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The Meaning Behind “Garden Party” by Rick Nelson
On October 15th, 1971, Rick Nelson walked onstage at Madison Square Garden and performed with the Stone Canyon Band. He had been performing at colleges and coffee houses, doing his easygoing country...
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The Epiphany Kris Kristofferson Had Before Writing His First No. 1 as a Solo...
A day at church turned into a life-changing moment for Kris Kristofferson. During one service, which Kristofferson attended with Connie Smith in the early 1970s, he had an epiphany. The night before,...
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Behind the Meaning of the Beatles Staple “Yesterday”
It’s hard to pick a definitive Beatles song. The rockers have too many classic tracks to their name, but “Yesterday” is a strong contender for the title. The Paul McCartney penned track sees the singer...
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The Parental Message Behind Trace Adkins’ No. 1 Ballad “You’re Gonna Miss This”
By the early 2000s, Trace Adkins picked off where he left off in the late ’90s with his first No. 1 hit “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” in 1997. By 2006, Adkins earned another chart-topper with...
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The Story Behind the Only Song Dave Grohl Recorded with Nirvana and Foo...
A year before Nirvana released “Marigold” as a B-side to “Heart-Shaped Box,” Dave Grohl had already recorded the song under the pseudonym Late! on his cassette-only release, Pocketwatch. When he...
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Behind the Meaning of Wings’ Playful Track “Let ‘Em In”
Paul McCartney and Wings scored several hits throughout their tenure. Among that pack is “Let ‘Em In.” The instantly catchy track reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart–one of three top...
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The NSFW Meaning Behind “Squeeze Box” by The Who
A double entendre is a figure of speech used to express a thought with a double meaning. Usually, one is socially acceptable, and the other is…not. Music has been a breeding ground for these hidden...
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The Meaning Behind Paul Simon’s Picture-Perfect “Kodachrome”
Paul Simon was working on a new song called “Goin’ Home” when the word “Kodachrome” interrupted his writing. He didn’t know what it meant but thought it would make a far more exciting song title than...
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The Meaning Behind John Denver’s Iconic Love Song, “Annie’s Song”
John Denver‘s catalog is full of rich narratives and nature-focused songs. He has made his love of the outdoors known on countless occasions. One of his most memorable songs sees him combine that...
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The Meaning Behind “The Man Comes Around” by Johnny Cash
Folks know the American Recordings albums that topped off Johnny Cash’s incredible career for his renditions of works by some of the greatest songwriters of the rock era. Yet Cash never stopped writing...
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The Meaning Behind “Karma Police” by Radiohead
When Radiohead released OK Computer in 1997, they changed from being the band that wrote “Creep” to becoming the next Beatles or Pink Floyd. The Oxford band probably bristled at such comparisons, but...
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The Meaning Behind Pretenders’“Talk of the Town”
Some songs have a chord that is so striking and beautiful that you listen to the tune over and over, just so that you can hear it. “Talk of the Town,” the first single that the Pretenders released...
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The Meaning Behind The Outfield’s Tale of Deceitful Desire, “Your Love”
When The Outfield’s debut Play Deep was first released in August 1985, its initial single “Say It Isn’t So,” despite being a catchy, upbeat song about dealing with romantic instability, failed to make...
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The Meaning Behind Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert’s ‘Thelma and...
When Miranda Lambert first approached Carrie Underwood to sing with her, she believed she had gotten in over her head. Lambert sent Underwood “Somethin’ Bad,” written by Chris DeStefano, Brett James,...
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The Rather Randy Meaning Behind “Afternoon Delight” by Starland Vocal Band
In 1976, Starland Vocal Band won the Best New Artist Grammy, beating out Boston for the honor. They also beat “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen to take home the statue for Best Arrangement for Voices (Duo,...
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The Meaning Behind “Boondocks” by Little Big Town
Karen Fairchild and Kimberly Schlapman met at Samford University, a private Baptist school in Homewood, Alabama, singing together in a vocal ensemble. After moving to Nashville, the duo reconnected and...
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Behind the Meaning of “Out of That Truck” by Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood has no shortage of songs that bolster women in the wake of heartache. Her 2022 track “Out of That Truck” is one such song. Underwood reminds her former lover of all the memories that...
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The Reverse-Engineering Behind the Meaning of Phil Collins’ “Sussudio”
Phil Collins released “Sussudio” as the second single from No Jacket Required in April 1985. It was the height of Phil-mania, as he was scoring hits left and right, both with Genesis and on his own....
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The Meaning Behind Glenn Frey’s “Smuggler’s Blues,” Which Inspired a Hit ’80s...
Glenn Frey’s solo career took off in the ‘80s, as he proved a versatile hitmaker who didn’t need to be operating under the Eagles banner to succeed. One of his hits, “Smuggler’s Blues,” was very much a...
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The (Lightly Disputed) Meaning Behind “Ring of Fire” by Johnny Cash
Anita Carter released the first version of the song as “Love’s Ring of Fire” in 1962. Johnny Cash waited to see if her song was a hit before recording his own take. The Man in Black’s career was...
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