Ah…Remember the days when a name drop of a country singer actually meant something and made sense within the context of the song? Before Jason Aldean’s gratuitous and inane name checks of Johnny Cash, Alabama and even Joe Diffie? Those were the days, weren’t they?
What are some of your favorite songs that refer to country singers or country songs?
- Don Williams, “Good Old Boys Like Me” (Hank Williams)
- Vince Gill, “Some Things Never Get Old” (Emmylou Harris’ “Bluebird Wine”)
- Rodney Crowell, “Walk the Line Revisited” (Johnny Cash)
- Ashley Monroe, “Hank’s Cadillac” (Hank Williams)
- Josh Turner, “Loretta Lynn’s Lincoln”
Emmylou Harris – “Amarillo” (Dolly and Porter)
Mary Chapin Carpenter- “I Feel Lucky” (Dwight Yoakam and Lyle Lovett)
Waylon Jennings- “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way” (Hank Williams)
Bruce Robison- “What Would Willie Do?” (Willie Nelson)
Gillian Welch- “Elvis Presley Blues” (Elvis)
Becky Hobbs – Jones on the Jukebox.
David Allan Coe – Willie, Waylon and me.
Caitlyn Smith – Hank Drank.
Patty Loveless – I Try to Think about Elvis.
Lindi Ortega – I’m no Elvis Presley.
1. Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way – Waylon
2. Lotta Boot Left to Fill – Eric Church (Waylon, Hank, Johnny Cash)
3. Hank – Jason Boland & the Stragglers (Hank and Gram Parsons)
4. Another Sunday in the South – Miranda Lambert (Shenandoah, Restless Heart, et al.)
5. Except for Jessie – Aaron Watson (Jessie, obviously Waylon’s Jessie)
I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool – Barbara Mandrell (George Jones)
Luckenbach Texas – Waylon Jennings (Hank Williams and Willie Nelson’s ‘Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain’)
The King Is Gone – Ronnie McDowell (Elvis Presley)
Don’t Rock The Juke Box – Alan Jackson (George Jones)
Tim McGraw – Taylor Swift (obviously Tim McGraw)
1. Don’t Rock the Jukebox
2. Luckenbach, Texas
3. I can Take it from There (mentions Conway Twitty & his song I’d love to Lsy You Down)
4. Are you Sure Hank Done it This way
5. Young Country–By Hank jr. Mentions Elvis, Hank Sr, and ZZ Top
1. You Never Even Call Me By My Name: David Allen Coe (Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard)
2. Midnight In Montgomery: Alan Jackson (Hank Williams)
3. Dime Store Cowgirl: Kacey Musgraves (Willie Nelson and Gram Parsons)
4. EmmyLou: First Aid Kit (EmmyLou Harris)
5. Rolling and Rambling: EmmyLou Harris (Hank Williams)
Red Jenkins & Dawn Sears – Hank & Jack.
Red Jenkins & Lance Miller – George Jones and Jesus.
Watermelon Slim – Hank Williams You Wrote my Life.
1. “Where’s Tammy Wynette” – Kellie Pickler (I think this is the only one of mine that hasn’t been mentioned, but it’s one of my favorites)
2. “Don’t Rock the Jukebox” – Alan Jackson
3. “Dimestore Cowgirl” – Kacey Musgraves
4. “Luckenbach Texas” – Waylon Jennings
5. “I’m No Elvis Presley” – Lindi Ortega
Crystal Sands – Hank you.
Crystal Sands – A bottle of wine and Patsy Cline – and several versions.
A bottle of wine and Patsy Cline – Lindy Gravelle, Mary Resek, Marsha Thornton have all recorded this song.
OMG how could I have forgotten the greatest song that will ever fit in this category:
“Whos Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” Mentions, Roy, Acuff, Elvis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Willie and Waylon..The only complaint I’ve ever had about this song is who it left out: Charley Pride, Patsy, Loretta, maybe the Statler Brothers or Oak Ridge Boys…
And also another good one I forgot is “This is Country Music” By Brad Paisley (Although it ony mentions the song titles)
You’re all coming up with great songs! I can’t even believe some of the songs I didn’t even think of, but are so good.:)
“Tuckered Out” by Clint Black.
Don Williams – “Good Ole Boys Like Me” (I know this was already said, but in my book, this is one of the best songs ever written. It still packs an emotional punch with me no matter how many times I hear it.)
Vern Gosdin – “Set Em Up Joe” (Ernest Tubb, “Walking the Floor Over You”)
Ashley Monroe/Blake Shelton – “You Ain’t Dolly/You Ain’t Porter”
Kenny Chesney – “Don’t Happen Twice (“Me and Bobby McGee”…a bit of a stretch, but it was written by Kristofferson)
John Anderson – “Mississippi Moon” (It references Wolfman Jack. Alright, this is a much bigger stretch, since he has nothing to do with country music…but I flat out love the song, and it is a name drop…lol.)
Honorable mention: Miranda Lambert: “Priscilla”
It’s a little weird to listen to this now…but it’s still a really good song, and an indication of the stress that she was going through (even though I don’t think she wrote it.)
