Great Songs that Critique the Music industry

jqp · « **on:** 15 Oct 2012, 05:49 am »

I have songs from several groups that I have come to realize are critiques of the Music Business.

Maybe you can think of "Money For Nothing" by Dire Straits and "Have a Cigar" by Pink Floyd, and of course “Cover of the Rolling Stone” recorded by Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show.

Song writers can be a lot of things, but most sincere musicians write about what they feel and experience, so the Music industry should figure into some of their songs.

Here are some of my favorites (most of them, I initially assumed, were talking about male-female realtionships, etc.) :

Joni Mitchell 'Free Man in Paris'

Hall and Oates "I Can't Go For That"

Cake "You Turn the Screw"

Duran Duran "Too Much Information"

srb · « **Reply #1 on:** 15 Oct 2012, 09:23 am »

"Look What They've Done To My Song, Ma"
Written by: Melanie Safka
Best Recorded Version: Ray Charles

Look what they've done to my song, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Well it's the only thing I could do half right
And it's turning out all wrong, Ma
Look what they've done to my song

Look what they've done to my brain, Ma
Look what they've done to my brain
Well they picked it like a chicken bone
And I think I'm half insane, Ma
Look what they've done to my song

I wish I could find a good book to live in
Wish I could find a good book
Well, if I could find a real good book
I'd never have to come out and look at
What they've done to my song

Look what they've done to my song, Ma
Look what they've done to my song
Well they tied it up in a plastic bag
And turned it upside down
Look what they've done to my song

wharfrat · « **Reply #2 on:** 15 Oct 2012, 10:10 am »

The excellent Kinks record, Lola Versus Powerman and the Moneygoround, Part One, has a number of songs that a re super critical of the music industry.

"Denmark Street"
"Get Back in Line"
"Top of the Pops"
"The Moneygoround"

How much have things changed in the industry since Ray Davies and co. recorded these songs?

SoCalWJS · « **Reply #3 on:** 17 Oct 2012, 01:15 am »

deleted - should have read the first poet more thoroughly

SteveFord · « **Reply #4 on:** 17 Oct 2012, 01:45 am »

How about a 3 record set?
Joe's Garage, Acts I, II and III by Frank Zappa

wharfrat · « **Reply #5 on:** 17 Oct 2012, 01:51 am »

Quote from: SteveFord on 17 Oct 2012, 01:45 am

How about a 3 record set?
Joe's Garage, Acts I, II and III by Frank Zappa

"You only get one chance in life if you want to be a star."

SlushPuppy · « **Reply #6 on:** 17 Oct 2012, 03:50 am »

Todd Rundgren - An Elpee's Worth of Toons

"There's something at the heart of it that's simply awful - a man who makes a living off a plastic waffle"

"Sweat is forming on my brow, not a thing can help me now - my life is on the line for an elpee's worth of toons.

"A man would simply have to be as mad as a hatter - to try to change the world with a plastic platter"

"Trying to change the world with an elpee's worth of toons"

Link

SteveFord · « **Reply #7 on:** 17 Oct 2012, 11:36 pm »

I just remembered Godley and Creme's Business Is Business.
That's pretty direct.

BobRex · « **Reply #8 on:** 17 Oct 2012, 11:42 pm »

Renaissance - "The Vultures Fly High"

kevin360 · « **Reply #9 on:** 18 Oct 2012, 01:04 am »

Since Steve already mentioned Joe's Garage (although it's about a mythical place where music is made illegal (and there are real places in which it actually is), it is loaded with music industry references), and you covered some of the other bases that jump out at me, the only song demanding my mentioning is Queen's 'Death on Two Legs'.

BTW, Steve, Zappa dedicated some other albums to that topic. 'We're only in it for the Money' is a pretty strong commentary. Aside from being a farce, '200 Motels' was about touring life. 'Thing Fish' hits on music's impact on society (and vice versa). It may have been aimed squarely at TV, but 'I'm the Slime' surely nails the entertainment industry as a whole. I could write volumes about his critique of music consumers - there are references in a bunch of songs. Blah, blah, blah - sorry. I think Frank's winner in response to the specifics of this question would have to be 'Packard Goose' from 'Joe's Garage' - he sure bares his feelings regarding music critics.

Hmm, where's my 'Warner Bros Sucks!' t-shirt?

