VOICE OVER: Ryan Wild WRITTEN BY: Jesse Singer
#20: “Still Feel Like Your Man” (2017)
John Mayer
While Mayer himself felt like it should be pretty obvious who he was talking about in “Still Feel Like Your Man” - there are those who may not’ve been paying as close attention to his love life prior to that. If you had been, then you would’ve known that he and Katy Perry spent four years on and off again from 2012 to 2016. And with that knowledge - yes, it now does seem pretty obvious that she is the ex he’s talking about in the song. As Mayer put it, “Who else would I be thinking about?”
#19: “Obsessed” (2009)
Mariah Carey
Did Eminem and Mariah Carey ever date? The answer depends on who you ask. If you ask Eminem, the answer is a resounding yes. But ask Carey, and you’ll get a big fat no! The two went back and forth on this matter for years in the press and in song. Carey took on Eminem’s “obsession” with her through her 2009 album, “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel.” Just in case the lyrics aren’t enough, Carey took all the guesswork out of it with the music video. A video in which she plays two characters - herself, and an obsessed gray-hoodie wearing, goateed “Eminem.” The rapper was also convinced the song was about him and released “The Warning” as a response just six weeks later.
#18: “All Those Years Ago” (1981)
George Harrison
John Lennon’s murder in December of 1980 shocked and saddened the world. While most people didn’t have a way to express their love for Lennon to the world, some of his musician friends did exactly that. One such friend was his former bandmate George Harrison who, just five months after Lennon’s death released “All Those Years Ago.” Originally written with different lyrics for Ringo Starr to sing, after Lennon’s passing Harrison rewrote it as a tribute to his friend. Another one of Lennon’s good friends, Elton John, was hesitant to record a tribute song to his dear friend. But when he saw the lyrics Bernie Taupin presented him with for “Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)” - it was a no-brainer.
#17: “Lovebug” (2008)
Jonas Brothers
While Nick Jonas has stated in the past that the song “Lovebug” is about, “really, just falling in love with somebody” - that somebody appears to be Miley Cyrus. The two Disney TV stars dated for about a year and a half from 2006 through December of 2007. A relationship that, according to Nick’s brother Kevin, “changed girls for Nick forever.” Although the song wasn’t released until late 2008, “Lovebug” was written in 2007 while Nick and Miley were an item. During a time when Nick has said that he, “started writing about love and I actually knew what it felt like.”
#16: “Uptown Girl” (1983)
Billy Joel
We know what you’re saying… Everyone knows this song is about Christie Brinkley. It’s so obvious. Joel and Brinkley were married and she’s the Uptown Girl in the music video. Well, let’s just say you’re half right. The song did eventually become about Brinkley, but when Joel first wrote the track, he did so with a different supermodel in mind: Elle Macpherson. You see, prior to his marriage to supermodel Brinkley, Joel and Macpherson were an item - and it was she who was his girlfriend when he wrote the track.
#15: “Dude (Looks Like a Lady)” (1987)
Aerosmith
As the story goes, one night Aerosmith was out on the town when lead singer Steven Tyler thought he saw a hot blonde woman. However, it turned out that it wasn’t a woman at all, but rather Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil. This case of mistaken identity led to some ribbing from Tyler’s bandmates, but it also eventually led to the writing of their hit single “Dude (Looks Like a Lady).” Mötley Crüe co-founder Nikki Sixx has also confirmed the accuracy of that story and Neil being the inspiration for the song.
#14: “Ms. Jackson” (2000)
Outkast
While calling the song “Ms. Wright” might’ve been more accurate, it sure doesn’t have the same syllable-esque flow as “Ms. Jackson.” Why “Wright,” you ask? Well, because Erykah Badu’s mother’s name is Kolleen Wright. But what does she have to do with it you also ask? Well, Outkast’s Andre 3000 dated Badu in the 90s and they had a child out of wedlock together. Feeling the need to tell his side of the story, Andre wrote the song as an apology and explanation to Badu’s mother. You might remember the intro dedicates the song to “baby's mamas' mamas'.” If you didn’t know it before, now you’ll know it forever, forever ever, forever ever.
#13: “Ether” (2001)
Nas
The hip-hop feud between Nas and Jay-Z was one of the biggest, most talked about in the history of the genre - and the musical pinnacles of said feud both came at the end of 2001. First, it was Jay-Z hitting Nas hard with his diss track, “Takeover,” from his album, “The Blueprint.” But as hard as he hit, there are many who’d argue Nas hit back even harder. Three months after “Takeover,” Nas put out “Ether” and to say he didn't hold back would be an understatement. It’s been called a diss song classic and was so influential that “ether” has become a hip-hop slang term for destroying an opponent in a rap battle.
#12: “All of Me” (2013)
John Legend
Given that Legend wrote this song while he was engaged to Chrissy Teigen and she is also in the music video (which they filmed days before their wedding in Italy) - this song better be about Teigen. And, no surprises here, the “me” that is all of Legend is indeed Teigen. But while she initially was extremely moved and touched by Legend’s musical dedication to her, she has since heard the song so much that it no longer has the same impact as it once did.
#11: “Man on the Moon” (1992)
R.E.M.
No veiled references or possible misinterpretations with this one - Michael Stipe wrote this song about Andy Kaufman. The band had already composed the music and as the recording sessions were coming to a close Stipe still hadn’t mastered the words. However, while taking a walk around Seattle, the music playing through his Walkman headphones, everything finally came together. The references to Kaufman’s work, from his wrestling career to his Elvis impersonations - and the titular metaphor comparing conspiracy theories regarding the moon landing to those claiming Kaufman faked his 1984 death. Movie fans will also note that Jim Carrey’s 1999 Andy Kaufman biopic took its title from the song as well.
