3 Songs That Reference the Death of Other Musicians

The death of a musical hero affects us all. Even though we don’t know them personally, their loss leaves an un-fill-able hole in our hearts. That same feeling can happen to other musicians. Many musicians have filtered that grief into their music. Find three such songs, below.

3 Songs That Reference the Death of Other Musicians

1. “Johnny Bye-Bye” (Bruce Springsteen)

Bruce Springsteen penned “Johnny Bye-Bye” after hearing of Elvis Presley’s death. Springsteen, famously a fan of Presley, took his death hard. He worked through his feelings in this track. He sings from the perspective of a musician rolling through Memphis and hearing about The King’s death. The proper emotions follow suit.

We drove down into Memphis, the sky was hard and black

Up over the ridge came a white Cadillac

They’d drawn out all his money and they laid him in the back

A woman cried from the roadside, “Oh, he’s gone, he’s gone”

[RELATED: Remember When: Bruce Springsteen Embraced Videos (and Awkward Dancing) with “Dancing in the Dark]

2. “American Pie” (Don McLean)

One of the most famous songs about the death of a musician–or a series of musicians–is Don McLean’s “American Pie.” While walking the listener through pivotal cultural moments from his childhood, he centers his thoughts around the death of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and “The Big Bopper” J. P. Richardson. For a musician, that catastrophic loss was imperative to the industry.

Bad news on the doorstep

I couldn’t take one more step

I can’t remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride

But something touched me deep inside

The day the music died

3. “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” (George Jones)

Though George Jones’ “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes” wasn’t intended to eulogize already dead musicians, in the wake of several artists that he mentions passing, it ended up providing that function. Jones sings about Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard. He asks what musicians could possibly fill their shoes after they are no longer with us.

No, there will never be another

Red-headed stranger

A man in black and Folsom prison blues

The Okie from Muskogee

Or hello darling

Lord, I wonder who’s gonna fill their shoes

(Photo by Andre Csillag/Shutterstock)