Most pop songs are about the generic concept of love. But some songs go one step further, highlighting aspects of a particular person – usually in code to keep things discreet.
You’re So Vain is apparently about bewildered envelope-fumbler-to-the-stars, Warren Beatty. Paul Simon in his song Graceland has a verse about Carrie Fisher. And I found out this week that Spandau Ballet’s True was written about Altered Images warbler-in-chief, Clare Grogan.
The last fact seems to have passed me by. Are there any others I should know about?
Warren Beatty +
In November 2015, Simon, promoting her about-to-be-published memoir, said, “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren (Beatty),” and added that while “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him,” he is the subject of that verse only, with the remainder of the song referring to two other, still-unnamed men.
Matching Mole’s Oh Caroline is a rather lovely example, Robert Wyatt expressing his love for Caroline Coon. Of course, Wyatt went on to write a whole career’s worth of songs about his soulmate, Alfie, and very excellent tunes they are too.
I always wanted to know who Michael Booth was in reference to Splodgenessabounds’ Michael Booth’s Talking Bum..
I’d never heard that song and then Fast Eddy Collins played it on R6 this afternoon and his rather wonderful partner Grace Maxwell told the Coon story. Twice in a day for a song I’d never heard of before
Lobotomy Gets ’em Home by The Men They Couldn’t Hang is about troubled actress Frances Farmer although it seems she didn’t actually undergo a lobotomy, despite doctors trying to persuade her parents to consent.
Not to mention Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge On Seattle by Nirvana. Kurt and Courtney’s kid, Frances Bean Cobain, is named after her.
Nick Lowe’s little ditty “Marie Provost” was inaccurately based on the story of Canadian-born film actress Marie Prevost, who died as a result of acute alcoholism in 1937 at the age of 38.
In his book “Hollywood Babylon”, Kenneth Anger claimed that her corpse was eaten by her pet dachshund Maxie, but this is untrue. While her dog did bite her legs, possibly to try and wake her, he did not try to consume her. Nick Lowe’s rather sick song is based upon this story.
“She was a winner, who became the doggie’s dinner”.
Everything But The Girl also sang of Frances Farmer in their song Ugly Little Dreams.
That was on second album Love Not Money. On the third, Baby, The Stars Shine Bright they sang of Marilyn Monroe on the song Sugar Finney.
Talking of MM, you’d have thought someone else might of done a song about her…
Ah nobody could hold a candle to EBTG’s MM song.
Talking of which, the totally fine Protection by Massive Attack and Tracey Thorn is surely about Ben Watt. As I imagine is Plain Sailing.
Jackson Browne’s song about Lowell George…
And @twang I’ve just learned that he wrote this for / about Valerie Carter:
https://youtu.be/6or6vqgamsQ
Dave Alvin has written a fair few songs about people. Here are a couple of them.
The first one here is about a guy I’d never heard of before I heard the song. It’s from his album Ashgrove. It’s called Everett Ruess and Dave explains who he was in the introduction to this live version. An absolutely gorgeous song:
The second is called Black Rose of Texas about he late Amy Farris, who had played with him as part of his one-time backing band, The Guilty Women. From the album Eleven Eleven:
Solid Air about Nick Drake, obviously.
And Sexy Sadie about the Maharishi.
And Angie for Bowie’s ex.
From wikileaks:
There was speculation that the song was about David Bowie’s first wife Angela, the actress Angie Dickinson, Keith Richards’ newborn daughter Dandelion Angela, and others. In 1993, in an interview for the liner notes to the Rolling Stones’ compilation album Jump Back: The Best of The Rolling Stones, Richards said that the title was inspired by his baby daughter. However, in his 2010 memoir Life, Richards said that he had chosen the name at random when writing the song — before he knew that his baby would be named Angela or even knew that his baby would be a girl — and that the song “was not about any particular person.” According to NME, Jagger’s contributions to the lyrics referred to his breakup with Marianne Faithfull.
The Dream Academy’s Life In A Northern Town, also about Nick Drake.
I’ve always believed that Asia’s Heat Of The Moment is about the relationship between Steve Howe and Jon Anderson
REM – Man On The Moon => Andy Kaufman
The Smiths – Frankly Mr. Shankly => Geoff Travis
David Bowie – Jean Genie => Iggy Pop
And William It Was Really Nothing is Billy MacKenzie
From wikileaks:
The song is considered to be Freddie Mercury’s “hate letter” to Queen’s original manager Norman Sheffield, incorporating a range of vicious lyrics, and described by Mercury as being “so vindictive that Brian felt bad singing it.” Though the song makes no direct reference to him, Sheffield was appalled when he heard a playback of the song at Trident Studios at the time of the album’s release, and sued both the band and the record label for defamation. This resulted in an out-of-court settlement, thus revealing to the public his connection with the song.
