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Behind the Meaning of Megan Moroney’s Bargaining Breakup Anthem, “Miss Universe”
Breakups are always hard, but sometimes there is something to hold on to that makes them a little easier. In Megan Moroney’s case, it’s her ex’s new choice of girl that is her bargaining chip. Uncover...
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The Country Star Who Turned Down a Carrie Underwood Classic, Calling It “Stupid”
As the old adage goes, hindsight is always 20/20, and in 2005, few musicians felt that lesson as hard as the country star who turned down “Jesus, Take the Wheel.” The sentimental Christian ballad was...
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On This Day in 1968: The Beatles First—and Impromptu—Recording Session of...
Very rarely does one ever think about when a song was first recorded. Rather, it seems to always be about when it was first released. But, with The Beatles, acknowledging the whole creative process can...
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The Meaning Behind “Girl, so confusing” by Charli XCX and Lorde and Why We’re...
Every pop star dreams of recording the summer’s biggest hit. But Charli XCX has surpassed that milestone. The English singer, born Charlotte Aitchison, now dominates the season with a lime green square...
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Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road” and the Novelty Song He Compares It To
Immense success has a funny way of changing even the most serious songs into somewhat of a novelty, and this is certainly true for Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road.” The iconic title track and...
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The Anti-War Kate Bush Song “Army Dreamers” Was Banned During the Gulf War
Kate Bush rarely refrained from illustrating social and political grievances, traumatic events, and a range of human emotions bundled in her lyrics. “Breathing” from Never for Ever alludes to the...
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Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” and the Many Things Stevie Nicks Has Said...
Despite sounding like it came straight from a mythological fantasy story, Fleetwood Mac’s “Gold Dust Woman” has some heavy real-life inspiration behind it. Talk of ancient queens and pale shadows of a...
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How Al Kooper Snuck His Way Onto One of Bob Dylan’s Most Iconic Tracks
Amidst the tumultuous changes of the 1960s music industry, sometimes gumption overruled talent, like the time Al Kooper snuck his way onto one of Bob Dylan’s most iconic tracks. Columbia producer Tom...
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The “Out-of-Body” Collaboration Michael Bolton Had With Bob Dylan Resulted in...
When Bob Dylan‘s publisher called Michael Bolton in 1990, asking him if he’d like to collaborate with Dylan, he thought Diane Warren was playing a practical joke on him. Warren and Bolton had recently...
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The Story Behind “Sail On, Sailor” by The Beach Boys and Why the Band Chose...
In 1972, The Beach Boys were a band looking for a new direction. Brian Wilson was rarely involved with their recording sessions, and keyboardist Bruce Johnston left the band as a result. Dennis Wilson...
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Behind the Meaning of Steely Dan’s Response to John Lennon, “Only a Fool...
I heard it was you / Talking ’bout a world where all is free / It just couldn’t be / And only a fool would say that are the titular lyrics in Steely Dan‘s “Only a Fool Would Say That.” Based on the...
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The Banned Rolling Stones Protest Anthem Mick Jagger Has Fallen Out of Love With
When a group writes and produces over 400 songs in a 60-year career, the vast catalog is bound to have at least one bad apple. For The Rolling Stones and Mick Jagger, that apple is “Street Fighting...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “Strange Magic,” Jeff Lynne’s Effort to Make a...
“Strange Magic” stands out as one of the most mesmerizing singles in the history of the Electric Light Orchestra. As a matter of fact, if you were going to try to come up with a phrase to describe the...
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Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water” and the “Saddening” Drama Behind It
Carrie Underwood’s “Something in the Water” might sound like a fairly uncontroversial track about redemption and faith, but below the surface, those waters grew murky and choppy after “saddening” drama...
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The Meaning Behind “Sofia” by Clairo and What She Sings About Her Famous Crushes
A teenager posting music on the internet is so ubiquitous it’s easy to forget how terrifying it must be to “upload” your feelings to the world. Clairo began her career online, like so many others....
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On This Day: Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” Music Video Makes History
On this day in 1987, Dire Straits’ “Money for Nothing” music video pulled a one-two historical punch as one of the first examples of early CGI and the first music video MTV Europe broadcasted upon its...
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The Meaning of “Training Season” by Dua Lipa and What’s Behind Her ‘Radical...
Dua Lipa is optimistic. It’s in the title of her latest and third studio album, Radical Optimism. Lipa’s growing confidence showed during her Grammy-opening performance earlier this year. Then she...
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The Groundbreaking Story Behind the “Theme From Shaft” by Isaac Hayes
“Theme From Shaft”Written by Isaac Hayes Right on. Can ya dig it? Shut your mouth… Sound like the early ‘70s? You’re daaaamn right! Those by-now iconic words are some of the few, mostly spoken, lyrics...
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The Story and Meaning Behind “#9 Dream,” a John Lennon Song Taken from a Reverie
We tend to focus on the beginning and end of John Lennon’s solo career, but there are a couple of fascinating albums of original songs he released in between that deserve closer scrutiny. From one of...
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The Ballad Stevie Nicks Wrote for Joe Walsh After an Unforgettable Car Ride...
In 1974, Joe Walsh‘s daughter Emma Kristen died in a car accident on her way to her nursery school. “My wife [Stefany Rhodes] was taking our 4-year-old daughter to school and some lady ran a stop sign...
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