"Brandy, you're a fine girl."

Girl songs. Songs about girls. Songs about many girls, a girlfriend, a girl you hate, a troubled girl.
One of the dudes from the band Toto ( Jeff Porcaro? Steve Porcaro? ) wrote a HUGE hit about his then girlfriend, Roseanna Arquette ( the song "Roseanna". Duh. ) "Julia" ( the famous Beatles tune ) was written about John Lennon's mother ( who died in a car crash when he was 16. ) "Mandy" by Barry Manilow was apparently written for a special female in his life...his dog. Sometimes it's just a story or a memory they have that's created into song and they fabricate a fictitious girl ( I have to believe there really isn't anyone named "Severina", even though The Mission UK sing about her very passionately. ) Hall & Oates "Sara Smile". A real girl? Yes, Daryll Hall's now ex-wife. Sisters of Mercy's "Lucretia, My Reflection". A real girl? Um, hard to say. Great name though. SO goth.

It's quite an honor to have a song written about you. Wait, lemme rephrase that. It's quite an honor to have a COMPLIMENTARY song written about you. Nobody wants to be remembered as that heathen bitch that broke some lead singer's heart ( especially if it does well on the Billboard charts, because that song will be on the airwaves forever. ) But, to be immortalized in music history as the whore that messed up the drummer might be cool too. Gives you about 4 minutes of fame and maybe a guest spot on some trashy "Where Are They Now" video show on VH-1.

However, it's NOT very fun to have a song NOT written about YOU exactly, but your name is featured prominently in the title and/or chorus. I guarantee that lots of women between the ages of 30-45 with the name Sherry have been serenaded MORE than once by Steve Perry's 80's ballad "Oh Sherry". If your name is Roxanne , you either got bombarded with a classic by The Police, or your more obscure hip-hop savvy friends belted out UTFO's 1984 hit "Roxanne, Roxanne". I didn't experience any of this type of torture until Shaun Cassidy's version of "Da Doo Ron Ron" came out when I was in elementary school. To cut to the second line of the song ( "Somebody told me that her name was Jill...da doo ron ron rooooon" ) well - you know what I heard, A LOT, for a good 4 months. It sucked. Don't even get me started about that goddamn nursery rhyme either.

Anyway. It's what's on my mind lately. Songs with about girls - a girl - that girl. Christine Sixteen. Suzie is a Headbanger. Oh Marie. Barbara Ann. Magical mythical sirens in the songwriters' mind, or actual flesh and blood women that loved and/or destroyed them. Below are a couple of my favorite songs that revolve around a girl. I have no idea if these girls they are singing about are real. If you know the answer to that - please share.

Oh yeah. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't it sound like Steve Perry is singing "CINNAMON GUUU-UUUUM!" at the beginning of "Oh Sherry"?

Ready For The World - Oh Sheila
Concrete Blonde - Caroline