3 Famous Songs That Were Named After Characters Who Never Actually Existed

Three well-known songs, “Levon”, “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” and “A Boy Named Sue”, centre on characters who were invented rather than portrayals of specific people. Their stories show how songwriters can use fictional figures to make ideas and experiences feel personal to listeners.

Elton John said “Levon” was about a man bored with repetition, though its name may have come from The Band’s Levon Helm, who reportedly disliked the song. Paul McCartney described Maxwell as a fictitious character representing life’s frustrations. Shel Silverstein drew on his friend Jean Shepherd’s experience of being teased for having a girl’s name when writing “A Boy Named Sue”; the song became a US No. 1 hit for Johnny Cash.