"The Lion Sleeps Tonight" is an English version of a Zulu hunting song from the 1930s.
The events described in Alanis Morissette's song "Ironic," like rain on your wedding day, are not examples of irony. Irony is the use of words to convey the opposite of their literal meaning.
"All Star" was written as a confidence builder for fans who were bullied for liking Smash Mouth.
"Veronica" was inspired by Elvis Costello's grandmother, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease.
"Heaven Is A Place On Earth" writer Ellen Shipley got the idea for the song from a gas station greeting card that said "Heaven On Earth."
At 9:57, David Bowie's "Blackstar" was the longest song to reach the Hot 100 until 2019, when Tool bested the record with the 10:21 "Fear Inoculum."
The Evanescence frontwoman on the songs that have shifted meaning and her foray into kids' music.
Petula talks about her hits "Downtown" and "Don't Sleep In The Subway," and explains her Michael Jackson connection.
The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.
Jon Anderson breaks down the Yes classic "Seen All Good People" and talks about his 1000 Hands album, which features Chick Corea, Rick Derringer, Ian Anderson, and many other luminaries.
Kelly Keagy of Night Ranger tells the "Sister Christian" story and explains why he started sweating when he saw it in Boogie Nights.
Kristian talks songwriting technique, like how the chorus should redefine the story, and how to write a song backwards.