Complete Gaslight song/artist references list

Hello,

I'm new here, but I lurked for a long time.
Don't know if i'm posting this thread in the right part of the forum, but I'd like to put together a complete list of songs/artist Gaslight refers to in their songs.
I just discovered a new one one (for myself) while listening to The Clash - The Prisoner: "I look to my left and I look to my right" from We're Getting A Divorce.

Do you guys wanna help to put something up?

this is gonna be a huge list. here we go:

Lyrics:
"High Lonesome"-"Maria came from Nashville..." from "Round Here" by Counting Crows
"High Lonesome"-"At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet" from "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
"High Lonesome"-"There were southern accents on the radio" from "Southern Accents" by Tom Petty
"Old White Lincoln"-"Bring your darling with you babe, in the cold, cold ground" from "Cold, Cold Ground" by Tom Waits (this line also appears in the the CRT song "Five Year Plan", minus the "cold, cold ground" part)
"The Patient Ferris Wheel"-"Not tonight, not tonight, honey I am on fire" from "I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
"Meet Me By the River's Edge"-"No surrender, my Bobby Jean" from "No Surrender" and "Bobby Jean," both by Bruce Springsteen
"The '59 Sound"-"I hope we don't hear Marley's chains we forged in life" from the book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens
"Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts"-"We are the heart of the Saturday night" from the album "Heart of the Saturday Night" by Tom Waits
"I'da Called You Woody, Joe"-a bunch of Clash/Strummer references, https://thegaslightanthem.forumotion.com/song-meanings-f2/analyze-i-da-called-you-woody-joe-t118.htm

Song titles:
"Here's Looking At You, Kid" from the movie "Casablanca"
"I Coulda Been a Contender" from the movie "On the Waterfront"
"Great Expectations" from the book by Charles Dickens (there was also a movie with the same title)
"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" from the book and/or movie
"Wooderson" from the movie "Dazed and Confused"
"Sometimes You Eat the Bar (Sometimes the Bar Eats You)" by TCM, from the movie "The Big Lebowski

and there's A LOT more, but i'm gonna stop right there

Alright, I'm working on this huge list now. I'll post it when I'm done

Wizard of Oz references:
"I Coulda Been a Contender"-"You were gonna be my Judy Garland, we were gonna share your tin man heart."
"The Blues, Mary"-"Like the dreams in Dorothy's shoes; I'm somewhere over the rainbow for you"

also, Paint It Black may or may not have stolen a song title from Brian's old band Amping Copper.

Amping Copper song: "Past Participle, Present Tense"
Paint It Black song: "Past Tense, Future Perfect"
probly just a coincidence, but a bit similar. both bands are from Jersey. there's a chance they stole it

Alright, I made a list. It's very sloppy, but I'm tired now. I'll clean it up soon

The Gaslight Anthem Complete References List





Sink Or Swim





Boomboxes and Dictionaries:
“Whoa’s”: Against Me – Sink Florida Sink

I Could’ve Been A Contender:
"I Coulda Been a Contender" from the movie
"On the Waterfront"

"We go Waltzing Matilda, when Matilda came around”:
Traditional folk song

Wooderson:


"Wooderson"
from the movie "Dazed and Confused"


We Came To Dance:


“And to bring it all back home again” : Bob Dylan –
Bringing It Back Home


“To the very best dancers in town, we learned from the
very best dancers around”: Lifetime – Jersey’s Best Dancers album

1930:

“Here’s to you and your bright baby blues”: Jackson
Browne – You’re Bright Baby Blues

Navesink Banks:

“My first sin was a young American girl”: Tom Petty
and The Heartbreakers – American Girl

Red In The Morning:

"You were Garbo, smoke, and deceit.”: Juan Pujol a
double agent in WOII. Not sure about this onehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juan_Pujol_(alias_Garbo)

I’d A Call You Woody, Joe:

“This is the sound of Camden Town”: References to a
place where the Clash recorded and rehearsed. Also The Clash – The Prisoner

“This ramshackle voice “:”: Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros – Ramshackle Day
Parade

“over attack of a bluesbeat”: The Clash – White Man In Hammersmith Palais

“Tellin' me he's only looking for fun”: The Clash –
White Man In Hammersmith Palais

“This was the sound of the very last gang in town”:
The Clash – Last Gang In Town

“And I heard it in his chain gang soul.”: Sam Cooke –
Chain Gang

“The soul was hard to find”: Joe Strummer and The
Mescaleros – Johnny Appleseed

“And a girl, on the excitement gang.” : Joe Strummer
and The Mescaleros – Coma Girl

Angry Johnny and The Radio:

“Don’t Think Twice”: Bob Dylan – Don’t Think Twice, It’s
Alright

“And I'm still here singin'... Thinking 'bout the
government.
In my old man shoes, and how you'd understand that.
Are you hiding in a basement, mixin' up the medicine?”: Bob Dylan –
Subterrenean Homesick Blues

Old Man Shoes either refers to Tom Waits – Old Shoes
or Elton John – Into The Old Man Shoes

We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner:


