The 1974 Leonard Cohen album New Skin for the Old Ceremony contains one of the most memorable of his early songs, “Chelsea Hotel #2”. In it, he describes in surprising detail a one-night stand with a woman he would later reveal was rock star Janis Joplin. The Chelsea Hotel in New York had been a famous temporary residence for itinerant artists ever since Mark Twain had stayed there.
Cohen used to love regaling his audience not only with the song (which is explicit enough) but with the story and name behind it. Eventually, he would come to repent the “locker room” mentality that caused him to kiss and tell. He felt it was wrong to associate Joplin’s name with what he had done, and he apologized, so to speak, to “her ghost.” In 1968 it was far from given that Leonard Cohen would ever be a legend in the music industry. His one album at that point had not sold very well, and he was already older than many established stars. That was when he started staying at the storied Chelsea Hotel. Who knows; maybe between the ambiance and Janis Joplin, he got the inspiration he was looking for.
“You’re So Vain” by Carly Simon
Carly Simon wrote “You’re So Vain” in 1972, and it was a number 1 hit single. And for more than 40 years now, controversy and speculation have raged: Who is the song about?? One thing that Simon has made clear is that the three verses are about three different conceited men, and it has long been assumed and acknowledged that the second verse is about actor Warren Beatty. In fact, he still claims that the whole song is about him. Carly has denied that her ex-husband, musician James Taylor inspired the song, nor did Mick Jagger. Both had been suspected of being behind the song. Music industry executive David Geffen was also a speculated choice, but Simon says she never even met him. Other names often bandied about as having been vain enough to inspire “You’re So Vain” are David Cassidy, Cat Stevens, and David Bowie.
Carly Simon has been a major force in singing and songwriting since the 1970s. She has had a number of comebacks and has managed to stay relevant after many others have passed into obscurity. Among her best-remembered songs, in addition to “You’re So Vain,” are “Haven’t Got Time For the Pain,” “Coming Around Again,” “The Stuff That Dreams are Made Of,” and “Let the River Run,” for which she won an Oscar.
“I’m Your Boogie Man” by KC & The Sunshine Band
One might be forgiven for assuming that when a super successful disco pioneer sings “I’m Your Boogie Man,” he’s talking about himself. But the truth is that the song was written in praise of someone to whom the band felt they owed their success. A DJ from the band’s hometown of Miami was the first to play their song “Get Down Tonight” on the air. It would go on to become their first number-one hit and launch them into superstardom at the very top of the world of disco. The DJ’s name was Robert W. Walker, and he was the inspiration for “Boogie Man”.
Harry Wayne Casey (KC) started KC & the Sunshine Band as a disco and funk outfit in 1973. By 1975 they had the first of five chart-topping hits, the last of which ushered in the 1980s, which would also be the decade that would see their decline. Disco ruled for a while, but when the backlash came, it was severe.
“Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton
Pattie Boyd was still married to former Beatle George Harrison when Harrison’s friend and fellow rock superstar Eric Clapton met and fell in love with her. After Clapton finally won her over and made her his own wife, he wrote the dreamy smooth ballad “Wonderful Tonight” for her. They say the song was inspired by Clapton watching Boyd one evening getting ready to go out to an annual musical memorial for Buddy Holly. “Wonderful Tonight” can be seen as a sequel of sorts to “Layla,” which Clapton wrote for Boyd when she was still married to Harrison.
Pattie Boyd was married to George Harrison from 1966 until 1977. After leaving him for Eric Clapton, she was married to the latter from 1979 until 1989. She divorced Clapton after his numerous infidelities led to the birth of a son with one of his mistresses. She married her third husband in 2015.
“A Day in the Life” by The Beatles
Rounding out Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life” can be described as ethereal, trippy, and evocative. The main theme of the lyrics describes a man experiencing confusing and conflicting emotions as he gets up in the morning and reads the newspaper. John Lennon was the primary songwriter of this track. It was inspired by a car crash that claimed the life of his friend, the 21-year-old heir to the Guinness empire, Tara Browne. Lennon adapted the story in the Daily Mail newspaper into the first two verses of the song.
Even the third verse, the enigmatic one about “holes” filling the Albert Hall, was adapted from another article in the same edition of the same newspaper. The article was about the numerous holes in England’s roads, and Lennon was inspired to make it a little more psychedelic.