Songs With a Different Meaning To What Is Commonly Believed

[Orikoru]

Well, @SwingsitlikeHogan was too slow (click here) and it's Friday afternoon so let's have a go at this.

Post examples of popular songs that have a commonly held belief as to what they're about, but the reality is actually a lot different.

One famous example would be The Police - Every Breath You Take. Most people seem to see it as a love song, affectionate, but in fact I believe Sting has said he wrote it from the perspective of a stalker.

East 17 - Stay Another Day. Weird how this is trotted out every Christmas like it's a lovely Christmas song, just because there's snow in the video. And possibly was a Christmas number 1? But it was written by band member Tony Mortimer about his brother who had committed suicide. Strange that people want to listen to this at Christmas time when you think about it.

Sarcasm or irony never travels well in songs either.
Born In The USA - This was designed to by critical of the USA of course, but so many yanks seem to adopt it as a jingoistic badge of pride.
I think A Design For Life by the Manics is similarly misunderstood - was apparently adopt as a student 'tubthumping' type anthem (We don't talk about love; We only want to get drunk) when there is a lot more to it than that.

 

[larmen]

Well, @SwingsitlikeHogan
East 17 - Stay Another Day. Weird how this is trotted out every Christmas like it's a lovely Christmas song, just because there's snow in the video. And possibly was a Christmas number 1? But it was written by band member Tony Mortimer about his brother who had committed suicide. Strange that people want to listen to this at Christmas time when you think about it.

I think it was released earlier and flopped, then they added the bells and the video and re-released it for Christmas.


My son's primary school choir teacher changes this year. We know the new teacher a little bit and asked her what her ideas are for next year. She doesn't know yet because now she listens to all songs in a new light, has to understand the lyrics and meanings of songs she knew for years. Stay another day might be one of those that drops out of th eChristmas show.

My contribution: Grease Lightning
Well, that is not about a car either.

 

[Fade and Die]

I’ll throw in Bryan Adams, The Summer of 69…. It ain’t about 1969.

 

[Beezerk]

Mama by Genesis isn’t about his mother

 

[Scoobiesnax]

Talking about artists singing about stalking; another one is by James Blunt - You're beautiful. People saw it as a love song because of this lyric but its about him stalking somebody else's gf on the tube while he is high!

 

[Orikoru]

Talking about artists singing about stalking; another one is by James Blunt - You're beautiful. People saw it as a love song because of this lyric but its about him stalking somebody else's gf on the tube while he is high!

Yes, that is a great one I forgot about. Ironically the real meaning made me like it more. As with most examples, the real meaning is so obvious if you actually register what the lyrics are, but most people only listen to choruses.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I’m having a think . Where this often happens when we think we know the words of a song, but we know them as we’ve heard them. Now we have the Internet we can look up the lyric for it and…we’ll I never…

What got me thinking was that I d never really listened to the words of Roxy Music’s Let’s Stick Together, yes it’s about staying together, and the music is uplifting but underneath the magic of the track its really a song about concern for the child of a relationship that is struggling. I’d listened to the words a thousand times but not really twigged.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen - it's just about Sex!

 

[Orikoru]

Macarena - a fun song to dance to at school discos when I was a kid. Turns out all those pre-teen children were dancing to a song about who girl who cheats on her army-bound boyfriend with two other blokes at the same time.

Topical one - Barbie girl. Same thing really, when I was at school it was like a bubblegum pop song about Barbie dolls. Turns out that was about disgusting fellers treating their girls like sex objects. Damn.

 

[Neilds]

I think there are probably more internet rumours about what people think songs are about - can't beat a good conspiracy theory about Little Mix wanting you to kill strangers


This is a made up rumour (I hope!)

 

[cliveb]

On a slightly different tack, what about songs that nobody seems to understand?
Has anyone here got even a remote clue what "Suspended in Gaffa" by Kate Bush is about?

 

[Voyager EMH]

"Hot Rod" by Black Oak Arkansas is not really about a car. Well, who would've thought it?

 

[Fade and Die]

Imagine by John Lennon… not a soppy love song but a Communist manifesto.

 

[Orikoru]

Imagine by John Lennon… not a soppy love song but a Communist manifesto.

Never saw it as a love song tbh?? More of a hippie's idealism.

 

[Rlburnside]

Pet Shop Boys It’s a Sin the commen misconception is the song is about a man being gay.

The song is really about a man looking back on his life and the damage the Catholic Church inflicted on his life.

 

[Rlburnside]

I’m having a think . Where this often happens when we think we know the words of a song, but we know them as we’ve heard them. Now we have the Internet we can look up the lyric for it and…we’ll I never…

What got me thinking was that I d never really listened to the words of Roxy Music’s Let’s Stick Together, yes it’s about staying together, and the music is uplifting but underneath the magic of the track its really a song about concern for the child of a relationship that is struggling. I’d listened to the words a thousand times but not really twigged.

That track is interesting as it’s a poor rip off from Canned Heats Lets Work Together, a song that’s imploring people to have more tolerance with one another.

 

[williamalex1]

The Beatles, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. LSD

 

[TimShady]

The Beatles, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. LSD

Urban myth.

 

[Voyager EMH]

A three year old boy came home from nursery school and showed his dad a picture that he had drawn of his friend Lucy.
His dad pointed to the background of the picture and asked, "What's that?" The boy replied, "She's in the sky with diamonds".
The dad pinned the picture to the kitchen wall and gave it the title, "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds".
Julian Lennon and Paul McCartney have consistently confirmed this story.

John Lennon stated that the lyrics of the song were largely inspired by Alice In Wonderland.

 

[HowlingGale]

Eeezer Good, Eeezer Good, it's Ebeneezer Good. It's saying 'E's are good'. Naughty, naughty .