<![CDATA[Stories from the Jukebox]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.comhttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!OYPn!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcb82c7ef-395f-446e-ad83-aa1f4d23fccb_608x608.pngStories from the Jukeboxhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.comSubstackThu, 14 May 2026 00:31:41 GMT<![CDATA[Blue Flower]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/blue-flowerhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/blue-flowerTue, 12 May 2026 14:10:53 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

Thanks to everyone who participated in last week’s prompt, Elvis Night at Andy’s, by ! And so far so good in this new format. So we’ll continue with the trial.

Once again this week I’m going to publish the newsletter making the prompt available to the writing group on Tuesday, as usual. But I’m going to wait until the the deadline to send it — Monday at Midnight. That way our readers will receive the newsletter already loaded with your submissions!

I’ve decided to start sharing our Headliners with you, too! Beginning next week our Headliner submission will be sent out to subscribers on Tuesday — effectively announcing the week’s prompt.

Week #37 Feature🏆

The Week #37 Feature goes to , for her submission titled, Elvis Night at Andy’s. Written in third person, her journal entry was just what I’m hoping for each week these prompts are released. Debra’s story was moving, because she was moved by the song prompt. And that readers, is what it’s all about!

It was just another ordinary morning as she made breakfast for her brother. Something she's done over a thousand times since he came to live with her. A task she does on co-pilot and under five minutes as she multi tasks while listening to this week's “Song from the Jukebox” prompt.

One Soul's Journey
Elvis Night at Andy's
It was just another ordinary morning as she made breakfast for her brother. Something she's done over a thousand times since he came to live with her. A task she does on co-pilot and under five minutes as she multi tasks while listening to this week's “Song from the Jukebox” prompt…
Read more
7 days ago · 8 likes · 6 comments · Debra Martin

Her mind slipped into the past as she sat there replaying the song over and over again. Memories that were buried deep in the crevasses of her mind played like old films, projected in the blankness of her stare. She lingered in them as time stood still.

Drop a few coins in the Jukebox🫙

Here’s this week’s prompt, Blue Flower, by Mazzy Star!

“Blue Flower” is a standout track by the alternative rock band Mazzy Star, from their debut album She Hangs Brightly (1990). The single reached #29 on the Billboard Alternative Chart.

The song explores uncertainty in a relationship — waiting for a sign or signal from a partner, questioning if the love is fading or one-sided.

Waitin’ for a sign from you
Waitin’ for a signal to change
Have you forgotten what your love can do?
Is this the end?

Grok says that listeners often see it as a mix of vulnerability and defiant coolness — the narrator both cares and pretends not to.

“Blue Flower” was originally written and recorded by the folk group Slapp Happy (Peter Blegvad, Anthony Moore, and Dagmar Krause) for their 1972 album Sort Of.

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Blue Flower.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

Our thirty-eighth prompt was chosen by , of the Southern Writers Guild. Gray is a prolific writer. She’s just published and released her first book, Opera Rose and Other Devotions, and is hard at work on her first novel.

Turtle Meat Mixtapes is her flagship publication. Some stories are raw. Some are cozy. All of them are true in spirit — with mixtapes to match!

Here’s our Headliner, Classé Girls: A Commitment, by Gray!

“I don’t like this blouse.” Grace’s brow furrowed as she studied the mirror. “It fits wonky.”

Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Classé Girls: A Commitment
I’m headlinin’ y’all! Blue Flower by Mazzy Star is my prompt for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox from MJ Polk…
Read more
a day ago · Gray

Grace had met a few nice gentlemen. And a few… not.

The “how r u” messages were landing like a thud.

Mr. Unhinged had opened with: You’re the first match I’ve had on Hinged in over a year. All these dating apps are shitty…

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.
]]><![CDATA[SFTJ - Elvis Night at Andy's LIVE]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/sftj-elvis-night-at-andys-livehttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/sftj-elvis-night-at-andys-liveFri, 08 May 2026 22:37:09 GMT“Elvis Night at Andy’s” is track #6 on Chip Martini’s debut album, No Band Required. Written, produced, and performed by Good Boy Records.

Grooves & Gravy
Elvis Night at Andy’s
This memoir is my headline contribution to this week’s Stories From The Jukebox, a memoir piece built around a song that took far longer to find its voice than I care to admit…
Read more
7 days ago · 10 likes · 3 comments · Good Boy Records

Drop a few coins in the Jukebox🫙

Do you know a reader, writer, or musician that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[Stories from the Jukebox Announcement]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/stories-from-the-jukebox-announcementhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/stories-from-the-jukebox-announcementTue, 05 May 2026 12:45:25 GMTDear Readers and Writers,

I’m going to try something this week, so y’all please bare with me.

I’ve been thinking 🤔 and I wonder if I could do a better job of sharing all the stories submitted each week with our readers.

I’ve always said the the cheat code for readers of the Jukebox, is to be a week behind on reading — because that’s when all the stories have been submitted. Well, what if I can help you cheat?

We’ve got about two dozen writers in our little writing group. But the newsletter generally receives around 200 reads, and I want our writers to get those reads as well!

So this week I’m going to publish the newsletter, making the prompt available to the writing group on Tuesday as usual. But I’m going to wait until Monday at Midnight, after the submission deadline expires to send it.

That way our readers will receive the newsletter already stacked with lots of wicked stories!

I appreciate your patience as I work to make Stories from the Jukebox the best it can be. And if this is confusing at all, please feel free to ask for clarification in the comments. -MJ

Leave a comment

Here’s this week’s prompt newsletter!

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

]]><![CDATA[Elvis Night at Andy's]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/elvis-night-at-andyshttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/elvis-night-at-andysTue, 05 May 2026 12:34:19 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

I’m going to try something, so y’all please bare with me. I’ve been thinking 🤔 and I wonder if I could do a better job of sharing all the fantastic stories submitted each week with our readers.

I’ve always said the the cheat code for readers of the Jukebox is to be a week behind on reading — because that’s when all the stories have been submitted. Well, what if I can help you cheat?

We’ve got about two dozen writers in our little writing group. But the newsletter generally receives around 200 reads, and I want our writers to get those reads as well!

So this week I’m going to publish the newsletter, making the prompt available to the writing group on Tuesday as usual. But I’m going to wait until Monday at Midnight to send it. That way our readers will receive the newsletter already stacked with lots of wicked stories!

I appreciate your patience as I work to make Stories from the Jukebox the best it can be. And if this is confusing at all, please feel free to ask for clarification in the comments. -MJ

Leave a comment

Week #36 Feature🏆

I don’t think it’ll be a surprise to any of our readers that is being awarded this week’s feature for her submission titled, On a Monday Night in a Library. Goodness gracious what a beautiful story!

I had a thing. On a Monday night at the library. And it was kind of a big deal. I’ve had several firsts lately—yeses where I used to default to no.

As a matter of fact I said no to this.

Look, all I was going to do was go to this class, learn a little about public speaking, bump up my voiceover game. That’s it. But then I was “encouraged” to do the thing.

Turtle Meat Mixtapes
On a Monday Night at the Library
Here is my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Coldplay’s Adventure of a Lifetime, chosen by Annette Sharp…
Read more
9 days ago · 10 likes · 10 comments · Gray

Here’s this week’s prompt, Elvis Night at Andy’s, by Good Boy Records!

“Elvis Night at Andy’s” is track #6 on Chip Martini’s debut album, No Band Required. Written, produced, and performed by .

A bar, a piano, a tribute night that shouldn’t work but absolutely does. Chip narrates the whole thing with the delight of someone watching magic happen in a place that usually settles for karaoke. When the band drops out, and the voices rise, the room shifts into something theatrical and strangely moving. It’s tender, funny, smoky, and affectionate. Elvis would’ve approved.

Elvis Night at Andy’s

A half-empty beach bar, a full Elvis show, and a night that refused to behave.

This is my contribution to this week’s Stories From The Jukebox, a memoir piece built around a song that took far longer to find its voice than I care to admit.

This one’s for Mr. Polk.

He very kindly said I could bring one of my own songs to the table, which is no small thing. There are easier, safer choices I could have made. Something tidy, well-behaved, and perfectly capable of sitting quietly on the page without needing much explanation. But this is not that song.

It never really left me alone, and in my experience when that happens you’re better off giving in early and telling the story properly rather than trying to out maneuver it.

It starts, as these things often do, with Elvis Presley.

Or rather, the King…

Here’s our Headliner, Elvis Night at Andy’s, by Good Boy Records!

Grooves & Gravy
Elvis Night at Andy’s
This memoir is my headline contribution to this week’s Stories From The Jukebox, a memoir piece built around a song that took far longer to find its voice than I care to admit…
Read more
7 days ago · Good Boy Records

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Elvis Night at Andy’s.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

Get to know our Headliner, !

I write songs and about the life around making them. Good Boy Records is my song journal. Grooves & Gravy is the writing. I release music as Chip Martini. Please don’t ask why. It made sense at the time. -Colin G.

Here’s Colin’s post announcing Chip Martini’s debut album, No Band Required, the home of Elvis Night at Andy’s.

Grooves & Gravy
Chip Martini - No Band Required
No Band Required is one of those rare records that feels both instantly familiar and quietly surprising, a soul-soaked, groove-driven tour through late nights, barrooms, backroads and small, human revelations…
Read more
7 months ago · 3 likes · Good Boy Records

Do you know a reader, writer, or musician that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[April Curtain Call]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/april-curtain-callhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/april-curtain-callTue, 05 May 2026 12:07:01 GMT

If you’re new here, congrats, you’ve just stumbled on a massive collection of stories, essays, and poems inspired by some of the greatest songs of all time! Subscribe Now to get the weekly newsletter FREE!

In this newsletter you’ll find every linkable submission to all five April writing prompts. Wanna see who won the Features? Here’s a shortcut🏆

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt—along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of that week’s newsletter. (This can be done at any time, to any prompt, past or present.)

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time—all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

Drop a few coins in the Jukbox🫙

Okay, now for April’s Opening Acts! These are all the linkable subscriber submissions for the past month.

