What songs do you like that are based on real life events?
Billy Joel's "We didn't start the fire" is an obvious choice, but I really love the song "Mary Kay" by Jill Sobule, about Mary Kay LeTorneau, the teacher who had an affair with her young student.
Mary Kay, she's got it bad Thinks no one understands You can't keep a good man down You can't stop when loves around You can't close your lonely eyes Though he's way too young to drive But he's old enough to please you Love-me-nots and daisies, Mary Kay Spin the bottle crazy, Mary Kay Little John Doe's got it bad When he first walked in her class He never had a crush like this Except for Susie's mother She wasn't like the other girls In their stuck up silly world He's never seen someone so beautiful Second base and better, Mary Kay In her soft blue sweater, Mary Kay, Mary Kay Under the bleachers Deeper and deeper Oh teacher Mary Kay was on the run With the father of her son She didn't know she was a star As she was steaming up the car Now in your orange jail jumpsuit I wish the best for you You were in my heart and living room Seven years and counting, Mary Kay And all the inmates wanting Mary Kay Second base and better, Mary Kay Where's the soft blue sweater, Mary Kay Love-me-nots and daisies, Mary Kay Spin the bottle crazy, Mary Kay Love can be amazing, Mary Kay
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
What's the deal again with Phil Collins's Something in the Air tonight again? Was that a true story?
Posted by annier (Member # 3305) on :
quote:Originally posted by Riptide: What's the deal again with Phil Collins's Something in the Air tonight again? Was that a true story?
He apparently watched a close friend drown or something and he was too far away to help him. Its probably not true.
Posted by saturnchick (Member # 7524) on :
Yeah...the story about In the Air Tonight is just an urban legend. Some songs based on true events:
Michael Jackson's Billie Jean Night Ranger's Sister Christian Sarah McLachlan's Possession Eric Clapton's Tears in Heaven U2's Pride (In the Name of Love) Don McLean's American Pie
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
Sarah Mac's Possession was a about her stalker right? I heard something a few years ago where he was going to sue her. There's irony for ya.
Posted by Paul Dangerously, you iceholes.... (Member # 1022) on :
Fun Boy Three's The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum....
Posted by Riptide (Member # 457) on :
Ghost Town by the Specials too. "Iron Lady" Thatcher was responsible for a lot of songs
Posted by mel1972 (Member # 7725) on :
There's one Robbie Williams song - 'Me and my monkey' - that, while not literally based on one particular event, is a tongue-in-cheek homage to his battle with drugs.
Posted by journey (Member # 7316) on :
"Smoke on the Water" by Deep Purple is about the fire that broke out at the Montreux Casino during a Frank Zappa & The Mother's of Invention show. Deep Purple were recording nearby and the title refers to how they watched the smoke from the fire spread across Lake Geneva from their hotel.
Posted by jdocster (Member # 5752) on :
Jill Sobule (one of my favorite singer/songwriters) has a number of songs based on real people. I mentioned the song about Mary Kay La Torneau in my first post. She has another song called "Joey" about Joey Heatherton.
Joey, Joey... Joey was the IT girl at just fifteen She had short blonde hair that was slightly teased She made the older men sweat when she dance on TV Doing the frug, doing the monkey Joey got a start in the night club scene Even though she studied ballet under Valenschein She could take a swan dive if you know what I mean Doing the Jerk and the Watusi
Joey... Joey had a spot on Dean Martin's Show She even went to 'Nam with the USO She fell in love with a famous football pro They liked to Jerk, they like to monkey All she ever wanted was your love and respect (she ever) Isn't that the same thing that we all want, Joey, Joey I remember Joey in a mattress ad I guess around this time is when things got bad and her husband got arrested she look so sad Doing the frug, doing the pony (yeah, yeah) Yesterday in line at the A&P I saw Joey on the back of star magazine They said she's using again and she still won't D She's got the Jerk, she's got the monkey All she ever wanted was your love and respect (she ever) You can stay at my place if you want to, Joey Joey, Joey, Joey...
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
I can name at least one song that is based on real life. What Would You Do? by City High.
When you listen to or read the lyrics, then you can see why Rick Dees when hosting the weekly American top 40 called it "experience to avoid."
Posted by xchazx (Member # 7158) on :
the smiths- suffer little children boomtown rats- i don't like mondays
Posted by Crash (Member # 7484) on :
I've always liked the opening lyrics to "Him," Rupert Holmes's follow-up to "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)." Holmes said that it was based on a personal experience:
"Over by the window, there's a pack of cigarettes. Not my brand, you understand, sometimes the girl forgets. She forgets to hide them. I know who left those smokes behind. She'll say, 'Oh, he's just a friend.' And I'll say 'Oh, I'm not blind...'"
Posted by Helen_S (Member # 5804) on :
That's cheery lol
Posted by Johnny Roarke is reckless (Member # 9826) on :
Two songs by Neil Young. The lyrics speak for themselves.
im going down by bruce springsteen
Posted by Pittsburghgirl (Member # 7514) on :
quote:Originally posted by Crash: I've always liked the opening lyrics to "Him," Rupert Holmes's follow-up to "Escape (The Pina Colada Song)." Holmes said that it was based on a personal experience:
"Over by the window, there's a pack of cigarettes. Not my brand, you understand, sometimes the girl forgets. She forgets to hide them. I know who left those smokes behind. She'll say, 'Oh, he's just a friend.' And I'll say 'Oh, I'm not blind...'"
When I was in junior high school, we had an awful teacher for both homeroom and English class and his first name was Tim. So when he would **** us off, we'd all start singing "Tim, Tim, Tim, whatcha gonna about Tim? What we gonna do about Tim?" He'd get all red in the face and flip out, lmao.
Posted by The Good Package (Member # 9492) on :
acutally i am going to change mine to dancing in the dark
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
Sharon O'Neill, "Maxine."
This song was inspired by a prostitute who Sharon saw regularly at night in Kings Cross when she was living there.
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
Hoodoo Gurus, "Miss Freelove 69."
This was inspired by a party that Dave Faulkner had at his house, with one major difference: the police, when called, were not welcome and were asked none too companionably to leave.
Posted by Lovers with Cassie (Member # 7794) on :
Noiseworks, "Take Me Back."
It involves a band member's last visit by his girlfriend, who was killed in a car crash when she had finished seeing him and how he would like to go back.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)