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Song Stories

“The Freed Pig”

Sebadoh | 1991

Not long after being unceremoniously kicked out of Dinosaur (later Dinosaur Jr.), Lou Barlow decided to fully channel his creative energy into his lo-fi project Sebadoh. "The Freed Pig" opens Sebadoh's 1991 album, III, and finds Barlow opening up about his relationship with Dinosaur's J. Mascis with lines like, "You were right, I was battling you, trying to prove myself." "I carried that grudge for a long time and resorted to small-minded revenge tactics," said Barlow. "I sued J, wrote songs about him, s--t-talked him any opportunity I got." The two eventually reconciled, re-forming Dinosaur Jr. in 2005 and going on to release several albums of new material.

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Song Stories

“Tonight's the Night”

The Shirelles | 1960

The lead cut and title track from this girl group's debut album, "Tonight's the Night" was written by 19-year-old bandmember Shirley Owens, who sings lead, and producer Luther Dixon. The band from Passaic, New Jersey met in high school, first calling themselves the Pequellos. The song's frank thoughts about sexual and emotional surrender was racy for the time, but that didn't stop the Chiffons from cutting a similar version immediately after the original came out. "We were the first female group to write some of our own material," band member Beverly Lee recalls. "We did have some say-so in our writing."

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