Forrest Gump has been a deeply influential movie since its release in 1994 – in both the film and music industry. On top of being a timeless and inspirational story, the accompanying soundtrack is chock full of era-defining hits to help set the scene of each decade that is represented in the meandering movie.
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It would be hard for a songwriter to not be inspired by watching this film. Below are four musicians that have been directly inspired by Forrest Gump and even referenced the characters in their lyrics.
1. “Blue Clear Sky” (George Strait)
Songwriter Bob DiPiero was watching Forrest Gump when he noticed an interesting turn of phrase uttered by Tom Hanks.
“At one point, he says, ‘And out of the blue clear sky, Jenny came back,'” DiPiero once explained. “And I was listening, thinking, ‘Hey! It’s ‘clear blue sky,’ it’s not ‘blue clear sky!’ Just that little turn of phrase stuck in my head.”
He took the idea to his fellow songwriters John Jarrard and Mark D. Sanders, and “Blue Clear Sky” was born. At almost every step of the way, the title of the song came into question, even George Strait asked, “You think it ought to be ‘Clear Blue Sky?'”
Nevertheless, the “backward” title remained in place and became one of Strait’s biggest hits.
2. “Ain’t Enough Rocks” (Brandy Clark feat. Derek Trucks)
Similarly, Brandy Clark collaborator Jessie Jo Dillon was watching Forrest Gump when a titular line inspired her: “Ain’t Enough Rocks.” She’d share the line with co-writers Clark and Jimmy Robbins and the trio penned the song together for Clark’s latest self-titled album.
“The character of Jenny, Forrest’s girlfriend, is abused by her dad,” Clark said of the song. “There’s a scene where they come upon her old house and she breaks down and starts throwing rocks at the house and Forrest sits with her and the voiceover says, ‘Sometimes there just ain’t enough rocks.’
“Jessie Jo said, ‘I’ve always wanted to write that as a title,'” Clark continued. “So that’s where that started.”
Clark’s song “Ain’t Enough Rocks” follows a similar plot to Jenny’s eruptive relationship with her father. The main character in Clark’s song teams up with her sister to get revenge on their abuser. It’s a classic country murder ballad inspired by a similarly classic film.
3. “Forrest Gump” (Frank Ocean)
Frank Ocean took an interesting point of view when he wrote his 2012 track “Forrest Gump.” The singer/songwriter penned the song from the perspective of Jenny as a metaphor for how he feels about his first love.
My fingertips and my lips / They burn from the cigarettes / Forrest Gump / You run my mind, boy / Running on my mind, boy, he sings referencing Forrest’s knack for running against all odds.
4. “Doves in the Wind” (SZA feat. Kendrick Lamar)
SZA and Kendrick Lamar meditate on the role of sex in a relationship in “Doves in the Wind.” To help drive that conversation home, SZA references Forrest Gump’s innocent approach to relationships.
Forrest Gump had a lot goin’ for him / Never without p**** / Y’know, Jenny almost gave it all up for him / Never even pushed for the p****, she sings in the opening verse.
In the movie, Forrest only loves one woman his entire life, Jenny. He puts romantic devotion in front of sexual attraction, which SZA believes is the blueprint for a successful relationship.
(Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ATLive)
