Music
Wake Me Up When September Ends: The Story Behind the Song
"Wake Me Up When September Ends" is Green Day's grief song, written about the death of Billie Joe Armstrong's father in September 1982, when…
Music
Some songs stick for decades. Others become global hits by accident. This category digs into the real stories behind iconic tracks - the people, moments, feuds and forgotten facts that turned melodies into legends. From folk traditions to chart-toppers, we look at why certain songs refuse to fade away.
Music articles
Music
Jolene: The Story Behind the Song
Dolly Parton wrote "Jolene" after a red-haired bank teller flirted with her husband; the name came from an 8-year-old fan. It topped the…
Music
I Will Always Love You: The Story Behind the Song
Dolly Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" as a 1973 goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Whitney Houston's cover made it a global hit, now a…
Music
Dama Dam Mast Qalandar: The Story Behind the Sufi Anthem
Dama Dam Mast Qalandar is the Sufi qawwali sung for Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. Who the saint was, who really wrote the song, and the composer…
Music
Ove Janiya - The Story Behind the Song - And the Legend of Sohni Mahiwal
The famous line "kacche ghade pe sohni beh gayi, deta gavahi Chenaab re" from Ove Janiya hides a centuries-old Punjabi tragedy. Here is the…
Music
Ring Around the Rosie: The Plague Myth Explained
Everyone says Ring Around the Rosie is about the Black Death. Folklorists say it is not. Here is the rhyme's real, surprisingly recent…
Music
Happy Birthday to You: Who Actually Wrote It?
The world's most-sung song has a surprisingly contested past. We trace who really wrote Happy Birthday to You and how the melody became…
Music
Moye Moye: How a Serbian Blues Line Went Viral
Moye moye swept through memes and feeds, but the phrase runs deeper than the trend. Here is how one haunting Serbian song line went viral.
Music
Ho Jamalo: The Story Behind the Song (Not Dahi Jamalo)
Ho Jamalo is the Sindhi folk song that travelled from folklore to the blockbuster charts. We tell the real story behind the name and its…