Based on the popular Wall Street Journal column, Anatomy of a Song captures the stories behind 45 influential rock, R&B, and pop hits through oral-history interviews with the artists who wrote and recorded them―including Keith Richards on "Street Fighting Man," Rod Stewart on "Maggie May," and more Writer and music historian Marc Myers brings to life five decades of music in Anatomy of a Song , based on the popular ongoing Wall Street Journal column, through oral histories of forty-five transformative songs woven from interviews with the artists who created them. Taking readers inside the making of a hit, Anatomy of a Song includes Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Janis Joplin’s “Mercedes Benz,” Rod Stewart’s “Maggie May,” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time.” Joni Mitchell remembers living in a cave on Crete with the “mean old daddy” who inspired her 1971 hit “Carey,” while Elvis Costello talks about writing “(The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes” on a train to Liverpool. Keith Richards, Mick Jagger, Jimmy Page, Smokey Robinson, Grace Slick, Mavis Staples, Steven Tyler, the Clash, Merle Haggard, Bonnie Raitt, Debbie Harry, and many other leading artists reveal the inspirations, struggles, and techniques behind their influential works. Covering the history of rock, R&B, country, disco, soul, reggae and pop, Anatomy of a Song is a love letter to the songs that have defined several generations of listeners. Praise for Anatomy of a Song : An Amazon Best Book of the Month in Nonfiction A finalist for The Association for Recorded Sound Collections Awards for Excellence “In these pieces . . . songwriters and performers speak in their own voices, edited from interviews with Myers, about one of their signature songs. Because of Myers's skill as an interviewer, their pride and enthusiasm come blasting through. Each story is a pleasure to read and will deepen your listening experience . . . Myers bears down hard on these songs and the artists rise to the standards he sets.” ―Anthony DeCurtis, New York Times Book Review “A first-rate playlist . . . A rich history of both the music industry and the baby boomer era.” ― Los Angeles Times Book Review “Marc Myers’s Anatomy of a Song [is] a winning look at the stories behind 45 pop, punk, folk, soul and country classics . . . A smart, gracious book. His interviews yield some fascinating details.” — Washington Post “Candid conversations with stars like Stevie Wonder, Keith Richards and Rod Stewart are collected in a new book called Anatomy of a Song . . . In the pre-digital age of analog recording, Myers discovered some remarkable examples of mechanical ingenuity. Two of my favorites: Kinks guitarist Dave Davies had just learned how to shave when he bought a new amp and decided to use a razor blade to slash the amp’s speaker cone. And when the Doors were told to shorten the seven-minute version of Light My Fire for a single that would get more radio play, their producer Paul Rothchild ‘wrapped Scotch tape around the spindle holding the pickup reel, so the tape would turn a fraction faster’ . . . Myers is particularly good on the competition within bands and between them to produce the best possible songs . . . [A] splendid volume.” ―Charles Kaiser, Guardian (UK) “A music lover’s dream book.” ― Cleveland Plain Dealer “ Anatomy of a Song . . . reads like a dream karaoke playlist. Not a dud in sight.” ― Huffington Post “ Anatomy Of A Song . . . gets the lowdown on about forty years of hits straight from the artists’ mouths . . . It’s always cool to hear how the musical sausage gets made, especially when it’s made by geniuses in the field. But Myers also does an outstanding job of unearthing the moments of humor and heartbreak that accompanied the creation of these songs.” ― American Songwriter “Who would’ve ever guessed the inspiration behind Gladys Knight’s soul-stirring ‘Midnight Train to Georgia’ was ’70s pinup queen Farrah Fawcett? That’s just one of the fascinating song histories revealed in the new book Anatomy of a Song .” ― New York Post “Myers . . . uncovers the fascinating backstories behind many legendary songs that changed the trajectory of music . . . Culling together anecdotal revelations about happy accidents, deliberately vague lyrical choices and unexpected lapses of confidence, the book manages to both demystify and humanize so many of its iconic subjects. . . . Filled with surprises for music fans and aspiring songwriters alike.” ― BMI Music “Who doesn’t like to listen to musicians tell their stories about the genesis of a song? Or to hear them laugh at the deep meaning that listeners often invest in it when for them it was, well, just a song about a breakup? Myers’ book has something for everyone.” — No Depression “The short, sharp chapters breeze by like a particularly well-curated jukebox . . . Fast, fun and informative.” ― Houston Press “The critical ability of Marc Myers shows in his selection of top