Phillip’s Substack
Don’t Look Back In Anger…
This is my contribution to one of the best newsletters in the whole darn substackasphere…
Read more
a month ago · 32 likes · 11 comments · Phillip Slater
The Southern Copywriter blog
Don't Look Back In Anger
This is my submission to this week’s SFTJ song prompt, Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis. Chosen by my pal, Phillip Slater…
Read more
a month ago · 16 likes · 4 comments · MJ Polk
Carer Mentor: Empathy & Inspiration
"What It Takes To Embrace the Life He Has " By Chris B
Read more
3 months ago · 63 likes · 61 comments · Victoria and Chris B. Writes
One Soul's Journey
The Beast
The Beast…
Read more
a month ago · 12 likes · 3 comments · Debra Martin
Woman Rising
Blublot3
“Okay look, you’ve had two earth days plus 44 xincrins to make your decision, Harnzon. What’s it going to be…
Read more
a month ago · 11 likes · 2 comments · Annette Sharp
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Optimistic
Here is my submission for Phillip Slater’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Don’t Look Back in Anger, by Oasis…
Read more
a month ago · 19 likes · 13 comments · Gray
Observations In Time
In A Tree
Prompt From: Stories from the Jukebox…
Read more
a month ago · 11 likes · 1 comment · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Marty D. Snow
Don't Look Back in Anger
This is my submission to this week’s song prompt on Stories from the Jukebox. This week’s song is Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis. Thanks to MJ Polk for this prompt series, and Phillip Slater for the song choice…
Read more
a month ago · 12 likes · 11 comments · Marty D. Snow
Grooves & Gravy
Live a Colourful Life
This non-fiction piece is my contribution to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt was Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis. You can find the original prompt here…
Read more
a month ago · 14 likes · Good Boy Records
Observations In Time
Back To The Garden
All roads in Canadian music history beat a path to Toronto in the 1960’s. Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, The Band, Steppenwolf, and Joni Mitchell all performed in the clubs there. A number of other acts like Simon and Garfunkel and Rick James played the club scene there as well. Other bands that reflect a Canadian vibe played there often…
Read more
a month ago · 12 likes · 5 comments · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Son of Ugly
Back to the Garden
Back to the Garden…
Read more
24 days ago · 57 likes · 30 comments · Scott MacLeod
Grooves & Gravy
Dear Joan: A Brief and Ill-Advised Career in Art Criticism
This non-fiction piece is my contribution to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt was the song Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell. You can find the original prompt here…
Read more
a month ago · 10 likes · 7 comments · Good Boy Records
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Low Stakes, High Hum
Here is my submission for Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell…
Read more
24 days ago · 15 likes · 6 comments · Gray
primalbeet
Life During Wartime
Read more
22 days ago · 13 likes · 1 comment · primalbeet
The Southern Copywriter blog
Dark Angel
Trigger Warning: This fictional story contains Gun Violence, and a Suggestive Theme that could be harmful to anyone who suffers from forms of PTSD, or is sensitive to such subjects. Explicit Language.Subscribe now to get this eclectic mix of essays, articles, and fiction every Sunday…
Read more
17 days ago · 13 likes · 3 comments · MJ Polk
Grooves & Gravy
Minnie's Boy
This non-fiction piece is my contribution to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt was the song Life During Wartime by Talking Heads…
Read more
21 days ago · 8 likes · 3 comments · Good Boy Records
Observations In Time
No Significant Loss
Prompt from: Stories from the Jukebox…
Read more
21 days ago · 9 likes · 2 comments · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
I am a lake not an ocean
Life During Wartime by Talking Heads
A big Thank you to Stories From the Jukebox for this week’s contribution…
Read more
16 days ago · 6 likes · 2 comments · Diane
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
NO ONE CALLED IT WAR
Here is my submission for Rick West primalbeet’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Life During Wartime, by Talking Heads…
Read more
19 days ago · 12 likes · Gray
primalbeet
Another Story From the Jukebox
Read more
19 days ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · primalbeet
Woman Rising
Adventurous
I AM Adventurous…
Read more
16 days ago · 8 likes · 3 comments · Annette Sharp
Observations In Time
At Rose’s Cafe
Back in January I posted a story called At Rose’s Cafe. If you missed it it can be found here…
Read more
14 days ago · 9 likes · 1 comment · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
On a Monday Night at the Library
Here is my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Coldplay’s Adventure of a Lifetime, chosen by Annette Sharp…
Read more
10 days ago · 11 likes · 10 comments · Gray

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Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[A Lifetime of Adventure]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/a-lifetime-of-adventurehttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/a-lifetime-of-adventureFri, 01 May 2026 11:55:52 GMT

This is my submission to this week’s SFTJ song prompt, Adventure Of A Lifetime, by Cold Play. Subscribe now so you don’t miss out on these weekly writing prompts!

As soon as told me about her song choice, I knew that my submission would have something to do with Hank Cotton. If you’re talking adventure, Cotton’s your guy!

“Oh yeah, I like adventure, now… I like just, going off on an adventure like’em knights, back in King Arthur’s time!”

How would you like to have a signed copy of The Ugly Duckling?

Hank Cotton, a Hotshot Truck Driver, doesn’t know that he’s picked up an unlikely passenger.

In this, his debut story–our hero Hank Cotton, is tasked with getting not only a travel trailer from Indiana to Florida; but also Jenny Deal, a thirteen year old runaway that’s been kidnapped and forced to perform as a sex worker.

Will Hank be able to out run her pimp, and out smart the crooked Alabama lawmen looking to stop him?

Find out how Jenny got in this mess–whether Brooke, Hank’s wife will understand why he’s got an underage sex worker with him, and whether Hank is able to get his cargo delivered safely in this novelette length story titled, The Ugly Duckling.

Read it on Substack!

The Ugly Duckling certainly isn’t Cotton’s only adventure. He’s got a whole mess of Adventure stories over on the Southern Writers Guild!

These first two are a little sketchy, sure. But you can’t say they aren’t adventurous!

Southern Writers Guild
The Cooler
I reckon I ought to tell y’all how I got mixed up with this here, Southern Writers’ Guild business. So the stories below.Gone ahead — you’ll regret it later if’n ya don’t…
Read more
4 months ago · 7 likes · MJ Polk
Southern Writers Guild
Bang Bang
MJ originally published this over on the Stories from the Jukebox pub under his name — so I made him move it over here, and fix it. And I reckon that’s the end of that, cause I’m here to stay. Buckle up y’all🤠🤙Gone ahead — if ya don’t, you’ll regret it later…
Read more
4 months ago · 7 likes · MJ Polk

This next one has already been a Jukebox submission. Hank had me submit it for him. Said, “dude, picked a bitchn’ tune” and he’d been inspired.😎🤘

Southern Writers Guild
Right Place Wrong Time
You’re in the Right Place, and it’s the Wrong Time to skip-out on Subscribing. Gone ahead…
Read more
4 months ago · 12 likes · 2 comments · MJ Polk

This one has been shared here already as well — orchestrated by me. I chose our prompt that week in order for Cotton to share this story. As soon as I read it, I knew it needed to be published immediately. The rest of Try Your Luck In Reno, has since been finished. But it likely won’t be shared for some time yet…

Southern Writers Guild
Wyoming
This is just a taste of a bigger story I’m working on called, Try Your Luck In Reno. I’m warning y’all aheada time too — it’s pretty explicit. So there’s that.Gone ahead — if ya don’t, you’ll regret it later…
Read more
4 months ago · 7 likes · MJ Polk

And these last few are — well — let’s just say, adventure sums them up pretty darn good.

Southern Writers Guild
Spare Tire
Ole Dually Girl rolls into the Sunoco on State Street in Clarksdale, Mississippi, just as the afternoon light turns the cotton fields gold and the air thick with that particular Delta perfume: diesel, distant barbecue, and the faint ghost of yesterday’s juke joint smoke. Cotton is behind the wheel, Grace shotgun in her primrose pink (today it’s a linen …
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2 months ago · 14 likes · primalbeet, Gray, and MJ Polk
Southern Writers Guild
The Little Shops That Were
So I was sitting on the Porch, doing what boomers do, talking about how great the past was. I was talking about that time the gator charged into the convenience store in Cape Coral. Which led to Grace talking about roadside peanuts and peach ice cream. Which led to Hank reminiscing about the bootleggers behind the Quality Inn. So we decided to each writ…
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2 months ago · 15 likes · 5 comments · MJ Polk, primalbeet, and Gray
Southern Writers Guild
Backstory of "The Cooler"
If you’re new here, you may be wondering right about now… What’s the deal with, The Cooler…
Read more
22 days ago · 10 likes · MJ Polk, Gray, and primalbeet

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Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.
]]><![CDATA[Adventure Of A Lifetime]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/adventure-of-a-lifetimehttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/adventure-of-a-lifetimeTue, 28 Apr 2026 15:26:50 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

What a great week of stories! Life During Wartime, by Talking Heads was such a good prompt. I’ve really enjoyed reading primalbeet Gray Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦 Good Boy Records Theresa Greene Diane submissions!

Writers if you’re looking for a little inspiration, I invite you to join our little writing group. All prose of 1500 words or less inspired by this week’s prompt is welcome.

Musicians, I’d love to see what you can do with with this week’s prompt too! Be it a cover or something original. How about a piano or acoustic rendition? Tell me a story through a song!

Week #36 Feature🏆

This week’s Feature goes to , for her short story titled, Life During Wartime. In it she shows us the true cost, of the many wars fought behind closed doors in households all over the world every single day.

I am a firm believer that fiction can bring about change, and this is a great example.

Marley pulled herself and Squeaky Ted further under her bed, curling round the detritus of bed-fluff, as words like gunfire rose from the kitchen, the loaded weapons of years of marriage that her parents hurled back and forth with accuracy at each other. She knew the heavier ones were her dad’s but her mum, after so much practice, knew how to hit those places nobody else knew of. Between them they left a graveyard on the highway of Marley’s heart that neither would ever know about.

I am a lake not an ocean
Life During Wartime by Talking Heads
A big Thank you to Stories From the Jukebox for this week’s contribution…
Read more
16 days ago · 5 likes · 1 comment · Diane

Here’s this week’s prompt, Adventure Of A Lifetime, by Coldplay!

"Adventure of a Lifetime" is a song by British rock band Coldplay. It was released on 6 November 2015 as the lead single from their seventh studio album, A Head Full of Dreams (2015). (Via Wikipedia)

The track reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also reached the top 20 in a number of countries, including Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

The official music video was directed by the band's long-time collaborator, Mat Whitecross. It was released on 29 November 2015. The concept for the video was hatched after Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and British motion capture expert/actor Andy Serkis met on a plane and discussed ideas. It took about six months to make the music video, which as of March 2025 has received over 1.6 billion views on YouTube.

The CGI animated video features a group of chimpanzees that come across a Beats Pill speaker under a pile of leaves. The primates then discover the power of music and form a band that resembles the members of Coldplay.

According to The Guardian, the video was shot at The Imaginarium, where the reboot series of Planet of the Apes and parts of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Star Wars: The Force Awakens were filmed. English choreographer Holly Blakey was responsible for creating the band's dance moves.

