3 Legendary Songs That Were Written by Teenagers Under 16 Years Old

Many might think that being an excellent songwriter comes with years of life experience. However, that’s not always the case. The following three songs, specifically, were written by songwriters all under 16 years old. And each one is an impressive feat, regardless of age.

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“Here Comes Your Man” by Pixies

Did you know that this famous Pixies tune was written by Black Francis when he was only 14 years old? While the song was released in 1989 when Francis was an adult, he claims that he wrote the song when he was about 14 or 15 years old. Years later, after Pixies came to be, the band allegedly didn’t want to record it, as it sounded like a “Tom Petty song.” Thankfully, it was recorded, and the song has since become an indie rock classic. In fact, “Here Comes Your Man” made it all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart.

“Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder famously found his breakthrough when he was still a child. Not only was he quite the performer as a kid, but he was also quite a songwriter. He never lost that talent. But it’s still wild to think that the soul-funk classic “Uptight (Everything’s Alright)” was written by a 14-year-old. Wonder recorded this song ahead of its release in 1965 when puberty hit. He had just transitioned into a more tenor-leaning voice. The song was a massive hit, peaking at No. 3 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart.

“The Man With The Child In His Eyes” by Kate Bush

The Kick Inside, Kate Bush’s debut prog-pop album, was recorded when she was a late teen. And the song “The Man With The Child In His Eyes” was conceived even earlier when Bush was only 13 years old. The song itself was first recorded when she was 16.

“The Man With The Child In His Eyes” by Kate Bush is one of the best songs ever recorded by someone under 16 years old. And Bush said herself that the song came to her while she was just sitting at her piano. Bush had come to an understanding that most men are just little boys inside, and there’s beauty in maintaining that magic into adulthood. That’s a level of maturity no one would expect from a literal child.

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