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The Regrets and Confusion of the Eagles’ Post-Revelry Ode “Funky New Year”
It’s the morning after a New Year’s Eve party. As the evening starts coming to light on the first day of the new year, so do some regrets, embarrassment—and a nasty hangover—left over from the night...
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Behind the Meaning of Carrie Underwood’s Religious Anthem, “Jesus, Take the...
Carrie Underwood has never been shy about infusing her religion into her music. Her most popular example of that affinity is “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” Her request for divine intervention soared to No. 1...
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The Song Willie Nelson Wrote the Same Week as “Crazy,” Eventually Recorded by...
By the late 1950s, Willie Nelson was traveling from his home in Pasadena, Texas to perform at the Esquire Ballroom in Houston and used his commute time to write songs for his label D Records. During...
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The Meaning Behind Willie Nelson’s Irreverent Anthem “Roll Me Up”
Though we don’t like to think about losing Willie Nelson too much, we do have a will of sorts to replay ad nauseam: “Roll Me Up.” The playful ode to Nelson’s favorite vice in “Roll Me Up” is more or...
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A Wildly Influential Song, Itself Deeply Influenced by…Flatulence: The...
Tony Wilson, the impresario behind the Haçienda nightclub famous for those hazy Madchester years from the late ’80s to early ’90s, was fictionalized in the film 24 Hour Party People. He moved to...
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The Meaning Behind Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’“Here Comes My Girl”:...
There must’ve been something in Mike Campbell’s water back in 1978, when the guitarist began writing “Here Comes My Girl” and “Refugee” during the same week. “I made some demos and Tom liked those...
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The Tao of Chrissie Hynde: The Meaning Behind “Middle of the Road” by The...
Chrissie Hynde has weathered many storms. From the death of half of the original band to multiple lineup changes, The Pretenders lead singer/guitarist has consistently released good music. The band’s...
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Bad-Times Subliminal Brainwaves Between Mick and Keith: The Meaning Behind...
“Mixed Emotions” might not be the song that jumps to mind first when most people think of The Rolling Stones. You could, however, make an argument that the 1989 track stands as one of their most...
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Behind the Meaning of Eagles’ Resilient Track “Try and Love Again”
Heartbreak can feel like a devastating blow–one that makes you lose perspective and retreat into your worst fears. We all need a reminder from time to time that life is not over after losing love....
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The Meaning Behind “I Will Follow” by U2
Long before their Las Vegas residency at Sphere, before all of their many reinventions, before The Joshua Tree made them international superstars, U2 released Boy. As far as debut albums go, U2’s 1980...
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The Meaning Behind Maren Morris’ Retrospective Look at Her Career, “Circles...
The span between Maren Morris’ fifth and sixth albums—Girl (2019) and Humble Quest (2022)—was a time of massive change for the Nashville-based singer/songwriter. She gave birth to her first child, her...
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The Meaning Behind “Run Like Hell” by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd is always classified as a rock and roll band, but, let’s be honest, how many times in their careers did they honestly rock? Their music is more known for sending listeners off into dreamlike...
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For His Confidante, Enforcer, Drummer, and Great Friend: The Meaning Behind...
When it comes to iconic friendships in the world of music, the one that transpired over many years between Willie Nelson and Paul English has to rank way up there on the list. Nelson was the country...
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Humans Crossing Paths with the Divine: The Meaning Behind “Dancing Barefoot”...
Music is full of esoteric artists the mainstream ignores, but sometimes history corrects what the audience missed. In the 1970s, Arista Records tried but failed to break Patti Smith into the...
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The Hazards of Success; The Lure of Debauchery; The Meaning Behind “The...
The Weeknd is an artist who has led multiple lives. Born Abel Tesfaye, he surfed couches as a struggling artist, made experimental mixtapes blending R&B with post-punk and shoegaze, and then ended...
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The 2000 Election, Freedom for Mumia Abu-Jamal, and the Meanings Behind Rage...
Leading up to the election of November 2000 between George Bush and Al Gore, Rage Against the Machine dismantled the idea of democracy with their incendiary single “Guerrilla Radio.” The single, from...
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Equal Parts Bukowski, Emmylou, and Cheerful Defiance: The Meaning Behind...
Miranda Lambert may hold a wild card, but her heart lives in open spaces. She followed a public divorce from country star Blake Shelton with a No. 1 double album, The Weight of These Wings. Instead of...
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Michael Stipe’s Missive to River Phoenix, and the Story Behind the R.E.M. and...
There were things Michael Stipe wished he could have said to his friend actor and musician River Phoenix, who died in 1993 at 23. When R.E.M. began working on their tenth album New Adventures in Hi-Fi,...
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Behind the Meaning of “I Try to Think About Elvis” by Patty Loveless
Patty Loveless‘ voice is the stuff of country music magic. She has many timeless tracks to her name, but few are as jaunty and fun as “I Try to Think About Elvis.” We all need a little distraction...
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How the Meaning Behind Bon Jovi’s “American Reckoning” Divided Some Fans
2020 was a rough year for America, and it was a bit of a rough album for Bon Jovi. While it received the usual media buzz, 2020 was one of only two studio albums by the band not to hit or debut at No....
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