Odd Song Trivia - a thread for the weird truth behind "hit" singles

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People might think this thread sucks, but I thought it would be a good idea.

Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was written as a cynical response to "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain And Tennille.

To me, this changes the whole song. Not for the better.

(less interestingly: Ian Curtis wrote the song for his wife Deborah because he was cheating on her with Annik Honoré, whom he also loved.)

― Milton, Thursday, 13 January 2005 18:10 (twenty years ago)

every song on closer is about how ian hated changing diapers. true story!

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 13 January 2005 18:23 (twenty years ago)

I read somewhere that Rollins actually did drink black coffee and stare at the wall. So, I guess that's where that song My War came from.

― Elisa (Elisa), Thursday, 13 January 2005 18:31 (twenty years ago)

Three #1 hits that were initially offered to Cher:

"The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia"
"Angie Baby"
"Hot Stuff"

― Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 13 January 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

Harry Nilsson wrote the main riff to "One" after listening to a busy signal on his telephone.

The original title that Willie Nelson had come up with for "Crazy" was "Stupid".

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 13 January 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

The original, working lyrics to "Yesterday" were "pinch a loaf"

― dave225 (Dave225), Thursday, 13 January 2005 19:52 (twenty years ago)

The original, working lyrics to "Yesterday" were "pinch a loaf"

And the working lyrics for "On the Road Again" were "On the Commode Again"

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 13 January 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

You guys are mean.

― Aja Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 13 January 2005 20:03 (twenty years ago)

Oh come now. It's easy to make shit up.

― Milton, Thursday, 13 January 2005 21:08 (twenty years ago)

I was just following Dave's lead...

Okay, this one is real, though maybe not all that interesting:

Matthew Sweet's "Girlfriend" was actually called "Good Friend," and the only reason he changed it is because almost everyone who heard the early recordings of it thought he was saying "girlfriend."

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 13 January 2005 21:11 (twenty years ago)

Fine Young Cannibals' "Good Thing" was originally called "Girl Thing" before they all realized that they were teh gehy and no one would believe them.

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 13 January 2005 21:32 (twenty years ago)

The original, working lyrics to "Yesterday" were "pinch a loaf"
The real story is: the working title/lyrics was "Scrambled Eggs."

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 13 January 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

The Hues Corporation, the group behind the single "Rock The Boat," where originally going to call themselves The Children of Howard Hughes.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 13 January 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

"Losing My Religion" is about Michael Stipe dropping a bible into a sewer as a kid.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:06 (twenty years ago)

"U Can't Touch This" is about...well you probably don't wanna know.

― latebloomer (latebloomer), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:10 (twenty years ago)

Billy Joel wrote "We Didn't Start the Fire" for his son, who was sitting a history exam and asked his father for some help revising key dates in 20th century history.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:24 (twenty years ago)

lil jon wrote "get low" as part of a campaign to encourage hip-hop fans to drink low-fat milk. unfortunately, the song was widely misinterpreted.

― fact checking cuz (fcc), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:26 (twenty years ago)

Before stumbling upon "Pastime Paradise", Coolio had originally planned to base "Gangsta's Paradise" on some samples from "Cambodia" by Kim Wilde.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

Um, Milton, if even fact checking cuz is starting to make things up, I think your cause is hopeless. Maybe you'd better register and try again.

― Ken L (Ken L), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:30 (twenty years ago)

Guns 'n' Roses' "Paradise City" was written for a TV commercial for the Mormons. On hearing the finished song, church leaders decided that Axl Rose had "misconstrued the key tenets of our faith regarding the afterlife" and it was never used.

The commercial was re-cut with a new soundtrack provided by Utah Saints.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:36 (twenty years ago)

The lyrics to "Everything Changes" by Keane were written by Koko B Ware.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:38 (twenty years ago)

Billy Joel wrote "We Didn't Start the Fire" for his son, who was sitting a history exam and asked his father for some help revising key dates in 20th century history.

This is so blatantly false. Billy Joel doesn't have a son!

― Pleasant Plains /// (Pleasant Plains ///), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:44 (twenty years ago)

Neither does Eric Clapton, and he wrote a song for his son.

ZING!

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:52 (twenty years ago)

OMG ROOWL!?!?!

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 13 January 2005 22:53 (twenty years ago)

Prince wrote "Manic Monday" for the Bangles because he wanted to do Susanna Hoffs.

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Thursday, 13 January 2005 23:00 (twenty years ago)

Prince wrote "Manic Monday" for the Bangles because he wanted to do Susanna Hoffs.

Yeah I wrote tons of songs for the Bangles around the same time for the same reason. It one way I feel just a little bit closer to Prince.

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 13 January 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

("It one" = "It is one," natch.)

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 13 January 2005 23:02 (twenty years ago)

Come to think of it, I might write a song for the Bangles tonight.

― martin m. (mushrush), Thursday, 13 January 2005 23:03 (twenty years ago)

From now on, I will always refer to masturbation as "writing a song for the Bangles"

― Mike O. (Mike Ouderkirk), Thursday, 13 January 2005 23:08 (twenty years ago)

Um, Milton, if even fact checking cuz is starting to make things up, I think your cause is hopeless. Maybe you'd better register and try again.

I don't really care, actually. I just wanted to write that about Joy Division. I will never register.

― Milton, Friday, 14 January 2005 00:36 (twenty years ago)

"Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne is about Thomas the Tank Engine's (from Shining Time Station) "heavy drug period".

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Friday, 14 January 2005 00:42 (twenty years ago)

Milton, you're not the Questionizer after he came down, are you?