More manager/band spats in song
Sex Pistols had two, maybe even three, (thinly) veils attacks on Malcolm McLaren on Never Mind The Bollocks.
Seventeen
slightly re-worded version of one of their earliest songs: “You’re only 29, got a lot to learn, but when your business dies, it will not return”
New York
“An imitation from New York”
“Four years on, You still look the same, I think its about time, You changed your brain, You’re just a pile of shit, You’re coming to this”
(OK, this lyric could equally apply to New York Dolls / Johnny Thunders, but is more likely to be McLaren)
and also, Liar is more than likely directed towards MM too.
and just to complete the “taking the p*ss out of the manager”, when McLaren suggested writing a song about bondage and submission, John and Glen went away and wrote about a submarine.
Public Image is another McLaren/Sex Pistols put down
There cannot be many songs about the inventor of the terpsitone and the, er, theremin. He died in 1993 at the age of 97.
The theremin was originally the product of Soviet government-sponsored research into proximity sensors. The instrument was invented by a young Russian physicist named Lev Sergeyevich Termen (known in the West as LĂ©on Theremin) in October 1920 after the outbreak of the Russian Civil War. After a lengthy tour of Europe, during which time he demonstrated his invention to packed houses, Theremin moved to the United States, where he patented his invention in 1928. Subsequently, Theremin granted commercial production rights to RCA. (Wikipedia)
His great-grandson Peter Theremin is the organizer of the festival of theremin culture “Thereminology”, creator of the first Russian-language portal about theremin “Theremin Times” and Head of the Russian Theremin School.
“Wherever he took his show people stopped and stared (everywhere)
He waved his hands and strange music filled the air”
There are several jazz compositions dedicated to “Nica”, who was Baroness Kathleen Annie Pannonica de Koenigswarter (nĂ©e Rothschild; 10 December 1913 – 30 November 1988), known as “The Jazz Baroness” or “The Bebop Baroness”. She was a prominent supporter of jazz and jazz musicians in the bebop era, giving financial support and even giving musicians lifts to New York gigs in her Rolls Royce. Charlie Parker died in her New York hotel suite.
Gigi Gryce’s “Nica’s Tempo”, Sonny Clark’s “Nica”, Horace Silver’s “Nica’s Dream”, Kenny Dorham’s “To Nica”, Kenny Drew’s “Blues for Nica”, Freddie Redd’s “Nica Steps Out”, Barry Harris’s “Inca”, Tommy Flanagan’s “Thelonica” and Thelonious Monk’s “Pannonica” are all compositions named after her.
She was introduced to Thelonious Monk by jazz pianist/composer Mary Lou Williams in Paris while attending the “Salon du Jazz 1954”, became a personal friend of him and his wife and championed his work in the USA, writing the liner notes for his 1962 Columbia album Criss-Cross. When she and Monk were stopped by the police and marijuana was found in the car, she took responsibility for it so he wouldn’t lose his cabaret license and be barred from playing in New York. After Monk ended his public performances in the mid-1970s he retired to de Koenigswarter’s house in Weehawken, New Jersey, where he died in 1982.
Mark Knopfler is always raiding the history books for songs, ranging from Imelda Marcos (Imelda) to the inventors of processed cheese spread (Sailing to Philadelphia)
Arf.
Al Stewart has been another history buff, with far too many songs to mention, sketched from characters from the past.
Re: “Mark Knopfler is always raiding the history books for songs”
Wasn’t there one about Beryl Bainbridge, too?
How about this?
The Fabs – Ballad of John & Yoko.
Nothing discrete about that song.
Leonard Cohen: So long Marianne about his ex lover, Marianne Ihlen.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/aug/07/so-long-marianne-leonard-cohen-writes-to-muse-just-before-her-death
Performed recently live by First Aid Kit who used the letter he wrote to her before her death as a prologue.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkaZ4cWSLOE
Jail Guitar Doors by the Clash gives a verse to Wayne Kramer, Peter Green and Keef.
Sean Flynn by the Clash too.
Train In Vain is about Viv Albertine (according to Viv’s book)
I thought Train In Vain was about Ellen Foley.
About Don McLean, apparently
Really? Was it any particular song or his music in general?
