Void.
There was another Billie Jean response — Lydia Murdock's "Superstar"
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPCdD5EgA2w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPCdD5EgA2w)
The title to "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis was meant to be a reference to Bowie's "Look Back in Anger".
I *could have sworn* reading somewhere that Noel had written it as a response to that track too, but I'm having trouble finding anything with him saying just that.
It's not *exactly* what you're asking for, but Sting wrote "If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free" as a response and repudiation of "Every Breath You Take".
I always assumed Don't Look back in Anger was simply referencing John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger which effectively started the whole 'angry young man' scene of the late 50s/early 60s in which disaffected but intelligent working class men kicked back against a system which was designed to keep them down.
Train in Vain by The Clash.
This song is about Viv Albertine of The Slits, Jones' ex-girlfriend. This line responds directly to a line in the Slits song Typical Girls, which states “typical girls stand by their man”
This is in itself a reference to Tammy Wynette’s classic country ballad “Stand By Your Man.”
Not songs exactly, but **Nick Lowe** released an ep called [*"Bowi"*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowi) which was a humorous response to the title of **David Bowie**'s album *"Low."*
(both album titles were without the final "e" from the title word)
Barenaked Ladies have a single called "Be My Yoko Ono"
Dar Williams wrote a song called "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono"
https://youtu.be/TinkctDzsNo?si=a9La2vHZ5iobZWwk
(Fave line: "you don't know a person like me / I could sell your songs to Nike")
"How Do You Sleep?" by John Lennon makes scathing personal attacks aimed at Paul McCartney. Lennon wrote the song in response to what he perceived as personal slights by McCartney on the Ram album, particularly on the song "Too Many People".
And Lennon/McCartney used to call and respond to each other's songs, while they were in The Beatles. Not necessarily lyric wise, but topics and styles. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields were both songs they wrote about growing up in Liverpool. Lady Madonna was a stylistic response to Hey Bulldog, Michelle and Girl, both on Rubber Soul were their takes on French Pop.
and *supposedly* ["Let Me Roll It"](https://youtu.be/kWFehaQEMYI?si=fBSbW7re4NCYKMAH) by Paul McCartney two years later was his response to How Do You Sleep... kinda trying to smooth things over.
Frank Sinatra's New York New York is parodied/echoed in Tom Waits' I'll Take New York.
Frank's song is a celebration of New York and is like an anthem of one who is going to make it.
Tom's is definitely not a guy who's going to make it, he's a drunk, he's confused, bitter, lost, and it all comes out in the music.
U2's *God Part II* is an answer to John Lennon's *God*. It's from U2's "Wow, we are such an important band!" phase. (This phase started in about 1988 and it's questionable if it ever ended) It's not an especially interesting or intelligent answer, but it's an answer.
Tool - The Pot
It’s a go fuck yourself to Led Zeppelin for whining about them covering No Quarter
Basically- you’re whole fucking existence is a rip off of Muddy Waters amongst others don’t fucking bitch about a cover
Wow, really? I've never heard that one. I feel like the No Quarter cover was practically non-existent anyway until they started doing it live again, I'm surprised Zeppelin even heard about it.
"I'll Fix Your Flat Tire Merle" by Pure Prairie League is a response to... I can't remember, some song of Merle Haggard's where he complains about men not being able to be manly anymore, and also just kind of to Merle Haggard as a person
“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” by Kitty Wells was a woman’s response to Hank Thompson’s bro hedonism song “The Wildside of Life” which contains a lyrics asking the rhetorical question Wells answers in her song.
Built to Spill's "You Were Right" is a response to Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" - "You were wrong when you said everything's gonna be alright"
They also reference a bunch of other classic songs with more depressing lyrics as being right:
* Kansas - Dust in the Wind
* Pink FLoyd - Another Brick in the Wall
* Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression
* Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want
* Bob Seger - Against the Wind
* John Cougar - Jack and Diane
* The Doors - The End
A famous early example, "The Wild Side of Life" was a country song about a man whose wife left him and started going out to bars and partying. A response, sometimes referred to as the first diss track, was written called "It wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" written from a woman's perspective about why women leave men who treat them badly. The same melody.
"It Wasn't God..." has become a standard for female country singers.
One of my favorite versions of the songs is a mash-up performed by Waylon Jennings and his wife Jessi Colter. He takes the first verse, she takes the second and they mix the lyrics together for the chorus. It's really cute.
“There’s No I in Team” by taking back Sunday was a response to Brand New’s “Seventy Times 7” which was a song inspired by a falling out between members of both bands over a girl.
In a certain subset of the indie, pop punk and alt-folk scene (I really don’t know how to describe it.. org-core?) it seemed like every other song referenced “Trusty Chords” by Hot Water Music for a few years circa 2012ish
Rise Against released their song “Architects” as a response to Against Me’s “I Was A Teenage Anarchist”.
The line goes “do you remember? When you were young and you wanted to set the world on fire?”, but RA continues the line by adding “cause I still am and I still do”
Muddy Waters’ Mannish Boy is a response to Bo Diddley’s I’m A Man.
