14 Songs You Didn't Know Were About Other Celebrities
Matt Manser
Matt Manser
Updated March 20, 2019
31.4K votes
8.0K voters
816.8K views
Over 8.0K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 14 Songs You Didn't Know Were About Other Celebrities
Voting Rules
Vote up the most surprising songs about fellow stars.
Some songs were quite obviously written as part of a well-publicized celebrity feud (Taylor Swift's “Bad Blood” almost certainly calls out Katy Perry, for instance). But then there are songs that are secretly about other stars. It's not surprising that there are so many - musicians hang out with other famous people and write songs about what they know. But once you learn who the lyrics are really about, the songs about other celebrities take on a whole new meaning.
A number of these songs about famous people are not-so-subtle diss tracks, like "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake or "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey, which is a musical eye roll directed at Eminem. Others are tender love songs – try to listen to Coldplay's "Fix You" without tearing up after you learn its real message. Just don't expect to see any songs about Taylor Swift here. She's had enough to earn her own list.
1
4,205 VOTES
Aerosmith's 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady)' Is About Vince Neil
Aerosmith's 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady)' Is About Vince Neil
Video: YouTube
Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" has a very specific origin story. In an interview with SongFacts, co-writer Desmond Child said that lead singer Steven Tyler showed him a song he was working on called "Cruisin' For The Ladies." Child thought it was a boring title and wasn't into it:
And then Steven volunteered, sheepishly, and said that when he first wrote the melody he was singing "Dude Looks like a Lady"... He got the idea because they had gone to a bar and had seen a girl at the end of the bar with ginormous blonde rock hair, and the girl turned around and it ended up being Vince Neil from Motley Crue. So then they started making fun of him and started saying, "That dude looks like a lady, dude looks like a lady, dude looks like a lady." So that's how that was born.
2
2,274 VOTES
Bob Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone' Is About Edie Sedgwick And Andy Warhol
Bob Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone' Is About Edie Sedgwick And Andy Warhol
Video: YouTube
"Like A Rolling Stone" is essentially six minutes of Bob Dylan throwing shade at some unnamed another person. Although it does not appear to be 100% confirmed, it's widely believed that the song is chiefly aimed at actress and model Edie Sedgwick. She was a former debutante, and lines like "Once upon a time you dressed so fine, threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?" seem to reflect that.
Specifically, Dylan was apparently upset that Sedgwick had ditched his crowd to hang out in the art world of Andy Warhol. Dylan reportedly believed Warhol was mistreating her, and the lines, "Ain't it hard when you discover that he really wasn't where it's at, after he took from you everything he could steal," might be aimed at Warhol.
Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl' Is About Courtney Love
Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl' Is About Courtney Love
Video: YouTube
In an interview with Seventeen magazine, Courtney Love reportedly said, "Being famous is just like being in high school. But I'm not interested in being the cheerleader. I'm not interested in being Gwen Stefani. She's the cheerleader, and I'm out in the smoker shed."
Stefani told NME that this comment inspired her to write "Hollaback Girl":
Y'know, someone one time called me a cheerleader, negatively, and I’ve never been a cheerleader. So I was like, ‘Okay, f*ck you! You want me to be a cheerleader? Well, I will be one then. And I’ll rule the whole world, just you watch me.’
4
1,817 VOTES
Kings Of Leon's 'Sex On Fire' Is About Lily Aldridge
Kings Of Leon's 'Sex On Fire' Is About Lily Aldridge
Video: YouTube
DID YOU KNOW?
Sex on Fire is also ranked #83 of 97 on ALT 98.7's Best Alt Songs Of "All Time"...My Way
When you name a song "Sex On Fire," it's bound to get people's attention. That was certainly true in the case of Kings of Leon, who scored a big hit with the tune in 2008. And, according to Elle magazine, lead singer Caleb Followill wrote the lyrics about his girlfriend at the time, Victoria's Secret model Lily Aldridge. In the lyrics he sings, "It's not forever, but it's just tonight," but it appears he was mistaken. Followill and Aldridge got married in 2011.
5
1,152 VOTES
Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2" Is About Janis Joplin
Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2" Is About Janis Joplin
Video: YouTube
Based on its title, you'd think this one is, in fact, about the New York hotel frequented by several generations of writers and artists - the same spot where Sid Vicious's girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, would later be found dead. And indeed the song is largely about the Chelsea institution, but more importantly, it's about Janis Joplin. Specifically, it's about an affair between Leonard Cohen and Joplin, who were staying in rooms 424 and 411, respectively.
