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The Story and Meaning Behind “I Found Out” by John Lennon and How It Was His...
John Lennon was not only breaking free from The Beatles with his first solo album. He was also trying to shake loose of the outside voices on whom he had previously relied. On the blistering track “I...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Chest Fever,” The Band’s Most Rollicking,...
We’re about to dive into the meaning of “Chest Fever” by The Band, but we’ll admit up front that we’re not sure what the heck this song is about. That’s part of what gives it such undeniable charm, in...
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The Meaning Behind “Oxford Comma” by Vampire Weekend and Their Shout-Out to...
When Vampire Weekend’s self-titled debut appeared in 2008, it was immediately divisive. They leaned into the controversy by writing a song attacking the very thing they were accused of. “Oxford Comma”...
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The Story Behind “19th Nervous Breakdown” by The Rolling Stones and How the...
In 1965, The Rolling Stones finished their second tour of America when they felt they were in the eye of a hurricane. Every night, screaming crowds greeted the five musicians, and security could barely...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Nobody Does It Better,” the Bond Theme...
James Bond theme songs occupy their own special category in the music world. The best ones tend to be those that work in the theater when you’re waiting for 007 to appear, but also sound great when...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Everything She Wants” by Wham! and How It...
Make It Big was the album that just kept on giving for Wham!, as singles just kept popping out and soaring to the upper regions of the charts. Ironically, the album’s success also doomed the duo’s...
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The “Secret Song” Dolly Parton Regrets Locking Up in a Time Capsule Until...
In 2015, Dolly Parton recorded a song, then buried in a time capsule that won’t be opened until 2045. Since locking away her secret song, Parton has had second thoughts about leaving it unheard for so...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Old Time Rock & Roll” and How Bob Seger...
Bob Seger has written and performed some of the most iconic songs in classic-rock history. But one of the songs most identified with him was actually the product of other writers. Once Seger gave it an...
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The Beatles’ “Across the Universe” Was Rooted In Two Major Conflicts of John...
While the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” evokes a nirvana-esque image of weightlessly floating through the cosmos, the song’s creation and final production was rife with conflict. As the song’s main...
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The ‘Apocalypse Now’ of Vocal Performances: The Story Behind “Unsatisfied” by...
When The Replacements made Let It Be, they were touring America in a van and making a name for themselves with their live shows. One night would feature a transcendent performance that tapped into the...
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Reba McEntire Passes on Talking to Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley For a Few...
When Reba McEntire‘s father, Clark McEntire, died on October 23, 2014, at age 86, she dedicated the music video for her 2016 song “Just Like Them Horses,” from her 2015 album Love Somebody, to him....
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Behind the Dizzying Love Story in “Down Bad” by Taylor Swift
Now I’m down bad crying at the gym / Everything comes out teenage petulance, Taylor Swift sings in The Tortured Poets Department cut, “Down Bad.” It’s one of many Swift songs about a broken heart but...
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The Story Behind the Intense Angst that Fueled Linkin Park’s “Numb”
Although Linkin Park got hit with the nu-metal tag when they blew up in 2000, the California sextet’s sound had a broader reach, incorporating elements of hard rock, hip-hop, and pop into their...
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The Meaning Behind “The Fly,” a Song that Ushered in a New Era for U2
Now that U2 is 15 studio albums deep into their discography, a clear pattern has emerged across its trajectory. Every three albums, they overhaul their sound. As the 1980s drew to a close, they had...
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The Story and Meaning Behind The Beatles’“I’m Only Sleeping” and How It’s...
“I’m Only Sleeping” stands as one of The Beatles’ songs that was a wee bit too weird for release as a single. But as an album cut on Revolver, it’s a perfect blend of instrumental experimentation and...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “My Love,” Paul McCartney’s First Chart-Topper...
Paul McCartney has written and performed many a gorgeous love song in his time. “My Love,” which he performed with Wings and released in 1973, stands very near the top of that hallowed list. A No. 1...
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The Meaning and Story Behind “Reflections” by Diana Ross & the Supremes and...
Diana Ross & the Supremes put together a staggering run of hits in the ’60s. The group and their label (Motown) changed with the times as the decade progressed, with deeper songs and more...
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Post-Millennial Classics: Fiona Apple’s “O’ Sailor,” a Song that Shone...
Extraordinary Machine, Fiona Apple’s third LP, suffered through a famously convoluted release, one that attracted a lot of attention to how it all shook down. Two decades later, what really stands out...
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The Charlie Daniels Deep Cut That Sounds Nothing Like Him but Helped Inspire...
Unless you’re a diehard Charlie Daniels fan, we’d wager a bet that you wouldn’t guess this deep cut was actually from the long-haired hippie himself. Indeed, from his fiddle playing to his singing, the...
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How The Judds’“Love Can Build a Bridge” Co-Writer and a Marital Spat Led to...
Before songwriter and musician John Barlow Jarvis started collaborating with Vince Gill and writing songs for Stevie Nicks, Cher, Taj Mahal, Conway Twitty, and more, he was a pianist in Rod Stewart’s...
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