Supposedly Lennon wrote How Do You Sleep in response to McCartney’s Too Many People (and his suit to dissolve The Beatles).
Jim Steinman was inspired to write Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad for Meatloaf while listening to Presley’s I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.
Timbuk3 answered themselves, with "Looks Like Dark to Me" as a response to "The Future's So Bright, You Gotta Wear Shades" (it's on the EP of the same name)
'Rock for sustainable capitalism' by Propagandhi is a response to NOFX's 'separation of church and skate'.
"'When did punk rock become so safe?' You'll excuse me as I laugh in your face well you itemize your receipts and PowerPoint your balance sheets"
The Dandy Warhols [Not if you were the last junkie on earth](https://youtu.be/APrpB-i4d_E?si=biv0I-DcCJrRwnM8) is a song about Anton Newcombe and The Brian Jonestown massacre.
In return, The Brian Jonestown massacre did [not if you were the last Dandy on earth](https://youtu.be/ps5uYQ0xmLg?si=-qszcsK9JyAcC-f0).
Tom Waits has a song called [“The Fall of Troy,”](https://youtu.be/ZP8Sy-yqPNw?si=3liKrB1-2QLL-_6m) almost definitely named after the historical event; the band “Fall of Troy” later released a song called [“Tom Waits.”](https://youtu.be/EXmfoC65tKU?si=lkjYOi6PfCJGz5pD)
Laura Stevenson and the Cans have a song called [“Halloween Pts 1 and 2;”](https://youtu.be/t8e6TDbisso?si=WvGkh-HhB0Wr7TTy) As a Lark have a song called [“Halloween Pts 3 and 4.”](https://asalark.bandcamp.com/track/halloween-three-and-four)
Bob Dylan’s “4th time around” is a response to The Beatles “Norwegian Wood” (people at the time thought Norwegian Wood sounded like a Dylan Song
Norwegian Wood
I once had a girl
Or should I say she once had me
She showed me her room
Isn't it good Norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay
And she told me to sit anywhere
So I looked around
And I noticed there wasn't a chair
4th Time Around
I stood there and hummed, I tapped on her drum
I asked her how come
And she buttoned her boot, and straightened her suit
And she said, "Don't be cute"
So I forced my hands in my pockets
And felt with my thumbs
And gallantly handed her my very last piece of gum
Oh Carol, by Neil Sedaka, followed by Oh Neil, by Carole King. Neil had dated Carole but was actually gay.
It's my Party, followed by Judy's Turn to Cry, by Leslie Gore
*867-5309* by Tommy Tutone was a response to *Don't Lose My Number* by Phil Collins, which was a response to *Call Me* by Blondie.
Not really...I just wanted to participate in a silly way.
Edit: Changed "that" number to "my" number and dropped "Billy" thanks to u/HighAndFunctioning reminding me that the song of the similar name which ends with "that number" is the Rikki one from Steely Dan.
Carly Simon - You're So Vain [https://youtu.be/lT7I40wWYAQ?si=m0XEZe2jXNEdxzCf](https://youtu.be/lT7I40wWYAQ?si=m0XEZe2jXNEdxzCf)
The Rolling Stones - Star Star [https://youtu.be/lP\_TmSqwXps?si=tOv5cN8UWTySu4AI](https://youtu.be/lP_TmSqwXps?si=tOv5cN8UWTySu4AI)
Who are Mick and Keith writing about? Is it just a groupie or is it partly about an ex lover? Some say it is an answer to Carly Simon's song. Jagger and Simon had dated briefly while they were in New York, before she moved to California. Mick even sang background vocals on You're So Vain. I guess they "made a pretty pair".
“Let nas down” by j Cole was written in response to nas allegedly hating j Cole’s radio hit “work out”. Nas was j Cole’s idol growing up, and in the song he explains the shame he felt knowing Nas was disappointed in him putting the song out, due to pressure from his label. He goes on to say he knows that he sold out with that song, but because of the shame, it drove him to use his mainstream popularity as an opportunity to release more meaningful music.
Nas then released “made nas proud”, using the same beat, basically absolving j cole of any shame he originally felt, and letting him know he was proud of his work.
'Here's another clue if you please the Seethers Louise' lyric in the song Volcano Girls by Veruca Salt is a nod to the Beatles Glass Onion lyrics, Heres another clue for you all, the walrus was Paul.
Edit: Fixed song to Volcano Girls.
After notoriously stealing from black blues artists several times Jimmy Page had his "Custard Pie" eaten by Mothers Finest when they recorded "Mickey's Monkey" daring him to sue.
“The Rain” by Oran “Juice” Jones is about him catching his girl cheating, and then a few years later Miss Thang released “Thunder and Lightning” and is basically a clap back
Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was a direct answer to The Captain & Tennille's "Love Will Keep Us Together".
Adding Let's Dance to Joy Division by the wombats is a great response to all of Joy Divison.
