Bugs Bunny in drag on that obese horse remains my favourite muse. It may be the greatest television moment of all time, Valkyrie Brünnhilde (Bugs) rides down the hill towards Siegfried (Elmer Fudd) who sings “Ohh Brünnhilde, you are so wuvvley!”
Some fools have tried to top this. In fact, practically anyone who has ever considered themselves a songwriter has probably written a love song for someone, or more specifically, written a song inspired by their muse. There’s not much sense in going through some of my favourite muse-inspired songs, so I decided to look at the muses themselves. Even better, I’m going to focus on popular muses — people who have had songs penned in their honour multiple times, by multiple people.
The first one from my record collection which springs to mind is actress Rosanna Arquette. She’s had two beauties — Rosanna by Toto (she dated keyboard player Steve Porcaro) and In Your Eyes by former boyfriend Peter Gabriel. Paul McCartney dated her as well in 2007, but no known songs were penned from the experience.
Another in my collection is Pattie Boyd, who first gained attention as a young model who took up with George Harrison. The quiet one was quite vocal in his love for the woman who would become Pattie Harrison, penning I Need You, It’s All Too Much, For You Blue and Something about her. But, Harrison’s best friend Eric Clapton also was in love with Boyd, penning Layla for her while she was still married to George. Harrison and Boyd eventually divorced in 1977 and she married Clapton who continued to be inspired by his muse, writing Wonderful Tonight among others.
Pattie’s little sister Jenny Boyd also had something enchanting about her. As a Beatle-in-law, she worked at the Apple Boutique and went with the entourage to India to learn transcendental meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in 1967. Also on the trip was Donovan who, between giving finger-picking lessons to John Lennon, wrote the song Jennifer Juniper about Boyd. It became a Top 5 hit. The Boyd sisters eventually opened a London boutique named Jennifer Juniper.
Boyd and Donovan were never a couple, though the singer freely admitted he had a crush on her. Instead, Boyd was the longtime girlfriend — and eventual wife — of Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood. Truth be told, they married and divorced twice. Mick had been having many affairs, the most notable one being with bandmate Stevie Nicks, who was the girlfriend of Eagles drummer Don Henley at the time.
During her time with Fleetwood, Boyd claims she co-wrote two of his band’s songs. I can’t for the life of me figure out which ones. Dying to find out. I guess I have to buy a copy of her book Jennifer Juniper: A Journey Beyond The Muse. Mick Jagger also claims to have written a song about her, but he won’t reveal which one. Jenny briefly married King Crimson drummer Ian Wallace in the 1980s.
I’ve already mentioned McCartney. While he never wrote any songs about Arquette, he wrote several about his wife Linda, though I’m not sure anybody else did. The same is not true about Lennon’s wife Yoko Ono. Lennon penned so many songs about or partially about her: Julia, The Ballad of John & Yoko, Woman, God, Love, Aisumasen (I’m Sorry), Don’t Let Me Down, Oh Yoko!, I Want You (She’s So Heavy), Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey, Happiness Is A Warm Gun and I’m Losing You.
But there’s also Be My Yoko Ono by Barenaked Ladies, I Love You Oh No by The Plastics, and even one by Ono herself called Mrs. Lennon. You might think she’s the most sung about woman in popular music — but you’d be wrong. That HAS to be Joni Mitchell. There are more than 50, and that’s just according to her own website.
McCartney also wrote love songs for his main Beatles-era muse, Jane Asher. The pair were engaged until she caught him in bed with another woman. They broke up for good in 1968 while The White Album was being recorded. I Want To Hold Your Hand was inspired by Jane, as well as And I Love Her. But things weren’t always rosy — Macca also was inspired to write I’m Looking Through You during one of their less cozy periods. Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight.
Asher, 77, is the sister of Peter Asher of the duo Peter And Gordon, for whom McCartney wrote a number of hits. There are probably a few which were inspired by Jane, but we can also look well beyond this clique for a rather hilariously awful ode. The Australian emo/post hardcore/screamo/metal band The Chosen Rejects have an entire album about her called — suitably — Songs About Jane Asher. Suffice to say it’s offensive satire. Some of the choice cuts include: I Time-Traveled Back To 1966 To Kill Paul McCartney So I Could Have Jane Asher To Myself and Whenever I’m Down And Out, I Look At A Picture Of Jane Asher And Suddenly Everything’s Okay.
