Ok, it's the holidays and I'm a bit bored. I've always enjoyed hearing cool stories about popular songs - their meanings, inspirations and influences.

Here's a cool one I read about recently:

David Foster, a Canadian music producer/ song writer was asked to write the instrumental love song to St. Elmos Fire, which he did but then was asked to write an upbeat theme song too. He collaborated with John Parr and wrote, Man in Motion, which John Parr turned into a no. 1 hit in 1985.

Thing is, at the same time, a Canadian paraplegic athlete Rick Hansen was doing a world "Man in Motion" tour to bring awareness to spinal chord injuries. David Foster was so impressed that he actually wrote, Man in Motion about Hansen and his world tour. The song has little to do with the actual St. Emos Fire movie and everything to do with Hansen.

Cool story. Wifey told me David Foster had a PBS special where he described how he wrote, a man in Motion.

(Anybody got another?)

Merry Christmas, you filthy animals!

David Foster is one of those unsung heroes who has written and produced a ton of great songs.

There's a very interesting documentary about him on Netflix. Worth checking out.

Electric Avenue was written about riots in England, electric Avenue is a reference to the main street where it happened, which was one of the first places to have gotten electricity in the region.
And for 30 years I thought it was just some peppy pop song.

oragator said:

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Electric Avenue was written about riots in England, electric Avenue is a reference to the main street where it happened, which was one of the first places to have gotten electricity in the region.
And for 30 years I thought it was just some peppy pop song.

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I thought it was about electric ave off of 71 in Spicewood.

Hall and Oates' "Maneater" was about the Champawat man-eating Tiger

Kurt Cobain wrote All Apologiea about how miserable it is to be married to Courtney Love and would prefer to be dead

Isn't he married to a hot thing too!

Carly Simon wrote "You're So Vain" about a combination of her time dating Warren Beatty, possibly Mick Jagger, and a third unknown person. The "wife of a close friend" is thought to be Angie Bowie, ex-wife of David Bowie, who Jagger was apparently unhealthily into.

Jagger recorded backup vocals uncredited on the song, and once you realize it's him singing with her in the chorus, it's hard to hear her voice anymore.

Axl Rose was dating a girl named Michelle in LA pre Appetite For Destruction. They were riding in the car and Layla came in the radio. He told her of the whole Eric Clapton and George Harrison love triangle that created the song in the first place. She thought it was romantic and wished someone would write a song about her one day. So Axl sat down and wrote My Michelle for her.

Just listened to it and I'll be damned. He doesn't appear until the second chorus but it's Mick alright!

For stories like this, I recommend Anatomy of a Song: The Oral History of 45 Iconic Hits That Changed Rock, R&B and Pop by Marc Myers

Also his articles in the WSJ... https://www.wsj.com/news/types/anatomy-of-a-song

His story about "September" by Earth Wind and Fire is pretty cool. For example, the "bah-de-ah" was designed to be filler until Maurice White figured out words for it, but he liked it so much he left it alone, much to the chagrin of his co-writer. Also, the 21st night of September was the original due date for the birth of his son.

Another is in the GnR song, Sweet Child of Mine, "where do we go now" is the same. Filler words that they decided to leave in there.

Sister Christian was about one of the band members' sister named Christy.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but "Mother Mary comes to me" is about Paul's mother, not the biblical Mary.

ABC Song has same tune as Twinkle twinkle little star.

Philo B 93 said:

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Sister Christian was about one of the band members' sister named Christy.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but "Mother Mary comes to me" is about Paul's mother, not the biblical Mary.

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Correct. Let It Be was inspired by a dream McCartney had with his mother in it and she told him to let it be.

Murder by Old 97s is about the time Rhett Miller's cat was missing.

Charlie eventually came home.

Tanya 93 said:

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Murder by Old 97s is about the time Rhett Miller's cat was missing.

Charlie eventually came home.

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Dammit i came to post this.

Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan was based on famed LSD cook Owsley Stanley. The line "Is there gas in the car? Yes, there's gas in the car." is in reference to Stanley's arrest after he ran out of gas.

In the song "I've Seen All Good People" by Yes if you listen carefully with headphones you can hear them singing the chorus of "Give Peace a Chance" by the Beatles in the left ear. It starts at the ~2:55 mark and is sung twice.

They also have the line "send an instant karma to me" which is a reference to John Lennon's "Instant Karma!" released a couple of years earlier.

Sea Speed said:

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Tanya 93 said:

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Murder by Old 97s is about the time Rhett Miller's cat was missing.

Charlie eventually came home.

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Dammit i came to post this.

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I have seen them like dozen times.
That story gets told often.

It is too sweet

"Billie Jean" was based on an insane groupie that Jackson had to deal with. She kept sending him letters claiming her child was Jackson's. At one point she told him to kill himself so that she could be with him in the next life and sent him a pistol.