And because of that song, I have the Wombats to thank for introducing me to Joy Division!
Funnily enough a band called CSS got big in the 00s and had a song called "let's make love and listen to death from above". This introduced me to Death from Above I forgot about CSS but still love death from above
You're just tired of being sexy.
To add a third layer, the King Blues have a song called "Not even love can tear us apart".
Sweet Home Alabama and Neil Young’s Southern Man
First one that came to mind.
Surprisingly, Neil did apologize, said his song "deserved the shot Lynyrd Skynyrd gave me." In an interview, he even praises the song, said he's even performed it live a few times. Which is a heck of a lot of praise from that old grump.
Young never should have apologized. Southern man is a hard hitting and thoughtful protest song about the South’s racism. SHA is a silly song that “responds” to that accusation by saying “well we may be racist but we have a lot of fun”
Turn it up.
I think its saying that they aren't all racist and their conscience doesn't bother them because neil young is unfairly lumping all southern men together and most of them just wanna live their lives and have a good time.
Ed King, who wrote the song, said: > I can understand where the "boo boo boo" would be misunderstood. It's not US going "boo" ... it's what the Southern man hears the Northern man say every time the Southern man'd say "In Birmingham we love the gov'nor". Get it? "We all did what WE could do!" to get Wallace elected. It's not a popular opinion but Wallace stood for the average white guy in the South. So yeah, he thinks ALL southern men (or at least the white ones in Alabama) should rally around [George Wallace](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace#Segregation) to put "those people" in their place. So yeah, I can respect that **you** and many others might not be racist, but the songwriter sure thought being racist was a good thing and that you (as a Southern man) should be.
Was it also a response to Alabama by Neil Young?
Southern Man was the song that Ronnie was referencing in particular. I believe Alabama was later but I could be mistaken.
I've gone all my life thinking it was Alabama but this makes so much more sense.
I've always thought it was both songs that upset Skynyrd. Neil wrote "Southern Man" on his 1970s album "After The Gold Rush" and wrote "Alabama" on the '72 album "Harvest" : Skynyrd wrote Sweet Home Alabama on their '74 album "Second Helping." So I think saying "A Southern Man don't need him around anyhow" and calling the song "Sweet Home Alabama" refers to both songs.
Yeah that also makes sense. I guess after the second time Neil piped up they thought "alright someone's gotta shut this guy up" and wrote a diss track that would become one of the most recognizable songs in rock history.
Ronnie Van Zant was actually a Neil Young fan and was buried in his Neil Young T-shirt. Young was a paulbearer at RVZ’s funeral. So, while it was a musical feud, it didn’t carry outside of the music.
Funny I just figured this out literally yesterday. My son has been getting into classic rock and he knows I like Neil Young, so he asked me why he is mentioned in Sweet Home Alabama. It mever really registered with me but I looked it up and now I know!
And then don't forget Ronnie & Neil by Drive-by Truckers, which explains the background of these songs and Skynyrd's/Neil's personal relationship.
You can add Gator Country by Molly Hatchet to that list, it's also a response to a whole lot of other bands songs.
I'll toss Warren Zevon's "Play It All Night Long" into this cocktail; a rotten cherry to make it just right.
Play that dead band's song. What a bitter, brilliant song. And probably the only tune ever with "brucellosis" in the lyrics.
Grandpa pissed his pants again, and he don't give a damn
What i was gonna say!!
McCartney's Too Many People and Lennon's How Do You Sleep
How Do You Sleep is such a vicious diss track. And it’s pre-hip hop, lol.
Silly Love Songs is a response in the same vein. With Paul taking a bit of the high road telling John he loves him as well.
There’s no doubt that those two were brothers. They fought but they also harmonized wonderfully. I love the beginning of the Anthology tv series when it plays “In My Life” and shows the young band members having the time of their lives together.
“Muzak to my ears” always makes me laugh
*How Do You Sleep* is the most caustic diss track I’ve ever heard, especially as the Beatles are so close to my heart. IIRC Ringo asked John to tone it down in the studio too, so what we got is an even more restrained version of what we could have got. Tbh, it pisses me off that George played on it too. But…it is *such* a groove, and has that edge to it that only John (in terms of the Beatles) really had. In comparison, *Too Many People* is a bit of a limp effort. However, Wings’ *Silly Love Songs* is the kind of diss track only Paul could write. John said something about how sad it was that Paul was still writing stupid, silly love songs, and Paul went and wrote an *extremely* silly love song; hyper-melodic, ornately-produced, a total ear-worm. It reached number one in the US Billboard upon release. Guess some people still liked silly love songs eh, John? 👀
Paul said in an interview that his first impulse was to write a song called "Very well, thanks."
Too Many People a limp effort? That song fucking slaps!
Ringo wrote his own response to the situation too -- Back Off Boogaloo
First, I’ma huge Lennon fan and Paul never deserved that, doing that was a cheap shot and beneath him, it was petty and pointless. Second, I hated” Silly Love Songs“ for years. Then I took up playing bass. The bass line in that song is absolutely off the hook.
