Let’s get meta for a moment. There are a lot of classic rock songs throughout music history that highlight love, cars, sex and even food. These amplified, electric guitar-driven tunes push and propel and remind us that cranking the equipment up to 11 is often a worthwhile endeavor.
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But what about the classic rock songs that are about, well, classic rocks? Not to get too out there, but there are several offerings from the genre that talk about their namesake object, whether intentionally or unintentionally, offering a bit of a surreal vibe. So, we thought we would dive into a handful of those songs below. Let’s explore them here like the good musical geologists we are.
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1. “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” Pink Floyd
This multi-part track from the psychedelic British-born group Pink Floyd is about (and dedicated to) the band’s original founder, Syd Barrett, a beloved songwriter with a wild imagination who left the band early on in its career and who dealt with mental health issues. Released on the 1975 album, Wish You Were Here, the 13-plus-minute crescendoing track acknowledges the brilliant, or diamond mind of Barrett’s when it comes to his art.
2. “Like A Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan
In rock music there is nothing more sacred than a rolling stone. For it gathers no moss. It is always pushing ahead, blazing trails that it leaves behind it. It was also part of the title of the famous 1965 Bob Dylan song released on his album Highway 61 Revisited. The song proved Bob Dylan himself was a rolling stone as it cemented his transition from acoustic protest songs to full-band rock numbers.
3. “Ruby Tuesday,” The Rolling Stones
Speaking of rolling stones, The Rolling Stones, the classic British-born rock group released their popular song “Ruby Tuesday” on their 1967 LP, Between the Buttons. Band frontman Keith Richards said the tune was about his then-girlfriend Linda Keith. But the love song also evokes the brilliant gleaming image of a bright red rock. Perhaps Ruby Tuesday is the nickname for the song’s subject or it’s a day they spent together. Either way, the image sits in your mind like a third eye.
4. “Emerald Eyes,” Fleetwood Mac
Released on the 1973 Fleetwood Mac album, Mystery to Me, this song also summons a glinting rock, this time the green, green of the emerald. Used to describe the eyes of another, this song is about an elusive object of the singer’s affection. She’s there and she’s gone again. She’s salvation and evaporation. No matter what, we can see those emerald eyes in our dreams and nightmares.
5. “Pearl Necklace,” ZZ Top
Turns out the blues-rock band out of Texas knows a thing or two about fancy jewelry—or do they? Literally, a pearl, which is made of calcium carbonate or aragonite with some calcite, is a rare stone (or stone-like object) found most often in the ocean (though there are freshwater pearls, too). When strung together on a lovely white necklace, they are a fashion statement and a sign of wealth. Here, ZZ Top talks about a woman wearing such a thing. Or, do they? There is also a lewd double entendre meaning to the song title that we’ll leave you to imagine. Released on the band’s 1981 album, El Loco, ZZ Top sure knew how to party.
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