tripping in heels: Inspired: My Favorite Rock Muses

I always thought the perfect career for me would be as a "rock muse". You know - a groupie of sorts who hangs out and inspires rock stars to write classic jams about her. I have a bohemian personal style, a strong level of comfort with casual drug use and I wouldn't mind being all cramped up in a van as long as I get to rage backstage every night. I'll have to work on the whole perfectly tousled hair thing, but my god, give a girl a chance! Seriously, if anyone knows of a position like this opening up, get at me. Who knows? Maybe my mere presence could inspire the great rock anthem of our generation.

Since the whole muse thing is probably a bit of a tough business to break into (an internship, perhaps?) I suppose I have to settle for taking inspiration from those who came before me. I've noticed that a lot of the songs I love describe the kind of magnetic, inalienably stylish women we all aspire to be. Obviously these were some banging', stylin' babes if they had the likes of Jim Morrison, Bob Dylan, etc. penning anthems for them. I mean, really. What's more - they were actual people that existed at one point and often it isn't terribly hard to figure out who they were (thanks, Googs!).

Everyone knows "Like a Rolling Stone" was written about Edie Sedgwick, the legendary Warhol factory girl and fashion icon. "Just Like a Woman" and possibly "Leopard Pillbox Hat" are also reportedly about her, but for some reason whenever I hear "Like a Rolling Stone" I automatically think of her and it totally gives me the chills. Having an ex call you on all your flaws so publicly couldn't have been easy, but the fact that it's probably one of the top 10 best songs ever would sure as hell ease the pain for me. Granted, she died in '71 before she could have known the full magnitude of the song over the years, but still.

Loving Edie feels like such a fashion cliche, but it's hard not to. She was so vulnerable and fucked up and glamorous and spoiled and just totally bat-shit crazy. A winning combination, in my book. Maybe not for like, friends, but certainly for style icons.

"...exchanging all kind of precious gifts and things, but you better take your diamond ring, you better pawn it, babe. You used to be so amused at Napoleon in rags and the language that he used. Go to him now, he calls you, you can't refuse, when you ain't got nothing, you got nothing to lose." - Like A Rolling Stone

If this doesn't make you wanna go buy some huge ass earrings, (or smoke a cig, for that matter) I am unsure of what will.

She must have also been like, really flexible because there are a fuckton of pictures of her posing like this.

If you look closely, you can see a bruise on her leg. They don't make 'em like that anymore, because today everything has to be fucking airbrushed and perfect. Bring back the bruises!

A favorite song by my all time favorite band, The Doors, describes Ray Manzarek's wife (then girlfriend), Dorothy. A lot of fans thought the song was a metaphor for the media conglomerate of the same name, but they would be wrong because in both Ray and drummer John Densmore's autobiographies they say it was about her. BAM! Schooled. There aren't a ton of pictures of her hanging around the innernets, but in the ones that do exist, she looks reasonably badass.

"Well, she's fashionably lean and she's fashionably late. She'll never wreck a scene, she'll never break a date...She's the queen of cool, and she's the lady who waits. Since her mind left school, it never hesitates. She won't waste time on elementary talk, 'cause she's a twentieth century fox" - Twentieth Century Fox

I love a lady who pulls off a strong bang like this.

Much more pulled together than I imagined a "road look" being, but hey - to each muse her own.

Of course, if I'm gonna mention Dorothy, I have to mention Pam - Jim Morrison's "cosmic other" (why is that not a relationship classification available to me on Facebook?). She inspired and is mentioned in countless Doors songs, notably "Roadhouse Blues" ("keep your eyes on the road, your hands upon the wheel" were apparently instructions Jim gave her when they were driving around intoxicated), "Queen of the Highway", "Peace Frog" and "Blue Sunday". And contrary to what Oliver Stone wants us all to think, I'm pretty sure Jim never locked her in a closet and set it on fire, though they did have a pretty tumultuous relationship.

"She came to town and then she drove away, sunlight in her hair."- Peace Frog

"I see your hair is burn in', hills are filled with fire. If they say I never loved you, you know they are a liar." - LA Woman

Jim & Pam are my spirit animal. I imagine perhaps that unicorn casually chilling next to them is theirs.

I feel like if I found a large gem thingie I could DIY this and be the baddest bitch at every festival. Hmm...

At some point, Jim bought her a boutique she called Themis. On her death certificate, her occupation was listed "shop owner". Don't ask me how I know that, it's just a morbidly beautiful detail I've been carrying around in my brain.

Finally, Pattie Boyd was the ultimate rock groupie, marrying not one, but two legendary musicians. She was married to George Harrison, inspiring the Beatles' "Something", "I Need You" and "For You Blue" and then just peaced out to marry Eric Clapton who wrote "Layla" and "Wonderful Tonight" for her. Totally casual.

Girlfriend was pretty hot.

Not sure who the dude in this one is, but I love love love her outfit. I like it so much it makes me want to bring pigtails back, but I think we can all agree those are better left in the past.