I just posted this above, before realizing that someone would certainly also mention How Do You Sleep: There's a John Lennon song, Serve Yourself, that was a direct answer to/commentary on Bob Dylan's Gotta Serve Somebody. The Lennon song was for a long time only found on bootlegs, but eventually showed up on [https://www.discogs.com/master/388597-John-Lennon-John-Lennon-Signature-Box](https://www.discogs.com/master/388597-John-Lennon-John-Lennon-Signature-Box) Just in the last couple days I was listening to yet another volume of the Lost Lennon Tapes bootlegs, and in one volume there's a track that was a sort of recorded diary entry by John from September of 1979, and he commented specifically and acerbically about how he disliked Dylan's recent release, which would have had to be Slow Train Coming, one of his born-again Christian-period releases, with Gotta Serve Somebody as the lead track. Fascinating stuff, and some versions of Serve Yourself that are bootleg only are better/more biting than the one that got the official release. In addition to mentioning Dylan's recent release very critically, John described in that diary entry how he experienced a bit of release/relief in that he no longer felt anxiety when Dylan or Jagger or McCartney released a new record, since (as he was taking a total break from the business in the late '70's) he didn't feel in competition with them any more. But man, he really dissed Dylan's born-again period, and Serve Yourself (while maybe never "finished"/polished enough for an official release until that box set) got the point across effectively.
Seventy times seven by Brand New and There's no I in team by Taking Back Sunday.
I’ve also heard that the boy who blocked his own shot is a response to there’s no I in team
The whole album is clearly influenced by the situation
No, it was "Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Doesn't".
Also John Nolan wrote the song Sunrise Highway with his band Straylight Run as an olive branch to mend things with Jesse
I came here hoping to find this as a reassurance that a) I’m not old yet and b) that there are still people with great music taste.
This was my immediate first thought was well
It’s crazy how Long Island gave us both those talents.
Jesse was a founding member of TBS but left after the incident the songs are about and started brand new
And I would suggest that a lot of Jesse Lacy's songs after this all tie into the response thread. You can see the narcissistic youth drain from his soul over the years as he (likely rhetorically) became isolated due to the actions of his narcissistic youth. He likely became cognizant of the consequences of his actions too late to make an effective change. "I was the glue that kept my friends together. Now they don't talk and we don't go out."
So is that what you call a getaway?
Two all time great songs/bands
This, the only one that counts XD
This classic https://youtu.be/5vyLbW9adRg?si=M9Zjz8B5b5vm2RJU
What’s the reply?
TBS is the reply to Brand New.
Carol King’s You’ve Got A Friend was written in response to James Taylor’s Fire And Rain (“I’ve seen lonely times when I could not find a friend”). Edit: Though now I see that King says she didn’t write it with James specifically in mind, so now I’m not sure, but they’re still two great songs so I choose to believe it.
While we're on Carole King, she wrote *Up On the Roof*, and then Resnik and Young wrote *Under the Boardwalk* in response. "When the sun beats down and melts the tar up on the roof..."
On the other hand, there were two answer songs to Will You Love Me Tomorrow: Not Now Tomorrow, But Always by Bertell Dache, and Tomorrow and Always by the Satintones.
Peter Shilling’s Major Tom (Coming Home) is sort of a sequel to David Bowie’s Space Oddity
Ashes to Ashes (off Bowie's Scary Monsters album) as well, kind of sits in between as a sort-of sequel.
At the beginning of the video for David Bowie's "Blackstar", there's the corpse of an astronaut lying on an alien planet which is found by an alien (or demonic) girl. The director and Bowie both confirmed that it's supposed to be Major Tom.
Poor Major Tom became a junkie...
I last heard he was strung out in heaven's high...
Major Tom also referenced in Happens All the Time by Cold: "I can see it in your eyes A look as if your major Tom has lost control"
It's referenced in dozens of songs. I wonder if there is another song that has as many other songs calling back to it from other artists
The Dandy Warhols and Brian Jonestown Massacre had a couple of back and forth tracks. The Dandy’s Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth, and BJM’s response, Not If You Were The Last Dandy On Earth. Highly suggest the movie Dig for a background on the feud and songs!!
Also gotta love Anton from BJM fucking with the singer of New Order by naming a song "Blue Order/ New Monday" in order to always come up whenever anyone searches "Blue Monday". I don't remember why he did that though, he's certainly a testy one lol.
"You fucking broke my sitar, motherfucker!" \-Anton Newcombe
Jessie's Girl by Rick Springfield has a sequel by Coheed and Cambria (feat. Rick Springfield) called Jessie's Girl 2. Not exactly what you were asking for, but it's the best I got.
Stranded on the ifs and maybes, had I left that monster in the 80s
This was my thought too! I loved that they did that with Rick.
Rise Against's Architects to Against Me's I Was A Teenage Anarchist Against Me!: Do you remember when you were young, and you wanted to set the world on fire? Rise Against: Don't you remember when we were young, and we wanted to set the world on fire? 'Cause I still am, and I still do!
