Glen Campbell was already hosting his own variety show (The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour) when he starred in True Grit with John Wayne. Born and raised in rural Arkansas, Campbell was a genuine country boy, so when he came to Los Angeles in the '60s and started working as a session musician, he was often plucked for background scenes in movies, TV shows and photo shoots that required any kind of cowboy type - especially one holding a guitar.
"I Swear" was a #1 country hit for John Michael Montgomery before All-4-One made it a #1 pop hit.
"I Won't Back Down" is a very personal song for Tom Petty. "I thought it wasn't that good because it was so naked," he said.
"Margaritaville" is a state of mind, but it's most associated with Key West, Florida, where Jimmy Buffett moved when he was 24.
Recording "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me," Elton John was frustrated and sang the line "don't discard me" with an exaggerated American accent, which is why is sounds strange.
"Cult of Personality" by Living Colour incorporates speeches by John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X and Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Lou Reed's 11-minute "Street Hassle" features a spoken part by Bruce Springsteen.
The lead singer/lyricist for Anberlin breaks down "Impossible" and covers some tracks from their 2012 album Vital.
Emilio talks about what it's like to write and perform with the Tower of Power horns, and why every struggling band should have a friend like Huey Lewis.
The lead singer of Everclear, Art is also their primary songwriter.
Yngwie Malmsteen and Steve Vai were two of Graham's co-writers for some '80s rock classics.
Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.
For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.