News stories and headlines about tragedies have inspired countless songs over the years. Take Don McLean’s “American Pie” or Pearl Jam’s “Jeremy” for example. Both started with tragic events. The plane crash that killed Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper led McLean to his timeless tune. A fatal incident in a Texas school inspired Eddie Vedder. KISS pulled inspiration from a tragedy that was a bit closer to home for their song “Detroit Rock City.”
Videos by American Songwriter
Paul Stanley co-wrote “Detroit Rock City” with Bob Ezrin, and KISS released it on their 1976 album, Destroyer. The song wasn’t a hit at the time, but it quickly became a fan favorite and an anticipated part of the band’s live show. However, some may have overlooked the death at the heart of the song due to its rocking chorus.
[RELATED: On This Day in 1977, KISS Comics Containing the Band’s Blood Hit Newsstands]
“Detroit Rock City” tells the story of a fan who is rushing to make the midnight KISS show in Detroit, Michigan. The final verse sees the reckless driver embracing his death as he runs head-on into a truck.
The original album version of the song begins with a radio report. “In Detroit, a Pontiac, Michigan, youth was reported dead at the scene of a head-on collision on Grand Avenue this morning. The youth was reportedly driving on the wrong side of the boulevard when he struck a delivery truck,” the announcer says. Moments later, he moves on to another story. A snippet of “Rock and Roll All Nite” plays and an engine revs before the song’s opening riff.
The Death of a KISS Fan Inspired “Detroit Rock City”
Originally, KISS wanted to write a song to pay tribute to Detroit, Michigan. They found early success there, and many of the band’s influences hailed from Motor City. Then, Paul Stanley heard about a fan who died in a car accident on the way to one of their shows.
Decades later, no one has been able to track down the incident that reportedly inspired the song. However, Stanley did reveal that the accident didn’t happen in or near Detroit. Instead, it took place before a show in North Carolina.
“There had been an accident outside of an arena in Charlotte. Someone was killed coming to the concert,” Stanley said. “I thought, ‘How odd and how striking.’ And the juxtaposition of someone coming to a KISS concert, which celebrates being alive, to lose your life. That was the twist of ‘Detroit Rock City.’ To change it from a song about your amazing city to something much more epic,” he added.
Featured Image by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.