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Author Topic: Songs based on real life
Stitch Groover
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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

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Riptide
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What's the deal again with Phil Collins's Something in the Air tonight again? Was that a true story?
Posts: 4413 | From: Where the streets have no name | Registered: Oct 2002 | Site Updates: 0  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
annier
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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.

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saturnchick
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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

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Riptide
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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.
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P_a_u_l
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Fun Boy Three's The Lunatics Have Taken Over The Asylum....
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Riptide
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Ghost Town by the Specials too. "Iron Lady" Thatcher was responsible for a lot of songs
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mel1972
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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.
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journey
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"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.
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jdocster McFly you Irish bug

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Please and Thank You by Barney baby! [Big Grin]

http://www.imeem.com/solostar05/music/tmR6NlK_/barney_please_and_thank_you/

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Stitch Groover
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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...

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Lovers with Cassie
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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."

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xchazx
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the smiths- suffer little children
boomtown rats- i don't like mondays

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Crash
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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...'"

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Helen_S
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That's cheery lol
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Johnny Roarke is reckless
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Two songs by Neil Young. The lyrics speak for themselves.

Ohio : www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdVMGKOFIwY&ob=av2n

The Needle and The Damage Done : www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hd3oqvnDKQk&ob=av2n

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The Good Package
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im going down by bruce springsteen
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Pittsburghgirl
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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.
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The Good Package
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acutally i am going to change mine to dancing in the dark
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Lovers with Cassie
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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.

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Lovers with Cassie
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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.

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Lovers with Cassie
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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.

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