Complete Gaslight song/artist references list

I really really really hope this doesn't start another U2 argument, but here's one for ya:

"What you don't have, you don't need it now"-"Beautiful Day" by U2

"What you don't have, you don't need it anymore"-"Stay Lucky" by TGA

RAWR! U2! RAWR BONO!

just kidding. i dont have any really semi-relevant comment other than that.

I love U2 and honestly I hear more lots of U2 in American Slang.

pretty cool

Possible references to Springsteen's 'Asbury park, Fourth of July (Sandy)' in 'Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts.'

- 'We are the Boys of Little Eden . . . Drank from the fountains of the fireworks' a possible reference to the first line 'Sandy, the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight.'

-The refrain 'Sleep on the beach all night' is a reference to 'the greasers' who 'tramp the streets or get busted for sleeping on the beach all night
.'

Also does anyone else see the line 'And God help the man who says If you'd have known me when' in Old Haunts as a refrence to the Navesink Banks? (Saying ' our Maria, if only you'da known me when . . .)

Philo,

I think we've covered the first two points in the other 5 pages of this thread but nice catch nonetheless.

As for the Old Haunts line, I'm sure that's exactly what he's talking about there.

Daire wrote:

Prisoner wrote:

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 always presumed 'Garbo' was alluding to Greta Garbo, the actress.

So did I, it would make sense considering the references to other classic actresses and movies.etc.

Though the reference to a spy and the 'smoke and deceit' quote make sense as well

In Stay Lucky - 'Momma never told me there'd be days like these' - (possible) Refernece to the Van Morisson song/album 'Days Like This.'

A bit nit-picky maybe but the line in 'We're Getting a Divorce . . . ' - ' Were the things that we wanted when we were still sixteen' prehaps a reference to the Surrogate McKenzie tune 'Still Sixteen'?

anyone mentioned the Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust sound clip at the beginning of We're Getting a Divorce...?

ooo I also just thought today at work... could the 'Mustang Sally's left the building' in Casanova, Baby! be alluding to Elvis?

The 'ready or not...' is in here somewhere. Mustang Sally, on Midnight Hour, are Wilson Pickett references.

This isn't so much a lyrical reference as it is a guitar part, but does anyone think the guitar riff towards the end of "We're Getting A Divorce..." sounds an awful lot like the riff from Lynard Skynards "Simple Man" ? Could it be a coincedence or a homage?

'We Came To Dance', title a reference to Nils Lofgren's album 'I Came To Dance' and the song of the same name?
Might be a bit close to call, just thought with TGA's love of Springsteen and Nils was/is a guitarist in the E-Street Band

Dude how has no one pointed out the Paul Simon reference in Miles Davis? (Unless diamond souled shoes has a meaning before the Paul Simon song...)

Also "Put on your red dress" is apparently a martin page song.

clashcityrocker wrote:

This isn't so much a lyrical reference as it is a guitar part, but does anyone think the guitar riff towards the end of "We're Getting A Divorce..." sounds an awful lot like the riff from Lynard Skynards "Simple Man" ? Could it be a coincedence or a homage?

i mean somewhat ,i think it follows a similar progression. Most likely just a musical coincidence. Thiusands of songs share chord progressions/similar riff patterns

clashcityrocker wrote:

This isn't so much a lyrical reference as it is a guitar part, but does anyone think the guitar riff towards the end of "We're Getting A Divorce..." sounds an awful lot like the riff from Lynard Skynards "Simple Man" ? Could it be a coincedence or a homage?

Was meant to post this before.

That's the song at the end of Happy Gilmore, right? I played that song for a friend of mine and he picked that out straight away.

Noticed this ones recently

American Slang:

The Lawrence Arms - Porno and snuff films: You cut me to ribbons and left me to bleed
American Slang : And they cut me to ribbons and taught me to drive

The Queen of Lower Chelsea:

Social Distortion - Dear Lover: There ain't nothin'
In this world for free now
So how high of a price
Will you pay

The Queen of Lower Chelsea:
Where they say these days,
Nothing comes cheap
And everything has a price
Everyone has a price
Now nothing is free
Not even me

Sure this has already been said because it is Springsteen, but his song I'm on Fire has "sheets soaking wet"

Prisoner wrote:

Noticed this ones recently

American Slang:

The Lawrence Arms - Porno and snuff films: You cut me to ribbons and left me to bleed
American Slang : And they cut me to ribbons and taught me to drive

The Queen of Lower Chelsea:

Social Distortion - Dear Lover: There ain't nothin'
In this world for free now
So how high of a price
Will you pay

The Queen of Lower Chelsea:
Where they say these days,
Nothing comes cheap
And everything has a price
Everyone has a price
Now nothing is free
Not even me

I'd wager the first one is true (and amazing catch, by the way) and the second is coincidence. Honestly, a lot of these seem like coincidences to me. There's the ones that are clearly intentional, but some of it is just Brian using phrases that have been used dozens of times in popular music history.

Two girl group references on American Slang, one that's obvious and one that isn't.

Stay Lucky: "Mama never told me there'd be days like these"

The Shirelles - Mama Said: "Mama said there'd be days like this"

and the obvious one...

Bring It On and The Marvelettes' Please Mr. Postman both have the "wait a minute, wait a minute" thing in common.

Fun fact: The Shirelles are actually from Passaic.

"But you and I, we've been through that..." Bob Dylan - All Along the Watchtower

"But you and I, we've been through this, maybe a hundred times before..." TGA - The Backseat

Coincidence or not?

^ I was actually just having this conversation with someone. I feel like maybe it's a reference, but we have to assume it isn't because of the extreme generality in the words. It's just a bunch of pronouns and connector words. Again, it's very possible Brian was thinking of All Along The Watchtower when he wrote it, but it's hard to assume it is from what we have.

Just noticed this:

"And when you find the voice and gears of sunset
we'll hear that high and lonesome sound, oh"

Where Do My Bluebirds Fly" - Tallest Man On Earth (Awesome song by the way)

It was released around the same time as The '59 Sound so I'm not sure where that puts us.

StopAndSlideToTheRight wrote:

Just noticed this:

"And when you find the voice and gears of sunset
we'll hear that high and lonesome sound, oh"

Where Do My Bluebirds Fly" - Tallest Man On Earth (Awesome song by the way)

It was released around the same time as The '59 Sound so I'm not sure where that puts us.

The term "high lonesome sound" is related to bluegrass music. Similar influences, perhaps.