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37 Eyebrow-Arching Facts About Music

‘I Shot the Sheriff’ is about birth control

37 Eyebrow-Arching Facts About Music

October 15, 2023

Forget whatever you thought “I Shot the Sheriff” was about because it’s probably not what you think. According to Bob Marley’s girlfriend, the song was inspired by their fights over birth control. More on that and 36 other facts about the music industry below…

37

THE Goo Goo DOLLS WERE ORIGINALLY CALLED SEX MAGGOT. Their manager balked at the name, so they picked the name Goo Goo Dolls when they spotted an ad for a doll with a moveable, rubber head in True Detective magazine. CRACKED.COM http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/The_Goo_Goo_Dolls.aspx — 29 Bizarre True Stories Behind the Most Popular Music Ever

36

In the opening track of Pink Floyd's The Wall there's a voice saying we came in. At the end of the last track there's the same voice saying, Isn't this where. If you put the album in a continuous loop the voice asks, Isn't this where we came in? (on the DVD of the feature film version of The Wall Roger Waters ends the commentary with the same phrase) GRACKED.COM — 20 Spirited Easter Eggs Hiding On Famous Albums

35

Blinded by the Light

CRACKED COM MANFRED MANN'S EARTH BAND Manfred Mann's 1977 #I heavy synth-rock montage Blinded by the Light (you Know, that song that sounds like it's about wrapping up douches...) Columbia 4-45805 Bruce Springstun BLINDED BY THE LIGHT ...was written and originally performed as a sprawling Dylanesque-style song by iconic troubadour Bruce Springsteen. — 20 Eyebrow-Arching Authors Of Famous Songs

34

The Beach Boys' Never Learn Not to Love was written by Charles Manson. Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson was close with Manson, until the band reworked and recorded one of his songs without crediting him. Manson was furious. Considering the Family's victims were murdered over much less that that, the Boys got off easy. CRACKED.COM — RadarOnline

33

The One I Love by REM Often seen as a love song, the lyric A simple prop to occupy my time should give away that it's about using people. CRACKED.COM — RHINO

32

In the first verse of the Beatles song Happiness is a Warm Gun, John Lennon sings about the man in the crowd with the multi-coloured mirrors on his hobnail boots. This is a reference to a newspaper story about a man who was arrested for wearing mirrors on the toe caps of his shoes in order to look up girls' skirts. Which only shows the astonishing lengths people were willing to go to in order to get their cheap thrills before the internet came along. CRACKED.COM — 20 Backstories To Lyrics In Famous Songs

31

First Aid Kit was inspired by the dictionary. Klara Söderberg said, I was 13...and looking through a dictionary, looking for a name...I think music should be like a consolation to help you get through everyday life... CRACKED.COM — 20 Surprising Reasons Behind Musicians' Stage Names

30

Anthrax

Dan Spitz is a watchmaker ANTHRAX CRACKED.COM The heavy metal guitarist said touring with Anthrax became mundane, and more like a job. So he quit the band to pursue his lifelong love of tinkering with timepieces. — Monochrome Watches

29

Think twice before dedicating James Blunt's You're Beautiful to the object of your affection. She smiled at me on the subway, she was with another man. But I won't lose no sleep on that, 'cause I've got a plan. Unless she already knows you're a f@#%& sociopath. CRACKED.COM — 17 Famous Love Songs Written By Sociopaths

28

Bryan Adams Summer of '69 In the summer of 1969, Bryan Adams was 10 years old. The upbeat nostalgia of this song wasn't inspired by an actual year, but rather Mr. Adams' fondness for a certain sexual position. CRACKED.COM — 23 Eyebrow-Arching Facts About Famous Songs

27

WHO ARE You IS ABOUT CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. Who? 013 NHOB K who? Specifically, it's about Pete Townshend hashing out royalties for The Who's American sales. After 14 hours of negotiations, the execs handed Townshend a check, and he went on the bender described in the song. CRACKED.COM Geoffrey Giuliano, 1996. Behind Blue Eyes: The Life of Pete Townshend. — 29 Bizarre True Stories Behind the Most Popular Music Ever

