Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers- “American Girl” was based upon a student’s suicide at the University of Florida.

Alanis Morisette- “You Oughta’ Know” is about Dave Coulier.

The Beatles- “Because” is Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata” played backwards.

those are the only not listed I can remember off my head.

“Bicycle Race” by Queen is rumored to be about Freddie Mercury’s bisexuality.

“Gimme Back My Bullets” by Lynyrd Skynyrd is about their desire to return to the charts. Billboard places a “bullet” around the ranking of any fast-rising title. I’ve read they stopped playing this live because some fans took the title literally.

Both “You Haven’t Done Nothing” by Stevie Wonder and “Glad To See You Go” by the Ramones targeted President Richard Nixon.

“Layla” by Derek & the Dominoes is about Patti Boyd, who was involved with both Eric Clapton and her husband George Harrison.

“The Electric Co.” by U2 refers to electro-convulsive treatment. The song was written about an acquaintance of the band who was institutionalised.

The “You Oughta Know” reference below is an urban legend.

• Nine Inch Nails – “Starfuckers, Inc.” – Reportedly about Marilyn Manson and Courtney Love.

• Nine Inch Nails – “Starfuckers, Inc.”

supposedly James Taylor’s “Carolina in my Mind” is about his way of coping with electroshock drug therapy

black sabbath – black sabbath (it’s about a demonic apparition witnessed by geezer butler)

legião urbana – faroeste caboclo (epic saga of an outlaw in brazil that served as a sting against a friend of the composer, a friend that slept with a girl the composer loved)

alanis morisette – you oughta know (dave coulier, of all people)

the beatles – got to get you into my life (marijuana)

RE: You Oughta Know – Alanis did not confirm who the song is about, but she DEFINITELY confirmed losing her virginity to a much older Dave Coulier when she was a guest on the Howard Stern show. I’m just sayin’.

Didn’t RS Online already do an urban legend list? Anyway, based on previous examples I think the following apply:

“Killing Me Softly” – Roberta Flack is about Don McLean (I think)

“Sorrow Will Come in the End” – Morrissey, written about Mike Joyce who successfully sued for millions in Smiths royalties

“Mississippi” by Bob Dylan was written as a tribute to Jeff Buckley (it’s true, I saw it online)http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Mississippi_(Bob_Dylan_s ong)

I’m out.

Zeppelin’s “Royal Orleans” is about John Paul Jones waking up with a tranny, hence the repeats of “whiskers” by Plant alluding to the “woman” having facial hair.

‘Girl’ by Beck is about a murder

“Sugar Pie Honey-Bunch” by the Four Tops was followed by a single called “It’s the Same Old Song” because the writers took the exact same song and just re-arranged the sumnobitch and said directly to the listeners, “Hey, it’s the same song!!!”
And they had ANOTHER hit! Believe it or Don’t!!!!!

With the recent passing of the Maharishi I was startled by how few people knew that “Sexy Sadie” was written about him and that Lennon said he chicken-out at the last minute and changed the words from “Maharishi” to “Sexy Sadie”
(you made a fool of everyone)

List:

Rockin’ In The Free World/Fortunate Son/American Woman/Born In The USA-You can almost do a whole list of misused patriotic anthems that are actually subversive, harsh social and political criticisms.

Wonderful Tonight-Written by Eric Clapton about him getting impatient while waiting for his girlfriend to try on clothes to go out.

Here’s To The Night-About a drunken one-night stand, although it’s always used at proms.

Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)-Billie Joe was pretty open about it being a breakup song, but like “Here’s To The Night”, it’s heard at every prom and graduation ceremony.

Every Breath You Take-The voyeuristic elements are quite obvious, but people always think it’s a romantic wedding song.

Harder To Breathe by Maroon 5-Originally interpreted as a song about a struggling relationship that was falling apart, or the much darker interpretation that included rape and battery. Some found the song misogynistic until Adam Levine cleared it up by saying it was actually about the pressure from their record label to create hit singles.

American Girl-I’d heard the suicide rumor too, about the popular girl who jumps a University of Florida balcony. Petty was born and raised in Gainesville right near the university, but he says that this interpretation is just urban legend.

Hey Man, Nice Shot-I read that Richard Patrick said it was actually about Pennsylvania treasurer Budd Dwyer’s suicide, but it being about Kurt Cobain was the rumor I first heard.

I heard once that Madonna’s “Angel” was about Karen Carpeneter
“Mandy” by Barry Manilow is about his dog

I know these aren’t exactly “rock” songs but they are all I could think of other than those already listed. Plus, I don’t think the question specified “rock” songs.

Christina Aguilera’s “F.U.S.S.” stand for “”Fuck U Scott Storch”.

Mike Nesmith’s Joanne was a love song to a cow.
An old Rock’n'Roll song “Baby let me bang your box” (which incidentally I drive my partner crazy when I sing bits of it) was about playing a piano.

Eagles – “Hotel California” – apparently about (among other things) satanism

I honestly believe “Lucy In the Sky with Diamonds” is not an intentional anagram of LSD. The imagery may be drug-inspired, but the title comes from a drawing by Julian Lennon. I fully believe this because Lennon never shied away from admitting any secrets about his drug habits, but right up until his death he always insisted the title was a coincidence. I see no reason he would lie about that one song.

Also the Phil Collins “In the Air Tonight” legend is definitely untrue.

Ozzy’s Suicide Solution. Brilliant double entendre. Solution being a ‘liquid mixture’, not an ‘answer.’ Song’s insired by ACDCs Bonn Scott and his alxohol rleated death.

It isn’t Carolina IN My Mind that refers to James Taylor’s electric shock therapy….it’s “fire and Rain.”

Fire is the electric shock therapy and rain refers to the baths the patients were put in to calm them. This is confirmed in James’s biography

It isn’t Carolina IN My Mind that refers to James Taylor’s electric shock therapy….it’s “fire and Rain.”

Fire is the electric shock therapy and rain refers to the baths the patients were put in to calm them. This is confirmed in James’s biography

gWfEnk