Levis Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 Another Special Top Ten. You get to select: [big]The Songfactors' Choice Top Ten Dedications[/big] That's right... we're doing Dedications. Songs written for/about other people - celebrities, lovers, parents, friends. The field is wide open. You can nominate up to two songs, but do mention the person they're about. If you know the story behind it or any interesting tidbits, then share! Easy? Mais oui! Let's have your nominations! And make them count! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 17, 2008 Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 cool idea umm, one question... do these "dedications" have to be positive about the person? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted February 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2008 But of course. And to answer your question... no Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 You mean, songs written about somebody? Like "Highway Chile" from Jimi about Bob? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted February 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Examples always help: Songs written for/about other people - celebrities, lovers, parents, friends. Illustrations: Celebrity: Candle In The Wind - Elton John (Marilyn Monroe) Lover: Mama, I'm Coming Home - Ozzy Osbourne (Sharon Osbourne) Parent: The Drugs Don't Work - The Verve (Richard Ashcroft Sr.) Friend: Let Me In - R.E.M. (Kurt Cobain) and so on... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I know "Highway Chile" is about Bob Dylan, I always knew that but I cannot find a single line in the web that agrees with me... Am I the only one who seems to recall this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Let me start this off then! My first nomination, predictable as always: Old Red Wine -- The Who Old Red Wine was written by Pete Townshend for John Entwistle, shortly after he died. He liked to drink wine and had a large wine cellar. The gorgeous girl mentioned in the song refers to a Las Vegas showgirl with who John Entwistle spent the night he died. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I know "Highway Chile" is about Bob Dylan, I always knew that but I cannot find a single line in the web that agrees with me... Am I the only one who seems to recall this? Actually edna, I'd always heard that this song was semi-autobiographical (I've read that a drifter was the actual inspiration), about the time Jimi spent on tour during the last remaining days of the Chitlin Circuit. I've read that somewhere, but don't know where. 'Course it could be completely incorrect, and actually be about Bob, who knows? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I googled too and only found a few fans who also think it's about Bob Dylan, and the lyrics seem to support that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Jane 61 Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 First dedication nom.... Angel Of Harlem ~ U2 What a great tune about Billie Holiday. One of U2's better songs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levis Posted February 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 I like that song! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Light Years ~ Pearl Jam live version I don't have to say anything about it because Mr Vedder does it himself... This song is dedicated to Diane Muus from Sony Music, a friend of the band who died at the age of 33 in 1997. "There are times you have got friends that don't f--k up at all and are great people. And then you just lose them for some reason. They are off the planet and you never had a chance to say goodbye. I only mention this because there was a person we used to know here and that was Diane, and we never got a chance to say goodbye. This is goodbye. And if you've got good friends, love them while they're here." studio version, minimise the video [spoilerq:1]lyrics[/spoilerq] [spoilera:1]I've used hammers made out of wood I have played games with pieces and rules I undeciphered tricks at the bar, but now you're gone I haven't figured out why I've come up with riddles and jokes about war I figured out numbers and what they're for I've understood feelings and I've understood words But how could you be taken away? And wherever you've gone and wherever we might go It don't seem fair - today just disappeared Your light's reflected now, reflected from afar We were but stones, your light made us stars With heavy breath, awakened regrets Back pages and days that could have been spent Together, but we were miles apart. Every inch between us becomes light years now No time to be void or save up on life. Oh, you got to spend it all And wherever you've gone and wherever we might go It don't seem fair - you seemed to like it here Your light's reflected now, reflected from afar We were but stones, your light made us stars And wherever you've gone and wherever we might go It don't seem fair - today just disappeared Your light's reflected now, reflected from afar We were but stones, your light made us stars[/spoilera] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheLizard Posted February 18, 2008 Report Share Posted February 18, 2008 Two legendary songs for the same person. Something- The Beatles Layla- Derek and the Dominos Both written about Pattie Boyd, part-time lover/wife/muse to George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Cat's In The Cradle ~ Harry Chapin From Songfacts: Chapin based the song on a poem written by his wife Sandy about Harry's neglectful father. He wrote the song after he got upset because he missed his son's birth while he was touring. The song tells of a father and son who can't schedule time to be with each other and its a warning against putting one's career before family. I love this song...and the lyrics are very sad but very true for many people who can relate to this situation...... Wild Horses ~ The Rolling Stones From Songfacts: This started as a song for Keith Richard's newborn son Marlon. It was 1969 and Keith regretted that he had to leave his son to go on tour. This is one of my favorite ballads by The Stones... