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Alphabetical order by song title

List of autobiographical songs

• "1968" by The Incredible String Band (Mike Heron directly addresses Robin Williamson)
• "2000 Light Years Away" by Green Day (about the first time lead singer,
• Billie Joe Armstrong kissed his girlfriend, now wife, Adrienne Armstrong, formerly Adrienne Nesser, and being apart for a while)
• "And It Stoned Me" by Van Morrison about a day in his childhood fishing with a friend.
• "Alive 'n' Kickin' by Kenny Loggins about his road to stardom
• A Quitter" by Rasputina is Melora Creager's suicide note.
• "Autobiography" by Ashlee Simpson
• "Ballad of John and Yoko" by The Beatles
• "Ballad in Plain D" by Bob Dylan (about Suze Rotolo and her sister)
• "Ballad of Billy the Kid" by Billy Joel
• "Ballad Of Moon Dog Mayne" by Ricky Ringside written by Deanna Summers
• "Brian" by Brian Wilson
• "Brian is Back" by The Beach Boys
• "Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy" by Elton John (About John's songwriting partnership with Bernie Taupin)
• "Chelsea Hotel No 2" by Leonard Cohen (1975—about Janis Joplin) [1]
• "Childhood" by Michael Jackson
• "Choppin" Wood" by Van Morrison written after his father died
• " The Circle Game" by Joni Mitchell (about Neil Young, in particular his song about growing up "Sugar Mountain")
• "Cleanin' Out My Closet" by Eminem (about his childhood and his mother)
• "Cleaning Windows" by Van Morrison about his first job after finishing school in Belfast Northern Ireland
• "Close My Eyes" by Mariah Carey (about her troubled childhood)
• "Clown" by Mariah Carey (about Eminem)
• "Cosmia" by Joanna Newsom is about the death and importance of her best friend.
• "Coal Miner's Daughter" by Loretta Lynn (about her childhood in Kentucky)
• "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" by Lindsay Lohan (about her father and his cruelty towards her mother)
• "Conversations with My 13 Year Old Self" by Pink
• "Creeque Alley" by The Mamas & the Papas (describes how the band was formed)
• "Descendents" by The Descendents (about the band)

[edit]

E-I

• "Early 1970" by Ringo Starr (about The Beatles)
• "Emily" by Joanna Newsom is about her sister, Emily.
• "Fall to Pieces" by Velvet Revolver (about lead singer Scott Weiland's drug problem)
• "Family Portrait" by Pink
• "Feelin better" by Hank Williams, Jr. (1977 album "The New South")
• "The Glen" by Bradley Joseph (instrumentally describes his experience on a cross-country trip)
• "Gangsters" by The Specials (supposedly about the Two-Tone band's former manager Bernie Rhodes, who also managed The Clash)
• "Go Leave" by Kate McGarrigle (about Loudon Wainwright III, Kate's first husband)
• "Green Day" by Green Day (about lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong's first experience with Marijuana)
• "Happy Birthday, Darling" by Gene Summers (song he wrote for his wife Dea during their first year of marriage)
• "Howard Hughes by Rasputina is about Howard Hughes
• "Harold Of The Rocks" by Primus (about how Les Claypool met original guitarist Todd Huth)
• "Hey Jude" by The Beatles (Written for John Lennon's son Julian after John's divorce)
• "History Lesson Part 1" by Minutemen
• "Home" by Alan Jackson (contains direct references to Alan's early life)
• "Home To McComb" by Bo Diddley (Bo Diddley was born in the town of McComb in south-west Mississippi)
• "How Do you Sleep?" by John Lennon (John criticizes Paul McCartney's music since
• The Beatles' break-up " the only thing you done was "Yesterday" and since you've gone it's just "Another Day")
• "I Miss You" by Randy Newman (Randy speaks directly to his first wife)
• "I Think That I Would Die" by Hole (about Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain's daughter custody removal)
• "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock 'n Roll Band)" by The Moody Blues
• "I'm OK" by Christina Aguilera (Aguilera speaks out about her abusive father)

[edit]