“I look to my left and I look to my right”: The Clash –
The Prisoner

“It’s Alright Man, I’m Only Bleeding Man”: Bob Dylan –
It’s Alright Ma, I’m Only Bleeding

“Stay Hungry, Stay Free”: The Clash – Stay Free

Red At Night:

The whole song is a remake of Woody Guthrie – Way Over
Yonder In The Minor Key

Senor and The Queen EP

Senor And The Queen:

“glowing like the metal on the edge of the knife?”:
Meatloaf – Paradise By The Dashboard Light

Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis:

“Walking in my old man shoes, with my scientist heart”:
Old Man Shoes either refers to Tom Waits
– Old Shoes or Elton John – Into The Old Man Shoes

Say I Won’t Recognize:

“We're having a party, everybody's swinging”: Sam Cooke
– Having A Party

“Meet Me Tonight”: Bruce Springsteen – Atlantic City

Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts:

“We are the boys from Little Eden”: Bruce Springsteen –
Sandy

"We are the heart of the Saturday night"
from the album "Heart of the Saturday Night" by Tom Waits

“We drink from the fountains off the fireworks”: Bruce
Springsteen – Sandy

“Sleep on the beach all night”: Bruce Springsteen –
Sandy

“Tonight I’ll call you from the 4^th Streeth
payphone”: Bob Dylan – Positively 4^th Street

The ’59 Sound

Great Expectations:

“Mary This Station Is Playing Every Sad Song”: kinda
references Bruce Springsteen – Thunder Road and also Otis Redding – Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad
Song)

“Great Expectations”: Charles Dickens Novel

“And I never had a good time, I sit upon my bedside
with papers and poetry ‘bout Estella”: References to Estella Havisham, a
character in Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations

“It’s Funny How The Night Moves, Humming A Song From
1962”: Bob Seeger – Night Moves

The ’59 Sound:

I hope we don't hear Marley's chains we forged in
life": from the book "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens

Old White Lincoln:

“I lit a cigarette on a parking meter”: Bob Dylan –
Talkin’ Wold War III Blues

"Bring your darling with you babe, in the cold,
cold ground": Tom Waits – Cold, Cold Ground

The whole song is very similar to The Cure – Just Like
Heaven

High Lonesome:


"Maria came from Nashville..." from
"Round Here" by Counting Crows
At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet" from
"I'm On Fire" by Bruce Springsteen
"There were southern accents on the radio" from
"Southern Accents" by Tom Petty

Film Noir:

“And your sugar and spice, and everything nice”: James
Brown – I Feel Good
“Monroe Hips”: Tom Waits – Hold On

Miles Davis and The Cool:

The whole references the album Miles Davis – The Birth
Of The Cool

“Poor Mr. Pitful”: Otis Redding – Mr. Pitful

“You Can’t Turn Me Loose”: Otis Redding – Can’t Turn
You Loose

“You’re daddy’s aim is true”: Probaby the album Elvis
Costello – My Aim Is True

Is Jackson! a reference?

The Patient Ferris Wheel:

Bruce Springsteen – Wild Billy’s Circus mentions a
ferris wheel

“Not tonight, not tonight, honey I am on fire" :
Bruce Springsteen – Im On Fire

“Carnival lights!
4th of July!
Boardwalk talk!
In the dead of the night!”: Bruce Springsteen – Sandy

Casanova, Baby!

The title references Elvis Presley – Bossanova Baby

“Just twisting the night away”: Sam Cooke – Twisting The
Night Away

“But it’s past a quarter to three”: Gary U.S. Bonds –
Quarter To Three. Bruce Springsteen covered this song

“And it’s past the midnight hour” – Wilson Pickett –
In The Midnight Hour

“Mustang Sally’s left the building” – Wilson Pickett –
Mustang Sally

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues

"Even Cowgirls Get the Blues" from the book
and/or movie

“Little Eden is waiting”: Bruce Springsteen – Sandy

Meet Me By The River’s Edge:

The title looks like a amalgation of Bruce Springsteen
– The River, Bruce Springsteen – Meeting Across The River and Bruce Springsteen
– Meet Me At Mary’s Place

Meet Me By the River's Edge"-"No surrender,
my Bobby Jean" from "No Surrender" and "Bobby Jean,"
both by Bruce Springsteen

Here’s Looking At You Kid:

"Here's Looking At You, Kid" from the movie
"Casablanca"

The Backseat:

wow, that is a pretty complete list. some of them don't necessarily refer directly to songs though. for instance, "Little Eden" is a nickname for Asbury Park, so it's not necessarily a reference to the song as much as it is a reference to the city. also, some of those are a bit of a stretch, but most seem pretty reasonable, and you came up with a bunch that we didn't.

although i still refuse to accept that Brian might have taken a Meat Loaf line for Senor and the Queen. it just doesn't seem like he'd be into Meat Loaf. doesn't really fit in with the soul/blue collar rock he's into

I'm pretty sure 'Shaking like a leaf' is Tom Waits related too. From Old White Lincoln

Jukebox Romeo wrote:

wow, that is a pretty complete list. some of them don't necessarily refer directly to songs though. for instance, "Little Eden" is a nickname for Asbury Park, so it's not necessarily a reference to the song as much as it is a reference to the city. also, some of those are a bit of a stretch, but most seem pretty reasonable, and you came up with a bunch that we didn't.

although i still refuse to accept that Brian might have taken a Meat Loaf line for Senor and the Queen. it just doesn't seem like he'd be into Meat Loaf. doesn't really fit in with the soul/blue collar rock he's into

haha yeah, you're right. I'm not sure about some.

