The Top 10: Songs Within Songs

A compilation album of songs that give us two for the price of one

David Bowie’s ‘Move On’ uses the chords of ‘All the Young Dudes’, but backwards (Getty)

We did Songs That Include a Speech earlier this month, and Songs That Mention Other Songs last year, but this is where part of an actual song features in a different song. Thanks to Steve Busler for the idea, and for the first on the list.

1. “Fearless”, Pink Floyd, 1971, which contains the Liverpool Kop singing “You’ll Never Walk Alone” at the end, a song that was originally from Carousel, the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical.

2. “Montego Bay”, Bobby Bloom, 1970. Breaks into “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” from Oklahoma (another Rodgers and Hammerstein classic) at the end, which had to be faded out in the original single to avoid a breach of copyright. Thanks to Skeweringthestupid.

3. “Top Twenty”, The Undertones (B-side of “Here Comes the Summer”), 1979. Breaks into T Rex’s “Solid Gold Easy Action” partway through: “I can’t get no satisfaction; All I want is easy action baby.” And the line from T Rex is itself quoting the Rolling Stones’s “Satisfaction”. “A song within a song within a song,” said Andrew Woodcock.

4. “Move On”, David Bowie, 1979, which uses the chords of “All the Young Dudes” backwards. Ingenious nomination from No Ordinary Cat.

5. “Lies (Through the ’80s)”, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, 1980. Breaks into “Big Yellow Taxi” by Joni Mitchell (“Pull up the trees and put up a parking lot”), which is part of the song, but takes the tune from Mitchell as well as a paraphrased version of her words. Thanks to John Enser and Paul T Horgan.

6. “Tunnel of Love”, Dire Straits, 1980. Starts with the “Carousel Waltz”, another tune from Carousel (see no 1). Nominated by PD Anderson.

7. “Rip It Up”, Orange Juice, 1982. Features a guitar riff from “Boredom” by the Buzzcocks, after the words, “And my favourite song’s entitled ‘Boredom’.” Thanks to Howard Bowden.

8. “The Home Front”, Billy Bragg, 1986. Ends with a snippet of a choir singing “Jerusalem”, a song Bragg later recorded himself, saying it is “the one time I do actually feel pride being English”. Nominated by William French.

9. “Acquiesce”, Oasis, 1995. Starts (and ends) with a bit of “Morning Glory”, by Oasis. The live version includes a bit of “Sally Cinnamon” by the Stone Roses instead. Thanks to David Wilcock and SR.

10. “Here Comes a Soul Saver”, the Charlatans, 1995. Has the chords from “Fearless” in it, taking us back to no 1. Thanks to Matt Doyle for reminding me of this.

There is always one, and this week it is Star Man, who nominated “My Sweet Lord”, “which incorporates the Chiffons’ ‘He’s So Fine’.”

Next week: “Prophets not without honour but in their own country” – that is, people, such as Tom Paine, Lech Walesa and Mikhail Gorbachev, admired abroad, reviled at home.

Coming soon: Grand titles that diminish the holder, prompted by George Osborne becoming editor-in-chief of the Evening Standard.

Your suggestions please, and ideas for future Top 10s, to me on Twitter, or by email to top10@independent.co.uk