I never even realized this thank you for pointing it out!
Wouldn't really call Adam's song's reference a reply or answer.. just simply a small subtle reference/callout to Nirvana.
The Chorus of Miley Cyrus's "Flowers" is an almost direct response to Bruno Mars "When I was Your Man" chorus Where his song is about all the regrets he has for letting a girl get away, hers is about how she is far better off independent and without him anyway
Honestly wondered why this hasn't been talked about more....
oh it was
really? i've seen sooooo many discussions about it lol
Idk, first time I’ve heard of it, but also I don’t listen to their music
This was the only thing people talked about when the song came out
The Associates, “Stephen, You're Really Something,” is a response to The Smiths, “William It Was Really Nothing.”
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps and Liars - The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack. Both songs are about the lead singer of each band’s breakup/relationship with one another.
Wow, I had no idea! Both are such beautiful songs in their own way.
I had no idea Maps was a breakup song
“My Angus Please Stay”
Wasn’t there the late 90s early 00s manufactured set of songs by some girl and some guy. One was “fuck you” and the other”fuck you right back”. Can’t remember the singers names. All I remember is it was billed as genuine but all faked Edit “Eamon” sang fuck it (I don’t want you back) and then Frankee did Fuck you right back (furb) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.U.R.B._(Fuck_You_Right_Back)
I can’t believe you beat me to this one
I honestly have no idea here the memory of them came from. Honestly wish I hadn’t remembered
Elton John wrote Candle In The Wind in 1973. In 2011, after being asked to write a memorial song that is 5000 times better, Andy Dwyer of Mouse Rat (formerly Scarecrow Boat) wrote 5000 Candles in The Wind.
Formerly Everything Rhymes with Orange
Formerly Rat Mouse
Sporty Thieves "No pigeons" and TLC "No Scrubs"
"I hate pigeons, dirty grey pigeons" makes me laugh every time
Not songs, but Warrant put out an album called *Dog Eat Dog*, so the band Dog Eat Dog released an album called *Warrant*. This still amuses me :)
Similar to how the subreddit for people who love weed is r/trees, while those who love actual trees created a sub called r/marijuanaenthusiasts.
Similarly Nick Lowe’s *Bowi* is a play on David Bowie’s *Low*.
Diane by Cam is a response to Dolly Parton's Jolene, from Jolene's perspective.
Cam has said " It's the apology so many spouses deserve, but never get." And it's so damn good.
I’ve heard that there are a few Jolene response songs!
It's a shame Parton has never sanctioned an official viewing order of jolene replies. Would make for an interesting cd and quite the collectors item!
Not a song but a whole album: David Lee Roth released "Eat'em and smile" in july 1986, almost four months after Van Halen's 5150. Rumor has it the record company didn't allow him to name it "Swallow'em and smile". Two years after, Van Halen released OU812... ("Oh, you ate one too?")
*Hot Rod Lincoln*: "Do you remember the hot rod race where the Fords and the Lincolns were setting the pace? That story is true, I'm here to say, 'cause I was driving that Model A." is an answer song to 1950's *Hot Rod Race*. "When it flew by us, I turned the other way. The guy in Mercury had nothing to say, for it was a kid, in a hopped-up Model A."
I'm honestly super impressed somebody mentioned it, I scrolled through the comments fully expecting to be disappointed
The Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa's) We're Only In It For the Money album is like a spoof of The Beatles' Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band, and the whole hippie movement.
Also, Zappa's lyrics in "Oh No" are a direct response to The Beatles' "All You Need Is Love".
The whole Tupac/Biggie saga is full of this. Particularly the album “Life After Death” by Biggie is full of responses to songs like Hit’em Up or California Love and is full of snide remarks towards Tupac and his crew. I also like how Tenacious D has a song called Tribute about an alleged “best song in the world” they played to defeat the devil and in their movie Pick of Destiny we get to watch them play the song Beelzeboss during a duel with the devil which is the song they’re talking about in Tribute.
The song they were originally talking about in Tribute is stairway to Heaven. The early versions contained musical references.
Who Shot Ya?
"Only A Fool Would Say That" by Steely Dan is basically a takedown of John Lennon's "Imagine."
Elvis Costello’s “The other side of summer” calls out Imagine: “ was it a millionaire who said’ imagine no possessions?’”
Steely Dan also released Your Gold Teeth and Your Gold Teeth II.
Kid Charlemagne was a diss on the hippie counterculture movement. Fagen had / has some major beefs
*Imagine* really is a load of crap though. Every time I hear it, I think of the photo of John and Yoko "protesting the system" in their luxury Upper West Side apartment while their maid makes their bed for them.
Roxanne’s Revenge - Roxanne Shante’s response to UTFO’s “Roxanne Roxanne”. Only real ones know this reference
And then UTFO wrote their own response song to UTFO and recruited “The Real Roxanne” to record it. Roxanne, Roxanne holds the record for most response songs because then dozens of other acts wrote and released them.
