Lady Gaga says that "Poker Face" is about her personal experience with bisexuality; being with a man but thinking about a woman.
The Devo song "Freedom Of Choice" is about mindless consumerism - how people like to make frivolous choices, but otherwise want to be told what to do.
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.
"Bittersweet Symphony" by The Verve samples an obscure orchestral arrangement of the 1965 Rolling Stones song "The Last Time." The Verve had to sign away most of the royalties before they could release the song.
Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'" lyric was inspired by Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, making it perfect for the Rock of Ages musical.
Stevie Wonder wrote his own version of "Happy Birthday" in an attempt to get Martin Luther King's birthday declared a national holiday.
The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.
These Three famous songs actually describe how they were written - late into the evening.
Hitmaker Carl Sturken on writing and producing for Rihanna, 'N Sync, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Donny Osmond, Shakira and Karyn White.
Dennis DeYoung explains why "Mr. Roboto" is the defining Styx song, and what the "gathering of angels" represents in "Come Sail Away."
Michael tells the story of "Send Me On My Way," and explains why some of the words in the song don't have a literal meaning.
An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.