If in an action scene, I make a literary reference should I put the name in quotes? i.e.:

'Paint it Black' played quietly on the radio when Dan reached over and turned it off.

Or double quote, or capped, etc?

Thanks!

Hey, DK, when I use an actual song, which is rare, I do put the title in quotes, as in "Paint it Black".

Now, for your example, get rid of the past tense verbiage.  It should read something like this, IMO.

"Paint it Black" by The Rolling Stones plays quietly, until Dan reaches over and turns it off.

Hope that helps.

Yeah, agree withe bro here.

You could CAP it possibly, as it is a sound. Depends on your style, I guess.

Oh, and the actual title is 'Paint It, Black'.  Mick has never given the reason for the comma and on its release in 1966, some people thought it was a racial slur.

Thanks for the quick response guys!