Christina Aguilera did her "Beautiful" vocal in one take; the opening line, "Don't look at me," is something she said to her friend in the studio who was there to offer support.
The Texas songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker wrote "Mr. Bojangles" after a weekend in jail where a fellow inmate told him his life story.
Irving Berlin said "God Bless America" was "not a patriotic song, but rather an expression of gratitude."
"Kokomo" gave The Beach Boys their first #1 hit in 22 years. They picked the title because it sounded tropical.
Snap! were two German producers. When they needed a rapper, they found one on the American army base there and had him rap on "The Power."
Bob Dylan helped popularize the concept of "burnout" in his 1975 song "Shelter From the Storm" when he sang: "I was burned out from exhaustion, buried in the hail." That's how many Americans were feeling at the time as they worked harder for less pay.
The outlaw country icon talks about the spiritual element of his songwriting and his Bob Dylan mention.
Cain talks about the divine inspirations for "Don't Stop Believin'" and "Faithfully."
From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.
A big list of musical marriages and family relations ranging from the simple to the truly dysfunctional.
Taylor talks about "The Machine" - the hits, the videos and Clive Davis.
Kevin Godley talks about directing classic videos for The Police, U2 and Duran Duran, and discusses song and videos he made with 10cc and Godley & Creme.