This week:
Music Question: Songs Written About the Exact Same Woman
Next: My weekly new music radio show. Week 1052. Our Notable Songs of June 2026.
Musical Thoughts. Kate Snow Live (and The Drink with Eric Andre)
When different songwriters run in the same circles, a single “muse” can end up inspiring entirely different corners of music history. It is fascinating to see how one person can be viewed through completely different musical lenses—ranging from sweet acoustic adoration to full-blown, stadium-rocking guitar meltdowns. Depending on who is holding the pen, the exact same relationship can look like a sweet, sun-drenched pop anthem or a dark, passive-aggressive art-rock warning track. Same muse, completely different therapy sessions. Proof that inspiration is entirely in the eye—and the broken heart—of the beholder.
Instead of just inspiring a single diary entry, they sparked entirely different classic tracks that stood the test of time long after the relationships hit the rocks. Here are some examples of completely different songs written about the exact same woman.
Perhaps no one has inspired more legendary, distinct rock anthems than British model Pattie Boyd. She was caught in one of music’s most famous love triangles. Serving as the direct inspiration for massive hits by both George Harrison and Eric Clapton (proving that the best way to get over a friend’s wife is to write a multi-platinum album about her).
“Something” by The Beatles (Written by George Harrison): Written while they were married. This is a tender, sweeping declaration of love. Frank Sinatra famously called it the “greatest love song ever written”.
“Layla” by Derek and the Dominos (Eric Clapton): While Pattie was still married to George, Clapton fell desperately in love with her. “Layla” is the result—an intense, roaring, anguished plea born out of unrequited obsession..
“Wonderful Tonight” by Eric Clapton: Fast forward a few years—Pattie and George divorced, and she married Clapton. This quiet ballad was written while waiting for her to get ready for a Buddy Holly tribute party.
The legendary folk singer-songwriter was at the center of the late-’60s counterculture scene. She captured the hearts of several prominent musicians who turned their heartbreak into incredible literature.
“Suite: Judy Blue Eyes” by Crosby, Stills & Nash: Stephen Stills wrote this sprawling, multi-part song as a desperate, harmony-drenched attempt to keep Collins from leaving him. (Spoiler: It didn’t work, though she loved the song—nothing says “we are breaking up” quite like a seven-minute folk-rock masterpiece).
“So Begins the Task” by CSNY: Another Stills track, but a completely different vibe. Where “Suite” is frantic and longing - this one is a quiet, acoustic acceptance of romantic defeat (basically the 1970s acoustic version of “it is what it is”).
“Chelsea Morning” by Joni Mitchell: While not a romantic song about her, Joni Mitchell wrote this vivid track about her apartment. But it so perfectly captured Collins’ bright, early-career energy that Collins famously covered it and made it a staple of her own setlists (because if someone writes a song that matches your vibe that perfectly, you might as well steal it).
The 1960s underground icon, Andy Warhol superstar, and socialite left a massive wake in the NYC music scene. Deeply impacting both the folk-rock and art-rock worlds.
“Just Like a Woman” & “Leopard-Skin Pill-Box Hat” by Bob Dylan: Dylan had a brief, intense relationship with Sedgwick in the mid-60s. “Just Like a Woman” captures her fragile, high-society vulnerability. “Pill-Box Hat” takes a sharp, satirical aim at her high-fashion sensibilities (because Bob just couldn’t resist a good passive-aggressive fashion critique). (and he’s a dick). (not sure I needed he’s a dick in ()’s but here we are).
“Femme Fatale” by The Velvet Underground: Written by Lou Reed at the explicit request of Andy Warhol. Mr Warhol wanted a song about Edie. It is a cynical, stark portrait warning the listener about a woman who will “build you up just to put you down” (leave it to Lou Reed to turn a friend’s personality traits into a cautionary tale).
Before the mid-60s explosion, Suze Rotolo was Bob Dylan’s girlfriend—the woman walking arm-in-arm with him on the iconic cover of The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan. Her move to Italy to study left Dylan devastated. She sparks two entirely different classic tracks (and proving that study abroad programs are great for music history).
“Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” by Bob Dylan: The bitter, bittersweet side of the coin. It’s a harsh but beautiful goodbye track. He’s masking the pain of her absence with a shrug of the shoulders. (the original “I don’t even care anyway” text message).