It was just the one time though.
Joni Mitchell’s ‘Coyote’ is about Sam Shepherd
King Crimson’s “Frame By Frame” is allegedly Adrian Belew advising Robert Fripp to loosen up a bit and not over-analyse things.
There must be thousands of songs/tunes written in honour of wives/husbands/other halves.
Here’s a particularly nice one.
(Thelonious Monk – Crepuscule With Nellie)
“Frelon Brun”, the opening track from Miles Davis’ “Filles de Kilimanjaro” was written in honour of his wife Betty Mabry.
The title translates from French as “Brown (or Dark) Hornet”.
10,000 Maniacs – Hey Jack Kerouac
case/lang/veirs -Song for Judee
I don’t know why this came into my head.
You know darn well…
Hello…hello…
RT’s “Beeswing” is about Anne Briggs…
As is Sandy Denny’s song “The Pond And The Stream” on the Fotheringay album.
Sandy’s song ‘Stranger to Himself’ is said to be about Dave Swarbrick.
Also Sandy’s ‘London’ is about husband and band member Trevor Lucas.
Country House by Blur is about Dave Balfe of Teardrop Explodes / Food Records.
She Bangs the Drum, Stone Roses – Mo Tucker
The Butterfly Collector, The Jam – Sue Cat Women
Stay Free, the Clash – Robin Banks, Mick Jones school friend
John Fogerty’s “Mr Greed” and “Vanz can’t dance” on “Centerfield” were (very) thinly veiled attacks on Fantasy Records owner Saul Zaentz
Electronic – Getting Away With It
It’s about Morrissey
I thought it was more Barney’s attempt to write the ultimate Morrissey lyric, but I will bow to your superior knowledge…
And Mike Scott has denied it in recent years, but The Waterboys’ The Whole Of The Moon was always said to be about Prince…
What about songs that are named for famous people but aren’t actually about them?
Michael Caine by Madness is the only one I can think of
What about Robert De Niro’s Waiting by Bananarama?
Tony Adams by Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros
Levi Stubbs’ Tears by Billy Bragg?
You’re the one for me fatty by Morrisey, was about Chas Smash
U2 – Angel of Harlem => Billie Holliday
Billy Bragg’s a rich seam here. Photographer Cindy Sherman, a Wolves footballer who’s name escapes me, but he looked like Mickey Dolenz.
Peter Knowles – became a Jehovahs Witness and retired from Football at the age of 24
(although he stayed on Wolves books until 1982, just in case he decided to play again)
Surprising though it may seem, Kate Bush’s Cloudbursting is essentially a true story. Furthermore, there’s at least one other song about Wilhelm Reich – Hawkwind’s Orgone Accumulator. Here’s Kate anyway:
And for anyone, like young Peter, still dreaming of Orgonon, here it is:
http://www.wilhelmreichtrust.org/museum.html
This made me research who was the subject of the song Without You. This may well be common knowledge but bear with me while I share this with the readers.
It was written by two members of the band Badfinger, Pete Ham and Tom Evans. A band from Swansea – they were originally in The Iveys, the first band to be signed to Apple. Without You was on one of their albums. Harry Nilsson took it on and of course it became absolutely massive.
Badfinger were quite successful – and not just on the back of Without You.
Without You was a mix of two separate songs based on the two writers’ experience. The real tragedy was that the two writers took their own lives.
In 1975, just before his 28th birthday, Peter Ham committed suicide. Evans saw Ham’s lifeless body and was deeply affected. Eight years later, Evans followed suit – apparently at times he said “I wanna be where he is”.
Lyle Lovett is far too much of a gentleman to say so, but any fan, looking at the lyrics to ‘One Eyed Fiona’ and ‘The Girl In The Corner’ would know they were about Julia Roberts.
Exploiting a little Gallic wordplay, Ella, elle l’ha, (Ella, she’s got it). France Gall is singing about Ms Fitzgerald.
And sophisticated Valencia popsters, Presuntos Implicados, had a fine song about Billie Holliday: Alma de Blues (Soul of Blues).
Since we’re talking about Chuck on other threads, Johnny B Goode is about his pianist Johnny Johnson. He’s telling Johnny to be good, because Johnny likes a drink, and Chuck is dead against drinking. Also, when Chuck sings ‘country boy’, the original lyrics were ‘colored boy’.
