Three enduring songs from the 1970s were written directly about real people who later spoke publicly about being their inspiration, offering rare insight into how personal experiences shaped some of rock's most famous tracks. The pieces reveal both the emotional truth and the occasional friction between songwriters and the people who inspired them, showing how heartbreak, love and complicated relationships fed directly into the era's songwriting.

Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham wrote "Go Your Own Way" about his breakup with bandmate Stevie Nicks, though she later disputed his claim that she had been unfaithful, insisting she never "shacked up with anybody" during their relationship. Eric Clapton wrote "Layla" for Pattie Boyd while she was still married to George Harrison, with Boyd later admitting the "declaration of love" left her feeling exposed even as she found it passionate; she left Harrison for Clapton in 1974. Graham Nash confirmed Joni Mitchell's "My Old Man" was written about him during their 1968-1970 relationship, recalling he proposed marriage to her but that she may have misunderstood his intentions, and he later praised the song as "brilliant".