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Adventure Of A Lifetime.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

Our prompt this week was chosen by . Annette’s talent amazes me! From her poems and letters, to fiction and non-fiction writing, I am often spell bound by her prose. Oh and videos too! I really enjoy watching her paint, talking about relaxing.

Annette’s light shines bright. And she shares her life and writing journey through these three publications.

Writing and speaking opinion, fiction, and creating art. Portals of a mission for love, courage, support and unity in supporting woman. -Annette Sharp

Here’s Annette’s Headliner, Adventurous!

Start small, one step at a time, and perhaps being adventurous is found as a growth process. Not all of us can start at 10 and jump to 60 in an instant. Some will. Adventuring through smaller moments can wake something inside of us. We feel something coming back to life in one small change, one choice we did not make yesterday or 500 days before that.

Woman Rising
Adventurous
I AM Adventurous…
Read more
17 days ago · 5 likes · 2 comments · Annette Sharp

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.
]]><![CDATA[Life During Wartime]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/life-during-wartimehttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/life-during-wartimeTue, 21 Apr 2026 14:15:14 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

Thanks to everyone who read, liked, shared, commented and submitted to last week’s song writing prompt, Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell. really picked a great prompt!

Are you looking to join a writing group? All prose is welcome — so come one, come all!

Week #34 Feature🏆

This week’s Feature Award goes to , for his submission titled Dear Joan: A Brief and Ill-Advised Career in Art Criticism. Colin’s our first Back to Back Feature Award Winner, since did it back during weeks 18 and 19.

Y’all know I’mma sucker for a memoir story, and it doesn’t get any better than this!

One line, a straight face, and the best performance I’ve ever given.

The prompt was Woodstock. Which is all very well, but the moment I saw Joni Mitchell’s name, this came straight back to me.

I hadn’t thought about it in years.

And now it won’t leave me alone.

So I might as well tell it properly, because it’s probably the finest piece of blagging I’ve ever managed - and I say that as a man who has made a reasonable life out of turning up in places he wasn’t strictly invited to…

Grooves & Gravy
Dear Joan: A Brief and Ill-Advised Career in Art Criticism
This non-fiction piece is my contribution to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt was the song Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell. You can find the original prompt here…
Read more
a month ago · 10 likes · 7 comments · Good Boy Records

Here’s this week’s prompt, Life During Wartime, by Talking Heads!

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Life During Wartime.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

"Life During Wartime" is a song by the American rock band Talking Heads, released on October 14, 1979, by Sire Records as the first single from their third studio album Fear of Music (1979). (Via Wikipedia)

Its official title as a single, "Life During Wartime (This Ain't No Party... This Ain't No Disco... This Ain't No Foolin' Around)", makes it one of the longest-titled singles.

The lyrics are told from the point of view of someone involved in clandestine activities in the U.S. (the cities Houston, Detroit, and Pittsburgh are mentioned) during some sort of civil unrest or dystopian environment.

The line “This ain’t no Mudd Club or CBGB“ refers to two New York music venues at which the band performed in the 1970s.

“The line ‘This ain’t no disco’ sure stuck!” remarks Byrne in the liner notes of Once in a Lifetime: The Best of Talking Heads (1992). “Remember when they would build bonfires of Donna Summer records? Well, we liked some disco music! It’s called ‘dance music’ now. Some of it was radical, camp, silly, transcendent and disposable. So it was funny that we were sometimes seen as the flag-bearers of the anti-disco movement.”

"Life During Wartime" is widely regarded as one of the band's best songs. In 2023, American Songwriter ranked the song No. 9 on their list of the 10 greatest Talking Heads songs, and in 2024, Paste ranked the song No. 4 on their list of the 30 greatest Talking Heads songs. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

The song is also performed in the film Stop Making Sense (1984), which depicts a Talking Heads concert. The performance featured in the film prominently features aerobic exercising and jogging by David Byrne and the backing vocalists.

Drop a few coins in the Jukebox

is back with this week’s Headliner and song prompt. Rick is a prolific writer, a musician, and feral philosopher. He crafts poetry, short fiction, rogue songs, and offbeat truths from the crossroads of weird and wonder. Refined for public use, but still a little wild under the hood.

Rick has just published his first novel, First Light. It follows a man that comes back to the place he once escaped, chasing a feeling he can’t quite name and doesn’t fully trust…

“This is not a story of sudden change. No one becomes someone else. It is a story of alignment asserting itself under pressure.”

Purchase First Light here!

Here’s Rick’s Headliner, Life During Wartime!

From the documentary and album Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads

I was in grad school when Stop Making Sense hit the theater. That concert film changed my artistic life. I had seen the Woodstock movie, seen the early Allman Brothers, Laurie Anderson. Many other cutting edge performers. Considered myself cultured and savvy.

primalbeet
Life During Wartime
Read more
21 days ago · primalbeet

Send a message through the receiver, hope for an answer one day…

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.
]]><![CDATA[Woodstock]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/woodstock-2fchttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/woodstock-2fcFri, 17 Apr 2026 21:32:12 GMT

This is my submission to this week’s SFTJ song prompt, Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell! Subscribe now so you don’t miss out on these weekly writing prompts!

Jack picked up his future and looked one last time before calling the New Yorker’s raise.

“All in.” Jack pushed what was left of his slight pile of bills and change into the pot.

Tommy guessed Jack had the Yank beat, so he went all in on his straight, too. Just so as to goat’em into taking the bet.

The tall one folded and turned to the other one like a lost pup. The fat one wasn’t looking at his companion, or his cards. He was locked in on Jack — his stare cold.

“That’s all our money Gary, how are we going to…”

“Shut up,” Gary said, and smacked his flunkie friend with his cap. Then he reached inside his coat pocket and tossed two tickets onto the pile.

“I ain’t interested in nothn’ but cash, boys,” Jack said, snubbing the imposter paper.

“You can’t lose our Woodstock tickets!” Hollered the tall one. He was beginning to get excited. But his buddy calmed him down again real quick like.

Jack’s interest was piqued. “What’s a Woodstock?”

“The Woodstock Arts and Music Festival. How could you not have heard about it? The biggest bands in the country will be there. Those tickets are worth $18 each.”

“Where’s this concert gone be?”

“Up in the Catskill mountains.”

Jack didn’t know where the Catskill Mountains were, but damned if he’d let this Yank know it.

“Alright then, I’ll accept your wager.” He laid down his single stack of cards face down — then flipped them and spread not three, but four Jacks. Topped’em off with an Ace.

The fat one threw his Full House down in disgust before Tom could even show his little four card straight.

“Whoo hoo! Looks like we’re going to Woodstock with a pocket full of dollars, Tommy Boy! Hey Brian, four cold ones if you don’t mind.”

Jack raked the pot into his hat and headed to the bar. Tom followed quickly.

“Hey Jack, I’m wondering something.”

“I don’t know where the Catskills are either,” Jack answered before Tommy could continue. Then turned to Brian as the frosty mugs were placed on the counter. “Do you know where the Catskill Mountains are?”

“Upstate New York.”

He looked at the tickets again. The dates read, August 15th, 16th, & 17th.

“Whoa, we’re about to go on a by-God-sure-enough adventure, Tommy Boy. The son-of-a-bitch is this weekend!”

“Why New York is a two or three day drive from here, Jack,” Tom said nervously. “You can’t be serious.”

“I’m as serious as a pisst-off Boar Hawg, son. I’mma going, with or without ya.”

He picked up three of the mugs and headed towards the disappointed New Yorkers. “Here ya go Boys,” he said, as he set a beer down in front of each of’em. “There’s always next time.”

The fat one grumbled something Jack chose to take as unintelligible. Then tipped his hat bill, and turned on his heel. He drained the rest of his beer, and tossed a five on the bar for Brian as he made for the door with his booty.

Tom was in the passenger seat of Jack’s Ol’ Chevy before he’d even had a chance to get in himself.

“You changed your mind, I reckon.”

“Well, I figure if’n you’re headed up into Yankee territory, I ort not let’cha go by yerself.”

Jack didn’t answer so much as just breathe hard once. Then backed out of the gravel parking lot and pulled out onto US-1 North.

He’d stopped by his Nan’s and grabbed’em a biscuit and some blankets, and they still made it to Savannah before day break. There they had the option to get on the interstate. Some kind of new super highway. It did end up making the traveling a whole lot simpler. Hell all you had to do was just get on and go. They weren’t no stop signs on the whole dern thing! The only thing was, it wasn’t finished yet. So they kept having to get off and it’d take a while to find it again.

Tommy wasn’t much with a map, either. So it’s a good thing that Jack had a keen sense of direction. Them boys made it all the way up into, Washington D.C., before Jack decided to pull over for some rest. He told Tommy to keep to US-1 North, then leaned against the window and went out.

Some time later Jack woke up to a jerk. Then was almost flung into the ceiling of the pickup when the truck hit another pot hole.

“Goddamn Tom, what are you doing? Slow the hell down!”

Tom slammed on the brakes, damn near throwing them both through the front windshield.

“I’m sorry,” Tom stuttered. “I’d gotten lost and was trying to turn around, and got more lost.”

Jack just put his head in his hands for a beat, then took a deep breath and opened the passenger door to exit. He exhaled and looked at Tom, then thought better and just walked around and climbed back into the driver’s seat. Tom had slid to his rightful position by now, and started to say something. But Jack just raised his hand in a hold that thought gesture, so Tommy did.

In an hour the boys were back on track and on schedule to make it by Friday’s opening act, Sweetwater. Motherless Child was one of Jack’s favorite songs, and he sure didn’t want to miss it. He got more and more excited about this whole thing, the closer and closer they got to it.

They drove through New York City just for the hell of it. Then picked up some hitchhikers in Poughkeepsie. The girl hopped right up front like she belonged there all her life. The two fellas she was with rode in the pickup bed. Diane was her name. They were going to the festival too.

She tuned the radio station until she found what she was huntn — The ABB, Not My Cross To Bear began playing. And just like that, Diane had him.

Now Jack had never been the type to let a girl snag him like that, but Diane put a spell on that boy. Let me tell you all something right now, that boy was in a love struck daze all weekend. I mean, I’m telling y’all he’d done swallered the bait whole.

Them two was inseparable for all three days of that there festival. Hell, Jack would pick Diane up and tote’er, before he’d ever let her walk through a muddy spot. He turned into a proper gentleman on that trip.

And when it was all over, you know what he did? He plum stayed up in them there Catskills. Diane’s Pa had a Loggin’ business up there. Jack’s running it now. Turned it into a real big deal if’n I ain’t mistaken. The two of them got great-grandchildren running around now too.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot about Woodstock – I mean, Uncle Tom. He didn’t come back for some years. Somehow ended up as a roadie for Creedence Clearwater Revival.

