BellaOnline Forums Books and Music Classic Rock What Rock song inspired you the most?

What classic rock song inspired you the most? Changed the way you felt about life, yourself, or the world around you?

Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac was one of mine! I bet I could think of a TON of others too!

I think we have different songs throughout our lives that inspire us. It's all in what we're going through at the time. In my teens and early 20's I really enjoyed Springsteen.

Almost 25 years ago, I woke up in labor around 1am. I was so scared and turned the radio on. The next song played was Springsteen's Jungleland. It's the song I would always turn to when I needed a good cry. Clarence's solo rips your heart out, stomps on it a bit, and then shoves it back in your chest. It's pure emotion coming out of that saxophone. I laid in bed and had a real good cry. As the song finished up with the piano and a crescendo, complete with a few primal moans, a true sense of peace came over me. I knew everything would be alright, and it was.

The weird thing, that's the ONE and only time I have heard that song played on the radio. It was there that night to inspire, when needed the most.

OMG, that is so amazing!

I agree - I think we are inspired by different songs throughout our lives.

Closer to the Heart, by Rush, was one for me. I remember having trouble with my fiance, and turning on the radio {I was already in tears} and Closer to the Heart started playing. It was like the Universe gave me a hug!

I have a handful of personally inspirational songs. Due to a hearing loss (tinitus), I've always focused on the music, itself, but those lyrics I do capture have been the anthems of my life.

FREEBIRD: Lynyrd Skynyd - The title containing 'Bird' conjures up flying and I always wanted to fly ever since I was 10-years old. In order to keep flying when my USMC career was coming to a halt with the mid-80s downsizing of Marine aviators, I decided to keep 'traveling on' by offering my shipboard experiences to the 600-ship Navy being built. This caused a wife to not want to go through the loneliness of deployments anymore & she filed for divorce. This was a mutual endeavor & our separate ways have done just that because I was stubborn enough not to alter my desires.
'But, if I stayed here with you, girl
Things just couldn't be the same
'Cause I'm as free as a bird now
And this bird, you'll can not change'

I WON'T BACK DOWN & RUNNIN' DOWN A DREAM: Tom Petty - Recently discussed in another forum. Both of these tunes lay out the optomistic & stedfast focus I've had in wanting to live my life in the fast lane (but that Eagles song didn't make my inspirational cut)

LUCKY MAN (except for the last verses where the guy dies): ELP - Opportunity has always been there when the times seemed to get rough. Chance to keep aviating when that career opportunity was closing; ability to early retire when the entire military was downsizing in the 90s & my number was once again on the chopping block; my current spouse, who does let me exhibit my free-spirit; and, on a Friday the 13th years ago, I survived a helicopter mishap that involved loss of engines & fuselage fire.

All of these culminate with many other songs to lay out anthems & purposes.

I had to introduce my "yankee" husband to Southern Rock and now Freebird is one of his favs. I grew up with their music and was fortunate to be at one of the first concerts on the Rossington Collins Band tour in Myrtle Beach.

When they finished, the female lead singer announced the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd and then left the stage. There was a vocal wave of "Freee Birddd" building in volume in the Convention Center. Gary Rossington stepped forward and began playing that unmistakeable opening riff. I was standing a mere 20 from him and could clearly see the tears streaming down his cheeks. The crowd sang the lyrics and afterwards I was blessed to experience a group hug with about 8,000 fans.

That was certainly an inspirational and magical moment.

My Free Bird experience was at my second Skynyrd performance. <<First was at Denver University fieldhouse & the sequence was exactly the order of 'One More From the Road' live album from their Atlanta concert>>
It was at Mile High Stadium & the heavy instrumental passages in the last half of the song was highlighted by the air traffic being rerouting to approach Stapleton Int'l Airport from the west & directly over the 50-yard line. A total Kodak life memory for me!

&quot;Girl,you'll be a woman soon&quot;

Nightwish,Two For Tradgedy,for some reason inspired me to write a novel.I must admit i'm still working on it three years later! maybe i'll finish it one day xx

Society by Eddie Vedder

It's My Life, by Bon Jovi.

I love Tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen, but the lyrics of this rock song helps me to stay strong and remember to live my life my way.

I also love We Belong by Pat Benatar. That one helped me remember that my husband and I do belong together when things got rough. Landslide by Fleetwood Mac also reflected my feelings during certain times.