Songs of true stories that happened to the songwriter(s)

"Come Monday" - Jimmy Buffett ---- Written for/about Jane Slagsvol (was to be his wife) who he missed while touring. They were broke when they made this video. Monday's were when he usually could get home from the tours and most people were going to work.
This video has an intro of Buffet in his later years telling about the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKGw_hrlaOY 

The Prophet’s Song - Queen

Written by Guitarist Brian May about a dream he had about a Noah-esque flood.

"Badman's Song" - Tears for Fears with Oleta Adams --

Roland Orzabal wrote this when after a performance on tour the rest of the band and friends went to the rented party room in their hotel. Roland couldn't sleep cause the room was next to his. He didn't want to call that room to complain in case that really wasn't them. So, he listened with his ear to the wall. Many were all complaining about him (Roland). He wrote this song in response. It wasn't originally a duet, but Oleta Adams agreed to sing on the album, so it was reworked. She also plays piano on the track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9wK1LBxZZQ 

Part of the lyrics:

"Heard every word that was said that night
When the light of the world put the world to right
Well here's to the boys back in 628
Where an ear to the wall was a twist of fate
I will shine a blinding light
Through those hearts as black as night
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But as least the seeds of love will be sown"

"Bridge" - Queensryche

Written by Chris Degarmo (lead guitarist). His father walked out on the family when he was young. Then he called him out of the blue after decades. Had a hard time dealing with that and wrote the song. 

  "Trying to mend a bridge that's been blown apart,
But you know you never built it dad."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxxrKSUkPQc 

Don't Stop Believin - Journey

This Hit for Journey was inspired by a conversation their keyboardist, Jonathan Cain, had with his father shortly after he moved to LA in hopes of landing a big break. "I said, 'Dad, should I just give up on this thing and come home? It seems like I might be pushing it back to Chicago.' 'No, no, don't come home. Stick to your guns. Don't stop believin'. I went, 'OK.'"

"Gimme Three Steps" - Lynyrd Skynyrd

Ronnie Van Zant, when he was 18 with a fake id went to a bar and Rossington and Allen Collins waited for him in a truck, they were younger. Van Zant danced with a girl named Linda, who had a boyfriend that apparently disapproved. He came up to Ronnie and started reaching for something in his boot. Thinking it was a gun Ronnie said: "If you're going to shoot me it's going to be in the **bleep** or the elbows... just gimme a few steps and I'll be gone." He ran to the truck, and he, Rossington, and Collins wrote this song that night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SM3jgkChV6M 

"Bitter Taste" - Billy Idol (2021)

-- In 1990, Billy ran a stop sign on his Harley and was hit by a car. Nearly lost his leg. Had a steel rod in leg and a hole and a fractured arm. He decided it was a wake up call and got clean from drugs. Lost the part he was going to play in the 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' movie. He wasn't able to write about it for 30 years. During the pandemic, he wrote this song about the accident. Written with with his guitarist and co-writer Steve Stevens, along with writers Tommy English and Joe Janiak.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHndHseXKQU 

"Broken" - Seether (Not to be confused with other "Broken" titles)

Written when Shaun Morgan and the band were moving to the U.S. and his wife and daughter wouldn't go with him and broke apart the marriage and family. It was put on their 2002 album.

In 2004, while he was dating Amy Lee of  Evanescence, Shaun reworked the song into a duet and wrote strings into it. The song was included in the movie "The Punisher".

First version - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bHbCib2k6E 

Second version with Amy Lee - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPC2Fp7IT7o 

Cover of the Rolling Stone, Dr. Hook&

the Medicine Show

Satirizes success in the music business. In

the song they lament never being on the

Cover of RS, despite their superficial

attributes. As the song was riding high on

the charts, RS finally caved and put them 

on the cover, but in caricature form and only

of 3 of the 7 members. Their groups name

was not used, the caption read What’s-their-

names-make the cover. Satirical indeed 🎼💜

"I'm Losing You" - John Lennon (also known as Winston O'Boogie)

 --- Written in June 1980 when he thought something was wrong with his relationship with Yoko because he could not get her on the phone. They producers first brought in Cheap Trick's guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos to play for the recording (12 August 1980), however, they brought in studio musicians for the 1980 release (a few weeks before his murder). The Cheap Trick version was included on the 1998 Lennon Anthology.

Cheap Trick on the original recording.

from Double Fantasy album

Cheap Trick did a cover version (2001 I think)