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Song Stories

“Make My”

The Roots | 2011

“Make My” was the first single on the Roots' Undun album, which was centered around the story of a fictitious man named Redford Stephens who died at the age of 25. “The very first song is this person at the end of his life at the moment he pretty much gets murdered,” Questlove explained. “So when we were listening to the song, I said, ‘Well, I don't get the feeling that his spirit is leaving his body. I want to know that he is really dying.’” Hip-hop artists Big K.R.I.T. and Dice Raw collaborated on this tune.

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Song Stories

“Time to Pretend”

MGMT | 2008

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”

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