"True" by Spandau Ballet has some lyrics based on parts of the Vladimir Nabokov novel Lolita, including "Take your seaside arms," which in the book is "That little girl with her seaside limbs."
"Panama" by Van Halen is not about the country or the canal, but about a stripper David Lee Roth met in Arizona.
"Summertime" by DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince is built on a sample of a Kool & The Gang instrumental from 1974 called "Summer Madness," which gets a shout in the line, "This is the Fresh Prince's new definition of summer madness."
"Human" by The Killers was the most streamed song on Spotify in 2008, the year that the music streaming service was launched.
Lily Allen wrote "Something's Not Right" for the soundtrack of the Peter Pan prequel, Pan. The song was inspired by the heartache that Allen experienced after suffering a miscarriage when she was six months pregnant with her first child by husband Sam Cooper in 2010.
Originally a chart-topper for Steve Lawrence in 1962, "Go Away Little Girl" became the first song of the rock era to hit #1 for two different artists when Donny Osmond's cover version also reached the summit in 1971.
Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.
A song he wrote and recorded from "sheer spiritual inspiration," Allen's didn't think "Southern Nights" had hit potential until Glen Campbell took it to #1 two years later.
The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.
Howard explains his positive songwriting method and how uplifting songs can carry a deeper message.
The author of Help! 100 Songwriting, Recording And Career Tips Used By The Beatles, explains how the group crafted their choruses so effectively.
Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?