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Generation Next: The Meaning Behind “Primrose Hill” by James McCartney and...
The sons of Paul McCartney and John Lennon have written a tender new song called “Primrose Hill.” The collaboration between James McCartney and Sean Ono Lennon marks a new generation’s chapter in songs...
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Thank God It’s Friday: The Story Behind “Friday on My Mind” by The Easybeats
We’re all trying to get to Friday. If we can just make it to the end of the week. Friday is old English for frīġedæġ, meaning the “day of Frig,” referring to the Nordic goddess Frigg who was associated...
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The Meaning Behind “Three Times a Lady” by The Commodores and How it Cemented...
If you’re looking for slow-dance, end-of-the-evening ballads, it’s hard to do much better than “Three Times a Lady” by The Commodores. The song became the band’s first No. 1 pop hit, and was one of the...
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The Story Behind “For No One” by The Beatles and Paul McCartney’s...
When Paul McCartney wrote “For No One” in the spring of 1966, he was 23 years old and undergoing many changes. Unknown to him then, The Beatles were on the eve of creating their masterpiece Revolver,...
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The Meaning Behind “I Just Want to Be Your Everything” by Andy Gibb and Why...
Andy Gibb’s recording career was all-too brief, but still enormously successful. How many other new artists knock out three No. 1 songs in a row at the beginning of their career like he was able to do?...
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The Meaning Behind “Runaway Trains” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and...
“Runaway Trains” didn’t distinguish itself much as a single when released by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers in 1987 off the album Let Me Up (I’ve Had Enough). Yet many fans count it as one of their...
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Behind the Meaning of Sabrina Carpenter’s Summertime Staple, “Espresso”
Sabrina Carpenter is quickly establishing herself as the next big thing in pop. Her selection of stadium-friendly anthems is steadily growing. The latest in that list is “Espresso.” The shimmer,...
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The Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon” and the Real-Life Drunken Doctor Who Inspired...
The story behind the Beatles’ 1968 track “Rocky Raccoon” might seem as simple as Paul McCartney’s fictitious take on a spaghetti Western saloon shootout. But there’s more truth behind this...
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The Hustles of Country Stardom and the Meaning Behind Glen Campbell’s 1975...
By the mid-1960s songwriter Larry Weiss and Scott English had become known for their songs “Bend Me, Shape Me,” which was first recorded by the Outsiders in 1966 and became a hit a year later when it...
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The Meaning Behind “No Myth” by Michael Penn and What He Really Meant by the...
Sturdy melodies, clever lyrics, and all-around excellent songwriting were in short supply in the late ’80s, which is partly why Michael Penn‘s “No Myth” seemed so striking when released in 1989. In...
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Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and the Unlikely Musical Icon Who Deserved...
The opening riff of Deep Purple’s 1972 hit “Smoke on the Water” is one of the most iconic musical sequences in classic rock history, but according to the musician who wrote it, the riff’s origins can...
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The Meaning Behind “Bathwater” by No Doubt and What Olivia Rodrigo Said About...
Olivia Rodrigo recently joined No Doubt at Coachella for a surprise performance of “Bathwater.” It was the first time either artist performed at the festival. Rodrigo cites No Doubt as an influence and...
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“It Was Punk Reggae, Not White Reggae”: The Story Behind “Police and Thieves”...
When the punk scene in London was born, bands put on shows and a relatively small group of supporters were drawn to the anti-establishment message. It would be months before any of the groups recorded...
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A Couple More Zubes and a Gargle with Milk: The Story Behind “Twist and...
The dance craze known as the twist seemed to take over the music world for a few years. When Hank Ballard wrote “The Twist” and put it out as the B-side of “Teardrops on Your Letter” in 1959, it was...
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How the Romantic Epic ‘Doctor Zhivago’ Led to Glen Campbell’s Hit “Gentle on...
When Glen Campbell heard John Hartford’s “Gentle on My Mind” on the radio, he was working as a session musician as part of the Los Angeles-based The Wrecking Crew. Though Capitol Records signed him as...
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The Meaning Behind “In Between Days” by The Cure and How It Brought the Band...
Before they became the darlings of alt-rock in the ’80s, The Cure largely traded in despairingly dark music. And while they still occasionally dabbled in that later in their career, the 1985 single “In...
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The Song Genesis Stopped Playing Live in 1987 and Retired During Their 2007...
After Genesis toured supporting their tenth album Duke in 1980, the band regrouped soon after to work on Abacab. Before recording, the band purchased the 80-acre Fisher Lane Farm in Surrey, England in...
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“It Was Just Like Satin”: The Story Behind “I Fall to Pieces” by Patsy Cline
Songwriters Hank Cochran and Harlan Howard met in California and began collaborating. Cochran came up with a title, and the two set about writing the song. Howard’s wife Jan recorded a demo at Pamper...
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Behind the Quiet Domesticity of Paul McCartney’s “Eat At Home”
Paul McCartney has several songs that were dedicated to his late wife, Linda. The pair were not only marriage partners, but partners in music as well. Their compatibility and love of the quiet life was...
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The Divisive Interpretations of “Get Back” by The Beatles and Why John Lennon...
The Beatles’ “Get Back” is one of the most commercially sensible rock tracks of their later years, but it came at the price of divisive public interpretation. Was Paul McCartney secretly racist and...
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