Results: We have heard the phrase "sleep on it" as a way to deal problems. Some popular songs were "written" while the artist was asleep or upon awakening. Some other songs took years to write. This survey is about the quick ones.
Published on 08/01/2025
In 1973, Paul and Linda McCartney were vacationing in Jamaica, where they met Dustin Hoffman, who was filming there. Over dinner, Hoffman read McCartney an article about Pablo Picasso's final words: "Drink to me, drink to my health. You know I can't drink anymore,"
Hoffman then challenged McCartney to write a song using those words. McCartney, after a bit of strumming, spontaneously composed "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)". The song is on the Band on the Run album. There are other examples of custom songs written very quickly. Here are some that come to mind.
QUESTIONS
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Comments
1.
1.
Creativity sometimes works quickly and artists who work slowly are no more likely to produce better results it seems. Before we delve into the quick ones, here are some slow ones you may have heard of. Which ones were worth the wait?
Leonard Cohen - "Hallelujah" - 5 years
41%
825 votes
Queen - "Bohemian Rhapsody" - more than 6 years
49%
974 votes
Guns N' Roses - "November Rain" - 20 plus years
27%
541 votes
None
9%
173 votes
Not Interested
23%
455 votes
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In contrast, some songs were written very quickly. Here are three of them. Which of them do you like?
"American Woman" by The Guess Who: This song was written spontaneously when guitarist Randy Bachman broke a string during a concert
48%
964 votes
"Losing My Religion" by R.E.M.: Pete Buck claims the song was written in a 10-minute burst of messing around on the mandolin.
30%
591 votes
"Born This Way" by Lady Gaga: Lady Gaga says she wrote this song in 10 minutes.
25%
499 votes
None
11%
211 votes
Not Interested
23%
453 votes
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3.
Here are three more quick ones. Which do you like?
Beyoncé, 'Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)' – 20 mins - less time than it took to learn its famous dance moves.
23%
457 votes
"What'd I Say" by Ray Charles: This song was improvised on stage during a performance to fill time.
25%
504 votes
Dolly Parton said she wrote two songs — "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love you" — in one evening.
51%
1023 votes
None
11%
215 votes
Not Interested
22%
435 votes
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Time is money and these last three certainly paid well. Which of them do you like?
The Knack, 'My Sharona' – 15 mins: Lyrics like "my, my my, my, my, wooh!" aren't exactly poetry, but this 1979 hit is still a classic.
36%
729 votes
Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote "Your Song" in 20 minutes.
38%
767 votes
Taylor Swift wrote her hit "We Are Never Getting Back Together" in 25 minutes.
18%
364 votes
None
14%
289 votes
Not Interested
23%
459 votes
COMMENTS