SteveFord · « **Reply #10 on:** 18 Oct 2012, 01:18 am »

Snorting laundry detergent and plooking one another - those were the days.

fredgarvin · « **Reply #11 on:** 18 Oct 2012, 01:52 am »

Neil Young's "This Note's For You'" is the classic anti corporate music biz song. The video was originally banned by MTV. You might remember it's lampoons of Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and Madonna's sell out corporate cheese. After a lot of negative PR, MTV switched up and gave the video an award "Best Video of the Year". Reptiles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJiUEr4045o

orthobiz · « **Reply #12 on:** 18 Oct 2012, 01:54 am »

Graham Parker
"Mercury Poisoning"

Paul

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #13 on:** 18 Oct 2012, 03:10 am »

Quote from: kevin360 on 18 Oct 2012, 01:04 am

Since Steve already mentioned Joe's Garage (although it's about a mythical place where music is made illegal (and there are real places in which it actually is), it is loaded with music industry references), and you covered some of the other bases that jump out at me, the only song demanding my mentioning is Queen's 'Death on Two Legs'.

BTW, Steve, Zappa dedicated some other albums to that topic. 'We're only in it for the Money' is a pretty strong commentary. Aside from being a farce, '200 Motels' was about touring life. 'Thing Fish' hits on music's impact on society (and vice versa). It may have been aimed squarely at TV, but 'I'm the Slime' surely nails the entertainment industry as a whole. I could write volumes about his critique of music consumers - there are references in a bunch of songs. Blah, blah, blah - sorry. I think Frank's winner in response to the specifics of this question would have to be 'Packard Goose' from 'Joe's Garage' - he sure bares his feelings regarding music critics.

Hmm, where's my 'Warner Bros Sucks!' t-shirt?

Good post, bro.

ksbruce · « **Reply #14 on:** 19 Oct 2012, 03:27 am »

And the radio is in the hands of such a lot of fools
Tryin' to anaesthetise the way that you feel

Elvis Costello- Radio Radio

michaelhigh · « **Reply #15 on:** 19 Oct 2012, 08:20 am »

"So you want to be a rock and roll star/Then listen now to what I say"... The Byrds

rodge827 · « **Reply #16 on:** 19 Oct 2012, 11:21 am »

Billy Joel...The Entertainer

I am the entertainer,
I come to do my show.
You've heard my latest record,
It's been on the radio.
Ah, it took me years to write it,
They were the best years of my life.
It was a beautiful song.
But it ran too long.
If you're gonna have a hit,
You gotta make it fit--
So they cut it down to 3:05.

GT Audio Works · « **Reply #17 on:** 19 Oct 2012, 01:44 pm »

Ani Defranco's song "Fuel" a commentary on music and pop culture
"Except all the radios agree with all the tvs
And all the magazines agree with all the radios
And I keep hearing that same damn song everywhere I go
Maybe I should put a bucket over my head
And a marshmallow in each ear
And stumble around for
Another dumb-numb waiting for another hit song to appear

People used to make records
As in a record of an event
The event of people playing music in a room
Now everything is cross-marketing
Its about sunglasses and shoes
Or guns and drugs
You choose

GT Audio Works · « **Reply #18 on:** 19 Oct 2012, 02:03 pm »

Greg Brown "Moes Allison played here" Maybe not the music industry, but music life on the road.

The joint is a dump
The owner is broke
At least that's what he said
The p.a.'s a joke
The waitpersons are snotty, the bartender's rude
They want to make sure I know they forgot me
But not their attitude
The bellyachers played last night
Everybody got sick
Don't even try dancing, your feet would just stick
The band signs their poster
"fuck u miguel"
And that's all the good part
The bad part's the smell
And what was your name again, oh - yeah - right - brown
Your crowd just drinks water
Surprised you're still around

And nobody's coming, because hey man you see
Advertising's expensive, hey, what guarantee

But as I set up I am proud to be here
Because once last November, Mose Allison played here

GT Audio Works · « **Reply #19 on:** 19 Oct 2012, 02:29 pm »

Queen's "Death on two legs" (dedicated to...)
Directed at their former manager...Don't hold back Freddy...tell us how you really feel !!

You suck my blood like a leech
You break the law and you breach
Screw my brain till it hurts
You've taken all my money-you still want more,

Misguided old mule
With your pigheaded rules
With your narrow-minded cronies who are fools of the first division-

Death on two legs-
You're tearing me apart,
Death on two legs
You never had a heard of your own-

Kill joy, Bad guy,
Big talking, Small fry
You're just an old barrow-boy
Have you found a new toy to replace me,
Can you face me-

But now you can kiss my ass goodbye

Feel good, are you satisfied

Do you feel like suicide (I think you should)
Is your conscience all right
Does it plague you at night,
Do you feel good-Feel good!