10 Songs Inspired By Real Events
4. Shock Me - KISS
During their makeup-clad 70's run, everyone in KISS seemed to be not of this world. From Gene Simmons's Demon persona to Paul Stanley's Star Studded Hearthrob aura, every song the band played felt more like the recounting of comic book stories rather than actual tales of rock and roll decadence. Once you do a little deeper digging though, "Shock Me" is much more than just an electrifying title.
Written and sung by Spaceman Ace Frehley, one would probably assume this is just a reflection of the guitarists' fictitious adventures in the ozone. However, the real origin of the story came from when Frehley injured himself when playing one of the band's arena shows. As the band walked down a grand staircase as the show started, Frehley grabbed onto an ungrounded railing which gave him an electric shock that blew him backwards.
Determined to finish the show, Frehley returned after a few minutes even though he had lost feeling in two of his fingers. Since the song was so personal for Frehley, the band insisted he sing it, with Frehley even doing his vocal take while on his back in the recording studio. "Shock Me" is definitely one of KISS's classics, but if it weren't for some shoddy electrical work, the world may have never heard it.