Songs About Other Musicians

[Jack In The Box]

whole Mars Volta album (De-Loused in the Comatorium) is about death of a unknown musician/artist (I can't remember his name)

 

[pax]

"New Year's Prayer" by Jeff Buckley was a tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. I think, in fact, that he meant to dedicate all of my My Sweetheart the Drunk to Khan.

 

[RockNRollDawgie]

Wow, that must've been amazing. It's a great song and the best record Joan ever made, imo. Not that I'm a huge fan or anything but in '75 when that record along with Dylan's Blood on the Tracks were both released, they occupied quite a bit of my music-listening time (yes, I'm that old. ). I still can't walk past Washington Square in NYC without looking up at that 'crummy hotel.'

It was amazing! Tune gave me goose bumps.
Then Bob & Joan preformed a short set together.
I think Bob was wearing that weird "pancake" makeup.
Very bizarre.
Same here, I played both "Blood On The Tracks" and "Desire"
a lot too. Yeah.......Chelsea Motel is somewhat of a dump. LOL!

 

[BVS]

Grant Lee Buffalo - "Demon Called Desception" is about Johnny Cash

I'm in tight with a demon called deception
It's alright he's a treating me quite well
I'm in tight with a demon called deception
He's right beside me when i fail

To whisper words like brother nothin' here is any good
See the birds they're a dropping like a star wormwood
And all i wanted was a little patch of green
We were peasants and the cotton was our king

And in the fields till i sing a prisoner's song
Well deception whistles right along

Right along

Charlie sang for a pocket full of pills
While deception was a clickin' his high heels
We're in tight playing seven one night stands
And deception made me as i am

As i am
As i am
As i am
As i am
I'm in tight
I'm in tight
I'm in tight

Truth is i'm in tight
I barely saw the light
Just as it clicked in
Something saved my skin
Something saved my skin

 

[IWasBored]

"Be My Yoko Ono" by Barenaked Ladies (hint: it's not about John) is one. And I've often thought their song "Helicopters" was about Bono, but I could be wrong ("The world that loves its irony must hate the protest singer...")

There's a song at the end of India Arie's first album about Stevie Wonder, but I forget the name of it.

i would burn my copy of maroon if that was the case.

"Grant Lee Buffalo - "Demon Called Desception" is about Johnny Cash

heard that kris kristofferson's 'the pilgrim chapter 33' (if that's the correct title, that's what street dogs called it when they covered it) is about the man in black as well.



oh. i can't believe i forgot stiff little fingers' 'strummerville'.

 

[IWasBored]

think i read thatjoe strummer's 'long shadow' was about johnny cash. but i also think iread that it was written for him...

curse my memory.

 

[FelipeVox]

Boys For Pele has many many interesting stories. Many of which are true. "Professional Widow" is fascinating. "Caught a Lite Sneeze" especially so.

I?ve heard Caught a Lite Sneeze is about Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) too... there?s the line "made my own Pretty Hate Machine". This is the name of a NIN album... I really don?t believe this story, but I believe Pro Widow is about Courtney.

Also, Cloud On My Tongue is probably about Anthony Kiedis

 

[wolfeden]

Songs about other musicians...

Most of the Temple of the Dog album (members of Pearl Jam and Soundgarden) was for Andy Wood of Mother Love Bone.

"Sweet Home Alabama" takes a swipe at Neil Young.

"Layne", by Staind, for Layne Staley...

"Stupid Girl" by Garbage, yet another "rumored to be about Courtney Love"...

"Night Shift" by the Commodores (Lionel Richie's old band) about Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson.

Multiple references in Don McLean's "American Pie", from the main story of Buddy Holly's death to the Rolling Stones, the Byrds, Bob Dylan and Janis Joplin.

"When Smokey Sings", by ABC, for Smokey Robinson.

There's more I know of but these are all I can remember off the top of my head...

 

[yertle-the-turtle]

"True" by Spandau Ballet, about Marvin Gaye

fucking crap song it is, too.

 

[RockNRollDawgie]

"Stringman" by Neil Young.
Rumored to be about his buddy. Stephen Stills.

 

[HelloAngel]

Also, Cloud On My Tongue is probably about Anthony Kiedis

I've never heard this. I wouldn't assume the lyric "I'll be wearing your tattoo" is referring to a physical tattoo, but perhaps a mental scar from a relationship with a person. Further, the lyric "I'm over that bridge now" is possibly referring to someone who has "crossed that bridge" like the figure of speech, and has come out the other side. As a keen follower of Tori's career and lyrical references, I've never heard anything about a relationship with Anthony Kiedis.

The lyrics are here: http://www.lyricsdomain.com/20/tori_amos/cloud_on_my_tongue.html if anyone wants to read them.

 

[TylerDurden]

whole Mars Volta album (De-Loused in the Comatorium) is about death of a unknown musician/artist (I can't remember his name)

Not sure, but isn't it about one of the members of At The Drive In (the rest of which make up Mars Volta) who committed suicide? Could be way off there...


Here's another sad one....

'Wave Goodbye' by Chris Cornell is about Jeff Buckley. They were very close friends.


Words get tangled on your tongue
And you stumble on your feet
When you miss somebody
And everywhere you think you see them
Walking down the street
When you miss somebody
When you miss somebody
You tell yourself a hundred thousand times
Nobody ever lives forever
So you give it one more try
To wave goodbye, wave goodbye


Every hurtful thing you ever said
Is ringing in your ear
When you miss somebody
And everything of beauty that you see


Only brings a tear
When you miss somebody
When you miss somebody
You tell yourself everything will be alright
Try to stand up strong and brave
When all you want to do is lay down and die


How long i've waited for an answer or a sign
Lonely and weary from
The troubled task of trying
To wave goodbye


So now you start to recognize
That every single path you see
Leads to a tear in your eye
So wave goodbye, wave goodbye

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Also, Cloud On My Tongue is probably about Anthony Kiedis

Tell us why you think this. I'd be interested to hear.

 

[wolfeden]

There's always "Rock Me Amadeus"... complete with spoken-word timeline of Mozart's life...

 

[Danospano]

How about all those songs dedicated to John Lennon after his death?
--George Harrison: "All Those Years Ago"
--Paul McCartney: "Coming Up"
--Elton John: "Hey Hey Johnny (Empty Garden)"
--Loudon Wainwright III: "Not John"

and then there's these:

--Bo Diddly: "Bo Diddly"
--Weezer: "Buddy Holly"
--Carly Simon: "You're So Vain", which is said to be about James Taylor, Mick Jagger or Warren Beatty. Two out of three of the most named subjects are musicians.
--Prince: "My Name is Prince"

 

[HeartlandGirl]

There's always "Rock Me Amadeus"... complete with spoken-word timeline of Mozart's life...

Falco

 

[joyfulgirl]

As a keen follower of Tori's career and lyrical references, I've never heard anything about a relationship with Anthony Kiedis.

Same here, but the very idea makes me

 

[djerdap]

Immortality by Pearl Jam - abput Kurt Cobain. Maybe it was mentioned before, haven't read the whole thread. Although Eddie Vedder has said that this song has nothing to do with Kurt, some of the details told in the song are very much similar to Cobain's last days.