I kinda agree with refusing to accept the Meatloaf song reference, I hate it. They play it way too often in shitty cafes and disco's. But I do think he took it from that song.

I just realise some more references from that Paradise By The Dasboard Light.
Deep Dark Night from We Came To Dance
and Before We Go Any Further from the live versions of Say I Won't Recognize

Say I Won't Recognise is a 100% Tribute to Sam Cooke - Havin A Party

yeah and the whoas on Boomboxes being from Sink, Florida, Sink? not so sure about that. though they do sound similar, they're not exactly the same, and Brian has said that he doesn't really listen to Against Me!, though he's good friends with them

In Wherefore Art Thou Elvis they sing

"Between the minor chord fall and the fourth and the fifth, it's a broken Hallelujah......"

Does this refer to the song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen & covered by Jeff Buckley?

The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king compsing Hallelujah

Might be a random link but it sounds like it might do?

yeah, that sounds about right. good find

I'm pretty sure it's, "Bring a dollar with you baby, In the cold cold ground"

Is it not "baby, darling, we will be in the cold, cold ground.

ktp wrote:

In Wherefore Art Thou Elvis they sing

"Between the minor chord fall and the fourth and the fifth, it's a broken Hallelujah......"

Does this refer to the song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen & covered by Jeff Buckley?

The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king compsing Hallelujah

Might be a random link but it sounds like it might do?

Yep I've had that one confirmed by Brian

Some of you are making me feel crazy, I'm 99.9% sure it's "bring a dollar with you baby, in the cold cold ground". Listen to it. That's what Waits says, sounds like Brian kept it that way. Not that it matters really, but...............

isn't it "baby dollar will be"?

jk. yeah, most of the lyrics sites say "bring a dollar with you baby". you win this one

Jukebox Romeo wrote:

isn't it "baby dollar will be"?

jk. yeah, most of the lyrics sites say "bring a dollar with you baby". you win this one

hhhaaa!! "baby dollar will be" that was a little bit mean. Not trying to win, just listening to the song and that's what it sounds like. Fewwey. Thanks.

This might be a stretch to some people but I think it fits...

Gaslight Anthem - Say I Won't (Recognise)
"So c'mon before we get much older, and that could happen any one of these nights"
The Who - Baba O'Riley
"Let's get together, before we get much older"

I say it fits because both songs are about being young, having parties, and getting together. It may be subtle but I think it's a great tribute.

Sam Cooke - Having A Party
http://www.last.fm/music/Sam+Cooke/_/Having+A+Party



Gaslight Anthem - Say I Won't (Recognise)
http://www.last.fm/music/The+Gaslight+Anthem/_/Say+I+Won%27t+(recognize)

Found more references:

Senor and the Queen
"Were you born to be a runner, or are you a casual sigh?": Bruce Springsteen - Born To Run

"And in every sad, sad country song,
Is there a little bitty piece of 'em still hanging on?": John Wiggins - Little Bitty Pieces

Ok, some of these might be a stretch but they're what I thought of when I first heard them:

Contender:

“Dancing on this killing floor for years…” - “Just crossed swords on the killing floor” from Springsteen’s Jackson Cage

Wooderson:

“One pill to make you smaller, they got one pill to make you scream…” Alice in Wonderland via Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit

We Came to Dance:

“Do the jump back jack stop and slide to the right…” Springsteen Thundercrack

"Then don't tell a soul..." Replacements album

Divorce:

“Stay hungry, stay free and do the best that you can” sounds an awful lot like “Well if you can't make it stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive if you can” from Springsteen’s This Hard Land

Old White Lincoln:

“Ol 55” from Tom Waits “Ol’ 55” {obvious, I know, but I don’t think anyone else pointed it out}

Casanova”
“But I’m determined to slip this skin…”- “I walked a thousand miles
just to slip this skin” Springsteen Streets of Philadelphia

the "Jackson!" from "Miles Davis" is a reference to "Jackson" by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. i didn't even realize it til i was listening to the Rumbleseat album the other day

Jukebox Romeo wrote:

the "Jackson!" from "Miles Davis" is a reference to "Jackson" by Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash. i didn't even realize it til i was listening to the Rumbleseat album the other day

I'm not sure about that one. Benny and Brian talk about how that's the most unknown reference in all of their music, that they won't tell people what that one means. It's probably more obscure than that.

I believe the Marley's chains reference is either a dual reference to or by way of the Afghan Whig's "Crime Scene Part 1"
"As I pull the chains I forged in life, to shatter on the floor"
Source: http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=34699066&blogId=374064539