#10: “Cry Me a River” (2002)
Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears dated from 1999 until March of 2002. Then, in November of that same year, Timberlake released his first solo album and the second single from said album was “Cry Me a River.” The song, about a guy who moves on after having his heart broken, was widely assumed to be about his recent breakup with Spears. Although he might’ve tried to deny it at the time - no one was buying it. Especially after the music video came out featuring a Spears look-a-like, as well as easter egg references to his ex’s iconic newsboy hat and her tattoo.
#9: “Pride (In the Name of Love)” (1984)
U2
There is a world where we are talking about this song as being about President Ronald Reagan and his “Pride” in his country’s military might. But we don’t live in that world, because a couple of books about civil rights leaders Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X focused Bono’s attention on the two sides of the movement. This led to King being the focus of U2’s 1984 hit, “Pride (In the Name of Love).” While Bono has since talked about his dissatisfaction with the all too simplistic lyrics, the song is one of the band’s biggest hits and made The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's list of 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
#8: “Hurricane” (1975)
Bob Dylan
In 1967, boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter was wrongly convicted of a triple homicide and sentenced to life in prison in New Jersey. While behind bars, Carter wrote an autobiography called “The Sixteenth Round.” It was this book that inspired Bob Dylan to write his protest song about Carter and his wrongful imprisonment. The song was a hit and brought Carter’s story to the attention of a wider audience and led to a growing movement of support and calls for his release. While Carter did get a new trial in 1976, he was once again convicted. It wasn’t until 1985 that he was finally let out after being granted a writ of habeas corpus.
#7: “You're So Vain” (1972)
Carly Simon
In case you were thinking that the song was about you…. It isn’t. Well, unless you’re Warren Beatty - and possibly two other men. The subject of Simon’s number-one hit song has been a much-talked-about mystery ever since its release in 1972. For years, Simon remained very coy about the whole thing - refusing to name names and then slowly only giving out letters from their name. Then, in 2015, she finally confirmed that Warren Beatty was the subject of the song’s second verse. Although in wonderfully Coy-Carly fashion, she also said, “Now, that doesn't mean that the other two verses aren't also about Warren… It just means that the second one is.”
#6: “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” (1975)
Pink Floyd
While he may not be a household name - to Pink Floyd fans, Syd Barrett is a key figure in music history. For those who don’t know, Barrett was one of the co-founders of the band, the lead singer and primary songwriter for about the first three years of Pink Floyd’s existence. However, due to his use of psychedelic drugs and deteriorating mental health, Barrett was dismissed from the group in 1968. This wasn’t something the other band members did happily and Barrett remained an important piece of all of them. So much so that in 1975, they created “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” - a 25-minute, 9-part track on their “Wish You Were Here” album - as a tribute to their friend.
#5: “Go Your Own Way” (1976)
Fleetwood Mac
Imagine singing backup vocals on a song written by your pained ex-boyfriend about your breakup. Nope, we can’t imagine it either. But that’s exactly what Stevie Nicks had to do on “Go Your Own Way.” The song, written by Lindsey Buckingham, was the first single off of the now iconic album, “Rumours.” As Buckingham explained, “I was completely devastated when she took off… there was a lot of pent-up frustration and anger towards Stevie in me for many years.” Frustrations that all came out in this admittedly very-catchy song.
#4: “Hey Jude” (1968)
The Beatles
Had Paul McCartney stuck with the track’s original title, it would probably be more well-known who this song is talking to. In 1968, John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia separated over Lennon’s love affair with Yoko Ono. McCartney, “always feel(s) sorry for kids in divorces” and wrote this song as words of comfort to Lennon’s then five-year-old son Julian. When he first wrote the song, McCartney was singing “Hey Jules,” but he would eventually switch it to “Jude” because “[he] thought that sounded a bit better.”
#3: “Candle in the Wind” (1974)
Elton John
There are going to be some people who are expecting us to talk about how this song was written in honor and remembrance of Princess Diana. However, that version of the song, known as “Candle in the Wind 1997,” was a rewritten version of Elton John’s original “Candle in the Wind” from 1974. That song is an ode and tribute to another iconic woman… Marilyn Monroe. Lyricist Bernie Taupin has said that while it is about Monroe, it could’ve been about anyone “who died young and sort of became this iconic picture... It's a beauty frozen in time.” A sentiment that decades later obviously connected perfectly to the passing of Lady Di.
#2: “Layla” (1971)
Derek and the Dominos
The Derek and the Dominos song “Layla” was partially inspired by a 7th-century Persian love story. A story that spoke rather strongly to Eric Clapton and the position he found himself in at the time. Namely, the fact that he was secretly in love with Pattie Boyd - who just so happened to be the wife of his friend George Harrison. Boyd and Harrison eventually had a very amicable divorce and in 1979, she and Clapton tied the knot. Although they were dating, Clapton wrote another song for Boyd: “Wonderful Tonight.”
#1: “American Pie” (1971)
Don McLean
You might’ve heard about the 1959 plane crash that took the lives of rock stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and "The Big Bopper" J. P. Richardson, referred to as “the day the music died.” Well, it became known as such because that is how Don McLean poetically referred to it in his 1971 song, “American Pie.” As for the rest of the song, it is a general impressionistic allusion to the changes that took place throughout the tumultuous 1960s - but began on that fateful day in 1959. “American Pie” was the first single released off of McLean’s similarly titled album. The second single? “Vincent,” a song McLean wrote in tribute to Vincent Van Gogh.
Did any of these songs’ subjects surprise you? Let us know in the comments.
