Buck Dharma of Blue Oyster Cult wrote "(Don't Fear) The Reaper" after he was diagnosed with a heart condition and started thinking about his own mortality.
Johnny Cash's wife, June Carter, wrote "Ring Of Fire" about their relationship.
"Head Over Heels" by The Go-Go's is a metaphor for how things were getting out of control for the band; they broke up a year later.
Jean-Claude Van Damme was an extra in the video for Ollie & Jerry's “Breakin'... There's No Stopping Us” and he can be seen at point dancing in the background.
Katmandu, the capital of Nepal, was the archetype for faraway mysticism when Bob Seger wrote a song about it in 1975.
"Paper Planes" was inspired by M.I.A.'s hassles trying to get a visa to enter America.
Todd Rundgren explains why he avoids "Hello It's Me," and what it was like producing Meat Loaf's Bat Out of Hell album.
Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."
Iron Maiden, Adele, Toto, Eminem and Earth, Wind & Fire are just some of the artists with songs directly inspired by movies - and not always good ones.
Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.
On Glen's résumé: hit songwriter, Facebook dominator, and member of Styx.
The drummer for Anthrax is also a key songwriter. He explains how the group puts their songs together and tells the stories behind some of their classics.
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