The inspiration for Gordon Lightfoot's "Sundown" came when he was worrying about his girlfriend, who was out at bars all day while he was home writing songs.
"London Calling" by The Clash was written amid widespread fears that the Thames River was going to flood the city.
Weezer's "Undone - The Sweater Song" was written as a sad song about depression, but listeners heard it as a funny, ironic song.
"Oh Well," from their 1960s Peter Green era, is the only Fleetwood Mac song played in concert in every decade they toured.
"Don't Dream It's Over" is the biggest hit for Crowded House, whose lead singer, Neil Finn, sang it on tour when he joined Fleetwood Mac. He wrote the song when he was feeling a bit lost as a way of urging himself on.
Katy Perry says her 2008 song "Ur So Gay" is about "guys who wear the guyliner, steal your jeans, and that whole almost hipster emo scene."
The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."
When she released her first album in 1988, Tanita became a UK singing sensation at age 19. She talks about her darkly sensual voice and quirky songwriting style.
Songwriters have used cards and card games to make sense of heartache, togetherness, and even Gonorrhea.
Paul Stanley on his soul music project, the Kiss songs with the biggest soul influence, and the non-make-up era of the band.
Soul music legend Bill Withers on how life experience and the company you keep leads to classic songs like "Lean On Me."
Here is the church, here is the steeple - see if you can identify these lyrics that reference church.