What was the artist really thinking when they wrote that line? In Song Meanings, we go beyond the melody to uncover the stories, inspirations, and hidden messages behind your favorite tracks. From debunking urban legends to exploring the deep personal history that shaped iconic lyrics, we help you understand the music you remember on a whole new level.
Song: La Bamba (1958) Artist: Ritchie Valens Writer: Traditional Mexican Folk Song, rock arrangement by Ritchie Valens Label: Del-Fi Although his biggest hit was Donna, Richie Valens will forever be most recognized for his enduring Latino rock song La Bamba. In fact, I think it is safe to say that he single-handedly brought “Laino rock” into … Read more
Song: Barracuda (1977) Artist: Heart Album: Little Queen Writers: Ann Wilson, Micheal Derosier, Nancy Wilson, Roger Fisher Barracuda is perhaps the song most identified with Heart. It is one of those songs that makes people think of Heart as a Led Zeppelin-influenced hard rock band with legendary female vocals. Their angriest and edgiest song, it … Read more
Song: Abacab (1981) Artist: Genesis Album: Abacab Writers: Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford Abacab was one of three singles to hit the U.S. charts from the 1981 Genesis album of the same name. It is a progressive rock song that reached no. 26 on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 14 weeks on the charts. The … Read more
Tommy James credits the 1968 song Crimson and Clover for allowing the band to pivot from a singles-oriented AM radio band to FM radio progressive album-oriented rock. Without this change, he is sure, the band’s career would have been over, as the single-dominated music industry had changed almost overnight to one driven by album sales. … Read more
Song: Cracklin’ Rosie (1970) Artist: Neil Diamond Album: Tap Root Manuscript Writer: Neil Diamond Oh, I love my Rosie child, She got the way to make me happy, You and me, we go in style. Cracklin’ Rosie wasn’t Neil Diamond’s first hit, as a writer, that is. He first topped the charts with “I’m a … Read more
Song: Sweet City Woman (1971) Artist: Stampeders Writer: Rich Dodson Sweet City Woman was released in 1971 by a Canadian Band out of Calgary, Alberta, the Stampeders. They were together for eight years before they had a huge number one rock hit in Canada on their debut album called Against the Grain. The song also reached … Read more
The 1982 song Mad World by Tears for Fears was written by Roland Orzabal and Sung by the band’s bassist and co-founder Curt Smith. Like most Tears for Fears songs, it featured dark and serious lyrics juxtaposed with a more new wave synthesizer-dominant pop sound. But just how dark is the song? Many people think … Read more