It is amazing what musicians can do with words. But it is also very obvious that any creative process involves drawing inspiration from some place or some person. Every song you have ever heard has been inspired by some past experience or some person they met. Here is a list of people who inspired some of your favorite songs.

“The Girl From Ipanema” By Astrud Gilberto

The song draws inspiration from Gilberto’s neighbor when he was a teenager. She would pass by his house on her way to buy cigarettes for her mother. She was so beautiful that she caught the eye of everyone she passed by. Her name was Helô Pinheiro and she is “The Girl From Ipanema”.

“Sweet Caroline” By Neil Diamond

Neil Diamond drew inspiration for “Sweet Caroline” from the cover of Life magazine. The cover featured a four-year-old girl, named Caroline, who was riding a horse. The innocence of her face etched itself into the brain of our young musician and five years after that issue of the magazine the song “Sweet Caroline” was born.

“Peggy Sue” By Buddy Holly

Buddy Holly named his song “Peggy Sue” for the drummer of his band who was a very dear friend of his. The drummer, Jerry Allison, was head over heels in love with a girl named Peggy Sue Gerron. Not only was the song a massive hit, it also won over Peggy Sue Gerron who later married Allison. Win-win!

“Donna” By Ritchie Valens

“Donna” was a dedication by Ritchie Valens to his high school girlfriend Donna Ludwig. The song was an ode to the beautiful memories he had with his high school girlfriend. Even though they were not romantically involved at the time the song came out, they were close friends for years.

“She’s Always A Woman” By Billy Joel

Billy Joel’s is an icon in the music industry. He has been a favorite singer of various people at some point in their lives. One of his most famous songs “She’s Always A Woman”, a song describing a modern woman with her faults and her strengths, hit the top charts. The song was a dedication to Joel’s ex-wife Elizabeth Weber Small.

“Wild World” By Cat Stevens

One of the most famous songs by Cat Stevens was “Wild World”, a song that topped the charts in the seventies. The song was about Patti D’Arbanville, the love of his life. While their relationship lasted only for two years, Stevens poured his heart out in the several songs he wrote for D’Arbanville and “Wild World” was one such ode to the love.