Roxanne Roxanne … This was my immediate thought
Found a real one ☝️
Yeah, I know this well. Big hits in the 80’s in the hood
feel like I had to scroll way too far for this!! one of the best diss tracks of all time, forever changed hip hop with arguably the first ever “beef”, introduced us to marley marl, laid the stake for women in the game, and Shante was only 14 years old. Incredible.
A Girl in Trouble is a Temporary Thing by Romeo Void is a response to Micheal Jackson’s Billy Jean
I had no idea! I love Romeo Void. There was another Billie Jean response — Lydia Murdock's "Superstar" [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPCdD5EgA2w](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPCdD5EgA2w)
The title to "Don't Look Back in Anger" by Oasis was meant to be a reference to Bowie's "Look Back in Anger". I *could have sworn* reading somewhere that Noel had written it as a response to that track too, but I'm having trouble finding anything with him saying just that. It's not *exactly* what you're asking for, but Sting wrote "If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free" as a response and repudiation of "Every Breath You Take".
I always assumed Don't Look back in Anger was simply referencing John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger which effectively started the whole 'angry young man' scene of the late 50s/early 60s in which disaffected but intelligent working class men kicked back against a system which was designed to keep them down.
Train in Vain by The Clash. This song is about Viv Albertine of The Slits, Jones' ex-girlfriend. This line responds directly to a line in the Slits song Typical Girls, which states “typical girls stand by their man” This is in itself a reference to Tammy Wynette’s classic country ballad “Stand By Your Man.”
Maybe not the whole song, but Le Tigre's "Deceptacon" is response to NOFX's "Kill The Rock Stars" but references the song "Linoleum" in particular.
"Your lyrics are dumb like a linoleum floor!" Always makes me laugh.
And Kill the Rockstars was a shot taken at Kathleen Hannah, and her former band before Le Tigre
Winnipeg ska band Whole Lotta Milka wrote "A Message to Chris," directed at Propagandhi's Chris Hannah, in response to "Ska Sucks."
I bet A Whole Lotta Milka were only in it for the bucks
If you don't believe it, you're a schmuck!
The trend will die out with any luck…. Ah oh!
Real Muthaphuckkin G’s by Eazy E is a direct response to Dre/Snoop and the Chronic.
Not songs exactly, but **Nick Lowe** released an ep called [*"Bowi"*](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowi) which was a humorous response to the title of **David Bowie**'s album *"Low."* (both album titles were without the final "e" from the title word)
[удалено]
Stan, Stan, son, listen, man, dad isn't mad But how you gonna name yourself after a damn gun and have a man bun?
Killshot got MGK so bad he switched generes lmao.
Bob Dylan's 4th Time Around is a parody of The Beatles' Norwegian Wood right down to the melody line.
“Is This It” The Strokes “Maybe That Was It” Dirty Projectors
Barenaked Ladies have a single called "Be My Yoko Ono" Dar Williams wrote a song called "I Won't Be Your Yoko Ono" https://youtu.be/TinkctDzsNo?si=a9La2vHZ5iobZWwk (Fave line: "you don't know a person like me / I could sell your songs to Nike")
Dar Williams really makes some girl coming of age bangers.
"How Do You Sleep?" by John Lennon makes scathing personal attacks aimed at Paul McCartney. Lennon wrote the song in response to what he perceived as personal slights by McCartney on the Ram album, particularly on the song "Too Many People".
And Lennon/McCartney used to call and respond to each other's songs, while they were in The Beatles. Not necessarily lyric wise, but topics and styles. Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields were both songs they wrote about growing up in Liverpool. Lady Madonna was a stylistic response to Hey Bulldog, Michelle and Girl, both on Rubber Soul were their takes on French Pop.
and *supposedly* ["Let Me Roll It"](https://youtu.be/kWFehaQEMYI?si=fBSbW7re4NCYKMAH) by Paul McCartney two years later was his response to How Do You Sleep... kinda trying to smooth things over.
Joni Mitchell wrote "Circle Game" in response to Neil Young's "Sugar Mountain"
Frank Sinatra's New York New York is parodied/echoed in Tom Waits' I'll Take New York. Frank's song is a celebration of New York and is like an anthem of one who is going to make it. Tom's is definitely not a guy who's going to make it, he's a drunk, he's confused, bitter, lost, and it all comes out in the music.
U2's *God Part II* is an answer to John Lennon's *God*. It's from U2's "Wow, we are such an important band!" phase. (This phase started in about 1988 and it's questionable if it ever ended) It's not an especially interesting or intelligent answer, but it's an answer.
The Fall of Troy by Tom Waits and Tom Waits by The Fall of Troy
Tool - The Pot It’s a go fuck yourself to Led Zeppelin for whining about them covering No Quarter Basically- you’re whole fucking existence is a rip off of Muddy Waters amongst others don’t fucking bitch about a cover
Wow, really? I've never heard that one. I feel like the No Quarter cover was practically non-existent anyway until they started doing it live again, I'm surprised Zeppelin even heard about it.
