4 Famous Rock Songs You Didn’t Know Bullied Other Musicians

Ah, the classic diss track. While hip-hop and rap music definitely cornered the market on devastating diss tracks, the idea of bullying another musician through song has been around since the dawn of human creativity. Let’s take a walk through music history and explore four rock songs that (allegedly) bullied other musicians!

Videos by American Songwriter

1. “A Simple Desultory Philippic” by Paul Simon (Simon & Garfunkel)

Even a genre as gentle as folk isn’t immune to drama. Paul Simon of Simon & Garfunkel allegedly wrote “A Simple Desultory Philippic” as a diss track aimed at Bob Dylan. Around the time this tune was written, Dylan had caused an uproar by incorporating the electric guitar into his music. 

Simon decided to mock the situation by including psychedelic electric guitar tracks and the organ in this song. The lyrics also appear to mock Dylan’s style of songwriting as well. Though, it’s worth noting that Simon said he wrote the song as light satire, rather than a full-blown attack on Dylan. Simon also has said plenty of nice things about Dylan as well.

2. “C.R.E.E.P.” by The Fall

Rock songs that bullied other musicians have often been unwarranted and mean-spirited. “C.R.E.E.P.” by The Fall, however, is a pretty apt diss track aimed at The Smiths’ Morrissey. 

It’s been rumored for years that Mark E. Smith wrote the lines “He reads books of the list book club / And after two months his stance a familiar hunch / It’s that same slouch you had the last time he came around / His oppression abounds, his type is doing the rounds / He is a scum egg, a horrid trendy wretch” about Morrissey specifically.

3. “London Boys” by Johnny Thunders

Johnny Thunders wrote the song “London Boys” about fellow punk outfit The Sex Pistols. The rivalry makes sense. Thunders was part of the American proto-punk outfit The New York Dolls, and The Sex Pistols were considered the biggest British punk rock band at the time. The head-to-head battle between which country did punk better is still discussed today. 

Sex Pistols allegedly attacked The New York Dolls in their song “New York”, so Thunders penned “London Boys” as a response diss track for his debut solo record.

4. “Fourth Time Around” by Bob Dylan

Rock songs have bullied other musicians countless times through the years, but this diss track aimed at The Beatles’ John Lennon is often forgotten about in favor of diss tracks The Beatles wrote about each other. Believe it or not, Bob Dylan did indeed mock Lennon in his song “Fourth Time Around”.

Dylan famously believed that the Fab Four ripped him off in their song “Norwegian Wood”. So, naturally, Dylan called Lennon out in “Fourth Time Around”. The song itself feels like a parody of “Norwegian Wood” as well.

Photo via Shutterstock

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.