7 female muses who inspired classic love songs
There’s many rock ‘n’ roll geniuses out there but even the most talented musicians have to draw inspiration from somewhere or someone. Enter the female muse; gorgeous, fascinating and intelligent women that inspired many of the greatest songs in history. Here are just some of the greatest muses and the songs they inspired.
1. Crazy Love by Van Morrison
The muse: Janet “Planet” Rigsbee
Rigsbee inspired not just Crazy Love but also Tupelo Honey. Unfortunately, the couple split in 1973.
2. And I Love Her by The Beatles
The muse: Jane Asher
McCartney, who wrote And I Love Her in 1964, called it “the first ballad I impressed myself with.” By 1967, the pair were engaged but they broke up a year later.
3. Jersey Girl by Tom Waits
The muse: Kathleen Brennan
They met while working on the sound track for “One From the Heart.” Although Brennan was born in Illinois, she was living in New Jersey when Waits wrote Jersey Girl.
4. In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel
The muse: Rosanna Arquette
When the song reached number one in 1986, the two lovebirds were living together. The song took off again 1989 after it was featured in the boom-box scene in teen movie Say Anything.
5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright by Bob Dylan
The muse: Suze Rotolo
She not only inspired other Dylan classics Tomorrow Is a Long Time and Boots of Spanish Leather but Rotolo is also the face next to him on the iconic The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan album.
6. Suzanne by Leonard Cohen
The muse: Suzanne Verdal
Originally a poem, Suzanne was inspired by Cohen's attraction to friend Verdal, who lived on the Saint Lawrence River in the mid-sixties. Cohen said of Verdal: “Everyone was in love with Suzanne.”
7. Roadhouse Blues by The Doors
The muse: Pamela Courson
Jim Morrison’s wife inspired countless Doors songs – from their first show in in 1965 at London Fog until his death in 1971. Other Doors hits like Love Street, Queen of the Highway and Five to One were all inspired by Pam.