MJ's Tip Jar🫙

Thanks for reading! I Hope this’ll inspire you to make your own submission to this week’s writing prompt, Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.
The Southern Copywriter blog
Don't Look Back In Anger
This is my submission to this week’s SFTJ song prompt, Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis. Chosen by my pal, Phillip Slater…
Read more
a month ago · 14 likes · 4 comments · MJ Polk
]]><![CDATA[March Curtain Call]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/march-curtain-callhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/march-curtain-callThu, 16 Apr 2026 14:50:17 GMT

If you’re new here, congrats, you’ve just stumbled on a massive collection of stories, essays, and poems inspired by some of the greatest songs of all time! Subscribe Now to get the weekly newsletter FREE!

In this newsletter you’ll find every linkable submission to all five March writing prompts. Wanna see who won the Features? Here’s a shortcut🏆

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt—along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of that week’s newsletter. (This can be done at any time, to any prompt, past or present.)

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time—all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

Drop a few coins in the Jukebox🫙

Okay, now for March’s Opening Acts! These are all the linkable subscriber submissions for the past month.

primalbeet
Here Comes the Sun
I love Stories From the Jukebox. It was the first prompt exercise I took on, and pretty much the only one. I like it because it’s open-ended, it’s at it s core about music, and the themes are eclectic. a lot of fun, in short. So it pains me a little to see the enthusiasm waning a bit…
Read more
2 months ago · 14 likes · 3 comments · primalbeet
One Soul's Journey
Open Your Heart to Me
The chorus to this song began playing in loops in my mind the first week of February. Of course, I was experiencing a kind of Mandela affect. Because once I looked up the lyrics to the song they were not as I remembered…
Read more
2 months ago · 20 likes · 10 comments · Debra Martin
Phillip’s Substack
Here Comes The Sun…
This week's writing prompt, provided by Stories From The Jukebox, is ‘Here Comes The Sun’ by some young men fromLiverpool, who changed the world…
Read more
2 months ago · 30 likes · 9 comments · Phillip Slater
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Here Comes the Song
Here is my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Here Comes the Sun, chosen by primalbeet …
Read more
2 months ago · 16 likes · 6 comments · Gray
Observations In Time
Returning Home
One of the first memories of hearing music was listening to my father’s 45 Runaway by Del Shannon on our stereo system. There are some memories of hearing specific songs on the car radio…
Read more
2 months ago · 15 likes · 11 comments · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Everyday Behaviorist
Here Comes the Sun
Here’s another submission to Stories from the Jukebox, MJ Polk’s writing community with weekly song prompts. This week’s jam was “Here Comes the Sun,” by The Beatles. Would love for you to join us! Submission instructions here…
Read more
2 months ago · 23 likes · 6 comments · Jennifer Haddock
Grooves & Gravy
Bowen’s Day
This piece is my contribution to *Stories from the Jukebox*, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt is Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles. You can find the original prompt here: Stories from the Jukebox…
Read more
2 months ago · 10 likes · 6 comments · Good Boy Records
SHAMANIC STORIES
HERE COMES THE SUN
“Here comes the sun, shining its light on everything…
Listen now
2 months ago · 11 likes · 9 comments · Vivienne Helen
Scribbles in the Margin
Here Comes the Sun
This post is for this weeks’ Stories from the Jukebox theme- a weekly prompt based on a well-known song, a publication which I always enjoy reading and have contributed to in the past. It’s been a while, but I couldn’t let this fantastic prompt pass without taking a stab at it…
Read more
2 months ago · 9 likes · 4 comments · Caleb Laughlin
Woman Rising
Gift of Dawn
Dear Reader, thank you for taking a moment to stop here and read. In these busy and fast-paced times, it truly is appreciated. I hope you enjoy a beautiful day…
Read more
2 months ago · 17 likes · 4 comments · Annette Sharp
Short Stories and Tales
The field of wildflowers
Welcome to Short Stories and Tales. This post below serves as the inaugural post for this new publication and in addition to that, it’s also my submission to MJ Polk’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt: Here Comes The Sun by The Beatles on week 30 - Congratulations on reaching 30 weeks, MJ! That’s an achievement! …
Read more
2 months ago · 14 likes · 6 comments · Harriet Corvine
Marty D. Snow
Bo
Here’s my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles. Thanks to MJ for the series and Rick for the prompt. Beatles song titles in bold. Here Comes the Sun lyrics in bold italics…
Read more
2 months ago · 27 likes · 9 comments · Marty D. Snow
I am a lake not an ocean
Here Comes The Sun
A huge thank you to MJ Polk from Stories from the Jukebox for the personal message asking how I was doing and missing my contributions. Between this and Luke John and a couple of others I’ve realised what a great community there is here on Substack. Feels very much “small and perfectly formed…
Read more
2 months ago · 13 likes · Diane
The Southern Copywriter blog
Here Comes The Sun
Ready or not 😶‍🌫 enter your email below…
Read more
2 months ago · 16 likes · 11 comments · MJ Polk
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Hanzen Fritz
Here is my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, A Bar in Amsterdam by Katzenjammer, chosen by Steve McKennon …
Read more
2 months ago · 13 likes · 10 comments · Gray
Phillip’s Substack
A Bar In Amsterdam…
This week's musical prompt for the excellent Stories From The Jukebox newsletter is ‘A Bar In Amsterdam’ by Katzenjammer (link to the prompt below…
Read more
2 months ago · 22 likes · 7 comments · Phillip Slater
I am a lake not an ocean
A Bar In Amsterdam
Another great prompt from Stories From The Jukebox. A group and song I wished I’d been listening to for years and now can’t get out of my head. A Bar In Amsterdam by Katzenjammer…
Read more
2 months ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · Diane
primalbeet
A Bar In Amsterdam
Café Größenwahn Berlin, 1927 Espresso, bold as redemption, Cuts the fog behind your eyes, wakes the ghosts that hadn’t planned to rise. Smoke climbs slow. Wanders. Figures dissolve in the gaslight like half-remembered songs. She laughs— a woman in sequins, sprawled over the armrest like gravity’s for other people. One silk leg dangling like punctuati…
Read more
2 months ago · 22 likes · 6 comments · primalbeet
Everyday Behaviorist
A Bar in Amsterdam
This is a musically themed flash-fiction and another submission to MJ Polk’s Stories from the Jukebox. This week’s song was “A Bar in Amsterdam” by the Norwegian all-female alt-rock band, Katzenjammer. Join us for weekly song-based writing prompts…
Read more
2 months ago · 30 likes · 6 comments · Jennifer Haddock
The Phantasmagoria
The Ruse
The following short fiction story is in coordination with Stories from the Jukebox , which offers a weekly newsletter and writing prompt via a song. This is week #31, and the song prompt is “A Bar In Amsterdam” by Katzenjammer. Check is out…
Read more
2 months ago · 10 likes · Annette Sharp
Observations In Time
A Whole New World
One of the things I look forward to every week is writing to the prompts Stories from the Jukebox provides. Something in the prompts, even the songs I have never heard before, fires my imagination and out pops an idea to write about. Sometimes more than one pops out. That was the case this week…
Read more
2 months ago · 10 likes · 1 comment · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Observations In Time
The Man With The Plan
I have been writing prompts from Stories from the Jukebox since September. Every week we are provided with a song title and a link to the group performing their song. From there we are encouraged to write a poem, story, anecdote or any other type of writing we choose using the prompt as a base. Each week there are a variety of interesting and well writt…
Read more
2 months ago · 12 likes · 2 comments · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Grooves & Gravy
Short Story: A Bar in Amsterdam
This piece is my contribution to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt was A Bar in Amsterdam by the Norwegian band Katzenjammer. You can find the original prompt here…
Read more
2 months ago · 14 likes · 6 comments · Good Boy Records
Chris B. Writes
On Fresh Shoulders, A Poem Inspired By Stories from the Jukebox…
On Fresh Shoulders…
Read more
2 months ago · 58 likes · 32 comments · Chris B. Writes
Phillip’s Substack
Desperately Seeking…
This is my submission for the weekly prompt provided by The Stories From The Jukebox newsletter (link below…
Read more
2 months ago · 35 likes · 11 comments · Phillip Slater
The Unfolding Path
Find the Peace...Somehow
Peace is one of those things that you may take for granted if you have it, but when it goes missing, you become keenly aware. Some will go to great lengths to try to find it, while others give up on finding peace, as if it’s not even available. Then there are those who seem to know a secret to obtaining it…
Read more
2 months ago · 34 likes · 17 comments · Kristina Ray
Come Dance With Me
Breathe In, Breathe Out
This piece came from this week’s song prompt (#32) from Stories from the Jukebox, inspired by “Peace Somehow” by Avi Kaplan…
Read more
2 months ago · 7 likes · 4 comments · Karianne~ Come Dance With Me
Marty D. Snow
High on the Mountain
Here’s my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox. Thanks to MJ Polk for the series and Chris B. Writes for this week’s song prompt, Peace Somehow by Avi Kaplan. Song Lyrics in Bold type…
Read more
2 months ago · 20 likes · 16 comments · Marty D. Snow
primalbeet
Peace Somehow
Read more
2 months ago · 12 likes · 2 comments · primalbeet
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Peace, Somehow
Here is my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Peace Somehow by Avi Kaplan, chosen by Chris B. Writes …
Read more
2 months ago · 14 likes · 7 comments · Gray
I am a lake not an ocean
Peace Somehow
This prompt from this week’s Stories From The Jukebox is Avi Kaplan’s Peace Somehow. I have to be honest and say that I have only read the lyrics whilst I was on a train to visit a friend for lunch but the words of this poem came to me so I thought I would save listening to song for another day. Maybe one day I’ll remember to take my headphones with me …
Read more
2 months ago · 6 likes · 5 comments · Diane
Observations In Time
A Voice From The Wilderness
I am but one writer who writes to the prompts provided by Stories From The Jukebox. Please click on the link to read more amazing articles…
Read more
2 months ago · 10 likes · 2 comments · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Everyday Behaviorist
No Rain
This week, I’m headlining Stories from the Jukebox, and so is MJ Polk…
Read more
2 months ago · 44 likes · 17 comments · Jennifer Haddock
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Pluvia Sollemnis Alta
Here is my submission for Jennifer Haddock | Behaviorist’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, No Rain, by Blind Melon…
Read more
a month ago · 14 likes · 13 comments · Gray
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
You Got it Bad, Grace
Here is my submission for MJ Polk’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, U Got It Bad, by Usher. I was gonna tell y’all this story next Thanksgiving, but it just fit this prompt too well to save it…
Read more
a month ago · 15 likes · 7 comments · Gray
Observations In Time
No Rain
MJ Polk and Jennifer Haddock both have provided prompts for this weeks Stories from the Jukebox. In his post MJ suggested they were dueling posts. They could be. Yesterday I posted You Got It Bad. Here is today’s. Enjoy…
Read more
2 months ago · 9 likes · 6 comments · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Observations In Time
You Got It Bad
This week's prompt for Stories from the Jukebox is a duel! U Got It Bad by Usher vs No Rain by Blind Melon. These are interesting choices. Here is my first one…
Read more
2 months ago · 11 likes · 6 comments · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Chris B. Writes
B-side
B-side All you see…
Read more
2 months ago · 37 likes · 3 comments · Chris B. Writes
The Southern Copywriter blog
Don't Look Back In Anger
This is my submission to this week’s SFTJ song prompt, Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis. Chosen by my pal, Phillip Slater…
Read more
a month ago · 14 likes · 4 comments · MJ Polk
Phillip’s Substack
Don’t Look Back In Anger…
This is my contribution to one of the best newsletters in the whole darn substackasphere…
Read more
a month ago · 32 likes · 11 comments · Phillip Slater
Carer Mentor: Empathy & Inspiration
"What It Takes To Embrace the Life He Has " By Chris B
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3 months ago · 63 likes · 61 comments · Victoria and Chris B. Writes
One Soul's Journey
The Beast
The Beast…
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a month ago · 11 likes · 3 comments · Debra Martin
Woman Rising
Blublot3
“Okay look, you’ve had two earth days plus 44 xincrins to make your decision, Harnzon. What’s it going to be…
Read more
a month ago · 8 likes · Annette Sharp
Turtle Meat Mixtapes
Optimistic
Here is my submission for Phillip Slater’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Don’t Look Back in Anger, by Oasis…
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a month ago · 17 likes · 13 comments · Gray
Observations In Time
In A Tree
Prompt From: Stories from the Jukebox…
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a month ago · 11 likes · 1 comment · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
Marty D. Snow
Don't Look Back in Anger
This is my submission to this week’s song prompt on Stories from the Jukebox. This week’s song is Don’t Look Back in Anger by Oasis. Thanks to MJ Polk for this prompt series, and Phillip Slater for the song choice…
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a month ago · 8 likes · 9 comments · Marty D. Snow
Grooves & Gravy
Live a Colourful Life
This non-fiction piece is my contribution to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt was Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis. You can find the original prompt here…
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a month ago · 13 likes · Good Boy Records