“Boots of Spanish Leather” by Bob Dylan: A pure, hauntingly melancholic dialogue in song form. It tracks the letters sent across the Atlantic, charting the slow, agonizing realization that love is fading across the ocean (which is a very poetic way of getting dumped via international mail).
The British actress and singer became the ultimate embodiment of French chic and the defining muse of legendary provocateur Serge Gainsbourg. Their creative and romantic partnership resulted in some of the most beautiful—and scandalous—pop music ever recorded.
“Je t’aime... moi non plus” by Serge Gainsbourg & Jane Birkin: Originally written for Brigitte Bardot (awkward). Gainsbourg re-recorded this breathtaking, famously explicit track with Birkin. It became a global sensation, topping charts while simultaneously being banned by radio stations and condemned by the Vatican (which, let’s be honest, is the ultimate marketing strategy).
“Ballade de Melody Nelson” by Serge Gainsbourg: The title track of their landmark 1971 concept album. Where Je t’aime was a direct explosion of passion, this track is dark, cinematic, and atmospheric. A sprawling, bass-heavy orchestration of Gainsbourg’s obsession with a character completely modeled after Birkin (just in case the first song didn’t make his obsession obvious enough).
In the 1980s, actress Rosanna Arquette was the ultimate Hollywood muse, running in elite musical circles and leaving a trail of massive pop and rock hits in her wake.
“Rosanna” by Toto: Written by David Paich, the song wasn’t technically directly about her. It was named after her because she was dating Toto keyboardist Steve Porcaro at the time. The band used her name as a placeholder, and it stuck. Creating an upbeat, horn-driven arena anthem (imagine having a massive ‘80s hit named after you just because you were standing in the room when they needed a lyric).
“In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel: After her relationship with Porcaro, Arquette lived with Peter Gabriel for several years. This soaring, aching masterpiece—immortalized in the movie Say Anything—was directly inspired by her. It captures a deep, spiritual level of romantic devotion (a slight upgrade from being a lyrical placeholder for Toto).
“She Makes Me Laugh” by The Monkees: Written decades later by Rivers Cuomo of Weezer for The Monkees’ 2016 album Good Times!. This charming, power-pop track was inspired by Cuomo’s own public, long-standing appreciation for Arquette’s classic ‘80s energy and charm.
“Men have three choices when it comes to women: love them, suffer for them, or turn them into literature.”
— Stephen Stills (And let’s be real, most rockstars choose all three in the span of one weekend).
Hold up, we aren’t quite done yet—we’ve got room for exactly one more headliner. We could have just made this whole post about her and called it a day. She’s a double album all by herself. Let’s close it out with the ultimate queen of the liner notes.
Few artists have commanded a room, a stage, or a writer’s room quite like Stevie Nicks. With her flowing shawls, platform boots, and a vocal rasp that could cut through concrete. She basically hijacked their instruments and rewrote their chord progressions (and made them money).
Nicks wrote her fair share of legendary tracks about them AND she was also the direct target for an incredible array of songs written by the men (and women) caught in her orbit.
To call their relationship “turbulent” is like calling a category 5 hurricane a gentle spring breeze. They didn’t just have standard relationship drama. Oh no. They essentially turned emotional warfare into a highly profitable business model.
They joined Fleetwood Mac as a package deal, broke up almost immediately, and then spent the next forty years forcing each other to sing harmonies on the brutal tracks they wrote about one another.
“Stephanie” (1973) by Buckingham Nicks: Before the fame, the cheating, and the stadium tours, there was just an acoustic instrumental. Written by Lindsey as a pure, finger-picked love song to Nicks, he used her real birth name—Stephanie Lynn Nicks—for the title. (A rare moment of instrumental peace before the lyrical warfare began).
“Go Your Own Way” (1977) by Fleetwood Mac: The ultimate passive-aggressive rock anthem. Written by Lindsey shortly after their breakup, Nicks famously expressed distress over the line “shacking up’s all you wanna do”. She begged him to take it out, but he kept it in (proving that petty behavior can be incredibly lucrative if you put a good drum beat behind it).
Stevie has gone on record calling Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh the “greatest love of her life.” It was a relationship fueled by standard ‘80s rock-star overindulgence, and it ended because they both realized they wouldn’t survive the decade if they stayed together.
