3 Rock Tracks That Were Written About Surprisingly Ordinary Things

These rock tracks were written about surprisingly mundane things. Though they became out-of-this-world tracks with plenty of iconography, they started from something far less consequential. Learn more about the surprising inspirations behind these legendary rock songs. They ended up in a very different place from where they started.

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“Black Dog” — Led Zeppelin

The lyrics to Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog” might’ve evolved from the original inspiration, but the initial spark was uber simple: a hound dog that visited their studio in England. They needed a placeholder name for the rock track and ultimately landed on an homage to their furry friend.

The final product, however, was far rawer and more charged than the original inspiration. “Hey-hey, mama, said the way you move / Gonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove / Ah-ah, child, way you shake that thing / Gonna make you burn, gonna make you sting,” the iconic lyrics read. This track proves that a song can come from anywhere.

“Smells Like Teen Spirit” — Nirvana

This Nirvana rock track sparked an entire generation of rock fans. However, the title came from a simple source: a deodorant brand. A friend of Kurt Cobain and fellow musician wrote that phrase on his bathroom wall, nodding to his girlfriend’s choice of antiperspirant. Cobain, ever the artist, turned the simple phrase into a rallying cry for the grunge movement.

“With the lights out, it’s less dangerous / Here we are now, entertain us / I feel stupid and contagious / Here we are now, entertain us,” the iconic lyrics read. It’s a wonder that such a consequential song started as an off-comment, a joke between friends.

“Smoke On The Water” — Deep Purple

Deep Purple’s “Smoke On The Water” became arguably the rock song with a riff that inspired subsequent generations to pick up a guitar. But there isn’t much extraordinary about the inspiration behind this song. The band saw a fire after a Frank Zappa concert and used that imagery to create this masterpiece.

“They burned down the gambling house / It died with an awful sound / Funky Claude was running in and out / Pulling kids out the ground / When it all was over / We had to find another place,” the lyrics read. The band turned a tragic, though not unheard-of, moment into something with no shortage of mystique. When we listen to this song, it feels as though we’re hearing a tale from centuries ago; time-honored and fantastical.

(Photo by Jorgen Angel/Redferns)