26

Korn's album See You On The Other Side opens with the single Twisted Transistor, which clocks in at about 3 minutes and 9 seconds. However, if you pop the disc into a CD player and hit rewind as soon as the music starts playing, you'll find that there's a secret intro to the song, which adds a whole minute and 3 seconds to Кояп See You the overall track length. a The Other Side Source: ADVISORY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RLFWhYydqE EXPLICIT CONTENT CRACKED.COM — 20 Spirited Easter Eggs Hiding On Famous Albums

25

The Weather Girls It's Raining Men The Weather Girls' It's Raining Men was co-written by actor, producer and long-time musical director for David Letterman, Paul Shaffer. CRACKED.COM — 20 Eyebrow-Arching Authors Of Famous Songs

24

Billboard & The Beat Museum

23

Poker Face

Poker Face by Lady Gaga The singer revealed the song is surprisingly about her bisexuality. The lyrics are about her hooking up with a man but fantasizing about being with a woman. CRACKED.COM — Contact Music

22

The Rolling Stones

DEAD FLOWERS by the ROLLING STONES, contains the following lyric: Well, you're sitting back, In your rose pink Cadillac, Making bets on Kentucky Derby Day. I'll be in my basement room, With a needle and a spoon, And another girl can take my pain away... That's right. The DEAD FLOWERS referenced in the song are, in fact, Papaver somniferum-- the POPPIES that contains OPIUM, the drug that is processed into HEROIN. (I know what you're thinking: Keith Richards used Heroin!? SAY IT AIN'T SO!) CRACKED.COM — 20 Backstories To Lyrics In Famous Songs

21

Fountains of Wayne

Fountains of Wayne was named after a lawn ornament store. In Wayne, NJ, there was a store with the name, and the band thought it was amusing. CRACKED.COM — 20 Surprising Reasons Behind Musicians' Stage Names

20

lan Anderson was a fish farmer JETHRO TULL CRACKED.COM At one point in the 90's, he employed 400 people at the salmon farm he ran out of his home. Salmon breeding and rock flute have more in common than you might think: It's not a million miles away from rock and roll. There's a little bit of theatricality about it, too. — Telegraph

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19

Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon by Neil Diamond In this 1967 song, Neil Diamond is counting down the days until this girl becomes legal. Keep in mind, he was 26 at the time. I've been misunderstood For all of my life But what they're sayin' Girl, just cuts like a knife The boy's no good. Girl, you'll be a woman soon Please, come take my hand Girl, you'll be a woman soon Soon you'll need a man. 11 8 7 6 16 17 18 19 15 14 24 25 26 GRAGKED.COM 13 23 — 17 Famous Love Songs Written By Sociopaths

18

Bob Marley

According to Bob Marley's girlfriend, I Shot the Sheriff was inspired by their fights over birth control. The Sheriff was the doctor who prescribed her the Pill. Sheriff John Brown always hated me, For what, / don't know. Every time / plant a seed, Не said Kill it before it grow. CRACKED.COM — 23 Eyebrow-Arching Facts About Famous Songs

17

Walk this Way

STEVEN TYLER WROTE THE SONG WALK THIS WAY WHEN НЕ HEARD MARTY FELDMAN USE THE PHRASE IN YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. Not unironically, it was Run-DMC's cover of the song that brought Aerosmith back from the dead in the 1980s. CRACKED.COM 9109 97 — 29 Bizarre True Stories Behind the Most Popular Music Ever

16

DSOE 16.740 EMI ODEON THE BEATLES revolution hey jude Foto - lohn Kelly If you listen closely to the Beatles' Hey Jude you will hear someone yelling Fucking hell! around the 2:56 mark. It's not very clear whether John Lennon or Paul McCartney said it. http://enwikipedia.org/wiki/Hey_Jude#Recording GRAGKED.COM — 20 Spirited Easter Eggs Hiding On Famous Albums

15

Do the Bartman

THe SIMPSONS DO THE BARTMAN Secretly WRITTEN By MICHAeL JACKSON CRACKED.COM — 20 Eyebrow-Arching Authors Of Famous Songs