“The Confessor” by Joe Walsh: This heavy, slow-burning art-rock track was written during the height of their chaotic, fast-lane romance. It reflects the deep, internal searching and personal demons they were both wrestling with at the time—a stark, gritty look behind the velvet curtains of rock stardom.
During a brief, high-flying late-’70s window, the Fleetwood Mac and Eagles universes collided when Stevie dated Don Henley. The relationship was brief, intense, and resulted in some heavy emotional baggage—and, of course, hit records.
“Hotel California” by The Eagles: While the song is broadly a dark metaphor for the excess of the Los Angeles music industry, Nicks has subtly hinted over the years that some of the specific, surreal imagery of the “witchy” woman with the “Mercedes bends” was a direct nod to her specific brand of dark-bohemian glamour.
“The Boys of Summer” by Don Henley: Written in the ‘80s well after they parted ways, this track is drenched in the nostalgia of looking back at past youth and lost love. Henley explicitly admitted that the famous line “I saw a Deadhead sticker on a Cadillac” was inspired by seeing Stevie driving around LA in her luxury car with a Grateful Dead decal slapped on the back. (Because nothing says “counter-culture rock star” quite like a bumper sticker on a car that costs more than a house).
Stevie famously wanted to be in Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers—so much so that she practically forced her way into Petty’s life until he gave up and became her lifelong best friend and platonic soulmate.
“Insider” (1981) by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Written by Petty specifically for Nicks after they became close friends. The irony? Petty fell so deeply in love with his own creation that he ultimately couldn’t part with it and kept it for his own album, Hard Promises. Stevie had to settle for singing breathtaking backup vocals on it instead.
Stevie’s influence didn’t stop with her direct ‘70s romantic partners. It rippled out to fellow touring buddies and the ‘90s alternative rock royalty who grew up worshipping her vibe.
“Stevie Baby” (1990) by Dave Stewart: Written by the Eurythmics after spending some intense, late-night creative time with Nicks in the recording studio. It captures that hypnotic, slightly exhausting spell she tended to cast on fellow producers and musicians.
“Malibu” (1998) by Hole: Written by Courtney Love (with heavy assistance from Billy Corgan), this sun-drenched, melancholic alternative track was heavily inspired by Nicks’ high-profile lifestyle during her time living in Malibu. It serves as a modern grunge-pop homage to the darker side of California glamour that Stevie pioneered.
“We were couple-y for a hot minute. But mostly, we were just a bunch of musicians trying to survive each other.” — Don Henley (Translation: It was a miracle anyone walked away from the ‘70s with their songwriting credits intact).
Turn it up!
Welcome into week 1052 of NEXT. This week is our Notable Songs of June 2026. At the end of every single month, we like to look back, review, and remind ourselves of the great new music we’ve played over the last few weeks on this show. If you’ve missed an episode, this is your quick way to catch completely up. These are the standouts that made the final list for the month. Turn it up, let’s start the discovery.
This track rolls out of the speakers with a brilliant, collaborative energy and a driving rhythm that makes you feel like you’re sitting in the back of a smoky club watching a supergroup just catch fire. Sounds like: The Traveling Wilburys and Dawes.
One of the most iconic guitar architects in rock history delivers a track that hits the ground running. It’s packed with his signature fluid, shimmering fretwork and a relentless driving energy that commands your full attention. Sounds like: The Smiths and Electronic.
If you are a sucker for gorgeous, crystal-clear vocal harmonies and timeless power-pop songwriting, this is your sweet spot today. It’s a crisp, beautifully crafted tune that gives your ears an instant reason to smile. Sounds like: Teenage Fanclub and The Posies.
Get ready for a brilliant explosion of nineties-tinted alternative rock that is both completely cathartic and deeply melodic. It hits with a shimmering, driving guitar line and an urgent energy that demands you turn the volume up a couple of notches. Sounds like: Soccer Mommy and Wolf Alice.
This project brings a fantastic mix of raw, distorted noise and undeniable pop hooks. It’s fuzzy, slightly chaotic, and carries a beautifully melodic core that proves you can mix grit with an absolute earworm of a chorus. Sounds like: Dinosaur Jr. and Guided By Voices.
Get ready to be completely mesmerized by some incredible guitar-driven rock and roll coming straight out of Ireland. This duo brings a fierce, vintage swagger and infectious hooks that will have you under their spell before the first chorus hits. Sounds like: Fleetwood Mac and Royal Blood.