The song centers on a night the two spent together after Cohen claimed to be Kris Kristofferson as he and Joplin shared an elevator ride to the fourth floor. "She wasn’t looking for me, she was looking for Kris Kristofferson; I wasn’t looking for her, I was looking for Brigitte Bardot," said Cohen. "But we fell into each other’s arms through some process of elimination.”
Ed Sheeran's 'Don't' Is About Ellie Goulding
Ed Sheeran's 'Don't' Is About Ellie Goulding
Video: YouTube
Ed Sheeran is a beloved singer-songwriter, but there was a time he wasn't feeling all that loved at all. It was when he was dating singer Ellie Goulding, who was apparently also spending time with One Direction's Niall Horan.
Sheeran was clearly quite displeased when he wrote lyrics like, "And I never saw him as a threat, 'til you disappeared with him to have sex." However, he says he got completely over the situation after writing the song and has even been seen getting chummy with Horan at a party in Vegas.
7
2,051 VOTES
Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' Is About Elle Macpherson... Maybe
Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' Is About Elle Macpherson... Maybe
Video: YouTube
Since Billy Joel was dating supermodel Christie Brinkley at the time of the release of "Uptown Girl," it was only natural to assume that's who the song was about. Brinkley even appeared in the music video. However, in an interview with Howard Stern, Billy Joel suggested he was first inspired to write "Uptown Girl" while dating another supermodel, Elle Macpherson. But the song was actually about a number of women and originally titled "Uptown Girls."
8
2,190 VOTES
Britney Spears's 'Everytime' Is A Response To Justin Timberlake
Britney Spears's 'Everytime' Is A Response To Justin Timberlake
Video: YouTube
Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" contains some pretty pointed shots at his ex, Britney Spears. After hearing the song, Spears apparently felt a strong urge to respond. But instead of unleashing an attack of her own, she came back with "Everytime."
The song is essentially an extended apology, with lines like:
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song is my sorry.
Coldplay's 'Fix You' Is About Gwyneth Paltrow
Video: YouTube
Chris Martin of Coldplay wrote "Fix You" for his then-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow. In an interview with Howard Stern, Paltrow said, "'Fix You' was about him trying to put me back together after my dad died. I think it's pretty nice."
But even before she met Martin, Paltrow said the Coldplay song "Everything's Not Lost" helped her deal with her father's death as well:
"He wrote this song before I met him, and I think another reason it's sad for me is my father had just died when this album came out, and we [Paltrow and her brother] used to listen to it kind of on repeat... especially this song at the end."
Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' Is About Courtney Love
Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' Is About Courtney Love
Video: YouTube
Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box," has some pretty strange lyrics, even by Kurt Cobain's standards. With lines like, "Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet, cut myself on angel hair and baby's breath," it's hard to know exactly what exactly Cobain was talking about.
In 2012, Lana Del Rey performed a cover of the song in concert, which prompted Courtney Love to want to explain to Del Rey the song's true meaning. On Twitter, Love posted, "You do know the song is about my vagina right?... So umm next time you sing it, think about my vagina will you?"
Mariah Carey's 'Obsessed' Is About Eminem
Video: YouTube
As strange as it may seem, it appears that Eminem and Mariah Carey once dated, at least for a very brief period of time. However, the seriousness of that relationship remains in question. Eminem didn't shy away from airing the situation with the song "Bagpipes From Baghdad." It included very direct lyrics like, "Mariah, what ever happened to us, why did we have to break up... Nick Cannon better back the f*ck up. I'm not playing, I want her back, you punk."
Carey responded with the equally blunt "Obsessed," which included lines like, "It must be weed, it must be the E... Why are you so obsessed with me?"
12
1,103 VOTES
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" Is (Partially) About Warren Beatty
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" Is (Partially) About Warren Beatty
Video: YouTube
DID YOU KNOW?
You're So Vain is also ranked #4 of 101 on The Best Ballads of the 70s
Given the scathing lyrics decrying that the song's mysterious subject is so vain they'll "think this song is about you," rumors have long swirled as to the egotistical target of Carly Simon's clever scorn. During the 44 years Simon declined to say one way or the other, many speculated the song focused on Kris Kristofferson, David Bowie, and Warren Beatty, among others. Beatty certainly thought the song was about him, declaring, 'Let’s be honest, that song is about me" in 1999.
