a song within a song
does this have a name?
It’s not a mashup.
Not a medley. Not an interpolation. More like a musical onomatopoeia.
You reference a song…
…by playing the song…
…in another song.
Here’s some examples.
Tom Waits, New Year’s Eve → Auld Lang Syne
It’s a series of scenes from a New Year’s Eve party, and the chorus is the partygoers singing Auld Lang Syne.
At the 2:30 mark:
Ray he said damn you
And someone broke my camera
And it was New Years
And we all started to sing
Should auld acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind
Should auld acquaintance be forgot for the sake of auld lang syne
Joni Mitchell, A Case Of You → O Canada
At 0:49, she sings…
I drew a map of Canada
O Canada
…with a little nod to Canada’s national anthem O Canada.
Rodney Crowell, I Walk The Line (Revisited) → I Walk The Line
I love this so much.
It’s a song about the first time he heard Johnny Cash sing I Walk The Line.
And the chorus is the chorus from I Walk The Line.
But it’s sung by a special guest: Johnny Cash.
10/10, no notes.
Does anyone know what this is called?
Do you have any other examples?



Blowing my own horn here, but you asked. Mississippi John Hurt's version of My Creole Bell shows up about half way through. https://youtu.be/fx_Sm1uq6SE?si=oPWzgAFjePASDRe2
More recent example:
Jim Legxcy - dbab references Informer by Snow in the bridge