14

Bonnie Tyler

CRACKED.COM Bon Jovi's You Give Love a Bad Name was a different song (by Bonnie Tyler). Tyler's If You Were a Woman (And I Was a Man) didn't do as well as songwriter Desmond Child expected - so he rewrote the lyrics, changed the song's title, and gave it to someone else to prove it could be a hit. — Unknown Original

13

The Clash

London Calling by The Clash The 1979 song is about climate change. The lyrics were inspired after the band read an article about the flooding of the Thames River. CRACKED.COM — The Wall Street Journal

12

Bird The opening lines of The Joker are references to other songs by the Steve Miller Band. Some people call me the space cowboy - Space Cowboy Some call me the gangster of love - Gangster of Love Some people call me Maurice - Enter Maurice CRACKED.COM Capaci — 20 Backstories To Lyrics In Famous Songs

11

Paramore

Paramore was an original member's mother's maiden name. When they learned the meaning of paramour, they took on the name, using the spelling of the maiden name. CRACKED.COM — 20 Surprising Reasons Behind Musicians' Stage Names

10

Blur

Dave Rowntree is a lawyer BLUR CRACKED.COM Не started up an animation company and even became a pilot, before embarking on his most exciting journey: being a paralegal: I've done some amazing things with Blur, but that, for me, was more interesting. Не was inspired to complete law school and become a criminal lawyer. — BBC

9

If I could fly, I'd pick you up. I'd take you into the night and show you a love like you've never seen. Benny Mardones sounds like a hopeless romantic in his 1980 hit Into The Night. Except the song begins with the line She's just 16 years old leave her alone, they say. AMBER ALERI GRACKED.COM — 17 Famous Love Songs Written By Sociopaths

8

CRACKED.COM Baby, this town RIPS THE BONES from your back. It's a DEATH TRAP; it's a SUICIDE rap. We've got to get out while we're young. These upbeat lyrics from Born to Run apparently represented New Jersey life so well that the State Legislature declared it the state's Unofficial Youth Rock , Anthem in 1979. — 23 Eyebrow-Arching Facts About Famous Songs

7

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND TOOK ITS NAME FROM THE TITLE OF AN S&M BOOK FOUND ON THE SIDEWALK. AB THE VELVET - UNDERGROUND Here . - incredible book Kall short and PTACK - Ben documentary - The social corruption don - the must for - thinking and BY MICHAEL LEIGH INTRODUCTION . LOUIS BERS M.D. The Velvet Underground, by OF Michael Leigh, was found by one of the band members. It was all about the secret bondage-y sexual scene in the early 1960s. CRACKED.COM http://www.classicbands.com/names.hml — 29 Bizarre True Stories Behind the Most Popular Music Ever

6

Pink Floyd's The Great Gig in the Sky at 3:35, listen closely for: if you hear whispering, you're dying The words are whispered. How's that for creepy? CRACKED.COM — 20 Spirited Easter Eggs Hiding On Famous Albums

5

PL get the party started P!NK'S 2001 SMASH HIT, 'GET THE PARTY STARTED' WAS WRITTEN BY 4 NON BLONDES FRONTWOMAN LINDA PERRY DURING A WEIRD PHASE CRACKED.COM — 20 Eyebrow-Arching Authors Of Famous Songs

4

Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline is named after JFK's daughter. Diamond needed a three-syllable name to fit the song he was writing. Then he remembered a photo of 7-year-old Caroline Kennedy he had seen in a magazine. CRACKED.COM — Jessie Eastland (via Wikimedia Commons)

3

One Way or Another by Blondie The obsessive love song is more obsessive than it seems on the surface. Debbie Harry penned the song after being stalked by a nutjob. CRACKED.COM — EW

2

Blinded by the Light

Blinded by the Light In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat. Eeeeewwwwwww! And you thought I was going to say something about being wrapped up like a douche. GRACKED.COM — 20 Backstories To Lyrics In Famous Songs

1

Cardi В based her name off Bacardi alcohol. Her sister's name is Hennessy so people used to call her Bacardi, which she shortened. CRACKED.COM — 20 Surprising Reasons Behind Musicians' Stage Names

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