Teams
Forum List
Toggle sidebar

On That Note: (You're My Soul and) INSPIRATION

MeanDean

MeanDean

Well-Known Member
SuperFanatic
Jan 5, 2009
15,678
23,016
113
Blue Grass IA-Jensen Beach FL
This week's OTN participant mission is to post songs that have a documented story as to what inspired the composition. Or even just a line or two of the song. (Inspirations for the title alone are also allowed.)

Please post both the song and the story behind it.

Your host for OTN are @cyclones500, @CycloneRulzzz and me.

Last week's episode, Special, can be found here:

CycloneRulzzz

Thread 'On That Note: Special'

With a special event coming up in the Super Bowl we are are making the word special the topic focus.

Looking for the following in title or lyrics: special in all forms including especially, unique and rare.


“On That Note” is presented each week on Cyclone Fanatic by @MeanDean, @cyclones500 and myself.

Last Week: The Beat Goes On
  • Like
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: cyclones500
"I showed up at John's house one day," Paul relates. "I had driven out from London and, because I had lost my licence because of a speeding offence, I was being driven out there and we were pulling up in John's drive and I was talking to the driver and asked him, 'What kind of a week have you had? Have you been working hard?' He then said to me, 'I've been working eight days a week, Paul!' After hearing that, I literally fell into John's place, thinking, 'That's good!'"

 
  • Like
Reactions: coolerifyoudid and cyclones500
Jerry Wexler, who was Aretha Franklin's producer at Atlantic Records, was intrigued by the concept of the "Natural Man." He spotted Carole King from his car and shouted to her that he wanted a song about a natural woman for Aretha's next album.

She went home and that night with Gerry Goffin wrote the song. In appreciation they gave Wexler co-writer credit.

 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: diaclone and coolerifyoudid
"I second that motion" is a common phrase heard at meetings in America where policy is being determined. It's what Motown producer Al Cleveland meant to say when he was on a shopping trip with Smokey Robinson.

As Robinson recalls in his 1989 autobiography, he and Cleveland went to a Detroit department store called Hudson's to do Christmas shopping in December 1967. Smokey's wife, Claudette, had recently given birth to twins that didn't survive the premature birth, and he was looking to get her a gift. At the jewelry counter, Smokey picked out some pearls and asked Cleveland what he thought. "I second that emotion" was his reply, and later that afternoon the pair wrote a song around the misspoken phrase. Smokey was intrigued by the Malaprop and that was the inspiration for the song.

 
Last edited:
  • Like
  • Winner
Reactions: Buster28, diaclone and Cmonwhatarewedoinghereman
Inspired by a newspaper story about a miser, John Mustard. In 1980, Lennon was quoted as saying: "I’d read somewhere in the paper about this mean guy who was hiding £5 notes, not up his nose, but somewhere else, and so I wrote about him."

 
  • Like
Reactions: MeanDean
Tony Scalzo of Fastball drew the idea of lyrics for "The Way" after reading stories about the disappearance of an elderly couple, Lela and Raymond Howard, who left home to attend a festival. She had signs of dementia and he was recovering from brain surgery). They were found dead two weeks later. Authorities believe Lela, who was driving, was trying to find a place where she once went on vacation. According to a profile in American Songwriter, Scalzo took liberties with the storyline, exploring why such a couple might try to escape from society. He apparently completed the lyrics before the case was resolved.

 
  • Like
Reactions: CycloneRulzzz and AlaCyclone


Night Moves is a favorite of mine, but it's not quite as innocent as it sounds. Seger has admitted the inspiration behind it was a woman married to a soldier who was deployed at the time of their affair.
 
  • Like
Reactions: diaclone and AlaCyclone
All great bands do drugs, and then write songs about doing them.

That's the story with band meme er that wrote this one.

 
There are several examples of songs written by The Beatles during or shortly after their trip to India (mainly by John).

"Dear Prudence" was inspired by actress Mia Farrow’s sister, Prudence, who became obsessed with meditating, doing it for days at a time. Lennon and Harrison attempted to coax her out of seclusion, so she would socialize more openly.

 
  • Like
Reactions: MeanDean
Marie Prevost was an early Hollywood star. She fell into depression and died prematurely. She wasn't found until 2 days later and only because her dog barked incessantly. There were reports that the dog had made marks on her leg in attempts to wake her up.

That bit of information was sensationalized in the Kenneth Anger book "Hollywood Babylon" to state that the dog consumed parts of her body to stay alive.

Nick Lowe's song Marie Provost (with two 'O's) was inspired by the sensationalized version from the book.

 
  • Like
Reactions: cyclones500
Pink Floyd's tribute to former bandmate Syd Barrett. Barrett's mental state declined as the band gained popularity forcing him to leave. Some stories blame the decline on LSD use but its more likely Barrett suffered from schizophrenia.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond


Wish You Were Here
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: CycloneRulzzz and cyclones500
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Help Support Us

Become a patron
Top Bottom