10 Songs Inspired By Real Events
3. The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners - Foo Fighters
Almost 90% of the Foo Fighters' goodwill with their audience comes from Dave Grohl's personality. Even though the band have made some of the greatest rock music of the past 20 years, Grohl is one of rock's most genuine people whose niceness is impossible to ignore. Given his unmistakable charisma, it was only a matter of time before one of Grohl's good deeds found its way into a song.
The origin of the track comes from a coal mine collapse in Beaconsfield, Australia, where two miners were trapped for days. With only a limited amount of communication, one miner requested that all he wanted while trapped was some water and an iPod containing the Foo Fighters' last record. Knocked out by the reception of his fans, Grohl ended up paying the man the ultimate compliment with a tribute song.
Starting out as a simple acoustic interlude, Grohl fleshed out this instrumental for Echoes, Silence, Patience, and Grace and dedicated the track to the man who thought so highly of his music. Shortly after the incident, Grohl even reached out to the trapped miner after he got out safely and invited him to have a beer the next time the band came to town. Dave Grohl has earned his stripes as a rock god, but his endless compassion for his fans is something that only comes from genuine people.