8 Song Titles That Are Homages To Other Songs: The Smiths, Radiohead, and more

In choosing song titles or band names, it's not uncommon for an artist to reference other works of art, such as books or films, and sometimes they even reference other songs. Here are eight song titles that are homages to other songs.

1. The Smiths - "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" (1984)

Some of Morrissey's biggest musical influences are '60s female pop singers such as Leslie Gore and Sandie Shaw, so much so that Morrissey paid homage to Shaw with the title of the Smith's 1984 classic "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," which is a play on Shaw's 1969 single "Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now."

2. Yo La Tengo - "From A Motel 6" (1993)

Though Yo La Tengo has pretty much nothing in common with Bob Dylan in a musical sense, it was still able to take inspiration from him for one of its best songs. The band's 1993 gem "From A Motel 6" takes its name from Dylan's Highway 61 Revisited classic "From A Buick 6."

3. Radiohead - "Subterranean Homesick Alien" (1997)

Yo La Tengo wasn't the only alt-rock band in the '90s to pay homage to Bob Dylan. Radiohead's psychedelic 1997 track "Subterranean Homesick Alien" takes its name from another Dylan classic from 1965: "Subterranean Homesick Blues."

4. The Lucksmiths - "There Is A Boy That Never Goes Out" (2003)

Pretty much any indie pop band in the world cites the Smiths as an influence, and it was quite obvious that the Lucksmiths were Smiths acolytes even before they released "There is a Boy That Never Goes Out" in 2003, a clever twist on the immortal "There is a Light That Never Goes Out."

5. Sufjan Stevens - "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" (2005)

Though Sufjan Stevens has maintained the image of a sensitive and somewhat pretentious indie musician throughout his career, a surprising sense of humor shines through occasionally, such as the sort-of title track to his 2005 album Illinois, whose title is inspired by Slade's (and later Quiet Riot's) hit "Cum On Feel The Noize."

6. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "This Love is F**king Right" (2009)

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart takes after countless indie pop bands from the '80s and '90s, and the title to this song from the band's eponymous debut gives away one key influence: It's a strongly worded update of The Field Mice's 1989 classic "This Love is Not Wrong."

7. Andrew Jackson Jihad - "Love Will F**k Us Apart" (2009

Apparently 2009 was a big year for song title homages with the words "love" and "f**k" in them. For its third album Can't Maintain, Arizona folk punk band Andrew Jackson Jihad wrote the song "Love Will F**k Us Apart," a reference to Joy Division's 1980 classic "Love Will Tear Us Apart."

8. Human Dosage Factor - "Axe Slash Fever" (2013)

One-man death metal band Human Dosage Factor loves a good gruesome pun every once in a while (see: "Fatal Alcohol Syndrome," "The Pains of Being Pulled Apart"), and the song "Axe Slash Fever" from its 2013 EP Boned is a great example of this, being a play on Ted Nugent's "Cat Scratch Fever."

What other song titles are homages to other songs? Let us know in the comments section!

Tags

The Smiths, Yo La Tengo, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Morrissey, Sufjan Stevens, Joy Division, Ted nugent