Drop a few coins in the Jukebox🫙

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Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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]]><![CDATA[Woodstock]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/woodstockhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/woodstockTue, 14 Apr 2026 14:46:37 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

I gotta start out by saying just how much I appreciate all of the Jukeboxes readers 🙏 I don’t thank you all nearly enough. Without you, we’re just writing into the ether.

’s pick, Don’t Look Back In Anger, proved to be a difficult prompt for me. Well not the prompt per-say, but the emotions and memories it evoked. And I don’t think I was the only one, there are some really great submission’s in the comments of that post!

Week #34 Feature🏆

I could have easily picked ’s Optimistic, or ’s fantasy Blubot3, they were both masterfully done!

But I think that ’ article, Live a Colorful Life, embodies the message Noel Gallagher is giving us in prompt #34.

Life isn’t a rehearsal. It isn’t leading up to something else. This is it.

This week’s writing prompt is the song Don’t Look Back in Anger. Which is awkward, because I’ve never liked it. Not then, not now. I’ve heard it sung loudly enough times to last me a lifetime and then some.

But I do have a soft spot for Noel Gallagher. Not the mythology, not the whole “we were this close to the Beatles” business, but the way he goes about it. He nicks things. Openly. Cheerfully.

Grooves & Gravy
Live a Colourful Life
This non-fiction piece is my contribution to Stories from the Jukebox, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt was Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis. You can find the original prompt here…
Read more
a month ago · 12 likes · Good Boy Records

Here’s this week’s prompt, Woodstock, by Joni Mitchell!

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Woodstock.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

"Woodstock" is a song written by Canadian-American singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell.

At least four versions of the song were released in 1970. Mitchell's own version was first performed live in 1969 and appeared in April 1970 on her album Ladies of the Canyon and as the B-side to her single "Big Yellow Taxi". (Via Wikipedia)

Joni Mitchell's lyrics were based on the description of the Woodstock Music and Art Festival she was given by her then-boyfriend, Graham Nash. She had not been able to go to the festival herself because a manager had told her that it would be more advantageous for her to appear on The Dick Cavett Show. She composed the song in a hotel room in New York City as she watched televised reports of the festival. "The deprivation of not being able to go provided me with an intense angle on Woodstock", she told an interviewer afterwards.

A version by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young appeared on their album Déjà Vu in March 1970 and became a staple of classic rock radio and the best-known version of the song in the United States. A third version, by the British band Matthews Southern Comfort, became the best-known version in the United Kingdom and was the highest charting version of the song in the UK, reaching the top of the Singles Chart in 1970. A fourth version by studio project the Assembled Multitude also became a chart hit.

has chosen a stellar prompt for us this week! I had no idea that there were four Hit versions of this song.

I cannot say enough about Bill’s presence here on the Jukebox to do it justice. And if you’ve somehow missed his publication, Observations on Time, you’re missing out my friend. Here’s the fabulous intro he’s given this week’s prompt. And I’m sure you’ll enjoy his Headliner submission, Back To The Garden!

All roads in Canadian music history beat a path to Toronto in the 1960’s. Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, The Band, Steppenwolf, and Joni Mitchell all performed in the clubs there. A number of other acts like Simon and Garfunkel and Rick James played the club scene there as well. Other bands that reflect a Canadian vibe played there often.

Here’s Bill’s Headliner, Back To The Garden!

Cletus looked up from where he was chopping firewood. The noisy rustling sound of someone clomping heavily through the forest had caught his attention. He carefully thumped his ax into the log he was chopping and sat down on the stump. He had found patience since he learned to live out in the woods. He might need it now…

Observations In Time
Back To The Garden
All roads in Canadian music history beat a path to Toronto in the 1960’s. Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, The Band, Steppenwolf, and Joni Mitchell all performed in the clubs there. A number of other acts like Simon and Garfunkel and Rick James played the club scene there as well. Other bands that reflect a Canadian vibe played there often…
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a month ago · 1 like · Bill Ferguson 🇨🇦
How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[Don't Look Back In Anger]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/dont-look-back-in-angerhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/dont-look-back-in-angerTue, 07 Apr 2026 14:56:36 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

Congrats to , the winner of the First Dueling Jukeboxes competition! Her song writing prompt, No Rain, by Blind Melon, walked away with the prize. This was a really fun side-gig, I think we’ll do it again sometime! And thanks to everyone who participated 🙏 our little writing group, readers included, this is becoming a beautiful community.

Since Jennifer won, she gets to decide who’ll receive our Week #33 Feature! Here’s her pick, and award introduction-

Week #33 Feature🏆

Thanks for all the entertaining submissions to the Dueling Jukeboxes prompt. I appreciated those who submitted for both songs, and there were so many quality submissions—from ’s poems, to ’s heartfelt short stories, to ’s B-side poem (I almost chose “Change”), and ’s beautiful micro. If I have to pick a winner — and MJ says I do — I choose ’s micro, “The Bees Knees.”

“Sunshine leaves her no excuse for sitting things out. Avoiding the world. No rain gives her an excuse. No one to blame but herself.”

It’s hard to choose, and I don’t envy MJ having to make these choices! Honorable mention: Theresa Greene’s “You’ve got it bad” poem about the maga man. -Jennifer Haddock

Here’s this week’s prompt, Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Oasis!

"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by English rock band Oasis, released on 19 February 1996 by Creation Records as the fifth single from their second studio album, (What's the Story) Morning Glory? (1995). (Via Wikipedia)

“Don’t Look Back in Anger” was written by the lead guitarist and chief songwriter, Noel Gallagher, and produced by Gallagher and Owen Morris. It was the first Oasis single with lead vocals by Noel, who had previously only sung lead on B-sides, instead of his brother, Liam. Noel later sang lead vocals on six other singles.

The single was the second Oasis song to reach number one on the UK singles chart, and it was certified seven times platinum in the UK. The music video was directed by Nigel Dick, featuring Oasis performing at a mansion with a large group of women. Critically, the song received positive reviews. It is one of Oasis’s signature songs and has been played at almost every live show. In later decades, it has been included in retrospective rankings of best songs, and has been described as an “anthem” by critics in various contexts.

In a 2019 Esquire interview, Noel Gallagher said, "I remember writing it in Paris on a rainy night. We had just played a strip club: our set finished, the strippers came on. We were nothing, an insignificant little band. And I remember going back to my hotel room and writing it, and thinking, 'That'll be pretty good when we record it.' If I'd have known that night what I know now about people playing it at fucking funerals and weddings, I'd never have finished the song. Too much pressure."

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Don’t Look Back in Anger.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

My pal chose our prompt this week, which means our revolving Headliner list is beginning anew! And I just want to take a moment to say how much I appreciate all of the Jukebox’s Founding & Paid Subscribers. This publication would not be capable without the generous donation you provide. 🙏 Be it a gift of monetary value, or of time, your effort is truly appreciated!

Phill’s given us a powerful Headliner submission this week. His message, “To love, not hate,” is one that we must never forget.

Here’s this week’s Headliner, Don’t Look Back In Anger, by Phillip Slater!

Phillip’s Substack
Don’t Look Back In Anger…
This is my contribution to one of the best newsletters in the whole darn substackasphere…
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a month ago · 13 likes · 4 comments · Phillip Slater

I actually wrote this piece several years ago. It was my response to the suicide bombing at an Ariane Grande concert in Manchester, United Kingdom.

As always, with this kind of thing, no words are really enough. The message, though, remains as important as ever, so I wanted to share it here ❤️. -Phillip Slater

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

Don't forget to tip the Band!🫙

]]><![CDATA[No Rain]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/no-rainhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/no-rainWed, 01 Apr 2026 23:45:00 GMT

This is my submission to Jennifer’s SFTJ Dueling Jukeboxes song prompt, No Rain, by Blind Melon. Subscribe now so you don’t miss out on these weekly writing prompts!

Jennifer’s song choice for our Duel happens to be an old favorite of mine also. I enjoyed her memoir story so much, that it has inspired me to follow suit. You can read hers below. And I highly suggest listening to her as you read along, she does a superb job narrating it.

