Woody Guthrie - "Ingrid Bergman"

 

Woody Guthrie wrote this erotic song in 1950 because he had a huge crush on Swedish Actress Ingrid Bergman.

 

There are no known recordings of Guthrie singing this song, but it was recorded by Billy Bragg in 1998 and appeared on the album "Mermaid Ave" which was a Woody Guthrie tribute record by the combined efforts of Billy Bragg and Wilco.

 

Jane's Addiction - "Jane Says" (1988)

 

According to lead singer Perry Farrell, there was an actual Jane with an actual heroin habit and an abusive boyfriend named Sergio who lived with him and nearly a dozen others in a group house in Hollywood as the band was forming in the early '80s.

 

The real Jane is Jane Bainter, who was living in Los Angeles. It took her a while, but she eventually got over her drug problems.

 

[video=youtube;anWmfN-dODs]

Donovan - "Jennifer Juniper" (1968)

 

This was inspired by George Harrison's then-sister-in-law, Jennifer Boyd (sister of Pattie). Both sisters married after this recording: Pattie Boyd Harrison married Eric Clapton, Jennifer Boyd married Mick Fleetwood.

 

Born Helen Boyd in England in 1947, the younger sister of Pattie was given the nickname Jenny after Pattie's favorite doll.

 

Jenny was a London model and met the future drummer of Fleetwood Mac in 1965.

 

"Juniper" was the name of a boutique Jennifer Boyd ran.

 

Dolly Parton - "Jolene" (1974)

 

The title was inspired by an encounter with a 10-year-old fan. "She had this beautiful red hair, this beautiful skin, these beautiful green eyes, and she was looking up at me, holding out for an autograph," Parton recalled to NPR in 2008.

 

"I said, 'Well, you're the prettiest little thing I ever saw. So what is your name?' And she said, 'Jolene.' And I said, 'Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. Jolene. That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that."

 

The Beatles - "Julia" (1968)

 

John Lennon dedicated this song to his mother Julia, who was struck and killed by a car driven by an off-duty police officer on July 15, 1958, when John was 17.

 

Lennon was raised mostly by Julia's sister Mimi, but starting to see more of his mother at the time of her death.

 

Though not John, just for a little twist I'll post Sean Lennon performing the song live.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHsdvMfvkWY

Kenny Rogers - "Lucille" (1977)

 

This song, about an unfaithful wife who walks out on her husband and four children at an inopportune moment, was written by Hal Bynum and Roger Bowling.

 

The song was inspired by real life events, as Bynum's own marriage was in trouble when he started writing this tune.

 

Vetiver - "Maureen" (2006)

 

In this little lovely hippy-folky gem, from San Fran, Vetiver's lead writer and vocalist Andy Cabic expresses to his girl Maureen that his love is true, and that she need not worry of him ever leaving.

 

Never been confirmed but Rumors had this one by Carly Simon was written about James Taylor.

 

Never been confirmed but Rumors had this one by Carly Simon was written about James Taylor.

 

 

or Warren Beatty or Mick Jagger...although Mick sings backup so I'm thinking it's not him.

or Warren Beatty or Mick Jagger...although Mick sings backup so I'm thinking it's not him.

 

She looks like Mick!

Ray LaMontagne - "Meg White" (2008)

 

Back in 2007 The White Stripes had to cancel a number of their shows because their drummer Meg White was suffering from acute anxiety issues.

 

To send her a message of support and adoration Ray LaMontagne wrote this tune "Meg White" with hopes that it would help her out and cheer her up.

 

The Kinks - "Lola" (1970)

 

Ray Davies wrote the lyrics after their manager got drunk at a club and started dancing with what he thought was a woman. Toward the end of the night, his stubble started showing, but their manager was too tanked to notice.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaecsIUETYA

The Knack - "My Sharona" (1979)

 

The Knack lead singer Doug Fieger wrote the lyrics to this song, which is about a girl he fancied.

 

Doug was in a long-term relationship when he walked into the clothing store where a high school student named Sharona Alperin (who had a boyfriend), was working.

 

The age difference (he was about eight years older) and relationship status didn't deter Fieger, who was immediately lovestruck.

 

With his girlfriend looking on, he invited Sharona to a show.

 

Not long after, he broke up with the girlfriend and professed his love for Sharona, creating a weird dynamic where he would come on to her even though she had a boyfriend who often attended Knack concerts with her.

 

It got pretty heavy when Fieger started writing songs about her - they weren't together when he composed "My Sharona."

 

About a year after they first met, Sharona gave in and they started dating.

 

She joined the band on tour and watched as the song Fieger wrote about her elevated them to stardom. The couple were together for about four years (and engaged at one point) before the rock and roll lifestyle and Fieger's alcoholism became too much for Sharona, and they called it off.

 

In the aftermath, Sharona answered questions about the breakup by saying that she needed to become her own Sharona, not someone else's.

 

After a cooling off period, Alperin and Fieger became friends. Alperin was with Fieger the last week of his life; he died of cancer on February 14, 2010.

 

That's Sharona Alperin on the cover of the single holding the Get The Knack album. She posed for the art even though she and Doug Fieger weren't yet dating.

 

 

[video=youtube;g1T71PGd-J0]

Neil Sedaka - "Oh Carol" (1959)

 

Neil Sedaka named this song for the songwriter Carole King. They went to Abraham Lincoln High in Brooklyn, New York along with Neil Diamond. Carol (as her birth name of Carol Klein, before she picked the stage-surname of "King") first came into Neil Sedaka's life as a member of the Linc-Tones, the first group that Sedaka hustled together out of high school. Despite what impression Neil might have left, they did not date.

 

The Who - "Pictures of Lily" (1967)

 

A tune that was banned by many radio stations due to its topic of a teen boy's self gratification. Pete Townsend wrote it because he was intent on seeing a song regarding this topic become a hit song.