June Child was the partner of three rock stars and the friend of a great many more. In 1966 and 67 she worked for Peter Jenner’s Blackhill Enterprises, which managed the fledgling Pink Floyd. She became involved with the band’s leader Syd Barrett. I can’t say for sure what songs he wrote which may have been inspired by her, but a safe bet might be the bridge in Floyd’s third single Apples And Oranges:
“I love she
She loves me
See you
See you
See you.”
As Barrett’s drug use increased and his mental stability slipped, the relationship ended and Child got together with another Blackhill artist — Marc Bolan. The pair eventually wed and she took the T. Rex frontman’s name. June Bolan is often described as Marc’s partner, lover, minder and muse. A great many T. Rex songs were inspired by his love for her. One imagines the hit Bang A Gong (Get It On) probably was, though she may have taken issue with being described as being “built like a car.”
“Well, you’re windy and wild
You’ve got the blues in your shoes and your stockings
You’re windy and wild, oh yeah
Well you’re built like a car
You’ve got a hubcap diamond star halo
You’re dirty, sweet and you’re my girl.”
June’s next major relationship was a long-term one with Arrows drummer Paul Varley, with whom she had a daughter. June died of a heart attack in 1994 while on vacation in Turkey.
Having actually met Judy Collins, I can tell you from experience that she is a definite muse. She is a lovely, stunning woman with the most startlingly captivating eyes I’ve ever seen. No surprise Stephen Stills focused on that when he wrote the Suite: Judy Blue Eyes for Crosby, Stills & Nash. The song looks at the pair’s relationship and breakup:
“Tearing yourself away from me now you are free
And I am crying
This does not mean I don’t love you
I do, that’s forever
Yes and for always
I am yours, you are mine
You are what you are
You make it hard.”
Bob Dylan also penned a famous ballad about Collins, but one of friendship — I’ll Keep It With Mine.
Cat Stevens wrote two songs about former girlfriend, Andy Warhol actress Patti D’Arbanville — Lady D’Arbanville from 1970’s Mona Bone Jakon is about the end of their relationship and the better-known Wild World, about moving on apart.
Both Freddie Mercury and David Bowie had one-offs with late Princess Leia actress Carrie Fisher, but I doubt they wrote songs about her. At least none that I know of for certain. However, after 12 years together, Paul Simon certainly did. Fisher herself claimed the title track from Graceland was inspired by the end of their tumultuous marriage. By contrast, Simon’s biggest hit 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover was inspired by the end of one relationship to begin a new one with Fisher. Simon also wrote Hearts And Bones about Fisher in the leadup to their wedding and She Moves On afterward.
I believe the first muse song I ever heard was Candle In The Wind by Elton John. The lyrics, penned by Bernie Taupin, are all about late film star and beauty icon Marilyn Monroe. There are, of course, probably hundreds of songs which mention or refer to her by name. In my own collection you’ll find Glenn Danzing’s first single after the disbandment of The Misfits — Who Killed Marilyn? Suggesting the star’s death was no suicide, the song has one pretty awful and needlessly profane verse about decomposition, but the refrain is:
“It ain’t a mystery
Baby, not to me.”
Government Hooker by Lady Gaga explores the alleged affair between Monroe and JFK, while both Nicki Minaj and Pharrell Williams have songs actually called Marilyn Monroe.
Both Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen have versions of Jersey Girl, written by Waits about Kathleen Brennan, who would eventually become his wife. She’s better than his muse — she co-writes most of his material and is referred to by Tom as the more daring one: “This is for Kathleen…”
Finally, seeing as Joni Mitchell isn’t available on Spotify anymore, we can instead enjoy a lengthy playlist of songs about her:
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Area Resident is an Ottawa-based journalist, recording artist, music collector and re-seller. Hear (and buy) his music on Bandcamp, email him HERE, follow him on Instagram and check him out on Discogs.
