Songs and their muses
December 14, 2008 11:55 AM Subscribe
Guardian Journalist Dave Simpson went in search of people who inspired famous pop songs. We have, for example, Holly Woodlawn ('Walk on the Wild Side'), Dave Balfe ('Country House'), Melanie Coe ('She's Leaving Home'), Pattie Boyd ('Something', 'Layla' AND 'Wonderful Tonight') and Suzanne Verdal ('Suzanne' - previously)
Where's Barbara Ann? Michelle? Charlie Brown? Lydia the Tattooed Lady?
posted by ardgedee at 12:08 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by ardgedee at 12:08 PM on December 14, 2008
The Walrus was Paul.
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 12:15 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by AsYouKnow Bob at 12:15 PM on December 14, 2008
Interesting. I never knew that the Holly in "Walk on the Wild Side" was a real person.
posted by amyms at 12:16 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by amyms at 12:16 PM on December 14, 2008
And there are some people that inspired great songs that you can't get their opinion about the song because, well, they became the doggie's dinner.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:18 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:18 PM on December 14, 2008
"My Baby Thinks She's A Train" was written by Leroy Preston about his girlfriend, who also happened to be one of my cocktail waitresses back when I tended bar in the 80's. Yep, she was a hand full...
posted by jim in austin at 12:26 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by jim in austin at 12:26 PM on December 14, 2008
C'mon, you can't throw a rock in NYC without hitting someone who was in Walk on the Wild Side.
posted by anazgnos at 12:26 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by anazgnos at 12:26 PM on December 14, 2008
How about Crazy Chester and Luke and Young Anna Lee?
posted by Sailormom at 12:27 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by Sailormom at 12:27 PM on December 14, 2008
Connie Hamzy, Little Rock fame:
We're an American Band Grand Funk Railroad
also in Little Rock "What do you think of these? Bill Clinton?
posted by Jikido at 12:33 PM on December 14, 2008
We're an American Band Grand Funk Railroad
also in Little Rock "What do you think of these? Bill Clinton?
posted by Jikido at 12:33 PM on December 14, 2008
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and their Stagger Lee (with a twist)
posted by czechmate at 12:36 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by czechmate at 12:36 PM on December 14, 2008
Roseanna Arquette? Warning: sooo 1980s.
Patti Boyd's site makes me sad.
posted by jokeefe at 12:43 PM on December 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
Patti Boyd's site makes me sad.
posted by jokeefe at 12:43 PM on December 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
Rosanna Arquette was of course the inspiration for Toto's Rosanna, also for Peter Gabriel's In Your Eyes.
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:46 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by StickyCarpet at 12:46 PM on December 14, 2008
I just started reading Patti Boyd's autobiography and, although it might not be the best written book, it has some great stories and is a nice first hand glimpse into the rock world of the 60's and 70's.
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:50 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by Slack-a-gogo at 12:50 PM on December 14, 2008
What a lazy article. Patti Boyd must have been tough to track down.
If the author had bother getting outside his living room he might have bothered to interview somebody really interesting.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 1:00 PM on December 14, 2008 [3 favorites]
If the author had bother getting outside his living room he might have bothered to interview somebody really interesting.
posted by ethnomethodologist at 1:00 PM on December 14, 2008 [3 favorites]
What about that Greek sculpture student at St Martins College? How many can there have been? Yes, perhaps a crueler subject to expose.
posted by dhartung at 1:31 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by dhartung at 1:31 PM on December 14, 2008
Man, its a shame he didn't research Kanye West's back catalogue. I'm sure there's a very interesting person (persons?) who inspired most of his songs, but for the life of me, I have no idea who they could be and who like to learn more.
posted by Kiablokirk at 1:56 PM on December 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by Kiablokirk at 1:56 PM on December 14, 2008 [1 favorite]
More about the cast of characters from Walk on the Wild Side.
posted by madamjujujive at 3:07 PM on December 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by madamjujujive at 3:07 PM on December 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
Just happened to stumble upon this one on Wikipedia today -- it's the girl from Ipanema.
posted by penduluum at 3:08 PM on December 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
posted by penduluum at 3:08 PM on December 14, 2008 [2 favorites]
I never knew that the Holly in "Walk on the Wild Side" was a real person.
In fact, you should see the movie Trash. It's basically a John Waters movie, before John Waters was making John Waters movies (the early movies, pre-Hairspray). Holly Woodlawn is not only absolutely hilarious in it, but she is frankly the closest that the Warhol entourage ever came to producing a sleazy New York version of the Hollywood star system.
posted by jonp72 at 3:11 PM on December 14, 2008
In fact, you should see the movie Trash. It's basically a John Waters movie, before John Waters was making John Waters movies (the early movies, pre-Hairspray). Holly Woodlawn is not only absolutely hilarious in it, but she is frankly the closest that the Warhol entourage ever came to producing a sleazy New York version of the Hollywood star system.
posted by jonp72 at 3:11 PM on December 14, 2008
They're all real people-- the usual cast of Factory superstar misfits. Little Joe was Joe D'ellasandro. Candy was Candy Darling. Sugar Plum Fairy was Joe Campbell. Jackie was Jackie Curtis.
posted by PeterMcDermott at 5:54 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by PeterMcDermott at 5:54 PM on December 14, 2008
It's bad enough that Orinoco Flow is about someone... broadcasting it to all and sundry is just nastiness.
posted by pompomtom at 9:05 PM on December 14, 2008
posted by pompomtom at 9:05 PM on December 14, 2008
Pendulum: Just happened to stumble upon this one on Wikipedia today -- it's the girl from Ipanema.
Fascinating. Scott Vogel from The Washington Post went to meet her.
Thanks to all those who added more examples above.
posted by rongorongo at 4:46 AM on December 15, 2008
Fascinating. Scott Vogel from The Washington Post went to meet her.
Thanks to all those who added more examples above.
posted by rongorongo at 4:46 AM on December 15, 2008
There's also "Sister Christian", which the Nightranger drummer wrote for his little sister Christy. Christy is now married and reportedly always hated the song.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:06 AM on December 15, 2008
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:06 AM on December 15, 2008
Still wondering about Jenny, even though I've got her number. Also wondering about Go-cart Mozart, amongst many others from the Boss' œuvre.
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:20 PM on December 15, 2008
posted by Halloween Jack at 2:20 PM on December 15, 2008
A friend of mine dated the woman who inspired two Sloan songs (the best two, imo: Underwhelmed and Deeper Than Beauty). They didn't date that long but he wrote about her as well and I know he was disappointed it didn't work out. I met her once and she was pretty cool.
posted by Manhasset at 8:56 AM on December 17, 2008
posted by Manhasset at 8:56 AM on December 17, 2008
Another Factory satellite: Patti D'Arbanville, with whom Cat Stevens reportedly fell in love when she was 14.
posted by goo at 6:15 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by goo at 6:15 AM on December 19, 2008 [1 favorite]
Thanks goo! So "My Lady D'Arbanville" went on to be a star in lesbian screen icon, a girlfriend of Don Johnson and a queen mermaid. Metafilter earns its keep once again.
posted by rongorongo at 8:12 AM on December 19, 2008
posted by rongorongo at 8:12 AM on December 19, 2008
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