#3. “America Loves Gangsters” by CunninLynguists
According to Wikipedia, the tastefully-named CunninLynguists is a “portmanteau of the words ‘cunning’ and ‘linguist’, and is also a play on the word ‘cunnilingus’.” Ohhh, now I get it! Anyways, they’re just another decent group with a terrible name (like Pains of Being Pure at Heart and Archers of Loaf), and a personal favorite track is “America Loves Gangsters,” a song about our country’s blood lust for people like Al Pacino in Scarface and “While Eddie Nash controls bankrolls in Wonderland/Tony Soprano hits channels and holds down On-Demand.”
#2. “Freaks and Geeks” by Childish Gambino
It’s fun writing about crappy songs that mention TV shows, but it’s even more fun listening to a GOOD song that bring up good shows, like Childish Gambino’s “Freaks and Geeks,” the recently released first single from Donald Glover’s EP. Like most of his songs, it’s a mixture of both intentionally hilarious disses (“Got her picture in my iPhone, what do y’all think?/While y’all niggas masturbate, I’m in that Ariel Pink”) and somber realizations, like the final line, “My clique should be canceled/”Freaks and Geeks”,” a reference to both the short-lived Apatow comedy and Glover’s show, “Community”, which when he was writing the song was on the verge of cancellation.
#1. “TV Party” by Black Flag
Warming Glow’s love for Henry Rollins is no secret (and this writer is finally watching season two of “Sons of Anarchy”…), and with good reason: he’s been a badass since the early 1980s, when he was a member of hardcore punk greats State of Alert and Black Flag. One of the latter’s best songs is “TV Party,” a sardonic ode to stupid people who have “nothing better to do than to watch TV and have a couple of brews.” While I don’t necessarily agree with the song’s message, I would have probably have felt the same way in 1982 if my only TV options were “That’s Incredible”, “Hill Street Blues”, “Dallas”, and SNL-ripoff “Fridays”.

Very strong article Josh, and i’m not trying to be an asshole here, but the ‘starvin like marvin’ line isnt a reference to south park. its just a saying because it rhymes. If anything, south park was referencing life. I draw your attention to the lyrics of the 1985 LL Cool J song Rock the Bells ([www.azlyrics.com])
Starvin’ Marvin’s is also the name of a major convenience store chain and probably a hundred or so independent restaurants.
Nice to see the Bloodhound Gang up there but I prefer Fire Water Burn’s “When I go to hell, well I hope I burn well / I’ll spend my days with JFK, Marvin Gaye, Martha Raye and Lawrence Welk / And Kurt Cobain, Kojak, Mark Twain and Jimi Hendrix’s poltergeist / And Webster, yeah, Emmanuel Lewis because he’s the Antichrist.”
Oh come on, you all listened to the Gang in high school or college.
I saw Donald Glover at a bar in Brooklyn Friday night. Then I continued drinking. True story.
I would have been very disappointed if “TV Party” wasn’t #1. Mostly because I’m old enough to remember Black Flag and all those shows mentioned in that song. Now go have a couple of brews.
Could have also gone with this from “The Gang’s” classic “F.U.C.K.”:
“So show me yours I’ll show you mine “Tool Time” you’ll Lovett just like Lyle
And then we’ll do it doggy style so we can both watch “X-Files”
I’m an idiot, that is from “The Bad Touch”, not “F.U.C.K.”
on the same bloodhound gang album they make an ‘x-files’ reference, possibly making ‘the x-files’ the most referenced TV show of the 90′s
First off, Donald Glover’s rap made me giggle like a little English boy who just got a free candied plum.
Secondly, I was an underprivileged child who lived in the middle of nowhere and didn’t get dial-up Internet until 1998. After 20 minutes of being online, I had Napster downloaded. The second song I ever illegally downloaded was The Gang’s “Bad Touch”. Not only does the song mention Tool Time and X-Files, the hook is dependent on the Discovery Channel.
I sometimes miss the simpler time that was the 90s. Then I unlock my iPhone and remember how truly quaint those times were.
Yeah, or the Starvin Marvin gas stations that you can’t fling a dead rat without hitting in St. Louis… you know, where the dude is from.
But way to go ahead and write that shit anyway.
“[Purists can listen to the German version here, but it doesn't reference Captain Kirk. -Ed.]”
Yes it does! I don’t know what the reference is, but:
99 Düsenjäger
Jeder war ein großer Krieger
Hielten sich für Captain Kirk
Das gab ein großes Feuerwerk
A better Kanye TV reference would be from “Gorgeous” off his new album, which actually has two different TV references.
“Got caught with 30 rocks, the cop looked like Alec Baldwin”
And the glorious response to the fish stick episode of South Park – “choke a South Park writer with a fish stick”
No love for Bree Sharp’s “David Duchovny”? That’s not just a lyric, it’s a whole damn song.
It also sucks, but that’s hardly the point.
Ben Folds Five – Battle of Who Could Care Less
“You think Rockford Files is cool/But there are some things that you would change if it were up to you…”
And while it came out a decade before the show, I’m pretty sure the Murmurs “You Suck” is entirely about “Two and a Half Men.”
I’m glad you included a Childish Gambino song.
I also love the lyrics to Not Going Back:
“My motto’s simple, live easy and Bruce Willis.
I’m the boss Michael Scott, you bitches is just Phillis”
and then later
“God damn man there’s gotta be a better way
Than pill-poppin’ all these drugs so I can stay awake
I’m like Jessie in this bitch, I’m so excited
There’s a party at the top, you ain’t invited”
Starvin’ like Marvin – so you really think that was in reference to South park? Wow that’s dumb. And that’s the hook you used to pull people into this post? Typical of you, but I remain so surprised at how dull your posting and thinking is. So is Punte gonna take over this blog the way he fell up into Withleather? Because if so that would suck, I like Warmingglow. I know it’s free so fuck me, but it still sucks.
If you’re really nitpicking Starvin’ Marvin, Murphy Lee also drops some Thundercats in the same song.
They be like he the man when I’m really a Thundercat/
Come on you know the tics connect like Voltron
I seriously believe that Bare Naked Ladies and Smashmouth are the same band. I can’t tell which one is Clark Kent or Superman though.
Luniz- “I got five on it”
I got more Growing Pains than Maggie
Cause homies nag me
To take the dank out of the baggie
What about 311 – “Down”
Cuz we’re dope kid change like a chameleon
and the Channel whenever that wack show real world is on
All of the mentioned Bloodhound Gang songs are good, but personally I’d have opted for “Ralph Wiggum.” The song is almost entirely Ralph Wiggum quotes (they even manage to work “yvaN eht nioJ” into the mix).
are you fucking shittin’ me.
[www.youtube.com]
they actually called the song mulder and scully and it doesn’t even get a mention???
Woah, I was not expecting a CunninLynguists mention. They’re my favorite group (from any genre) despite their name.
Props for that.
I’m going to post a comment without reading the comments to see if anyone else posted the same thing. Ready? Here it is:
I appreciate the hard work you put into making this enjoyable post. Thank you, Josh.
BNL also reference “Sailor Moon” in the same song (more from the vault of the exceptionally banal)
Also, going old school: Prince, “Kiss” — “You don’t have to watch ‘Dynasty’ to have an attitude.
Ahhh, Blessid Union of Souls – we hardly knew ye!
“I seriously believe that Bare Naked Ladies and Smashmouth are the same band.” Hee.
My Friday lyric quiz today was about this very topic – thanks, Josh, for “helping” with the idea!
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