
Carly Simon wrote "Anticipation" when Cat Stevens was late for their first date. She was "anticipating" his arrival and set down with her guitar to calm her nerves.

Cher had a habit of calling people "babe," which her husband, Sonny Bono, picked up. That's how "babe" landed in the 1965 Sonny & Cher megahit "I Got You Babe."

"Friends In Low Places" by Garth Brooks was written by two Nashville songwriters after a meal in a local restaurant. One of them forgot his money, but said not to worry, "I have friends in low places. I know the cook."

Ronnie Van Zant wrote the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic "Gimme Three Steps" after making the mistake of dancing with a girl whose boyfriend was in the bar and probably had a gun. He asked for a 3-step head start.

"I Got You Babe" made Sonny Bono the only person to perform on a #1 hit and also get elected to congress.

Sleigh bells aren't very punk, but they play throughout the Stooges classic "I Wanna Be Your Dog."
His song "Into The Night" is one of the most-played of all time. For Benny, it took him to hell and back.
A drummer for one of the most successful metal bands of the last decade, Chris talks about what it's like writing and performing with Slipknot. Metal-neck is a factor.
The men of Sparks on their album Hippopotamus, and how Morrissey handled it when they suggested he lighten up.
Jim talks about the impact of "The Middle" and uses a tree metaphor to describe his songwriting philosophy.
U2, Carly Simon, Joanna Newsom, Brian Wilson and Fiona Apple have all gone to Van Dyke Parks to make their songs exceptional.
When he was asked to write a song for the Singles soundtrack, Mark thought the Seattle grunge scene was already overblown, so that's what he wrote about.