Music can often inspire me to write. Here are some of my stories and the songs that inspired them. You can also listen to the songs by following “Sunday Mornings by an Average Jill” on Spotify.
Janice Joplin, “Bobby McGee”
Several years back, I watched a Janice Joplin biography on Netflix. I'd stumbled across her legacy to music over my lifetime, but never knew her story. The biography portrayed her creative depth as a product of a child starved of [...]
Johnny Cash, “Sunday Morning Coming Down”
One of the fondest memories I have of my childhood was waking up on Sunday morning to the sound of Johnny Cash. My father was, and still is, a huge Johnny Cash fan. Those Sunday mornings I remember my Dad [...]
Poison, “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn”
When I was 16 my friend and I were handed backstage passes to meet the members of our favorite band, Poison, after a show at the Hartford Civic Center. Within seconds I justified any punishment my parents could conceivably come [...]
Kid Rock, “Purple Sky”
I remember driving to school as a teenager, and becoming mesmerized by the morning sky. The passing landscape would fall in line with the beat of whatever music I had playing on cassette, and the cool morning air would carry [...]
Rod Stewart, “Reason to Believe”
I had a regrettable experience in my youth, while a Rod Stewart album played in the background. For many years afterwards, when I’d hear any Rod Stewart song, I’d become nauseous, and have to turn it off. A few years [...]
Indigo Girls, “Closer to Fine”
This song had a huge influence on me wanting to learn acoustic guitar. It’s easily on my top five favorite songs of all time. Over the years, I’ve listened to it on repeat countless times, admiring the acoustic sound, and [...]
Fleetwood Mac, “Landslide”
Stevie Nicks wrote the lyrics for Landslide in response to being dropped from her record label back in the early 70s. The song shares her frustration of briefly tasting success, feeling it ripped away, and having to resurrect the courage [...]
Maren Morris, “My Church”
I attended a few Baptist services when I was in my early 20s. Throughout the service, everyone joyfully stood hands raised, shouting “Amen,” and singing “Hallelujah!” It was the most fun I ever had at church. I was brought up [...]
Hootie and the Blowfish, “Let Her Cry”
“Let Her Cry” by Hootie and the Blowfish was the first song I learned to play on acoustic guitar. No matter how rusty I allow my playing skills to get, it’s a song I can still pick up and play [...]
Aaron Tippin, “Kiss This”
The lyrics to “Kiss This,” by Aaron Tippin always get my imagination flowing. It doesn’t matter how many times I hear the song, each time I envision a feisty woman relentlessly tearing into her cheating, soon-to-be ex-lover, while he grovels [...]
Tom Petty, “The Waiting”
I had a friend in college who would binge watch classic romance movies. Her enthusiasm for the genre inspired me to a watch a few. At the time, the plots moved too slow for me, and my attention was quickly [...]
Ashley McBride, “A Little Dive Bar in Dahlonega”
When my kids were little, I listened almost exclusively to country music. At the time, I was traveling 50+ miles to work, so Connecticut’s Country 92.5 got a lot of radio play. It was the first time since the 80 [...]
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