3 Famous Rock Songs That Were Written About People You’d Never Guess

Have you ever thought about the inspirations behind these three rock songs? Odds are, they are different than what you’d imagine. These tracks draw inspiration that defies all common sense. Learn more about what gave some of our favorite rockers the idea to write these enduring hits below.

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“You Oughta Know” — Alanis Morissette

This is common knowledge for many Alanis Morissette fans, but if you don’t know who “You Oughta Know” is about, it might come as a shock to learn it’s Uncle Joey from Full House. Given that most of us know Dave Coulier as the hammy, impression-heavy favorite on that sitcom, it’s kinda hard to hear this rock song and make that leap.

Nevertheless, the actor inspired this song after dating Morissette in the early 1990s. The singer clearly generated a lot of vitriol in that time, writing lines like “And I’m here to remind you / Of the mess you left when you went away / It’s not fair to deny me / Of the cross I bear that you gave to me.”

“Dancing In The Dark” — Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen wasn’t exactly writing an ode to manager Jon Landau with this rock song, but he catalyzed it. The manager was getting on Springsteen for having no hit single for Born In The U.S.A. Springsteen wasn’t really having that criticism, frustrated that he had already written so many songs for the album and none were satisfactory. Nevertheless, he went back to his room and carved this masterpiece out of thin air.

While this song wasn’t directly a recounting of Springsteen’s fight with Landau, the issues that stemmed from it (creative frustration, etc.) found their way into this hit. Without Landau ruffling Springsteen’s feathers, this song would’ve never come to fruition.

“Black Dog” — Led Zeppelin

Looking at the title of this rock song and listening to it are two entirely different experiences. The melody and themes in this famous track don’t exactly point to a warm and fuzzy animal. Nevertheless, the initial inspiration was indeed a black dog that visited the studio where Led Zeppelin were recording.

Of course, the band took that idea and ran with it to places that barely apply to the original inspiration, but there’s a lot to thank that surprise studio visitor for when it comes to this Zeppelin classic.

(Photo by Robert Knight Archive/Redferns)

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