Everyday Behaviorist
No Rain
This week, I’m headlining Stories from the Jukebox, and so is MJ Polk…
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2 months ago · 35 likes · 15 comments · Jennifer Haddock

I was thirteen in 1992 when No Rain’s Little Bumble Bee invaded televisions across America. MTV changed everything for me, as it probably did with most others my age. It fed my eclectic love of music, well before I even knew what that meant. With advent of satellite TV, I was able to discover music genres that would’ve never been accessible otherwise.

I was one of the crowd of youngins lined up outside record stores across the country yearning to get my hands on releases like Pear Jam’s Ten, Nirvana’s Nevermind, and the Chili Pepper’s Blood Sugar Sex Magik.

I was still relatively innocent at thirteen. Still a virgin, and hadn’t began drinking or drugging yet either. We’d camp out and swipe a handful of beers from my older cousin, maybe. I did and didn’t have permission from him, if you know what I mean. But there was nothing more than that. Hell, I thought I was a big deal because I could dip Skoal Longcut for about five minutes or so at golf practice.

I haven’t thought much about those days. Usually when someone ask’s me about my childhood I just say I can’t remember much — other than maybe spending time with my grandparents during the summers. I might mention riding bikes all over, everywhere, every day, all day. But that’s about it.

I don’t know why. I had a great childhood. And those years would probably be the highlight of it. I’ve just never been reminiscent of being a kid. I guess I didn’t really want to be a kid, even when I was one. I was always hanging around others that were older than me… This was about the age that I started to scheme — which gets us into Cotton territory, so I’d better just put the brakes on. Let’s stay innocent for this’un.

I’d gotten a blue Suzuki 250cc Quadrunner for Christmas that year. So I’d graduated from riding the neighborhood on a bicycle, to slinging rocks in a circle at every opportunity. Y’all, I wrecked my four-wheeler the very first time I got on it!

When Dad pulled up at the backdoor with it that Christmas morning, I’d hopped straight on it in my pajamas. Mama’d already had my helmet ready, she knew what was up. And I’d tore through the gears with the throttle bottomed out before they could say more. I knew exactly where I was headed — The Cereal Bowl. Yeah I know it’s corny. But come on, I was a preteen once too.

The Cereal Bowl was this dirt bowl, out in the middle of a pine forest behind the home I grew up in. This was my stomping ground, and I’d been riding all of those little bluffs on my bike since I was knee-high to a grasshopper.

I did good on the first pass through the bowl on my new, much heavier ride. And I’d caught just enough air on the backside of the second jump, the exit of the bowl to inspire a little more speed on the next attempt. Which as it turns out, was a colossal mistake.

I hit the entrance a little too fast, which caused the ATV to get sideways on me in the air — so when it came down it bounded to the side, causing me to bail just before it landed in a shabby little scrub Oak.

I jumped up and ran over to the ATV, which was lying on it’s side now beside the broken tree. I pushed it back onto it’s wheels and tried to crank it, but the engine wouldn’t turn over. It was probably flooded, but I didn’t know that at the time. For all I knew I’d just totaled my Christmas present.

I got off and looked my gift over, brushing dirt off and cleaning it the best I could. I was sobbing as I climbed back on and tried the key again. But it started that time! It did backfire and smoke a little bit to begin with, but I never gave it another chance to turn off. Hard on the throttle again — now my only concern was getting back and getting the thing parked before mom or dad could put two and two together.

When I got back to the house they were waiting. So I was sure to pull up, with them on the right side of the ATV. They didn’t ask any questions, just instructed me to give my little brother a ride one-time before we were to come back and get some proper clothes on. Which I did.

You know, I didn’t feel like I fit in back in those days either. Maybe that’s why I started getting into drinking and drugging? Like I said in the beginning, this is the last of my innocence. I can say that songs like Blind Melon’s No Rain, are going to be just before I found the likes of my beloved, Pac.

A trip to a cousins house up in Charlotte, NC, that summer, would forever change my life’s trajectory. That story involves a railway trestle, a dare, an introduction to the 36 Chambers, and subsequently a whole new world…

Tip the Band!🫙

This is my second submission to the Dueling Jukeboxes writing prompt. You can find the newsletter and my first submission, I’ve Got It Bad, below. Happy Reading!🤠🤙

Writers, I hope this’ll inspire you to submit your own prose of up to 1500 words before our deadline Monday!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.
]]><![CDATA[Dueling Jukeboxes]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/dueling-jukeboxeshttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/dueling-jukeboxesWed, 25 Mar 2026 01:31:58 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

Wow gang, last week’s prompt Peace Somehow, by Avi Kaplan was a record breaker! The Jukebox has seen more submissions during a single week, but not that kind of activity. Boy let me tell ya, sure knows how to turn up the volume!

And just wait until y’all see what and I have in store for you this week! It’s going to be a blast!

Week #32 Feature🏆

This week’s Feature Award goes to for her essay titled, Find the Peace…Somehow. I just love the perspective she’s taken here 🙏 look inside yourself, and find the peace within.

“If you are looking for peace, go inside yourself. You might not find it right away. In fact, you might find your inner world is more chaotic than your outer world, but if you persist, if you meet yourself with compassion and allow your thoughts and feelings to emerge without judgment, you will eventually find that peace has been hidden within you this entire time.” -Kristina

The Unfolding Path
Find the Peace...Somehow
Peace is one of those things that you may take for granted if you have it, but when it goes missing, you become keenly aware. Some will go to great lengths to try to find it, while others give up on finding peace, as if it’s not even available. Then there are those who seem to know a secret to obtaining it…
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2 months ago · 23 likes · 10 comments · Kristina Ray

Today, when the world demands your outrage or your fear, remember we are the architects of the collective experience. Return to the breath. Return to the center. The world finds peace when the people within it find peace.

Welcome to the 1st Edition of the SFTJ’s Dueling Jukeboxes!

Buckle up! We’re going to be doing things a little bit differently over the next couple weeks. and I have pitted our song prompts against each other. The Dueling Jukeboxes newsletter will be open for submissions for two weeks. And the song writing prompt that ends up with the most submission wins.

The Dueling Jukebox Winner(Jennifer or myself), will then award the following week’s Feature Award to the submission of their choosing.

And, I’ve decided to change up our format a little. After this next round of Headliners, we will have a round of songs from a single decade of Billboard Hot 100 Hits.

So to sweeten the pot, I’mma let our Dueling Jukeboxes Winner choose which decade of Hits Stories from the Jukebox will visit first!

Okay so just to clarify:

  • We’ve got two prompts to choose from. Writers are welcome to submit to both prompts. There’s no limit on submissions.

  • Submissions will be open for both Dueling Jukeboxes prompts for 2 weeks. The deadline to submit is midnight on Monday April 6th.

  • The winning prompt Headliner will assign the Feature Award to the submission of their choosing. And pick our next decade of prompt Hits!

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

And finally we get to the songs! First up, No Rain, by Blind Melon!

"No Rain" is a song by American rock band Blind Melon. It was released in 1993 as the second single from the band's debut album Blind Melon.

The song is well known for its accompanying music video, which features the "Bee Girl" character. The music video, directed by Samuel Bayer, received heavy airplay on MTV at the time of its release. It subsequently helped propel Blind Melon to multi-platinum status. (Wikipedia)

The song is the band's highest-charting song, reaching number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and number one on both the Billboard Album Rock Tracks and Modern Rock Tracks charts. It proved to be successful internationally, peaking at number one in Canada and number eight in Australia.

Although the song is credited to the whole band, bassist Brad Smith wrote most of "No Rain". He said: "The song is about not being able to get out of bed and find excuses to face the day when you have really, in a way, nothing."

At the time, Smith had been dating a depressed woman who slept through sunny days and complained when it did not rain. For a while, he told himself that he was writing the song from her perspective, and later realized that he was also writing it about himself.

Here’s Jennifer’s Headliner, No Rain!

Everyday Behaviorist
No Rain
This week, I’m headling Stories from the Jukebox, and so is MJ Polk…
Read more
2 months ago · Jennifer Haddock

The Dueling Jukeboxes Contender is, Usher, U Got It Bad!

"U Got It Bad" is a song by American singer Usher. It was released through Arista Records as the second official single from his third studio album 8701.

It was written by Usher, Jermaine Dupri and Bryan-Michael Cox, and produced by Dupri, with Cox credited as co-producer. (Wikipedia)

Talking to Complex, Dupri stated that “U Got It Bad” was inspired by Usher’s previous single “Nice & Slow“, saying that he produced the song as he wanted to re-produce a track similar to the latter in terms of success, for Usher’s 8701 (2001).

The lyrics to the song were, according to Dupri, inspired by a true story after he and Usher had been in the studio trying to record some music for the album, but Usher was continually distracted by a girl he had brought into the studio. Following an argument, the girl left.

A while later, they started on talking on the phone, which prompted Dupri to kick Usher out of the studio telling him, “We’re going to do this (session) later on. You got it completely too bad right now. You got it bad.”

This ignited the inspiration for the song, and once Usher had left, Dupri started writing its lyrics, with the notion that it was going to be a big hit. Once Usher returned to the studio, Dupri shared the story of the song with him.

Here’s my Headliner, I’ve got it Bad!

Here’s the deets one more time, simplified. Writers, submissions are open to both prompts until midnight on May the 6th, 2026. All prose is welcome, just keep it under 1500 words. Happy Writing!

Leave a comment

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Don't forget to tip the Band!🫙

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[I've Got It Bad]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/ive-got-it-badhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/ive-got-it-badWed, 25 Mar 2026 00:21:01 GMT

Okay, so before I get started let me just say that I’ve got it bad!

Y’all, this song has set up residence in my brain. It’s worse than you think, too. It isn’t just mornings — I’ve woken up in the middle of the freaking night singing, “When your on the phone, hang up then you call right back.”

I damn near chose another song because I didn’t want to do it to you… But since this is a competition, I let it ride. Sorry, not sorry😉 if you get it bad this week!

This is my Headliner Submission to the 1st SFTJ Dueling Jukeboxes competition. My song choice is You’ve Got It Bad, by Usher. Be sure to check out the newsletter for my competitors prompt!

“Tell her, I’m your man and you’re my girl. And I’m gone tell it to the whole wide world. Ladies say, I’m your girl, you’re my man. Promise to love you the best I can.”

Y’all, I’ve got it sooo bad. If you know me, you get it. It’s certainly no secret that I am completely, totally, head-over-heels in love with my Sweetheart. And if you’re a new reader, you’ll get it here pretty quick too I imagine.

I’ve written numerous articles, essays, and poems about my Love. Some of you might even think it’s unhealthy, or that I’m obsessed. And I wouldn’t disagree. But I can tell you that I’m not interested in any remedy whatsoever.

She is everything to me.