J-Q

• "Johnny Was" by Bob Marley (about the notorious Jamaican "rude boy" Trevor Wilson, who was the brother of Bob's former labelmate Delroy Wilson)
• "Journey to the End" by Rancid (about Operation Ivy which shared two members)
• "Jules and Jim" by The Who (about the British journalist Julie Burchill and her relationship with Tony Parsons)
• "Julia" by The Beatles (about John Lennon's mother)
• "Killer, The" by Joe Hardin Brown. Produced by Gene Summers (song about Jerry Lee Lewis)
• "Last Time I Saw Richard, The" by Joni Mitchell (about Joni's first husband)
• "Layla" by Eric Clapton (about his unrequited love for George Harrison's wife Patti Boyd)
• "Letter, The" by The Incredible String Band (about Mike, Rose and a fan)
• "Like It Or Not" by Madonna
• "Liverpool 8" by Ringo Starr (about his life with The Beatles)
• "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw (about his father)
• "Look at Me" by Geri Halliwell
• "Love In An Elevator" by Aerosmith (about a sexual encounter Steven Tyler had with two women in an elevator)
• "Mockingbird" by Eminem (about his children and wife)
• "Mother" by John Lennon (about John's mother and father)
• "Mr. Bad Guy" by Freddie Mercury (realistically, a self-describing song)
• "My Book" by The Beautiful South (about Heaton's life up to the formation of the band)
• "My World" by Avril Lavigne
• "Of Mice and Men" by Megadeth (about lead singer Dave Mustaine's life during his career)
• "Only a Miracle" by Kenny Loggins (written for his first son Crosby)
• "Orange County Girl" by Gwen Stefani (about her life since the days before No Doubt)
• "Outta Here" by KRS-One (about his rise to hip-hop fame)
• "Nutbush City Limits" by Tina Turner (portraits everyday life in her childhood home, Nutbush, Tennessee)
• "No It Isn't" by +44 (concerning the break-up of blink-182.)
• "No More No More" by Aerosmith (about life as a touring band)
• "No Surprize" by Aerosmith (also about life as a touring band)
• "Piano Man" by Billy Joel
• "Playdough" by The Aquabats is a song about how life was easier when you were a kid and could play with Star Wars action figures
• "Que fait-tu lá, Petula?" by Petula Clark spoofs the British public's reaction to her success in France

[

R-Z

• "Remnants of Percy Bass" by Rasputina is about the interior decorator.
• "Rabbit Run" by Eminem (about Jimmy Smith's life... from the 8 Mile movie soundtrack)
• "Rite of Spring" by Angels & Airwaves (about Tom DeLonge's teenage years and the beginnings of blink-182)
• "The Real Thing" by Kenny Loggins about his divorce from his first wife and describing it to his newborn daughter
• "Rosanna" by (Toto) about (Rosanna Arquette) dating Steve Porcaro at the time
• "Rock and Roll Band" by Boston about their early playing days
• "Retard Girl" by Hole (about Courtney Love's bullying at school)
• "Revelation" by D12 (about the childhood of each member)
• "Sara" by Bob Dylan (about his first wife)
• "Serve the Servants" by Nirvana (about Kurt's lifelong angst)
• "Shadow" by Ashlee Simpson
• "She" by Green Day (about self-confidence and self-esteem problems faced by lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong's former girlfriend)
• "She Has A Girlfriend Now" by Reel Big Fish (about a girl who dumped songwirter Aaron Barrett for another girl)
• "Sliding Through Life on Charm" by Marianne Faithfull
• "Slipping Through My Fingers" by ABBA (inspired by the daughter of band members Björn Ulvaeus and Agnetha Fältskog,
• who had recently started school at the time the song was recorded)
• "Solsbury Hill" by Peter Gabriel (inspired by his departure from Genesis)
• "Son of Evil" by GG Allin
• "Story of Bo Diddley" (aka "My Story") by Bo Diddley (relates Bo Diddley's birth in McComb, Mississippi and his move to Chicago, Illinois to find fame)
• "Sunset Strip" by Courtney Love
• "Sweet Children" by Green Day (about Green Day when before they changed their name to "Green Day" from "Sweet Children")
• "T.B. Blues" by Jimmie Rodgers (about his tuberculosis), cited in the book
• Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music as one the first truly autobiographical songs.
• "Teenage Whore" by Hole (about Courtney Love's stripper career before fame)
• "Tenterfield Saddler" by Peter Allen about his childhood and Australia and marriage to Liza Minnelli
• "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley (about and for his girlfriend, the former Miss World Cindy Brakespeare)
• "To Try for the Sun" by Donovan (about his early days on the road)
• "Two Twenty Nine" by Brave Saint Saturn (deals with the death of Reese Ropers grandmother)
• "Two Rivers" by Petula Clark
• "Undergoing Treatment"
• by Duran Duran (about how the band has been chronically mistreated
• by the music press and establishment and how it has been coping with the downward slide in their overall popularity)
• The album Wall, The by Pink Floyd; autobiography of lead songwriter Roger Waters
• "Wild Man Fischer Story, The" by Wild Man Fischer
• "Williams' Blood" by Grace Jones (about Jones' career and relationship with her family)
• "We Three" by Patti Smith (about her relationships with Jim Carroll and Robert Mapplethorpe at the same time in the 1970s)
• "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day (about the death of Billie Joe Armstrong's father)
• "What's Your Favorite Color" by Living Colour
• "When We was Fab" by George Harrison (about The Beatles)
• "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?" by Arctic Monkeys
• "With Arms Wide Open" by Creed (about lead singer Scott Stapp's son, Jagger Stapp)
• "Your Mother and I" by Loudon Wainwright III (see "Go Leave")

