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I'll Take "Songs About People" for $200

Truth be told there really was no Maybellene, but Chuck made her sound like a real person when she started doing the things she used to do.  And there was also no Layla, but there clearly was Patty Harrison with the name changed to protect the innocent.  Was there a ba ba ba ba Barbara Ann or even a Caroline to say no to?  I don't know, but I do know that there was a real Prudence of Beatles fame.  And there really was an Elizabeth Reed.  So my question is, what are other songs that feature the name of a person in its lyrics are actually about real people?
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onhwy61 OP
5,256 posts
 
Love the Bo Diddley.

Apparently Brian Wilson wrote Barbara Ann about Agent 99.  And there really was a girl from Ipanema.
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jond
5,911 posts
 
Mr Bojangles was written and best performed by the amazing Jerry Jeff Walker not the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band just so we are correct.  And ummmm I can't believe I just corrected something Al wrote it must be upside down day!
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almarg
9,670 posts
 
Thanks, Jon.  You are correct of course regarding the authorship and first recording of the song.  The reason I mentioned the NGDB is that I believe their recording was the version that had the greatest commercial success, more so than Mr. Walker's as well as a great many other versions that have been released over the years.

Best regards,
-- Al
larryi
4,101 posts
 
The Beatles' "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" refers to McCarney's uncle and to the American Admiral William "Bull" Halsey.

For a somewhat obscure reference, I like the Black Box Recorder song "Lord Lucan is Missing" (a member of the House of Lords that tried to kill his ex wife, murdered the nanny in the same attack and then went missing for the past 42 years--it was widely believed that his connection to people in high places and wealth gave him the means to evade capture).
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jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
How about "Bands about People"?

Lynyrd Skynyrd  - Leonard Skinner - High School gym teacher and basketball coach in Jacksonville, Florida. ;^)

Dead Kennedys - JFK and RFK.

Marilyn Manson - Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson

Tesla - Nikolai Tesla
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