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Song Stories

“Jenifa Taught Me (Derwin's Revenge)”

De La Soul | 1989

De La Soul is best known as the clown princes of hip-hop, yet the group spent a lot of time rapping about sex, though in their typically lighthearted style. One of the most notable examples is 3 Feet High and Rising's second single (the flip was the popular "Potholes in My Lawn"), which details a clumsy early hookup. According to De La Soul rapper Dave, "Derwin is a friend of ours who we used to crack on because he never got no girls. He loved the song, of course. It put him on the map."

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“Louder Than a Bomb”
Public Enemy | 1988
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“Don't Dream It's Over”
Crowded House | 1986

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Song Stories

“The A Team”

Ed Sheeran | 2011

This debut track from the then-20-year-old British singer-songwriter has a dark story behind it. Sheeran says he culls songwriting inspiration from "viewing other people's situations," which, for the heroine in "The A Team," involves drug addiction and prostitution that began as a teen. Sheeran paints the woman's trials with haunting imagery such as "But lately her face seems/Slowly sinking, wasting/Crumbling like pastries." "I did a gig at a homeless shelter, [and the song] is about one of the women there. It's her story," he said.

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