.

Song Stories

“The Zoo”

Scorpions | 1980

Certainly the Scorpions weren't the first to refer to New York City's 42nd Street as a zoo, but they did turn their experiences walking through the city into this metal hit about craving the nightlife and finding it on the streets. The song became one of their trademark tracks and was covered by fellow metal hero Iron Maiden's Bruce Dickinson. All Music called the song a Scorpions "classic."

prev
Song Stories Main Next

blog comments powered by Disqus

Song Stories

“I'm Yours”

Jason Mraz | 2008

Jason Mraz re-emerged after his disappointing second album with this lead single, a Jack Johnson-esque ditty about giving yourself fully to someone else. The success of the reggae-tinged song (it earned two Grammy nods and a spot on the Billboard singles chart for well over a year) was something the folk-pop singer never predicted when he wrote it in 15 minutes at home. "I played a happy-hippie chord progression that would probably work without 50 different Bob Marley songs," he told Rolling Stone. "I thought, 'It's too novelty. This is a nursery rhyme,'" concluding that "you can never guess what's gonna be a hit."

More Song Stories entries »