Songs of love and lust have been a key part of the music world ever since the dawn of the rock and roll era.  But have you ever wondered who was the inspiration for lovely Rita, meter maid; or who Mick Jagger had under his thumb?  Well, wonder no more.   Music biographers Michael Heatley and Frank Hopkinson answer these questions and many more in The Girl in the Song: the True Stories Behind 50 Rock Classics.

Devoting a few pages to each song and girl combination, the authors start with Buddy Holly and the subsequent invading Brits and span a few decades of classic rock songs, ending both chronologically and alphabetically with Oasis' Wonderwall, about Noah Gallagher's wife-to-be Meg Matthews.  The Beatles and the Rolling Stones have more than half a dozen entries between them, but plenty of other great song writers are included from Dylan to Diamond and Stewart to Simon. 

Now, I'm no rock historian, but I wasn't born yesterday and many of these songs hit it big during my lifetime.  Despite this there are a fair number of songs that I didn't recognize in the book, although I suppose if I heard the actual songs I might do better.   Each entry provides a rather detailed description of the interaction between the artists - all male - and their feminine obsessions.  While the events in question often occurred many decades ago, some of the identities and facts have only recently been revealed.  Each story is followed by a snippet of information about the artist and how well the song sold.  Plenty of intriguing pictures accompany the text throughout.

If you want to know more about Carrie Anne, Sharona, Peggy Sue, Lola, Maggie May or Jennifer Juniper this book is for you.  When possible, the authors include up-to-date information about each woman and what they're doing now, often discussing how they got there life back together after spending their youth hanging out with rock stars.

Which brings me to my only complaint about the book.  Maybe it's primarily a Mick Jagger effect, but these stories are often rather depressing.   I guess I shouldn't be surprised given the topic and the time period, but it's pretty hard not to view many of these women as victims.  Reading about all the convoluted webs of adultery, divorce and constant womanizing becomes a bit nauseating at times, though there are a few songs about women who are still actually married to the songwriter that wrote about them. 

Overall, The Girl in the Song is a well written overview of some of the most romantic and raunchy highlights of the rock and roll era.  While I was surprised that Elvis is nowhere to be found, the book does reveal who the cute girl is on the album cover of The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan, walking arm in arm with the artist.  I expect it to appeal to avid rock historians or ‘60s nostalgia buffs, but it only gets a luke warm recommendation from me because it didn't answer the one question I cared about most.  Who the heck was Roxanne!?

Recommended: Yes