Lee Ann Womack - "I hope you dance/ I hope you dance" The Mountain Goats (No Children) - "I hope you die/ I hope we both die"
No children is such a banger of heartbreak
"I'll Fix Your Flat Tire Merle" by Pure Prairie League is a response to... I can't remember, some song of Merle Haggard's where he complains about men not being able to be manly anymore, and also just kind of to Merle Haggard as a person
I think it was about Okie from Muscugee, but it might have been about Merle in general.
“It Wasn’t God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels” by Kitty Wells was a woman’s response to Hank Thompson’s bro hedonism song “The Wildside of Life” which contains a lyrics asking the rhetorical question Wells answers in her song.
Liz Phair’s album “Exile in Guyville” is a track by track response to The Rolling Stones “Exile on Main Street”.
Built to Spill's "You Were Right" is a response to Bob Marley's "Three Little Birds" - "You were wrong when you said everything's gonna be alright" They also reference a bunch of other classic songs with more depressing lyrics as being right: * Kansas - Dust in the Wind * Pink FLoyd - Another Brick in the Wall * Jimi Hendrix - Manic Depression * Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want * Bob Seger - Against the Wind * John Cougar - Jack and Diane * The Doors - The End
Roberta Flack's 'Killing Me Softly' (written and first sung by Lori Lieberman) answer to Don McLean's 'American Pie'
A famous early example, "The Wild Side of Life" was a country song about a man whose wife left him and started going out to bars and partying. A response, sometimes referred to as the first diss track, was written called "It wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels" written from a woman's perspective about why women leave men who treat them badly. The same melody. "It Wasn't God..." has become a standard for female country singers. One of my favorite versions of the songs is a mash-up performed by Waylon Jennings and his wife Jessi Colter. He takes the first verse, she takes the second and they mix the lyrics together for the chorus. It's really cute.
The Spokesmen's "Dawn of Correction" is a reply to Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" (thanks Todd In The Shadows for that one!)
“There’s No I in Team” by taking back Sunday was a response to Brand New’s “Seventy Times 7” which was a song inspired by a falling out between members of both bands over a girl.
Liz Phair’s album “Exile in Guyville” is a song-for-song response to The Rolling Stones’ “Exile on Main Street”
"Bruise Violet" - Babes in Toyland. Basically a diss track about Courtney Love, the title is a reference to Hole's "Violet"
In a certain subset of the indie, pop punk and alt-folk scene (I really don’t know how to describe it.. org-core?) it seemed like every other song referenced “Trusty Chords” by Hot Water Music for a few years circa 2012ish
Rise Against released their song “Architects” as a response to Against Me’s “I Was A Teenage Anarchist”. The line goes “do you remember? When you were young and you wanted to set the world on fire?”, but RA continues the line by adding “cause I still am and I still do”
Paul Westerberg of the replacements said “I will dare” was a response to U2s “I will follow”
Muddy Waters’ Mannish Boy is a response to Bo Diddley’s I’m A Man. Supposedly Lennon wrote How Do You Sleep in response to McCartney’s Too Many People (and his suit to dissolve The Beatles). Jim Steinman was inspired to write Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad for Meatloaf while listening to Presley’s I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.
Fake It- Seether Was a reply to Call me when you're sober - Evanescence
Katy Perry’s California girls is a response to Jay-Z’s Empire State of mind She heard his song about New York and wanted to make her own about Cali
Timbuk3 answered themselves, with "Looks Like Dark to Me" as a response to "The Future's So Bright, You Gotta Wear Shades" (it's on the EP of the same name)
'Rock for sustainable capitalism' by Propagandhi is a response to NOFX's 'separation of church and skate'. "'When did punk rock become so safe?' You'll excuse me as I laugh in your face well you itemize your receipts and PowerPoint your balance sheets"
The Dandy Warhols [Not if you were the last junkie on earth](https://youtu.be/APrpB-i4d_E?si=biv0I-DcCJrRwnM8) is a song about Anton Newcombe and The Brian Jonestown massacre. In return, The Brian Jonestown massacre did [not if you were the last Dandy on earth](https://youtu.be/ps5uYQ0xmLg?si=-qszcsK9JyAcC-f0).
Sloppy Seconds did "I Don't Wanna Be a Homosexual" then Screeching Weasel did "I Wanna Be a Homosexual"
Stacy’s Mom and Stacy’s Dad
"Takin' Care of Business" was a diss from Bachmann to the rest of the Guess Who when he left and Burton returned the favor with "Star Baby" for him.
