The Power of Allusion in Songwriting

Just a random drabble thought up late at night about my favorite aspect of poetry, most notably, songs: allusion. By referring to famous people, places, or things, we elevate ourselves in way. It's fascinating really, how the hip things are usually some revised form of a fad or trend that came before.

The key to a hip song is "allusion". People, as a whole, are drawn to the famous, the renowned, the notorious. Recent scientific data shows evidence that chimpanzees, when presented with the choice between gazing at a picture of a dominant male or food/water after being starved for three days, all chose the celebrity over basic sustenance!
Name drop in a song, and if the listener recognizes it, there's that immediate connection you've been striving for, that hook, that draw, that subliminal spark that lures the listener in, making him/her yearn to continue. Even more potent then passe, time worn names (James Dean, Aphrodite, Jesus)) are the obscure, the bizarre, the terrifying, the taboo, the "well known" unknowns if that makes any sense. Those "in the know" will delight in this shared knowledge. It will make the listener feel special, as if they are a part of some exclusive club the song writer has organized, and only those who get the "inside joke" if you will, are accepted. It's a thrilling feeling, really. A majority of the population wish to feel "special", cool, a trendsetter. Never a poser. But along with this intense need to be unique, we also have a strong instinct to be accepted; i.e. "fit in". These contradictions are ripe to be coupled with irony, but it is fact.
Others will hide their ignorance through carefully crafted lies, then research later the topic of discussion, all in the quest to be "hip". That is why allusion is the most powerful tool is creating a popular, "cool" song. People are drawn to what they know, and using past idols in lyrics can give a song the spice it needs.

Gives a whole new meaning to knowing people in high places...or at least, who they are