[edit]

Alphabetical order by artist name

[edit]

A-B

• ABBA's "Slipping Through My Fingers" (inspired by the daughter of band members Björn Ulvaeus and
• Agnetha Fältskog, who had recently started school at the time the song was recorded)
• Aerosmith's "Love In An Elevator" (about a sexual encounter Steven Tyler had with two women in an elevator)
• Aerosmith's "No More No More" (about life as a touring band)
• Aerosmith's "No Surprize" (also about life as a touring band)
• Christina Aguilera's "I'm OK" (Aguilera speaks out about her abusive father)
• Angels & Airwaves' "Rite of Spring" (about Tom DeLonge's teenage years and the beginnings of blink-182)
• The Aquabats' "Playdough" is a song about how life was easier when you were a kid and could play with Star Wars action figures
• The Arctic Monkeys' "Who the Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?"
• The Beach Boys' "Brian is Back"
• The Beatles' "Ballad of John and Yoko"
• The Beatles' "Julia" (about John Lennon's mother)
• Boston's "Rock and Roll Band" about their early playing days
• Brave Saint Saturn's "Two Twenty Nine" (deals with the death of Reese Ropers grandmother)

[edit]

C-E

• Mariah Carey's "Close My Eyes" (about her troubled childhood)
• Mariah Carey's "Clown" (about Eminem)
• Eric Clapton's "Layla" (about his unrequited love for George Harrison's wife Patti Boyd)
• Petula Clark's "Que fait-tu lá, Petula?" spoofs the British public's reaction to her success in France
• Petula Clark's "Two Rivers"
• Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel No 2" (1975—about Janis Joplin) [2]
• Celph Titled's "I Could Write A Rhyme" (about his musical career)
• Creed's "With Arms Wide Open" (about lead singer Scott Stapp's son, Jagger Stapp)
• Crosby, Stills and Nash's "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" (about Judy Collins)
• Crosby, Stills and Nash's "4 + 20" (about Stephen Stills)
• D12's "Revelation" (about the childhood of each member)
• The Descendents' "Descendents" (about the band)
• Bo Diddley's "Home To McComb" (Bo Diddley was born in the town of McComb in south-west Mississippi)
• Bo Diddley's "Story of Bo Diddley" (aka "My Story") (relates Bo Diddley's birth in McComb, Mississippi and his move to Chicago, Illinois to find fame)
• Donovan's To Try for the Sun" (about his early days on the road)
• Duran Duran's "Undergoing Treatment"
• (about how the band has been chronically mistreated by the music press and establishment and how it has been coping with the downward slide in their overall popularity)
• Bob Dylan's "Ballad in Plain D" (about Suze Rotolo and her sister)
• Bob Dylan's "Sara" (about his first wife)
• Eminem's "Cleanin' Out My Closet" (about his childhood and his mother)
• Eminem's "Rabbit Run" (about Jimmy Smith's life... from the 8 Mile movie soundtrack)
• Eminem's "Mockingbird" (about his children and wife)

[

F-I

• Marianne Faithfull's "Sliding Through Life on Charm"
• Peter Gabriel's "Solsbury Hill" (about his departure from Genesis)
• Green Day's "2000 Light Years Away" (about the first time lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong kissed his girlfriend, now wife,
• Adrienne Armstrong, formerly Adrienne Nesser, and being apart for a while)
• GG Allin's "Son of Evil"
• Green Day's "Green Day" (about lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong's first experience with Marijuana)
• Green Day's "She" (about self-confidence and self-esteem problems faced by lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong's former girlfriend)
• Green Day's "Sweet Children" (about Green Day when before they changed their name to "Green Day" from "Sweet Children")
• Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" (about the death of Billie Joe Armstrong's father)
• Geri Halliwell's "Look at Me"
• George Harrison's "When We was Fab" (about The Beatles)
• Hole's "I Think That I Would Die" (about Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain's daughter custody removal)
• Hole's "Retard Girl" (about Courtney Love's bullying at school)
• Hole's "Teenage Whore" (about Courtney Love's stripper career before fame)
• The Incredible String Band's "1968" (Mike Heron directly addresses Robin Williamson)
• The Incredible String Band's "The Letter" (about Mike, Rose and a fan)