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skybluesky Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 American Pie-Don McLean American Pie SongFacts Killing Me Softly-Roberta Flack Killing Me Softly SongFacts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 "Sweet Black Angel" - Rolling Stones. Dedicated to Angela Davies. "Old Man" - Neil Young Songfacts: Young wrote this about the caretaker of the ranch he bought in 1970. Wild Horses ~ The Rolling Stones from songfacts: From Songfacts: This started as a song for Keith Richard's newborn son Marlon. It was 1969 and Keith regretted that he had to leave his son to go on tour. It´s a ballad about relationhips that went bad... Mick & marianne, Keith & heroin... but most of all, it´s dedicated to heroin... Sorry to be a pest, Laurie but let me disagree with Songfacts... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 (edited) ah....I'm a member of the pest crowd too Laurie...I gotta agree with edna, and disagree with Songfacts. Still, it's one of my favorites, and it IS dedicated to something! I've been racking my brain, trying to come up with a good nomination, then realized the perfect one for me was "staring me in the face". In the fifties, at the St Louis Airport (Lambert Field)there happened to be a very busy USO station. At 17 Chuck Berry used to perform there nightly for the boys in uniform (but mostly for the chance to play & meet girls). There happened to be a very pretty older girl (all of 21), that used to come to dance with the boys, and hand out the coffee and doughnuts. She wouldn't give young Chuckie the time of day. As time went on she did.....but meanwhile Berry watched her, dreamed, and wrote this song. And it's almost literally about their non/relationship.... Carol~ Chuck Berry The Rolling Stones have done a pretty fair cover of it as well : Oh Carol ~ The Rolling Stones Edited February 19, 2008 by Guest the song was actually written later...but about that girl, and this period Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farin Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Re: disagree with Songfacts well, Songfacts says it "started as a song for Keith Richard's newborn son Marlon." but the next facts are: Mick Jagger rewrote Keith's lyrics, keeping only the line "Wild horses couldn't drag me away." His rewrite was based on his relationship with Marianne Faithfull, which was disintegrating. Marianne Faithfull claims "Wild horses couldn't drag me away" was the first thing she said to Mick after she pulled out of a drug-induced coma in 1969. and "Mick Jaggers longtime girlfriend Jerry Hall in The Observer Magazine April 29, 2007: "Wild Horses is my favourite Stones song. It's so beautiful. I don't mind that it was written for Bianca."" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Seeker Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 I think I'd be quite annoyed if I wrote a nice song about my child, and then some friend comes along and uses it to complain about his girlfriend instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucky Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Sorry, Fin, I'm not laughing at you but at your droll statement. You are so right! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edna Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Mick Jagger rewrote Keith's lyrics, keeping only the line "Wild horses couldn't drag me away." His rewrite was based on his relationship with Marianne Faithfull, which was disintegrating. Marianne Faithfull claims "Wild horses couldn't drag me away" was the first thing she said to Mick after she pulled out of a drug-induced coma in 1969. "Mick Jaggers longtime girlfriend Jerry Hall in The Observer Magazine April 29, 2007: "Wild Horses is my favourite Stones song. It's so beautiful. I don't mind that it was written for Bianca."" Very funny... I still think it´ s quite obvious what "Wild Horses" means... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenacious_Peaches Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 "Isn't She Lovely" by Stevie Wonder Stevie wrote this song for his newborn baby daughter Aisha. Songfacts Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sweet Jane 61 Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 (edited) First dedication nom.... Angel Of Harlem ~ U2 What a great tune about Billie Holiday. One of U2's better songs. Link to Songfacts info Angel of Harlem My second nom... For You Blue ~ The Beatles George wrote this about Patti, who was his wife at the time. Not a bad Beatles tune. Songfacts info link Edited February 19, 2008 by Guest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Laurie_ Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Thanks Edna...I just posted that one fact from Songfacts...I didn't post the details of Wild Horses.... but it does go on to say what it was really dedicated to.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dappled Posted February 19, 2008 Report Share Posted February 19, 2008 Sara - Bob Dylan The song to Dylan's ex-wife, Sara Lownds. The other song to her is Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands from the Blonde On Blonde album. Hurdy Gurdy Man - Donovan The Hudry Gurdy Man is Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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