1978 Rock Classic, Inspired by a Hockey Game Fight, Became an Arena Rock Megahit
Popular songs have some of the weirdest backstories to how they came to get their titles or overall inspiration. Foreigner released a hard rock track in 1978 that came about while vocalist Lou Gramm was watching a hockey game, and it would become one of their biggest hits at No. 2.
"Double Vision" had become one of Foreigner's staple tracks for their live setlists ever since its release in 1978. The song would ultimately land the No. 2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with critics calling it a "double-whammy" with its powerful guitar and leading vocals.
When first seeing the title of the song "Double Vision," fans would instantly think the song is about the eye condition that occurs when being high or intoxicated. They're not 100% wrong. According to The New York Times, Gramm revealed the true story behind the track, and it has nothing to do with being drunk.
In the fall of 1977, the band was in New York working away in the studio for their upcoming self-titled album. They had already developed the track and were excited, but they didn't have a hook or name for it.
"It was quite frustrating," Gramm said. "I could not find the words or a phrase that would culminate what I was singing about in the verses. I wasn't even wrestling with words, really. I was just drawing a blank."
What was the spark of inspiration? A hockey game. Grimm was an avid fan of the sport and was friends with members of the New York Rangers. While in the studio, Gramm had a small TV inside the booth broadcasting a Rangers game, and then inspiration hit when a fight broke out.
"I was inside my vocal booth, this little two-by-three cubby hole," said Gramm. "They put you in a soundproof booth so that the music of the band doesn't leak into your vocal tracks. I had a little eight-inch TV taped to the upper left-hand corner of this little booth, and I would turn it on ever-so-quietly so I could watch the Rangers between my takes."
"John Davidson came out of the net to play a puck and one of the other (opposing) guys conked him. He went down hard. There was a fight, and a couple of the (Rangers) stood around (Davidson) to protect him while he was down. I remember the trainers came out to help him to the bench so he could get checked out."
Whether or not Davidson was out of the game was up to him at the time, with Gramm hearing the commentators talking about his condition after the incident. Commentator Bill Chadwick said the words "double vision," and the rest was history. Instead of singing, Gramm immediately began writing down lyrics, and they "started flowing like water."
Related: 1973 Rock Classic, With a 14-Minute Live Version, Became a Defining Arena Rock Anthem
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 7:31 PM.