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 14 January 2005 00:43 (twenty years ago)

Ironically enough, "American Pie" songster Don McLean is both Canadian and allergic to pastry.

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Friday, 14 January 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

Every time I hear or read the name "Questionizer" I think "Fuck. Somebody in casting is already talking to Jim Carrey's agent."

― martin m. (mushrush), Friday, 14 January 2005 00:45 (twenty years ago)

Yes, Ken, that and about 300 other names. I pretty much use a new one every other day or so unless I happen to be in the middle of something with one name. No need to register if I'm unregistered and everyone knows the IP already, right?

― Uncle Milty, Friday, 14 January 2005 00:46 (twenty years ago)

From now on, I will always refer to masturbation as "writing a song for the Bangles"

HAHAHAHAHA!

― darin (darin), Friday, 14 January 2005 00:46 (twenty years ago)

...and this is kind of what I was hoping would happen to this thread. However, I don't need to make the jokes myself or it will kill the thread.

― Milton, Friday, 14 January 2005 00:47 (twenty years ago)

Why, because your jokes wouldn't be very good? I've never let that stop me.

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 14 January 2005 01:41 (twenty years ago)

Because you only like to play if you think you're "winning," otherwise it's no fun.

― Milty, Friday, 14 January 2005 01:54 (twenty years ago)

No need to register if I'm unregistered and everyone knows the IP already, right?

To my knowledge not everyone can see your IP. Only the mods.

― martin m. (mushrush), Friday, 14 January 2005 01:56 (twenty years ago)

Well, now that we've defined our terms and written songs for Susanna Hoffs, here’s this:

A background vocalist was both stabbed to death *and* electrocuted during the recording of the Ohio Player's "Love Rollercoaster." If you listen carefully you can hear her shriek and death rattle...

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Friday, 14 January 2005 01:59 (twenty years ago)

xpost
sssh martin, don't give away the secrets of the tribe.
xxpost:
So what you are you saying is that you cannot post here because your abilities are so superior to ours that we would be disheartened and lay down and whither and die, so you prefer to have your sport secondhand. Is your name Trelane?

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 14 January 2005 02:01 (twenty years ago)

That “ohmygodishisguitarSINGING??!?!?” effect on Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do,” was not – as most people assume – some sort of guitar pedal magic. It was Peter singing through a mouthful of caviar and Veuve Clicquot.

― mottdeterre (mottdeterre), Friday, 14 January 2005 02:05 (twenty years ago)

To my knowledge not everyone can see your IP. Only the mods.

Sorry, I didn't realize that. You see, I've never registered! People have made comments about my IP, so I figured it was a perk of registering.

― Milty, Friday, 14 January 2005 02:14 (twenty years ago)

"In A Gadda da Vida" was not, as widely believed, a play on the phrase "In the Garden of Eden". In fact, the Gadda da Vida was a high-powered open-top two-seater prototype sports car Alfa-Romeo attempted to break into the US market back in 1968 to compete with the Shelby Cobra, and the company commissioned Iron Butterfly to write the jingle in the hopes of creating a psychedelic-age answer to songs like "409" and "Little GTO". Sadly, due to budgetary constraints, the car was never produced and the song's original interpretation has since been lost.

― What's this place, Biblevania? (natepatrin), Friday, 14 January 2005 03:32 (twenty years ago)

L-l-l-ock it!

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 14 January 2005 03:38 (twenty years ago)

Ironically enough, "American Pie" songster Don McLean is both Canadian and allergic to pastry.

I have no idea whether or not this is true, but I like it.

Oh and the "Love Rollercoaster" thing is a myth.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 14 January 2005 06:33 (twenty years ago)

"Hungry Heart" by Sprinsteen was originally written for the Ramones, but Bruce was persuaded to keep it for himself.

"Martha My Dear" by ye olde Beatles is actually about Paul's sheepdog.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 14 January 2005 06:35 (twenty years ago)

"Powderfinger" and "Sedan Delivery" were originally written for Lynyrd Skynyrd to play. You can figure the rest.

― dave225 (Dave225), Friday, 14 January 2005 12:53 (twenty years ago)

Slade's "Mama weer all crazee now" has no actual mention of mama on the record. Noddy was singing "My My" but everyone heared it as "Mama".

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 14 January 2005 12:58 (twenty years ago)

True fact:

"Happy Birthday" is still controlled by copyright, and every year it brings in about 2 million dollars in royalties to owners of its rights.

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Friday, 14 January 2005 13:09 (twenty years ago)

Sonny Bono turned down "The Night That the Lights Went Out in Georgia" for Cher because he worried that it might offend listeners in the South. Paul Grein (not) famously (enough) commented that he held out for "Dark Lady" and "Half Breed," thereby offending listeners everywhere.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 14 January 2005 13:21 (twenty years ago)

Tuomas -- no wonder Clare Grogan never bothers to answer my phone calls.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Friday, 14 January 2005 13:24 (twenty years ago)

Well, if I see her in the jauzzi again, I'll pass on your regards...

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 14 January 2005 14:46 (twenty years ago)

one year passes...

From now on, I will always refer to masturbation as "writing a song for the Bangles"

That there just made my week.

― musically (musically), Sunday, 29 January 2006 04:51 (nineteen years ago)

the other day i heard somewhere that the Bon Jovi song "You Give Love A Bad Name" was written for Loverboy, but was, you know, too good for them.

― Kim (Kim), Sunday, 29 January 2006 19:14 (nineteen years ago)

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