If you need a track that feels like the perfect soundtrack for a long, late-night drive with the windows down, this is it. It’s got a beautiful, rolling indie groove that completely wraps around you and refuses to rush. Sounds like: Real Estate and The War on Drugs.
For the lovers of the beautifully weird and the brilliantly fuzzy, this track is your perfect playground. It’s a glitchy, unpredictable indie-rock journey that balances sweet, low-key melodies with chaotic bursts of guitar noise. Sounds like: Momma and MJ Lenderman.
This is a brilliant slice of modern alternative rock that relies on a driving bassline and a tight, nervous energy. It slowly builds its way up into a massive sonic landscape that demands you turn the volume up a notch. Sounds like: Interpol and Editors.
This track is an absolute dreamscape of sound. It layers shimmering guitars and ethereal vocals over a driving beat, creating a beautiful wall of alternative noise that completely pulls you in. Sounds like: Bully and Beabadoobee.
When one of the most iconic voices in rock history teams up with a powerful youth-music mentorship program, magic happens. This track hits with a massive, soul-lifting rock energy and a soaring chorus that acts as a total reminder of why we fall in love with music in the first place. Sounds like: Pearl Jam and U2.
Emily Haines and company are back with a tight, pulsating electronic rocker that feels like a countdown timer ticking away in a room full of dynamite. It’s sleek, danceable, and carries that signature dangerous edge they perfect. Sounds like: Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Phantogram.
Raw, heavy, and unapologetically honest storytelling. It hits you with a gritty, deep-south alternative edge that feels like a heavy rain on dusty ground, tackling heritage and heart with massive emotional weight. Sounds like: Chris Stapleton and Nirvana.
This track builds an absolute kaleidoscope of sound, delivering a tight, infectious indie-groove. Rhythmic tension and release. It’s warm, adventurous, and packed with the kind of musical craftsmanship that completely fills the room. Sounds like: The War on Drugs and Phish.
We are closing out this month’s review with a brilliant, driving slice of underground guitar pop that hits the ground running and never looks back. It’s packed with crisp hooks, jangly guitars, and a frantic energy that will completely clear out the static in your day. Sounds like: R.E.M. and Guided By Voices.
And that wraps up our look back at the notable sounds of June 2026. Thank you so much for navigating the noise with me, showing up every week, and giving your valuable time to new music. Remember the rule of NEXT: these artists only survive if we show up for them, so find your favorites from today, buy a record, and share the noise. I’m Chris Bro, stay curious, and I’ll see you back here next week. Turn it up.
I can’t say it better so I’ll just let Kate explain. This is from Kate’s email.
I’ll be singing soon! If you’re local, come out to Constitution Park in Larchmont on Thursday July 16 to hear the newly-named Snowdrift! Tunes start at 7:30.
This is their playlist. Not too bad. PS: please listen to her version of “Because The Night”.
Bonus because I’m proud. Listen or watch some or all of The Drink with Kate Snow (she’s done over 50 - there are some amazing people and interviews). Links below.
Kate’s newsletter: Ok I knew about the Eric Andre Show going in to the latest taping for my show The Drink. For about a decade, Eric pretended to be an inept talk show host but really it was just an insane spoof where he pranked his guests & did things you couldn’t believe you were seeing on TV (think bear attacks, chainsaw to the desk, stripping naked).
So I was fully prepared for Eric Andre to prank me. He said he wanted to drink mojitos, but would they REALLY be mojitos? They were. Though he joked that he put psychadelics in mine. Turns out, he just wanted to have a meandering conversation filled with hilarious moments and a lot of introspection about what it takes to do comedy on his level.
The part where he grills me on where I met Chris and then proceeds to find tape of me from the 1990s on a local station in New Mexico is mortifying but also brilliant. It took me hours to put together this podcast because he was so all over the place!
It’s actually hard to describe this so you’ll just have to listen to “The Drink” podcast wherever you get your podcasts. And please follow to get The Drink every month.
Or… you can watch the video episode here or on Youtube here.
Work-related end note— we just moved into a new studio for NBC News Daily and it is awesome! You can find me there every single weekday from 2-4pm ET. Stream it wherever you get content- so like Hulu, Roku, Peacock… Some of you see me on your local NBC affiliate too. And please follow me on Instagram, Facebook, X, Threads: @tvkatesnow is me.
Happy Summer!
Kate
And if you love someone hug them right now.
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