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The Meaning Behind “The Ballad of Lucy Jordan” by Marianne Faithfull
The many chapters of Marianne Faithfull’s life embody both reinvention and survival. In what became one of her defining songs, the late singer and actress tells the tale of a woman attempting to escape...
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The Haunting Story Behind Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit”
The legacy of protest songs is rich, deep, and musically diverse. There are tunes in almost any genre that, over the decades, carry the socio-political messages of the times and, often frustratingly,...
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The Fairytale Romance with Producer Rupert Hine, and the Self Realizations...
"'Rooms on Fire' is about a girl who goes through a life like I have gone through," said Stevie Niicks, "where she finally accepts the idea that there never will be those other things in her life." The...
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What Was John Mellencamp’s First U.S. Top-40 Hit?
John Mellencamp eventually became one of the most dependable purveyors of heartland rock hit singles throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s. But the early part of his career was full of stops and starts, as...
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What Was the Last U.S. Top-40 Hit by ELO?
Mixing classical music instruments with rock and roll was an approach that wasn’t exactly invented by the British band Electric Light Orchestra. But no band was more devout in following that formula,...
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Why One of Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits Almost Never Existed
Why Aerosmith's one and only chart topping song, "Don't Want to Miss a Thing," almost never saw the light of day. The post Why One of Aerosmith’s Greatest Hits Almost Never Existed appeared first on...
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The Story Behind the Song The Made Loretta Lynn Cry and One She Barely...
''I cried and cried when I recorded that song. I can't get myself to perform it in concert yet," Loretta Lynn said of the song in 2000. The post The Story Behind the Song The Made Loretta Lynn Cry and...
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The Real-Life Interaction That Inspired Paul Simon’s Mid-Life Crises, “You...
We all reach a point in our lives when the aging process becomes a lot less fun than it used to be. Turning 18? A highly anticipated moment in everyone’s life. Turning any age past 25? A little less...
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How Motherly Advice About Dogs Inspired Brian Wilson To Write the Iconic...
Brian Wilson used childhood advice his mother gave him to come up with the title, hook, and idea of the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations." The post How Motherly Advice About Dogs Inspired Brian Wilson To...
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The Beatles Song Too Challenging for George Martin To Play (And How They...
This Beatles track off 'Rubber Soul' was too complicated for George Martin to play, so he devised a clever workaround. The post The Beatles Song Too Challenging for George Martin To Play (And How They...
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George Harrison’s Swan Song: Behind the Fab Four’s Final Hit Track Written by...
The final hit he scored for the band became one of the band's calling cards. Learn more about Harrison's swan song with the Fab Four, below. The post George Harrison’s Swan Song: Behind the Fab Four’s...
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The Dan Hill Ballad Dolly Parton Always Loved, “Sometimes When We Touch”
"I've got at least 3,000 songs and three good ones," joked Dolly Parton in 2023. The post The Dan Hill Ballad Dolly Parton Always Loved, “Sometimes When We Touch” appeared first on American Songwriter.
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The Nirvana Song Kurt Cobain Considered a Favorite and “Better Than” Hit...
"I love the lyrics, and I never get tired of playing it," said Cobain. "Maybe if it was as big as 'Teen Spirit', I wouldn’t like it as much." The post The Nirvana Song Kurt Cobain Considered a Favorite...
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The Song Bob Dylan Wrote as a Lullaby to His Children
In 2008, illustrator Paul Rogers turned Bob Dylan’s “Forever Young” into a picture book. It’s a vivid portrait of Dylan’s anthem. But it also highlights the intended audience for his song: children....
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“The Force Was Strong”: The Kurt Cobain Tribute That Courtney Love Wrote in a...
We take a deep dive into the Kurt Cobain tribute that Courtney Love penned in under 20 minutes, locked in a friend's bathroom. The post “The Force Was Strong”: The Kurt Cobain Tribute That Courtney...
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The Eagles Song That Glenn Frey Wrote Out of Pure Spite of an Ex
Glenn Frey once used his songwriting to air such grievances. Learn more about the song he wrote completely out of a spite of an ex, below. The post The Eagles Song That Glenn Frey Wrote Out of Pure...
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How a Steve Perry “Perryism” Inspired Journey’s 1986 Hit “Be Good to Yourself”
"That's a 'Perry-ism,'" said Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain, "something he'd always say. I circled it in my notes." The post How a Steve Perry “Perryism” Inspired Journey’s 1986 Hit “Be Good to...
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The Mega Hit That Don Henley Tried to Write for Years Before Its Release
That was the case for Don Henley's "Heart of the Matter." Learn why Henley had to work on this song for years before releasing it, below. The post The Mega Hit That Don Henley Tried to Write for Years...
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Behind the Meaning of Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman” and...
She detailed her move into adulthood in "I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman." It's one of Spears' trademark tracks for a reason. The post Behind the Meaning of Britney Spears’ “I’m Not a Girl, Not Yet a...
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The Sting Song That Insisted It Was Country, Not Rock
In the case of Sting's “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying," he allowed the song to drift into a genre for which he isn’t normally known. Based on the evidence of the completed track, Nashville missed...
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