"Rio" by Duran Duran is a metaphor for America, where the band was trying to break through.
John Lennon's lead guitar work on Yoko Ono's "Walking On Thin Ice" proved to be his final creative act. It was upon their return home after completing laying down the track that Lennon was murdered by Mark David Chapman.
"If It Makes You Happy" by Sheryl Crow is about the sour grapes some of her collaborators from her first album expressed to the media when they felt slighted.
Dolly Parton is just fine with Whitney Houston's cover of "I Will Always Love You." Said Parton: "She can have the credit. I just want my cash."
The setting for the Queensrÿche song "Jet City Woman" is Seattle, the "jet city."
"Kickstart My Heart" is about all the ways Motley Crue gets their blood flowing without drugs. It was inspired by their bass player Nikki Sixx, who claimed he had to be revived with a shot of adrenaline to the heart after an overdose.
Mike is lead guitarist with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, and co-writer of classic songs like "Boys Of Summer," "Refugee" and "The Heart Of The Matter."
Fishbone has always enjoyed much more acclaim than popularity - Angelo might know why.
Billy Joel and Hall & Oates hated making videos, so they chose a director with similar contempt for the medium. That was Jay Dubin, and he has a lot to say on the subject.
When a waitress wouldn't take him home, Jack wrote what would become one of the Eagles most enduring hits.
If the name Citizen Dick means anything to you, there's a chance you'll get some of these right.
The top chant artist in the Western world, Krishna Das talks about how these Hindu mantras compare to Christian worship songs.