I can’t remember if I found out about this song on the AW (KFD?) or through a mention in a newspaper, but here’s a song by a French singer I’ve never heard about, about a Swedish singer that you’ve never heard about… 🙂 “Veronica” by Vianney (about Swedish pop queen Veronica Maggio apparently – but I don’t know enough French to understand the lyrics):
No not me! That was interesting. I do hope Ms Maggio has written a song about him!
Je viens, Vianney!
Lucinda Williams’s “Drunken Angel” is about singer/songwriter Blaze Foley.
A bit of a side note, but have you ever hear Michael Cera (the actor from Juno & Arrested Development) cover Blaze Foleys Clay Pigeons? It is incredible!
We have now! Thanks!
Thanks Kaisfatdad. I work for a company who don’t trust us with things like this so have numerous filters in place! It’s like they don’t trust me not to post lots of music vid….. oh hang on!
My pleasure. Blaze is an interesting, highly respected but little known (outside of Texas anyway) character. Lucinda really put him on the map with that wonderful song.
One more from him.
Don’t forget, Blaze Foley wrote ‘If I Could Only Fly’ made famous by Merle Haggard.
“Some Fantastic Place” is a rather lovely song about Glenn Tilbrook’s former girlfriend, Maxine Barker, who tragically died of leukemia in 1992. She introduced Tilbrook to Chris Difford.
I didn’t know that. My fave Squeeze song.
According to Chris Difford on his episode of the Radio 4 series ‘My Teenage Diary’, Maxine was his girlfriend before she hooked up with Glenn.
Chris and Glenn met thanks to an postcard ad that Chris placed in the window of his local newsagent asking for people to form a band, to which Glenn was the only person to reply.
“Late” is Ben Folds’ song for and about Elliott Smith
“Fallen Angel” is Robbie Robertson’s song for and about Richard Manuel (“If you’re out there, can you reach me / Lay a flower in the snow”)
Cemetery Gates is about artist Linder Sterling.
Andy’s Babies by Lloyd Cole and the Commotions is about Alan Horne and the Postcard Records gang.
Songs For Drella is a whole LP about Andy Warhol.
Walk On The Wild Side is about a whole host of Factory characters.
And I know it’s obvious, but I don’t think anyone as mentioned it, American Pie was for Buddy Holly.
American Pie has “shout outs” (as I believe the term has it) to Elvis and Bob Dylan too – the King & the Joker.
You Will Always Be The Same/For Beth/English Girls Approximately – 3 songs by Ryan Adams about Beth Orton.
I did not know this & English Girls Approximately is one of my favourite RA tracks. I love Marianne Faithfuls vocals on it – they really work together
How Do You Sleep?, John Lennon – about some bloke he used to work with
Let Me Roll It, Paul McCartney – likewise
Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Elton John – the “someone” was Long John Baldry, apparently
Three Stars, Eddie Cochran – Buddy, Richie and the Big Bopper, recorded only days after the plane crash, but not released till the late 60s
2HB, Roxy Music – Byron’s tribute to Humphrey Bogart
His Name Is Legs (Ladies And Gentleman), George Harrison – “Legs” Larry Smith
Smiley, Ronnie Burns – an 1970 Oz tune for local pop star Normie Rowe, who’d just been conscripted for service in Vietnam via means dubious
The plucky girl fighting those pink robots is Yoshimi P-We from OOIOO and Boredoms .
Thanks Kid Dynamite for that fascinating titbit.
The Marillion song Out Of This World was about Donald Campbell. As a result of hearing it a diver was inspired to look for the wreckage of the Bluebird, which was eventually found — and Campbell’s body recovered — in 2001.
(I have literally *just* learned this fact.)
Like You’re so Vain, the protagonist of Peter Sarstedt’s Where do you go to my lovely is clearly a composite of several different people. A bit of Sophia Loren, who grew up in Naples, and a bit of Little Donkey Hitmaker and Danish aristo Nina Von Pallandt, etc
But he claimed later that the primary inspiration was Danish dentist, Anita Atke. He met her while busking in Paris when she was still a student and they later married and he moved to Copenhagen to live a more anonymous life. And take good care of his teeth.
Dylan’s done a few, such as Roll On John, Lenny Bruce and Joey, all written about subjects that were dead. Coincidentally, these three also suck.
On Desire, Bob also wrote a song about his ex-wife, Sara.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB9ct9fj2sM
On the same album, there a song about Rubin “Hurricane” Carter, the boxer wrongfully convicted of murder.
i was interested to see that the murder took place in Paterson, recently put on the map by Jarmusch’s fine film of the same name.
Billy Graham is going to heaven. Maggie is going out. Out. Out.