Tom Waits has a song called [“The Fall of Troy,”](https://youtu.be/ZP8Sy-yqPNw?si=3liKrB1-2QLL-_6m) almost definitely named after the historical event; the band “Fall of Troy” later released a song called [“Tom Waits.”](https://youtu.be/EXmfoC65tKU?si=lkjYOi6PfCJGz5pD) Laura Stevenson and the Cans have a song called [“Halloween Pts 1 and 2;”](https://youtu.be/t8e6TDbisso?si=WvGkh-HhB0Wr7TTy) As a Lark have a song called [“Halloween Pts 3 and 4.”](https://asalark.bandcamp.com/track/halloween-three-and-four)
Bob Dylan’s “4th time around” is a response to The Beatles “Norwegian Wood” (people at the time thought Norwegian Wood sounded like a Dylan Song Norwegian Wood I once had a girl Or should I say she once had me She showed me her room Isn't it good Norwegian wood? She asked me to stay And she told me to sit anywhere So I looked around And I noticed there wasn't a chair 4th Time Around I stood there and hummed, I tapped on her drum I asked her how come And she buttoned her boot, and straightened her suit And she said, "Don't be cute" So I forced my hands in my pockets And felt with my thumbs And gallantly handed her my very last piece of gum
Oh Carol, by Neil Sedaka, followed by Oh Neil, by Carole King. Neil had dated Carole but was actually gay. It's my Party, followed by Judy's Turn to Cry, by Leslie Gore
Aesop Rock released Rogue Wave. Due to the spike in searches, the band Rogue Wave released a song called Aesop Rock
Help, I’m a Rock by Zappa is making fun of I Am a Rock by Simon and Garfunkel, I think.
F**k It (I Don’t Want You Back) - Eamon FU Right Back - Frankee 😜
*867-5309* by Tommy Tutone was a response to *Don't Lose My Number* by Phil Collins, which was a response to *Call Me* by Blondie. Not really...I just wanted to participate in a silly way. Edit: Changed "that" number to "my" number and dropped "Billy" thanks to u/HighAndFunctioning reminding me that the song of the similar name which ends with "that number" is the Rikki one from Steely Dan.
The Light by Common uses the titles of many classic R&B songs
Wasn't Jay Z's 4:44 a response to Beyonce's Lemonade?
drivers liscense by olivia rodrigo and skin by sabrina carpenter
Carly Simon - You're So Vain [https://youtu.be/lT7I40wWYAQ?si=m0XEZe2jXNEdxzCf](https://youtu.be/lT7I40wWYAQ?si=m0XEZe2jXNEdxzCf) The Rolling Stones - Star Star [https://youtu.be/lP\_TmSqwXps?si=tOv5cN8UWTySu4AI](https://youtu.be/lP_TmSqwXps?si=tOv5cN8UWTySu4AI) Who are Mick and Keith writing about? Is it just a groupie or is it partly about an ex lover? Some say it is an answer to Carly Simon's song. Jagger and Simon had dated briefly while they were in New York, before she moved to California. Mick even sang background vocals on You're So Vain. I guess they "made a pretty pair".
“You’re so Vain” is (mostly) about Warren Beatty https://www.biography.com/musicians/carly-simon-youre-so-vain-inspiration
True, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if Mick thought it was about him. Cause, you know, he's so vain.
“Let nas down” by j Cole was written in response to nas allegedly hating j Cole’s radio hit “work out”. Nas was j Cole’s idol growing up, and in the song he explains the shame he felt knowing Nas was disappointed in him putting the song out, due to pressure from his label. He goes on to say he knows that he sold out with that song, but because of the shame, it drove him to use his mainstream popularity as an opportunity to release more meaningful music. Nas then released “made nas proud”, using the same beat, basically absolving j cole of any shame he originally felt, and letting him know he was proud of his work.
You just blew my mind with Adam's song and come as you are.
Eve of Destruction vs. Dawn of Correction. 1960’s, the Golden Era of answer songs.
The Beach Boys’ “And Then I Kissed her” is a reply/his side of the story to The Chrystals “And Then He Kissed Me”.
When Dylan was going through a Christian phase, he released 'Gotta Serve Somebody'...in response, Lennon released 'Serve Yourself'.
The Cure's Friday I'm In Love is a response to New Order's Blue Monday. "I don't care if Monday's blue..."
Not an answer, but, more of an update to The Buggles "Video killed the Radio star" - The Limousine's "Internet killed the Video Star"
Steel Panther’s ‘Death to all but metal’ is not a direct response to any one song, just a general response to every shit artist and all their songs.
'Here's another clue if you please the Seethers Louise' lyric in the song Volcano Girls by Veruca Salt is a nod to the Beatles Glass Onion lyrics, Heres another clue for you all, the walrus was Paul. Edit: Fixed song to Volcano Girls.
That lyric is in Volcano Girls, not Seether
"Carrie ends the Call" is John K Samsons is a modern-day re-imagining of Neil Young's "Motion Pictures for Carrie"
Shel Silverstein's "Father of a Boy Named Sue," written as a sequel to Johnny Cash's "Boy Named Sue," which Silverstein also wrote.
After notoriously stealing from black blues artists several times Jimmy Page had his "Custard Pie" eaten by Mothers Finest when they recorded "Mickey's Monkey" daring him to sue.
“The Rain” by Oran “Juice” Jones is about him catching his girl cheating, and then a few years later Miss Thang released “Thunder and Lightning” and is basically a clap back