I was hooked from the first moment I laid eyes on her — I damn near tripped over myself trying to get over to talk to her afterward. Then spent the rest of the day, manipulating every scenario I could in order to spend more time with her.

Looking back now, that was really close to thirty years ago! I’m pretty sure she walked into that sanctuary for the first time in April of ‘96.

I had it bad then. I’ve still got it bad today. I’ll have it bad tomorrow. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Were there times when we’ve struggled to live this life as partners? Sure. We were even separated during our oldest daughter’s second birthday. Hell, neither of us even knew that the other hadn’t signed the papers! We both thought that the divorce was pending, only to find out later in a night of “weakness” that neither of us could go through with it.

Then again in 2018, long after we’d thought we’d figured it all out. Again, if you know me then you know that I lost everything and runoft to die. And it wasn’t the loss of the business or the lifestyle that sent me over the edge — it was the fact that I’d thought I’d lost her. None of the rest of that shit mattered to me at all. I just, I could not go on living this life without her…

And guess who saved me? That’s right. My Sweetheart found me in a foreign country, and brought me back home.

I may quote philosophy. I may give credit to this or that for where I’m at today. But she’s the reason. My Sweetheart is much more than a partner. Her quiet wisdom is always there to reign me in, or to push me when needed. She’s both my foundation, and biggest cheerleader.

So maybe now you get it. Now can you see why, I’ve Got It Bad?

Here’s the Dueling Jukeboxes newsletter, with ’s prompt, No Rain, by Blind Melon. I can’t wait to read your submissions!

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it and clicking that ❤ button. Have you got it as bad as I do? If so, I love to hear about it in the comments… or even your own submission!

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[Try To Get It Right]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/try-to-get-it-righthttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/try-to-get-it-rightWed, 18 Mar 2026 19:28:10 GMT

This is my submission to this week’s SFTJ song prompt, Peace Somehow, by Avi Kaplan! Subscribe now so you don’t miss out on these weekly writing prompts!

Peace Somehow, and its artist are new to me. And I can definitely see where it would be soothing, but it wasn’t my favorite. Avi Kaplan however, has totally won me over!🤩

His approach to sharing his art is so inspiring! In the interview I shared in the Peace Somehow newsletter, Avi said something that stuck with me.

So for instance, if I’m writing a song that I hope will bring people healing, or I hope that will calm their anxiety. I will make the music reflect that. I will make my voice reflect that. And when I record it, I will put that energy and intention into the music. And maybe its superstition, but I believe it really works. And putting energy and intention into your music I feel like makes it more effective for it to do the things that you want it to do. -Avi Kaplan

He talked about intention. Which is something I’ve been quite focused on of late. My blog newsletter last week had an underlying aspect, and I’ll be following up on it in this week’s essay, To Clickbait or Not?

I really enjoyed listening to his album, Floating On A Dream. And the song, I’ll Try To Get It Right, that I’ve found and linked above, is right on point.

While I’m alive, I’m trying to get it right. I want to get it right.

It ain’t easy, but I’ve got to try to find my way, anyway I can. I want to get it right. I intend to get it right. So I pay attention to where I’m being led — to what I let in, and to energy I send out.

Avi didn’t just mention intention, though. He obviously strives to live intentionally. I could hear it in the way he spoke of protecting his family and himself from outsiders, as well as in the fact of sharing his gift with the world. I get it. I too am hiding out in the open somewhat — I write under a pen name at times. And I’m also here sharing my gift with the world in order to help others. 🙏

Okay so, I’ve gotten off the beaten path a little bit this week, sure. But let this show y’all what I mean when I say, “Share Any Prose of 1500 words or less inspired by the this week’s song prompt.” Because this essay was with out a doubt inspired by this week’s song prompt, Peace Somehow, whether one would consider it relevant or not.

Tip the Band!🫙

And since I’m talking about intention here, I want to take a moment to share this week’s Headliner, with y’all once again.

It’s obvious by reading and watching or listening to Chris to see that his intention is to lift up others as well. Whether it be by sharing a struggle he and his family have had to endure through his prose, or one of the many Lives he’s orchestrated in order to showcase others.

Oh and one more thing on intention — you might think that the timing of this song choice was intentional, given the current world events. But you should know that it was chosen months ago. Although I gotta say, it sure does seem quite fitting this week, doesn’t it?

So if like me, you’re “low-key” freaking out about some of the current events — maybe put on Peace Somehow, and let it relieve some of your anxiety.

Thanks for reading! I Hope this’ll inspire you to make your own submission to this week’s writing prompt, Peace Somehow!

Share

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The Southern Copywriter blog
Here Comes The Sun
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2 months ago · 16 likes · 11 comments · MJ Polk
]]><![CDATA[Peace Somehow]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/peace-somehowhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/peace-somehowTue, 17 Mar 2026 17:31:03 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

Y’all, the Jukebox is on full blast! Last week’s song prompt, A Bar In Amsterdam, by Katzenjammer turned out some fantastic stories! Thanks again to for guest Headlining. And I can’t wait to see what has in store for us this week!

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

Week #31 Feature🏆

This week’s Feature Award goes to for her flash fiction story titled, A Bar In Amsterdam.

There was just so much to love about this piece! The story was fantastic, she nailed the theme. And the voiceover was such a great addition — it pulled me right in!

Mary? She sits, ethereal, on her mattress in the corner, ready to play the triangle in a way that’d make Pythagoras forget he ever theorized. That is to say, she’s a soon-to-be loser like us, immaculate heart notwithstanding. Winning and losing come down to who’s heard, and no one’s listened for Tinkerbell since Peter Pan lost his youth…

Everyday Behaviorist
A Bar in Amsterdam
This is a musically themed flash-fiction for MJ Polk’s Stories from the Jukebox. This week’s song was “A Bar in Amsterdam” by the Norwegian all-female alt-rock band, Katzenjammer. Join us for weekly song-based writing prompts…
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2 months ago · 12 likes · 2 comments · Jennifer Haddock

Here’s this week’s prompt, Peace Somehow, by Avi Kaplan!

“Peace Somehow” is a song by Avi Kaplan. It was released in 2025, as a single (his first new song of that year), and appeared on his album Move Our Souls.

Avi Kaplan, best known as the former bass vocalist of Pentatonix — his solo releases have a calm, introspective folk vibe with his signature deep, resonant voice.

“Peace Somehow” has a soothing, nature-inspired feel — think mountains, rivers, breezes, and finding inner calm amid life’s struggles. It’s often described as healing or meditative, with fans saying it brings a sense of peace (some compare it to the calming effect of chanting or temple sounds).

The official music video (directed and produced in a simple, atmospheric style) has been very popular — it surpassed 1 million views by late 2025. And it’s become a fan favorite for moments when you need grounding or emotional reset — people often mention playing it when feeling worn out or just wanting to breathe and recenter. (Grok helped me with this summary)

Here’s a great look at Avi Kaplan. Skip to the 4 minute mark for just the interview.

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Peace Somehow.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

Our prompt this week was chosen by . A great poet and storyteller, I’ve only recently discovered Chris and his beautiful family. But I instantly knew he’d be perfect to Headline a week of the Jukebox! Chris is such an inspiration to me 🙏 and I’m sure that you too will find he and his family’s story of resilience and gratitude inspiring as well.

Here’s this week’s Headliner, On Fresh Shoulders, by Chris B. Writes!

The song I selected, Peace Somehow by Avi Kaplan, is just one of those instant classics that stopped me in my tracks the first time I heard it. I look forward to reading everyone else’s entries after they hear Avi’s incredibly distinct voice combined with a down-to-earth vibe that simply helps us all breathe easier.

Chris B. Writes
On Fresh Shoulders, A Poem Inspired By Stories from the Jukebox…
On Fresh Shoulders…
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2 months ago · Chris B. Writes

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

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Leave a comment

Tip the Band!🫙

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Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[No. 90]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/no-90https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/no-90Wed, 11 Mar 2026 18:39:08 GMT

This is my submission to this week’s SFTJ prompt, A Bar In Amsterdam, by Katzenjammer. Subscribe now so you don’t miss out on these weekly writing prompts!

The year was 1996. I was supposed to be graduating, but ended up being short a couple credits. I didn’t let that stop me from going on our Senior Trip though! It wasn’t the Bahamas Cruise that the rest of the class voted and went on — my posse and I had other plans…

I’d procured my first copy of High Times Magazine a couple summers before. And had developed quite the green-thumb, if you know what I mean. So I’d had my sights set on a trip across the pond, instead of to the islands.

So, myself and three of my closest comrades booked flights to Amsterdam. Yup. Four eighteen year olds with barely enough sense to tie their own shoelaces, booked a trip to Europe — passports and all.

Maybe right about now you’re wondering about parents? Well, dad wasn’t scheduled to get out until sometime next year. And mom had just remarried and moved in with her new husband, leaving my older brother and I the house to ourselves — or whomever else we invited, that is. Anyway, we had very little guidance, so to say.

Alright, I’mma skip to the good part.

We were so stoked when we landed and made it through customs — it turns out that coming in was much easier than leaving, but that’s another story altogether — that we headed straight for the Red Light District. It was the girls I was after, sure. But not the ones you’re probably thinking about. At least not yet. It would be the night before we left before I’d summon enough courage to attempt that feat…

So here we are, four teenage American youngans — it’s like 9am local time, we’re lugging bags down Oudezijds Voorburgwal Street. And I can only imagine how big our eyes were at the time. This Georgia boy, was absolutely astonished at the sights. It was as if we were on a different planet, y’all!

Then I saw it, The Bulldog.

I’d read about The Bulldog in High Times. I’d sat through countless hours of dial-up internet buzzing at me, and had devoured anything I could find on the Amsterdam Coffee/Smoke House scene. I’d also read everything I could find on the new and groundbreaking strains of Cannabis available, and had concluded that The Bulldog was the place to procure it.

As we approached I soon noticed that we weren’t the only ones in Amsterdam who’d had this epiphany. It looked as though half the city was queued up, waiting to get in. We stood there for like twenty minutes before a local, I thought at the time — I’d been surprised at how good everyone’s English was — advised us that we’d be better off without our bags. “There’s not a lot of room in there, mate.”

Photo credit The Bulldog The First

So after another five minutes of arguing about it amongst ourselves, we begrudgingly exited the line and got a taxi to our hotel. Which for the sake of time, I’ll omit that adventure. It was fairly uneventful anyhow. But it did take most of the morning. So by the time we made it back to The Bulldog, it was lunchtime and the queue had dwindled to just a handful of participants.

Now we visited a number of bars over the five days we were in Amsterdam, other Coffee Shops too — but none of them could hold a candle to The Bulldog The First. It was like entering Shangri-La.

