The story behind the songs.

[on:]

While recording a guitar part on his 4-track Beck had his session interrupted by a disturance from a neighboring appartment room.  He got so fed up with this disturbance that he simply got up and left, neglecting to kill the recording on his 4 track.

Neighbor1: C'mon Motherfucker!  Put your clothes on, come on!  You motherfucking asshole. (Sound of glass breaking)
Neighbor2: You lousy puke!
Neighbor1: Fuck you!
Neighbor2: Why don't you call your mommy?
Neighbor1: You're a fucking drunk!
Neighbor2: Yeah, I'm a fucking druggie, but you're a lousy Low-life who can't do nothing for himself.

Upon returning, he found the preceeding sound sample on his 4-track, and even dedicated a song to it.  "Truck driving neighbors downstairs."  The sample was spliced onto the front of the song.

The audio is real, and so was the fight.  According to either reliable sources or urban legend, a hatchet got involved and somebody lost an arm.

If you know a story behind a song, post it here.

[Reply #1 on:]

The A-Team tune was inspired by real life action-monkeys.

[Reply #2 on:]

The group Rush was at an airport heading for their plane, which was at terminal YYZ. Being the very odd people they are, they made a song about it, and the first part of it was "YYZ" in morse code (-.---.----..) on a triangle.

[Reply #3 on:]

Pink Floyd made the "Dark Side of the Moon" album to go along with Wizard of Oz... Actually I'm not so sure they did, it's possible but if you play "Dark Side of the Moon" all the way through and watch the Wizard of Oz with the sound all the way down, it has an eery way of going along with the action...... SPOOOOKEY o_0

[Reply #4 on:]

The Wizard of Oz/Dark Side of the Moon thing is the subject of much discussion. While there are a lot of consistencies between the two, it is highly unlikely that Pink Floyd could have pulled this off. It would require extremely precise timing and would really restrict how the songs were written. It's much more likely to be a coincidence (and to be honest, if you play any album along to a film there are sure to be some similarities). Anyway, for those interested you can find out more here

'Kayleigh' by Marillion has an interesting story behind it: The album 'Misplaced Childhood' which the song is on is a concept album about the singer's inability to deal with the pressures of fame and the rockstar lifestyle. 'Kayleigh' was a song about his failed relationship with his girlfriend, and the title was formed by her first and middle names (Kay + Lee with a different spelling). The interesting thing is that 'Kayleigh' was one of the most popular names for newborn girls that year, despite the fact that that spelling hadn't been recognised before Marillion made it up.

[Reply #5 on:]

   

Originally posted by El Zilcho:
The group Rush was at an airport heading for their plane, which was at terminal YYZ. Being the very odd people they are, they made a song about it, and the first part of it was "YYZ" in morse code (-.---.----..) on a triangle.

Not a triange, a crotal.

I think YYZ was the registration-code for a charter plane they took, so you're close.

EDIT: Actually, YYZ is the code for Toronto Airport, so I think you were closer.  Stupid brain.

Another Rush one is, in 1981 they were invited to watch the Space Shuttle launch, and stood in an area marked "Red Sector A", another Rush song.

[Reply #6 on:]

The Carpenters' "We've Only Just Begun" was written for a bank commercial.

Michael Jackson's "Ben's Song" is really about a killer rat.

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Originally posted by Lurrr:
'Kayleigh' by Marillion has an interesting story behind it: The album 'Misplaced Childhood' which the song is on is a concept album about the singer's inability to deal with the pressures of fame and the rockstar lifestyle. 'Kayleigh' was a song about his failed relationship with his girlfriend, and the title was formed by her first and middle names (Kay + Lee with a different spelling). The interesting thing is that 'Kayleigh' was one of the most popular names for newborn girls that year, despite the fact that that spelling hadn't been recognised before Marillion made it up.

Mmm, Kayley. 

The lyrics to "Suicide is Painless" were written by then 14 year old Mike Altman, son of M*A*S*H director Robert Altman.

[Reply #8 on:]

 

Originally posted by PCC Fred:
The lyrics to "Suicide is Painless" were written by then 14 year old Mike Altman, son of M*A*S*H director Robert Altman.

Too bad then that the TV-series became more popular, and people think the only Lyrics are do-do-do-do-do-do-do-doooooooo...

[Reply #9 on:]

 

Originally posted by Melllvar:
   Not a triange, a crotal.

I think YYZ was the registration-code for a charter plane they took, so you're close.

EDIT: Actually, YYZ is the code for Toronto Airport, so I think you were closer.  Stupid brain.

I was going by memory. So sue me. ...and what the hell is a crotal?

[Reply #10 on:]

Mmm, crotal:

According to Brittanica:

(plural) crotales:  percussion instrument consisting of two small metal plates or clappers that are struck together. The krotalon (Latin crotalum) of ancient Greece and Rome was a pair of finger cymbals—i.e., wooden or metal shells held in one hand and manipulated like castanets, though probably not as rapidly.

[Reply #11 on:]

The song "Don't You Forget About Me" from the Breakfast Club, was originally going to be sung by Billy Idol, but he turned it down because he thought it was a love song.

The song Maniac from the movie Flashdance, was originally written for a Slasher movie, but Michael Sembelle the song's writer was asked to rewrite the song for Flashdance instead.

[Reply #12 on:]

 

Originally posted by fryfanSpyOrama:
The song "Don't You Forget About Me" from the Breakfast Club, was originally going to be sung by Billy Idol, but he turned it down because he thought it was a love song.

It was also rejected by Bryan Ferry and later Chrissie Hynde, hence why Simple Minds eventually recorded it.

[Reply #13 on:]

The song "Pass The Dutchie" Musical Youth, was originally thought as a song about drugs, but it is not.  The song originally called "Pass The Kuchie", which meant pass the herbs.  No way in hell are little kids going to sing about drugs, in the 80's so they changed the title, "Pass the Dutchie" which means pass the pot...cooking pot that is.

[Reply #14 on:]

Phish band members were walking down the street one day, and they were greeted by a foreign fan.  Not knowing much English, the only compliment the fan could give them was:

"You enjoy myself!"

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Here's an interesting fact which doesn't really belong in this thread:

Beck's mother was in the 80's punk band Black Flag who are most famous for the song TV Party Tonite which was used in Bender Should Not Be Allowed On TV (making her the third person/group named Hanson to provide music for Futurama).

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I don't know if it's true, but I heard..
Mick Jagger once went to return a toaster to a store, because it wasn't working. Unfortunately, his warranty was invalid for whatever reason, and the clerk there wouldn't take it back. Jagger was disappointed, but the clerk could only offer..
"Hey, buddy, you can't always get what you want."