I Had No Idea That These 4 Legendary Rock Songs Were Inspired by Real People

It’s not exactly shocking that rock stars write songs about real-life people. However, some of the real stories behind the biggest songs of the 20th century might just surprise you. They certainly surprised me. Without further ado, let’s look at a few rock songs that were written about real people… and you probably never heard their real stories before.

Videos by American Songwriter

1. “The Jean Genie” by David Bowie Is About Iggy Pop and Byrinda Foxe

Back in the day, David Bowie penned “The Jean Genie” about his friend Iggy Pop and Byrinda Foxe. The rocking anthem was an ode to denim-wearing figures in New York City, and those two people fit the bill nicely. Bowie saw Foxe as a bit of a muse, and she even appeared in the music video for the song.

2. “I Walk The Line” by Johnny Cash Is About Vivian Cash

This is definitely a solid country song, but its rockabilly leanings earn it a spot on this list. It might be surprising to some fans of the Man in Black to hear that “I Walk The Line” was actually written about a real-life love of Cash, and that love was not June Carter.

Rather, this tune was penned about Cash’s first wife, Vivian. At least one biopic about Cash’s life got that bit wrong. In reality, Cash wrote this song as an ode to the woman he ended up leaving for June Carter. And it’s still one of his most well-known tunes today.

3. “Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan Is About Edie Sedgewick

Even people who don’t like Bob Dylan know the folksy stylings of “Like A Rolling Stone”. It’s a definitive song in the Bard’s discography. And unless you’ve done your research, you might not know that Dylan wrote the tune about 60s socialite Edie Sedgewick.

We’ll err on the side of caution and mention that Dylan has never directly confirmed this rumor, but it is believed to be true by many of his fans. The song explores the lifestyles of materialistic people of the time, and Sedgewick (unfortunately) fits that bill. 

4. “Layla” by Eric Clapton/Derek And The Dominos Is About Pattie Boyd

During his time with Derek And The Dominos, Eric Clapton penned “Layla” about someone very obviously not named Layla. This entry on our list of rock songs that were surprisingly written about real people was written about Clapton’s eventual wife, Pattie Boyd. However, he wrote the song about her while she was still married to George Harrison. Naturally, he wanted to hide the affair from listeners, so he changed her name in the title of the song.

Photo by Chris Walter/WireImage

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.