Picture, the most chill bar on the planet. Then add Weed. 🤯

It was even cooler than I’d imagined. They had cannabis, under grow lights, right there on display in the coffeeshop. Sensimillia, in the coffeeshop!

We found a nice little booth — each ordered a spliff, and thought we were ready. We were oh so ready! As it turns out though, we were in fact, mistaken. We were not at all ready for what we were about to experience…

We’d decided that we were going to sample the menu, and had each ordered a different variety. But let me tell ya, there was very little sampling done on that first visit. I mean, keep in mind that I’d been smoking pretty much daily since I was fifteen or so. I was, in fact, a professional. Or so I thought. As it turns out, our eyes had been bigger than our lungs. After just three tokes off my own cone-spliff, I was in the stratosphere. I’m talking, absolutely obliterated.

That really doesn’t even do it justice. My three buddies, too. I think a half hour went by before any of us even spoke.

After we came back down to earth, we each bought an eighth and a small pipe and walked the streets of Amsterdam for the rest of the afternoon. We went out that night, and each of the others. Got into some things we probably shouldn’t have, and won’t soon forget. But it’s not the bars I think of when someone mentions Amsterdam to me.

I named two of my favorite strains, The Bulldog & No.90. And my fellow students around Athens surely had no idea the real meaning behind those titles. But The Bulldog at No.90 Oudezijds Voorburgwal, will always be the first thing I think of when someone mentions A Bar In Amsterdam to me.

MJ's Tip Jar🫙

Thanks for reading! I Hope this’ll inspire you to make your own submission to this week’s writing prompt, A Bar In Amsterdam!

Share

Thanks for reading this fictional story! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it and clicking that ❤ button, and I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[A Bar in Amsterdam]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/a-bar-in-amsterdamhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/a-bar-in-amsterdamTue, 10 Mar 2026 18:34:07 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

I am blown away by the response to last week’s SFTJ song writing prompt, Here Comes the Sun, by the Beatles!

It’s just two reads away from being the all-time most viewed newsletter. And the current leader, The Beef, highlighting both Lynyrd Skynyrd and Neil Young, was published back in September. So it’s had a six month head start!

Writers — I cannot thank you all enough for your participation! You are the force that drives this community pub!

Readers — Here Comes the Sun is one newsletter that you do not want to miss. There are almost two dozen reads within the comments!🤯

Week #30 Feature(s)🏆

Y’all, there were just too many great submissions last week to choose one winner. Heck, I had a difficult time picking after reducing it to the following categories! 🙏 I am so thankful for all who participated.

I’ve awarded three categories for Week #30 - Here Comes the Sun:

The Feature Award for Best Fictional Story goes to , for his short story titled, Bo.

Marty D. Snow
Bo
Here’s my submission for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox prompt, Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles. Thanks to MJ for the series and Rick for the prompt. Beatles song titles in bold. Here Comes the Sun lyrics in bold italics…
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2 months ago · 18 likes · 9 comments · Marty D. Snow

The Feature Award for Best Poem goes to , for his poem titled, Here Comes the Sun.

Scribbles in the Margin
Here Comes the Sun
This post is for this weeks’ Stories from the Jukebox theme- a weekly prompt based on a well-known song, a publication which I always enjoy reading and have contributed to in the past. It’s been a while, but I couldn’t let this fantastic prompt pass without taking a stab at it…
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2 months ago · 7 likes · 2 comments · Caleb Laughlin

The Feature Award for Best Non-Fiction goes to , for his memoir titled, Bowen’s Day. (This category was decided by a coin flip, so I’ve also included the runner up, by .)

Grooves & Gravy
Bowen’s Day
This piece is my contribution to *Stories from the Jukebox*, a weekly writing project where writers take a single song and use it as a spark. This week’s prompt is Here Comes the Sun by the Beatles. You can find the original prompt here: Stories from the Jukebox…
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2 months ago · 9 likes · 6 comments · Good Boy Records
Everyday Behaviorist
Here Comes the Sun
Here’s another submission to Stories from the Jukebox, MJ Polk’s writing community with weekly song prompts. This week’s jam was “Here Comes the Sun,” by The Beatles. Would love for you to join us! Submission instructions here…
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2 months ago · 21 likes · 4 comments · Jennifer N. Haddock

Here’s this week’s prompt, A Bar In Amsterdam, by Katzenjammer!

“A Bar in Amsterdam” is a popular track by the Norwegian band Katzenjammer, known for their eclectic, high-energy mix of folk, cabaret, gypsy, rock, and bluegrass influences with multi-instrumental talents and four-part vocal harmonies from all members.

The song comes from their debut album Le Pop, released around 2008–2010 (with the single and music video prominently featured in 2009).

When MJ Polk gave me the opportunity to select a prompt for Stories from the Jukebox Week 31, I picked Katzenjammer’s “A Bar in Amsterdam.”

They were a four member Norwegian band made up of “outcasts from a private music school” that felt their instruction didn’t encourage originality, but rather to pursue only what had already been done. In response, Katzenjammer was formed and they became well known for their performances, which included swapping instruments during shows — sometimes even mid-song. These women were serious musicians that didn’t seem to be taking themselves too seriously, which reminded me of my favorite bands when I was a teenager.

Several years ago while trying to find a good high scoring Scrabble word to reference in a short story, I came across “katzenjammer” that is worth 36 points and means “hangover.” It also apparently referred to an avant-garde female band from Norway and when I listened to their song “A Bar In Amsterdam,” I was immediately smitten. They had several enjoyable tunes and while listening to them I recalled many phases of my youth, which really made the memories — and thus the words — start to flow.

Since then, they have held a special place on my writing playlist and in my heart. I hope they inspire you to produce some great submissions for this week’s Stories from the Jukebox! -Steve McKennon

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

This week’s prompt was chosen by . Steve writes poetry, short stories, and is working on a novel that falls within the New Sincerity movement. And has provided us with a terrific short story as this week’s Headliner!

Here’s this week’s Headliner, The Producer of Dramas, by Steve McKennon!

Pasqua's Shack
The Producer of Dramas
Title: The Producer of Dramas – by Steve McKennon…
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2 months ago · 2 likes · Steve McKennon

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, A Bar in Amsterdam.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

Drop some change in the Jukebox!

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]><![CDATA[Here Comes the Sun]]>https://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/here-comes-the-sunhttps://storiesfromthejukebox.substack.com/p/here-comes-the-sunTue, 03 Mar 2026 18:57:30 GMT

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers and readers that love music — Subscribe now!

I’ll begin by thanking our guest Headliner for a great prompt and submission! I really enjoyed writing my own and reading the other Back to Square One, by Ian Thomas submissions. Readers — I very much appreciate you too! Maybe I don’t mention it as often as I should, but you are the backbone of this community publication. 🙏 Thank you

Week #29 Feature🏆

This week’s Feature goes to , for the beautiful prose she added to the comments of last week’s newsletter. Week after week Theresa catches me off guard with the fleetness of her submissions. Sometimes she’s submitted before I get the post shared — I love it! Keep’em coming Theresa!😁

A passionate unrequited romance
He only wanted to dance
But had a way about him
My eyes grew dark and dim
A slow, rhumba entwined in two
But finally, eventually I knew
That love was lacking in his heart
It was incumbent that I depart
Back to Square One was necessary
End of tales, unbridled and fairy
Holding out for the real thing
Phone no longer ring -a-ding.
Twenty years later
God was the caterer
A delicious man for my appetite
Everything was just right!
Now Love lives with me
And we're as happy as can be
Time was the answer to
Love me too !

Share

Here’s this week’s prompt, Here Comes the Sun, by The Beatles!

Calling all Poets, Fiction, or Non-Fiction writers that love music — Share your prose of 1500 words or less, using the prompt, Here Comes the Sun.

Remember:

  • Each Tuesday I’ll publish a newsletter with that week’s song prompt — along with a featured writer’s submission from the previous week.

  • Anyone is then free to run with it! Just add the link to your story or prose in the comments of this newsletter.

  • Subscribers to Stories from the Jukebox, also have a chance to be featured in the following week’s newsletter. And I’ll do my best to give feedback and restack each submission.

There’s always rules:

  1. All forms of prose are welcome, just keep it under 1500 words.

  2. Submissions must be published by midnight on Monday.

  3. Submissions must include a tag/link to this week’s Song Prompt Newsletter embedded within the post.

    While anyone is welcome to add their post in the comments at any time — all rules must be followed for a post to be eligible to be featured or shared.

How would you like to pick our prompt? Find out how to join our revolving list of Headliners here.

"Here Comes the Sun" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their eleventh studio album Abbey Road (1969). It was written and sung by George Harrison, and is one of his best-known compositions. (Via Wikipedia)

Harrison wrote “Here Comes the Sun” at the house of his friend Eric Clapton, in response to the dark mood surrounding the Beatles. Harrison states in his autobiography, I, Me, Mine:

“Here Comes the Sun” was written at the time when Apple was getting like school, where we had to go and be businessmen: ‘Sign this’ and ‘sign that.’ Anyway, it seems as if winter in England goes on forever, by the time spring comes you really deserve it. So one day I decided I was going to sag off Apple and I went over to Eric Clapton’s house. The relief of not having to go see all those dopey accountants was wonderful, and I walked around the garden with one of Eric’s acoustic guitars and wrote “Here Comes the Sun”.

The Beatles recorded “Here Comes the Sun” at London’s EMI Studios in July and August of 1969. Led by Harrison’s acoustic guitar, the track features a Moog synthesiser, which he had introduced to the band’s sound after acquiring an early model of the instrument in California. Reflecting the continued influence of Indian classical music on Harrison’s writing, the composition includes several time signature changes.

This video biography of Here Comes the Sun, by You Can’t Unhear This 😲 wowed me!

has picked a great prompt for the first week of March! He’s a long time member of the Jukebox Band, but you’ll know him as . Rick’s Headlining from his trip abroad this week, which you can follow along with on his travel page. I have very much enjoyed his articles and vlog posts!

Here’s this week’s Headliner, Here Comes the Sun, by Rick West!

George Harrison was the mysterious Beatle. His friend Eric Clapton described him as a “magical guy” who just loved to play. One April, after a long cold lonely winter, Harrison wrote this song.

Click the photo to read Rick’s Headliner submission!

Do you know a reader or writer that’d be perfect for this prompt? Share it with them!

Share

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Oh and if you’re an email reader, just hit reply — I want to hear from you too!

Leave a comment

Stories from the Jukebox is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Don't forget to tip the Band!🫙

Don’t like commitments, but still want to support my writing? You can make a one-time contribution here.

]]>