Sometimes a songwriter’s most powerful source of inspiration is their bandmates. It makes sense. Bandmates spend an inordinate amount of time together. It only stands to reason that a passionate relationship would ensue–positive or negative. Below, find three songs that were written about a bandmate.
Videos by American Songwriter
1. “A Child’s Claim to Fame” – Buffalo Springfield
Richie Furay penned “A Child’s Claim to Fame” for Buffalo Springfield. The seething song sees Furay berate someone for two minutes and thirteen seconds. As it turns out, it was Neil Young he was wagging a finger at.
“Yeah when I wrote it I was frustrated with the guy, but that’s how we communicated with one another,” Furay once explained. “You wrote a song, I’m not gonna say that (1968 Buffalo Springfield track) ‘I Am a Child’ was Neil’s response to ‘Claim to Fame’ but.”
Make believe that’s all you know
And to make believe is a game
A child’s rein
You’ve changed your name
2. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill” – David Lee Roth
On a more positive note, we have “Somewhere Over the Rainbow Bar and Grill” by David Lee Roth. According to Roth, this track was written as an homage to the late Eddie Van Halen. The lyrics see Roth mull over memories of his time with Van Halen in acute detail: You keep a rockin’ little rhythm from inside the rhythm kitchen / As you’re walkin’ past the canteen door.
Somewhere over the rainbow bar and grill
Well, I never knew me a better time and I guess I’ll never will
Somewhere over the rainbow bar and grill
Some say they was happy then
Me, I’m happy still
3. “You Don’t Move Me” – Keith Richards
[RELATED: 3 Musicians That Disliked David Bowie]
Despite being universally considered one of the greatest songwriting duos ever, Keith Richards and Mick Jagger had their ups and downs. One of their tiffs was documented in Richards’ “You Don’t Move Me.” How you gonna keep your wealth / Can’t even defend yourself, Richards sings in this cut-throat song.
You made the wrong motion
Drank the wrong potion
You lost the feeling
Not so appealing
Why do you think you got no friends
You drove them around the bend
(Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)