The actor was only partially right, however, as Simon herself revealed 16 years after Beatty's declaration. “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” she told People. “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!”
Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me A River' Is About Britney Spears
Fans have long speculated just who Justin Timberlake wrote "Cry Me A River" about. Finally, years later, it was confirmed to be about his ex, Britney Spears. The truth came out on an episode of E! True Hollywood Story about producer and frequent JT collaborator Timbaland. In the episode, Timbaland said that Timberlake "went to a concert and saw Britney, and Britney talked about him in the show and he was pissed."
Timberlake added, "I was on a phone call that was not the most enjoyable phone call. I walked into the studio and [Timbaland] could tell I was visibly angry." And with lyrics like "You don't have to say what you did, I already know, I found out from him," you can make a good guess on what made him so angry.
Selena Gomez's 'The Heart Wants What It Wants' Is About Justin Bieber
Selena Gomez's 'The Heart Wants What It Wants' Is About Justin Bieber
Video: YouTube
Since Selena Gomez has had a very public relationship with Justin Bieber, it should come as no shock that this song was written about their on-again-off-again romance. The video is even more telling than the song itself; viewers hear audio of Gomez crying while saying, "You make me feel crazy, you make feel like it’s my fault... I was in pain."
On On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, Gomez even talked about showing the video to Bieber to get his thoughts on the emotional song. She said he thought it was beautiful, but added, "I think he was a little jealous of the video guy at first."
hxxps://www.ranker.com/list/songs-about-other-celebrities/matt-manser?utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=weirdhistory&utm_campaign=wh_active&utm_content=20230516
Matt Manser
Matt Manser
Updated March 20, 2019
31.4K votes
8.0K voters
816.8K views
Over 8.0K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of 14 Songs You Didn't Know Were About Other Celebrities
Voting Rules
Vote up the most surprising songs about fellow stars.
Some songs were quite obviously written as part of a well-publicized celebrity feud (Taylor Swift's “Bad Blood” almost certainly calls out Katy Perry, for instance). But then there are songs that are secretly about other stars. It's not surprising that there are so many - musicians hang out with other famous people and write songs about what they know. But once you learn who the lyrics are really about, the songs about other celebrities take on a whole new meaning.
A number of these songs about famous people are not-so-subtle diss tracks, like "Cry Me a River" by Justin Timberlake or "Obsessed" by Mariah Carey, which is a musical eye roll directed at Eminem. Others are tender love songs – try to listen to Coldplay's "Fix You" without tearing up after you learn its real message. Just don't expect to see any songs about Taylor Swift here. She's had enough to earn her own list.
1
4,205 VOTES
Aerosmith's 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady)' Is About Vince Neil
Aerosmith's 'Dude (Looks Like A Lady)' Is About Vince Neil
Video: YouTube
Aerosmith's "Dude (Looks Like A Lady)" has a very specific origin story. In an interview with SongFacts, co-writer Desmond Child said that lead singer Steven Tyler showed him a song he was working on called "Cruisin' For The Ladies." Child thought it was a boring title and wasn't into it:
And then Steven volunteered, sheepishly, and said that when he first wrote the melody he was singing "Dude Looks like a Lady"... He got the idea because they had gone to a bar and had seen a girl at the end of the bar with ginormous blonde rock hair, and the girl turned around and it ended up being Vince Neil from Motley Crue. So then they started making fun of him and started saying, "That dude looks like a lady, dude looks like a lady, dude looks like a lady." So that's how that was born.
2
2,274 VOTES
Bob Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone' Is About Edie Sedgwick And Andy Warhol
Bob Dylan's 'Like A Rolling Stone' Is About Edie Sedgwick And Andy Warhol
Video: YouTube
"Like A Rolling Stone" is essentially six minutes of Bob Dylan throwing shade at some unnamed another person. Although it does not appear to be 100% confirmed, it's widely believed that the song is chiefly aimed at actress and model Edie Sedgwick. She was a former debutante, and lines like "Once upon a time you dressed so fine, threw the bums a dime in your prime, didn't you?" seem to reflect that.