[edit]

J-L

• Alan Jackson's "Home" (contains direct references to Alan's early life)
• Michael Jackson's "Childhood"
• Billy Joel's "Ballad of Billy the Kid"
• Billy Joel's "Piano Man"
• Elton John's "Empty Garden (Hey, Hey Johnny)" (about John Lennon's murder)
• Grace Jones's "Williams' Blood" (about Jones' career and relationship with her family)
• Roy Jones, Jr.'s "Y'all Must've Forgot"
• Bradley Joseph's "The Glen" (instrumentally describes his experience on a cross-country trip)
• KRS-One's "Outta Here" (about his rise to hip-hop fame)
• John Lennon's "How Do you Sleep?" (John criticizes Paul McCartney's music since
• The Beatles' break-up " the only thing you done was "Yesterday" and since you've gone it's just "Amother Day")
• John Lennon's "Mother" (about John's mother and father)
• Living Colour's "What's Your Favorite Color"
• Lindsay Lohan's "Confessions of a Broken Heart (Daughter to Father)" (about her father and his cruelty towards her mother)
• Courtney Love's "Sunset Strip"
• Loretta Lynn's "Coal Miner's Daughter"

[edit]

M-N

• Madonna's "Mother and Father"
• Madonna's "Like It Or Not"
• The Mamas & the Papas' "Creeque Alley" (describes how the band was formed)
• Kate McGarrigle's "Go Leave" (about Loudon Wainwright III, Kate's first husband)
• Tim McGraw's "Live Like You Were Dying" (about his father)
• Megadeth's "Of Mice and Men" (about lead singer Dave Mustaine's life during his career)
• Freddie Mercury's "Mr. Bad Guy" (realistically, a self-describing song)
• The Minutemen's "History Lesson Part 1"
• Joni Mitchell's "The Circle Game" (about Neil Young, in particular his song about growing up ""Sugar Mountain")
• Joni Mitchell's "The Last Time I Saw Richard" (about Joni's first husband)
• The Moody Blues' "I'm Just a Singer (in a Rock 'n Roll Band)"
• Van Morrison's "And It Stoned Me" about a day in his childhood fishing with a friend.
• Van Morrison's "Choppin' Wood" written after his father died
• Van Morrison's "Cleaning Windows" about his first job after finishing school in Belfast Northern Ireland
• Randy Newman's "I Miss You" (Randy speaks directly to his first wife)
• Nirvana's "Serve the Servants" (about Kurt's lifelong angst)

[

P-W

• Pink's "Conversations with My 13 Year Old Self"
• Pink's "Family Portrait"
• Pink Floyd's album Wall, The; autobiography of Roger Waters
• +44's "No It Isn't" (concerning the break-up of blink-182.)
• Primus's "Harold Of The Rocks" (about how Les Claypool met original guitarist Todd Huth)
• Rancid's "Journey to the End" (about Operation Ivy which shared two members)
• Reel Big Fish's "She Has A Girlfriend Now" (about a girl who dumped songwirter Aaron Barrett for another girl)
• Jimmie Rodgers's "T.B. Blues" (about his tuberculosis), cited in the book Faking It: The Quest for Authenticity in Popular Music as one the first truly autobiographical songs.
• Ashlee Simpson's "Autobiography"
• Ashlee Simpson's "Shadow"
• Patti Smith's "We Three" (about her relationships with Jim Carroll and Robert Mapplethorpe at the same time in the 1970s)
• Britney Spears's "Piece of Me"
• Ringo Starr's "Early 1970" (about The Beatles)
• Ringo Starr's "Liverpool 8" (about The Beatles)
• Gwen Stefani's "Orange County Girl" (about her life since the days before No Doubt)
• Gene Summers's "Ballad Of Moon Dog Mayne" written by Deanna Summers
• Gene Summers's "Happy Birthday, Darling" (song he wrote for his wife Dea during their first year of marriage)
• Thursday's "Ian Curtis" (About the lead singer of Joy Division before his suicide)
• Tina Turner's "Nutbush City Limits" (portraits everyday life in her childhood home, Nutbush, Tennessee)
• Velvet Revolver's "Fall to Pieces" (about lead singer Scott Weiland's drug problem)
• Loudon Wainwright III's "Your Mother and I" (see "Go Leave")
• Wild Man Fischer's "The Wild Man Fischer Story"
• Brian Wilson's "Brian"
• We Fall and We Rise Again from Donald Braswell II