"Red Barchetta" was based on this short story, which appeared in Road & Track magazine in 1973. Although I like classic MGs, it was a stroke of genius for Neil to change the MG to a Ferrari 166MM "Barchetta".

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19731100roadandtrack.htm

I'm blown away about the Carly Simon one. How did I never know that was mick jagger? It's so obvious now.

G Martin 87 said:

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"Red Barchetta" was based on this short story, which appeared in Road & Track magazine in 1973. Although I like classic MGs, it was a stroke of genius for Neil to change the MG to a Ferrari 166MM "Barchetta".

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19731100roadandtrack.htm

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Username didn't check out.

guitar george (he knows all the chords) from sultans of swing is george young, big brother to angus and malcolm young of ac/dc

07ag said:

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guitar george (he knows all the chords) from sultans of swing is george young, big brother to angus and malcolm young of ac/dc

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And was the guitarist for The Easybeats

gggmann said:

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Kid Charlemagne by Steely Dan was based on famed LSD cook Owsley Stanley. The line "Is there gas in the car? Yes, there's gas in the car." is in reference to Stanley's arrest after he ran out of gas.

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Damn that's a great song.

aggiechick said:

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I'm blown away about the Carly Simon one. How did I never know that was mick jagger? It's so obvious now.

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I heard that story on the radio driving from Houston to New Braunfels in the middle of the night probably 20+ years ago and it's stayed with me.

helloimustbegoing said:

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aggiechick said:

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I'm blown away about the Carly Simon one. How did I never know that was mick jagger? It's so obvious now.

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I heard that story on the radio driving from Houston to New Braunfels in the middle of the night probably 20+ years ago and it's stayed with me.

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I was driving one night and heard "Layla" and then the female DJ came on and said the song was about Clapton's wife, who was later George Harrison's wife.

The DJ said "she bagged two rock legends in their prime. She must have been able to give a mean one."

I about drove off the road.

maroon barchetta said:

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helloimustbegoing said:

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aggiechick said:

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I'm blown away about the Carly Simon one. How did I never know that was mick jagger? It's so obvious now.

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I heard that story on the radio driving from Houston to New Braunfels in the middle of the night probably 20+ years ago and it's stayed with me.

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I was driving one night and heard "Layla" and then the female DJ came on and said the song was about Clapton's wife, who was later George Harrison's wife.

The DJ said "she bagged two rock legends in their prime. She must have been able to give a mean one."

I about drove off the road.

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Clapton after George stole his girl…

The girl moaning in the background of the bridge for GnR's "Rocket Queen" is real. It's Axl banging the drummer's girlfriend and they recorded it.

maroon barchetta said:

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helloimustbegoing said:

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aggiechick said:

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I'm blown away about the Carly Simon one. How did I never know that was mick jagger? It's so obvious now.

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I heard that story on the radio driving from Houston to New Braunfels in the middle of the night probably 20+ years ago and it's stayed with me.

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I was driving one night and heard "Layla" and then the female DJ came on and said the song was about Clapton's wife, who was later George Harrison's wife.

The DJ said "she bagged two rock legends in their prime. She must have been able to give a mean one."

I about drove off the road.

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DJ got it backwards.

Pattie Boyd was married to George Harrison from 1966-1977 and after divorcing him was married to Eric Clapton from 1979-1989. Clapton was best friends w/ Harrison and started pursuing her while she was still married to George. Harrison remained friends w/ Clapton and her, and referred to Clapton as his husband in law.

She probably inspired more famous songs than any other woman:

George Harrison: "I Need You", "If I Need Someone", "For You Blue", and "Something" which Frank Sinatra called the greatest love song ever written.

Eric Clapton: "Layla", "Bell Bottom Blues", "Wonderful Tonight".

Also, I read that while married to George she had an affair w/ Ronnie Wood (from Faces and The Rolling Stones) while Harrison was having an affair w/ his wife.

The DJ's main point still stands.

maroon barchetta said:

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G Martin 87 said:

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"Red Barchetta" was based on this short story, which appeared in Road & Track magazine in 1973. Although I like classic MGs, it was a stroke of genius for Neil to change the MG to a Ferrari 166MM "Barchetta".

http://www.2112.net/powerwindows/transcripts/19731100roadandtrack.htm

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Username didn't check out.

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A good thing, too. For if I'd written it, Road & Track would still be waiting for the last paragraph, truth be told,

The Beatles "Doctor Robert" was a reference to a New York City doctor, whose first name was Robert, who was known for giving "uppers" shots to the rich-and-famous. Vitamins plus some extras, probably amphetamines.

There was an episode of Mad Men that had a doctor do the same thing for the office staff when they had pressure to meet a deadline. Reference to the same doctor.