Specifically, Dylan was apparently upset that Sedgwick had ditched his crowd to hang out in the art world of Andy Warhol. Dylan reportedly believed Warhol was mistreating her, and the lines, "Ain't it hard when you discover that he really wasn't where it's at, after he took from you everything he could steal," might be aimed at Warhol.
Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl' Is About Courtney Love
Gwen Stefani's 'Hollaback Girl' Is About Courtney Love
Video: YouTube
In an interview with Seventeen magazine, Courtney Love reportedly said, "Being famous is just like being in high school. But I'm not interested in being the cheerleader. I'm not interested in being Gwen Stefani. She's the cheerleader, and I'm out in the smoker shed."
Stefani told NME that this comment inspired her to write "Hollaback Girl":
Y'know, someone one time called me a cheerleader, negatively, and I’ve never been a cheerleader. So I was like, ‘Okay, f*ck you! You want me to be a cheerleader? Well, I will be one then. And I’ll rule the whole world, just you watch me.’
4
1,817 VOTES
Kings Of Leon's 'Sex On Fire' Is About Lily Aldridge
Kings Of Leon's 'Sex On Fire' Is About Lily Aldridge
Video: YouTube
DID YOU KNOW?
Sex on Fire is also ranked #83 of 97 on ALT 98.7's Best Alt Songs Of "All Time"...My Way
When you name a song "Sex On Fire," it's bound to get people's attention. That was certainly true in the case of Kings of Leon, who scored a big hit with the tune in 2008. And, according to Elle magazine, lead singer Caleb Followill wrote the lyrics about his girlfriend at the time, Victoria's Secret model Lily Aldridge. In the lyrics he sings, "It's not forever, but it's just tonight," but it appears he was mistaken. Followill and Aldridge got married in 2011.
5
1,152 VOTES
Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2" Is About Janis Joplin
Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2" Is About Janis Joplin
Video: YouTube
Based on its title, you'd think this one is, in fact, about the New York hotel frequented by several generations of writers and artists - the same spot where Sid Vicious's girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, would later be found dead. And indeed the song is largely about the Chelsea institution, but more importantly, it's about Janis Joplin. Specifically, it's about an affair between Leonard Cohen and Joplin, who were staying in rooms 424 and 411, respectively.
The song centers on a night the two spent together after Cohen claimed to be Kris Kristofferson as he and Joplin shared an elevator ride to the fourth floor. "She wasn’t looking for me, she was looking for Kris Kristofferson; I wasn’t looking for her, I was looking for Brigitte Bardot," said Cohen. "But we fell into each other’s arms through some process of elimination.”
Ed Sheeran's 'Don't' Is About Ellie Goulding
Ed Sheeran's 'Don't' Is About Ellie Goulding
Video: YouTube
Ed Sheeran is a beloved singer-songwriter, but there was a time he wasn't feeling all that loved at all. It was when he was dating singer Ellie Goulding, who was apparently also spending time with One Direction's Niall Horan.
Sheeran was clearly quite displeased when he wrote lyrics like, "And I never saw him as a threat, 'til you disappeared with him to have sex." However, he says he got completely over the situation after writing the song and has even been seen getting chummy with Horan at a party in Vegas.
7
2,051 VOTES
Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' Is About Elle Macpherson... Maybe
Billy Joel's 'Uptown Girl' Is About Elle Macpherson... Maybe
Video: YouTube
Since Billy Joel was dating supermodel Christie Brinkley at the time of the release of "Uptown Girl," it was only natural to assume that's who the song was about. Brinkley even appeared in the music video. However, in an interview with Howard Stern, Billy Joel suggested he was first inspired to write "Uptown Girl" while dating another supermodel, Elle Macpherson. But the song was actually about a number of women and originally titled "Uptown Girls."
8
2,190 VOTES
Britney Spears's 'Everytime' Is A Response To Justin Timberlake
Britney Spears's 'Everytime' Is A Response To Justin Timberlake
Video: YouTube
Justin Timberlake's "Cry Me A River" contains some pretty pointed shots at his ex, Britney Spears. After hearing the song, Spears apparently felt a strong urge to respond. But instead of unleashing an attack of her own, she came back with "Everytime."
The song is essentially an extended apology, with lines like:
I may have made it rain
Please forgive me
My weakness caused you pain
And this song is my sorry.
