9 Songs Written About Real People, From “Layla” to “Sweet Caroline”

Pop music is full of invented characters, but some of its best-loved songs started with someone who actually existed. A friend, a rival, a child, a painter, a movie star. The names in the lyrics often point to real lives.

The stories behind these nine songs have been told by the writers themselves or well documented over the years. Here they are, in no particular order of importance.

1. “Layla” by Derek and the Dominos

Eric Clapton wrote “Layla” in 1970 while he was deeply in love with Pattie Boyd, who was then married to his close friend George Harrison. The title came from the classic Persian poem about Layla and Majnun, a tale of unreachable love that a friend had introduced him to. Clapton has acknowledged that the song was his way of expressing a longing he couldn’t speak aloud.

The track appeared on the album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. Boyd and Clapton did eventually marry, in 1979, and they divorced in 1989. The piano coda that closes the song is usually credited to drummer Jim Gordon.

2. “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond

For decades, fans guessed who Caroline might be. In 2007, Neil Diamond said the inspiration was Caroline Kennedy, daughter of President John F. Kennedy. He explained that he’d seen a photo of her as a young girl, dressed for horseback riding, in a magazine.

The song was released in 1969 and became a major hit. Diamond said he originally wanted a three syllable name for the melody, and “Caroline” fit. Its place in stadium culture, especially at Boston’s Fenway Park, came much later.

3. “Jolene” by Dolly Parton

Dolly Parton has said “Jolene” drew on two real encounters. One was a red haired bank teller who paid her husband, Carl Dean, a lot of attention. The other was a young fan who asked for an autograph and had the name Jolene.

Parton released the song in 1973, and it’s been covered by artists across many genres. She has described the narrator as pleading rather than angry, and the bank teller story comes from her own interviews. Few songs about jealousy sound so quietly desperate.

4. “Hey Jude” by The Beatles

Paul McCartney wrote the song in 1968 to comfort Julian Lennon, John Lennon’s young son, as his parents’ marriage was ending. McCartney has said he first called it “Hey Jules” and changed the name because “Jude” sounded better. He was driving out to visit Julian and his mother, Cynthia, when the idea came to him.

The Beatles released it as a single in August 1968. At over seven minutes, it was unusually long for a hit of that time. It still topped charts in several countries.

5. “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes

Songwriters Jackie DeShannon and Donna Weiss wrote this song about the film star Bette Davis, whose striking gaze was famous. DeShannon recorded it first in 1974. Kim Carnes later gave it a synthesizer heavy makeover.

Carnes’s version became a huge hit in 1981 and spent several weeks at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100. Davis, then in her seventies, reportedly wrote to the singer and songwriters to thank them. The song introduced the actress to a whole new generation.

6. “Vincent” by Don McLean

Don McLean wrote “Vincent,” also known as “Starry, Starry Night,” as a tribute to painter Vincent van Gogh. The lyrics refer to well known paintings, including The Starry Night, and to the sadness of a gifted artist who struggled with mental illness. McLean has said the idea came while he was reading about the painter’s life.

It came out in 1971 on the album American Pie. The song reached the top of the UK singles chart in 1972. It remains one of the gentlest portraits of an artist ever set to music.

7. “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John

Bernie Taupin wrote the original lyrics about Marilyn Monroe, and Elton John recorded the song in 1973. It reflects on how fame can consume a person, and Taupin has said he was drawn to the way Monroe’s image outlived her. The song appeared on the album Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

In 1997 Taupin rewrote the words for Diana, Princess of Wales, after her death, and John performed it at her funeral. That version became one of the best selling singles in history. Very few songs have been tied to two different real women.

8. “Dear Prudence” by The Beatles

This song was inspired by Prudence Farrow, sister of actress Mia Farrow. In early 1968 she was at an ashram in Rishikesh, India, studying meditation with the Beatles under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. John Lennon wrote it after she became so absorbed in meditation that she stayed in her room.

The Beatles included it on the 1968 double album known as the White Album. Lennon and George Harrison reportedly tried to coax her outside, and the song grew from that. Farrow later became a meditation teacher herself.

9. “Peggy Sue” by Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly’s 1957 hit was originally called “Cindy Lou.” The title changed to “Peggy Sue” in honor of Peggy Sue Gerron, who was dating drummer Jerry Allison of The Crickets. Gerron has said the name swap was meant partly to help Allison win her back after a breakup.

Allison and Gerron did marry, though the marriage didn’t last. The song is known for its stuttering vocal style and Allison’s rolling drum pattern. It’s still one of the defining records of early rock and roll.