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Song Stories

“Bus Stop”

The Hollies | 1966

Using the haunting minor melody that typified Graham Gouldman's compositions, "Bus Stop" wound the Hollies' intricate vocal harmonies around a mini-vignette of a future husband and wife meeting when they share an umbrella while waiting for their ride. The opening lines that set the scene were actually suggested by Gouldman's father. "I used to stand at a bus stop every day going to work and I mentioned it to my dad," Gouldman said. "I came home one day and he'd written these lines ... He always used to help with words."

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“Kill for Peace”
The Fugs | 1966
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“Wipe Out”
The Surfaris | 1963

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Song Stories

“1999”

Prince | 1982

“I don’t consider myself a great poet,” Prince told Rolling Stone. “I just know I’m here to say what’s on my mind.” In the case of the apocalyptic party anthem “1999,” he was worried about then-president Ronald Reagan’s foreign policies. The song’s melody is based on a riff borrowed from the Mamas and Papas’ “Monday, Monday,” and Prince originally envisioned the first verse with three-part harmony but later split the vocals between himself and members of the Revolution. Because Warner Bros., with whom Prince was locked in a contractual battle, owned the original’s masters, Prince rerecorded the song and appropriately released that version in 1999.

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