PSU Guy,
I agree regarding the Don Williams song.
While Miranda did not write “Pricilla”, she’s gone on record to say that it was written with her and Blake in mind.
Crystal Sands – Hank you.
Crystal Sands – A bottle of wine and Patsy Cline – and several versions.
A bottle of wine and Patsy Cline – Lindy Gravelle, Mary Resek, Marsha Thornton have all recorded this song.
This thread has caught my imagination.
Dolly Parton – I dreamed of a hillbilly heaven.
Moe Bandy – Hank And Lefty Raised My Country Soul
1. Creedence Clearwater Revival – “Lookin’ Out My Back Door” (Buck Owens)
2. Johnny Lee – “Country Party” (Conway, Loretta, Haggard, Bobby Bare, Waylon, Willie, Mickey Gilley, Charley Pride, Johnny Cash, and June)
3. Tanya Tucker – “Texas (When I Die)” (Merle Haggard)
4. Garth Brooks – “Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)” (Chris LeDoux)
5. Gretchen Wilson – “Redneck Woman” (Skynyrd, Kid & Strait; Charlie Daniels; Tanya Tucker)
David Allan Coe, “You Don’t Even Call Me by My Name” (Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings)
Hank Williams, Jr. “All My Rowdy Friens Have Settled Down” (Waylon and Jessi, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson)
Argh! Contemplating this topic a bit further, I wish to remove ‘3. Tanya Tucker – “Texas (When I Die)” (Merle Haggard)’ from my list and replace it with:
3. Waylon Jennings – “Bob Wills is Still the King” (Bob Wills, Texas Playboys, Tommy Duncan, Willie Nelson)
As I think about it, it makes no sense to me that Tanya would name drop Merle in the context of this song, which is about the greatness of Texas. Merle is undeniably great, but he is no Texan. I believe the original version of the song, as written/sung by Ed Bruce, name drops Willie Nelson in the spot where Tanya cites Merle. Wille’s name makes sense to me, where Merle’s does not.
Y’all, come on now:
Dixie Chicks, “Long Time Gone” (Haggard, Cash, “Junior” and Hank)
Touche, Jonathan!
“Country Music of Fame” – Hank Locklin (Jimmioe Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Fred Rose, Eddy Arnold, Chet Atkins, Mother Naybelle, Gid Tanner, Riley Puckett, Cowboy Copas, Hawkshaw Hawkins, Gentleman Jim Reeves Patsy Cline, Rod Bradsfield Ira Louvin, Ernest Tubb, Red Foley, Hank Williams)
Milwaukee Here I Come – George Jones & Brenda Carter (Ernest Tubb, Lester Flatt, Jerry Lee Lewis
Read more: Hank Locklin – Country Hall Of Fame Lyrics | MetroLyrics
You missed a few:
The Bird – Jerry Reed (Willie Nelson, George Jones)
Longhaired Redneck – David Allan Coe (Earnest Tubb, Bill Anderson and “David Allan Coe”)
Pledge of Allegience to the Hag – Eric Church
Luckenbach Texas – (mentions Hank Williams pains songs and Jerry Jeff’s (Newberry’s) train songs)
…and let’s not forget young Taylor’s fascination with Tim McGraw.
Here’s another I just heard this morning:
What Waylon Wouldn’t Say – Jason Cassidy
George Strait – Honky Tonk Saturday Night (Merle Haggard)
Sunny Sweeney – Everybody Else Can Kiss My Ass (Merle)
Kellie Pickler – The Woman I Am (Patsy Cline)
The Deslondes – This Morning I Was Born Again (Woodie Guthrie)
Drake White – Everybody’s Got a Story (Willie Nelson and Bruce Springsteen)
My five:
1. RAISE THE DEAD–Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt (Hank Williams; Bill Monroe)
2. TURN IT ON, TURN IT UP, TURN ME LOOSE–Dwight Yoakam (Buck Owens)
3. A GIRL LIKE EMMYLOU–Southern Pacific (Emmylou Harris [natch!])
4. XXX’S AND OOO’S (AN AMERICAN GIRL)–Trisha Yearwood (Aretha Franklin; Patsy Cline)
5. DOLLY DID YOU GO THROUGH THIS?–Elizabeth Cook (Dolly Parton [natch!])
Leona Williams – Ole George.
I’ll add a couple of my favorites.
Alan Jackson – “Just Playing Possum” (George Jones, obviously)
George Jones and Merle Haggard – “No Show Jones” (Refers to a whole slew of artists)
Keith, after looking at your choices, you helped me remember one I completely forgot about:
“Tonight I’m Playing Possum” – Randy Travis/Joe Nichols
Remembered this by chance this morning.
Elizabeth Cook – Sometimes it takes balls to be a woman (Dolly and Loretta).
Carrie Underwood, “Before He Cheats” (Shania Twain)
“Long Time Gone” by Dixie Chicks seems obvious, though I think I’ve only seen one mention.
“Songs About Rain” – Gary Allan
“Something in the Water” – Carrie Underwood
“Neon” – Chris Young
It’s not country itself, but Alannah Myles’ “Black Velvet” mentions 3 country songs.