To be an artist is a full-time job. You never know where inspiration might come from. That’s why you have to be open to it at all hours of the day. Maybe it’s an image in the sky that sparks something in you, or maybe it’s someone you know who jolts an idea. We wanted to highlight three songs from back in the day that were inspired by real people. These are songs we all know and love, but at the same time, may not have realized just who they were about. Indeed, these are three rock songs from the 1960s you didn’t know were written about real people.
“Mr. Tambourine Man” by Bob Dylan from ‘Bringing It All Back Home’ (1965)
One of the few acoustic-driven songs on Bob Dylan’s blues-rock LP, Bringing It All Back Home, this song has long been a fan favorite. It’s a dreamy, psychedelic trip. But it was inspired, at least in part, by Dylan’s electric guitar player on the track, Bruce Langhorne. Not only was Langhorne a six-string player in the 1960s folk scene, but he also would carry around with him a large, four-inch-deep tambourine. In actuality, the instrument was a Turkish frame drum. But that didn’t quite sound as good in the chorus!
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“Something” by The Beatles from ‘Abbey Road’ (1969)
This song from The Beatles’ 1969 LP, Abbey Road, was written by George Harrison. The track is something of a breakout for the artist, putting his composition skills on par with his songwriting peers Paul McCartney and John Lennon. But as for the tune’s origins, Harrison was inspired by his first wife, model Pattie Boyd. Classic rock fans know about Boyd—she was something of a muse during the era. She was famously part of the Harrison and Eric Clapton love triangle, which inspired more famous songs like “Layla”.
“The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix from ‘Are You Experienced’ (1967)
It’s true. Love interests often spark love songs. And this tune from Jimi Hendrix is no different. Indeed, this classic 1967 offering was inspired by Hendrix’s girlfriend at the time in London, Kathy Etchingham, whose middle name was Mary. One night, the two got into an argument (over lumpy mashed potatoes of all things), and that led the guitar player to put this remorseful tune together.
Photo by Fiona Adams/Redferns