Coldplay's 'Fix You' Is About Gwyneth Paltrow
Video: YouTube
Chris Martin of Coldplay wrote "Fix You" for his then-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow. In an interview with Howard Stern, Paltrow said, "'Fix You' was about him trying to put me back together after my dad died. I think it's pretty nice."
But even before she met Martin, Paltrow said the Coldplay song "Everything's Not Lost" helped her deal with her father's death as well:
"He wrote this song before I met him, and I think another reason it's sad for me is my father had just died when this album came out, and we [Paltrow and her brother] used to listen to it kind of on repeat... especially this song at the end."
Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' Is About Courtney Love
Nirvana's 'Heart-Shaped Box' Is About Courtney Love
Video: YouTube
Nirvana's "Heart-Shaped Box," has some pretty strange lyrics, even by Kurt Cobain's standards. With lines like, "Meat-eating orchids forgive no one just yet, cut myself on angel hair and baby's breath," it's hard to know exactly what exactly Cobain was talking about.
In 2012, Lana Del Rey performed a cover of the song in concert, which prompted Courtney Love to want to explain to Del Rey the song's true meaning. On Twitter, Love posted, "You do know the song is about my vagina right?... So umm next time you sing it, think about my vagina will you?"
Mariah Carey's 'Obsessed' Is About Eminem
Video: YouTube
As strange as it may seem, it appears that Eminem and Mariah Carey once dated, at least for a very brief period of time. However, the seriousness of that relationship remains in question. Eminem didn't shy away from airing the situation with the song "Bagpipes From Baghdad." It included very direct lyrics like, "Mariah, what ever happened to us, why did we have to break up... Nick Cannon better back the f*ck up. I'm not playing, I want her back, you punk."
Carey responded with the equally blunt "Obsessed," which included lines like, "It must be weed, it must be the E... Why are you so obsessed with me?"
12
1,103 VOTES
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" Is (Partially) About Warren Beatty
Carly Simon's "You're So Vain" Is (Partially) About Warren Beatty
Video: YouTube
DID YOU KNOW?
You're So Vain is also ranked #4 of 101 on The Best Ballads of the 70s
Given the scathing lyrics decrying that the song's mysterious subject is so vain they'll "think this song is about you," rumors have long swirled as to the egotistical target of Carly Simon's clever scorn. During the 44 years Simon declined to say one way or the other, many speculated the song focused on Kris Kristofferson, David Bowie, and Warren Beatty, among others. Beatty certainly thought the song was about him, declaring, 'Let’s be honest, that song is about me" in 1999.
The actor was only partially right, however, as Simon herself revealed 16 years after Beatty's declaration. “I have confirmed that the second verse is Warren,” she told People. “Warren thinks the whole thing is about him!”
Justin Timberlake's 'Cry Me A River' Is About Britney Spears
Fans have long speculated just who Justin Timberlake wrote "Cry Me A River" about. Finally, years later, it was confirmed to be about his ex, Britney Spears. The truth came out on an episode of E! True Hollywood Story about producer and frequent JT collaborator Timbaland. In the episode, Timbaland said that Timberlake "went to a concert and saw Britney, and Britney talked about him in the show and he was pissed."
Timberlake added, "I was on a phone call that was not the most enjoyable phone call. I walked into the studio and [Timbaland] could tell I was visibly angry." And with lyrics like "You don't have to say what you did, I already know, I found out from him," you can make a good guess on what made him so angry.
Selena Gomez's 'The Heart Wants What It Wants' Is About Justin Bieber
Selena Gomez's 'The Heart Wants What It Wants' Is About Justin Bieber
Video: YouTube
Since Selena Gomez has had a very public relationship with Justin Bieber, it should come as no shock that this song was written about their on-again-off-again romance. The video is even more telling than the song itself; viewers hear audio of Gomez crying while saying, "You make me feel crazy, you make feel like it’s my fault... I was in pain."
On On-Air with Ryan Seacrest, Gomez even talked about showing the video to Bieber to get his thoughts on the emotional song. She said he thought it was beautiful, but added, "I think he was a little jealous of the video guy at first."
hxxps://www.ranker.com/list/songs-about-other-celebrities/matt-manser?utm_source=newsletters&utm_medium=weirdhistory&utm_campaign=wh_active&utm_content=20230516
It is Well with My Soul