3 Iconic Rock Songs From the 1970s Written in Actual Dreams

Three well-known rock songs from the 1970s drew key musical ideas from their creators’ dreams. The stories show how inspiration during sleep contributed to songs that became enduring favourites.

Billy Joel woke with the melody and chord progression for “Just the Way You Are”, but initially did not want it on 1977’s *The Stranger*; Linda Ronstadt and Phoebe Snow persuaded him to include it. Lynyrd Skynyrd guitarist Ed King dreamed the guitar solos for “Sweet Home Alabama” and played them in the studio. Rush’s nearly ten-minute instrumental, with about a dozen sections, was built from different dreams guitarist Alex Lifeson recounted to drummer Neil Peart.