Sometimes even songs that seem to have straight forward meanings, are not as straight forward as one would believe. Take, for example, “Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” by U2 – it seems to be about searching for love, but is actually about religion.

Looking at songs that have a name for a title, things can get even more complicated.

There are many different songs that have to do with many different kinds of names – some are love songs, some are not, some appear to be the former or the latter, but are written for starkly different reasons.

I have always had an issue with name songs, due to my name. Off the top of my head, I can think of three songs that have the name Sarah in them – “Sara Smile” but Hall and Oats, “Sara” by Starship and “Sara” by Fleetwood Mac.

In the first song, the chorus makes it seem like it is a sad song, but it is rather an ode to a lover. Despite the depressing chorus of “Sara Smile” repeated over and over again.

The second is a love lost song. In it Sara is a heartbreaker. It was my favourite song as a child, until I actually listened to the lyrics. It is my hope to never inspire a man to have to serenade me – or himself for that matter – with this tune.

And of course, the Fleetwood Mac tune is a sad song as well.

I couldn’t find the meaning for the Starship tune, leading me to believe that my interpretation of it might sadly be true. “Sara Smile” was reportedly written by Darryl Hall for the love of his life who was named, Sara – but they broke up in 2001. The meaning for Fleetwood Mac’s is confusing, some say it was written by Stevie Nicks for her best friend, others say “Sara” is Nicks’ alter-ego.

But not all songs are as straightforward as they may seem.

Sarah McLaughlin has publicly said that her song, “Aida,” was written for her best friend after McLaughlin began dating her friend’s ex-boyfriend (the two are now married and have a baby). She reportedly used the name Adia because she liked the name (it means God’s Gift).

Another interesting story behind the meaning of a song is “Enid” by the Barenaked Ladies. It tells the story of teen love gone sour. Reportedly, the song was actually inspired by a waitress with the name Enid – Steven Page liked the name and used it in a song. I asked Kevin Hearn, who plays piano for the band if that was true.

“I think so … Steve wrote it so you’ll have to ask him,” he said.

And “Jane” – another song by BNL – was reportedly written about the corner of Jane and St. Clair, because Page thought Jane St. Claire would be a pretty name. It’s too bad the area it is written about isn’t as nice as the Jane in the song seems to be.

Hearn said different things can inspire a song to be written to a name, but something every musician learns very quickly is that it is better to change the name of the person you are writing about.

“Sometimes changing a name is a good idea. I’ve learned that lesson. I think we all have,” Hearn says.

Keeping in mind that a song written about a name may not actually be about the name it is titled, here are my picks for the top 10 name songs.

“Adia” by Sarah McLaughlin.

The lyrics are beautiful in this song, and one can see the hint of what McLaughlin is really talking about here. But the fact that it disguises itself as a love song, for a relationship that is ending, is even more beautiful as this gives the song wider appeal. Although I’m sure few people had heard of the name “Adia” before this, I’m sure no one can picture the song with any other name substituted for Adia – it just doesn’t seem to work as well.

“Jessie’s Girl” by Rick Springfield

Yes I liked this one before “13 Going On 30″ came out. It’s classic ’80s music: catchy and fun. Springfield supposedly wrote it about being in love with his best friend’s girlfriend, though he has never announced who exactly Jessie, or for that matter, his girl, were.

“Beth” by Kiss.

A ballad by any hard rock band tends to be in my list of favourite songs, but “Beth” by Kiss takes the cake. It was allegedly written for guitarist Stan Penridge’s girlfriend Becky (some say the original title of the song was “Beck,” which was her nickname). But the tenderness and slowness in the song compared to Kiss’ others is what makes it stand apart. It’s a classic song about being away from the one you love, and how much it tears you apart.

“Joey” by Concrete Blonde

Supposedly this song was written about being in love with an alcoholic, though the lyrics do not really allude to that. I find it’s just a fun song that has a lot of catchy elements to it, and is easily memorized.

“Enid” by Barenaked Ladies

I never dated an Enid, but you replace that name with my boyfriend as a teenager, and things fit perfectly. It is the perfect anthem for teen love gone wrong, and a classic BNL tune – it has it’s serious points, but also it’s humour in there (”I could work overtime, I could work in a mine”).

“Cecilia” by Simon and Garfunkel

Let me make this clear: I am ANYTHING BUT a Simon and Garfunkel fan, but I absolutely love this song. It could be the catchy tune, the great beat, or the catchy chorus – but I crank it up every time it’s on the radio. I couldn’t find if there was a hidden meaning in the song, but if we take the lyrics straightforwardly, then it’s another love gone wrong song. But tell me who can resist the chorus (”Oh Cecilia, you’re breaking my heart…”)? I didn’t think so.

“Jack and Diane” By John Cougar Mellencamp

This tune just screams teenage romance that won’t last, but is a very sweet song about a young couple who is in love with one another, while trying to find out who they are as individuals. Some say that the names were taken from Jack and Diane, who were a super couple on the “Young and the Restless.”

“Daniel” by Elton John

One of my favourites by Elton John is “Daniel.” The story behind the song has it that the last verse of the song was chopped because it was too long. Supposedly the last verse explained that Daniel had been in the Vietnam War and lost his eyesight. However, I think even without the last verse, you know the song is about two brothers. It’s one of the most beautiful songs I have ever heard about a relationship between two people that are not in love with one another.

“Stan” by Eminem

Although I am not a fan of rap normally, I do find that Eminem can write very well. This is a song that illustrates his writing abilities totally. It tells the story about a fan obsessed with Eminem so much so that he kills himself because the rapper never writes the kid a letter back, the last verse is Eminem’s letter to the fan telling him to be himself instead of copying him. It’s a great lesson about just how diehard some fans get over stars – and the dangers that arise from it.

“Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners

I know it sounds like ’80s fluff at first listen and it tends to get stuck in your head when you hear it played on the radio. But it actually has some very romantic lines in it. Supposedly it was written for a girl that Kevin Rowland had grown up with and dated when he was a teenager. Maybe that’s why it sounds like fluff at first, because it’s about teen love, which much like a pop song can be fleeting, fun and exhilarating.






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