The Most MISUNDERSTOOD Songs in Music History

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Hey everybody! Thanks for watching this video on "The Most MISUNDERSTOOD Songs in Music History". I've been into this format lately when I list a bunch of quickfire examples of something. I think it's a cool concept to put out a video with quality information --- while still covering a wide array of stories. Hope you liked it. Within this video, we're talking about songs that are misunderstood. Whether people think they have one meaning but it means something else, or there's a hidden meaning when people didn't expect one, these are some of the most famous examples ever. Let me know if you have any examples in the comments down below.
Fun fact / Misunderstood / Meaning / Hidden / Message / Messages / Wrong / Favorite / Fortunate Son / CCR / Born in the USA / Bruce Springsteen / This Land Is Your Land / Woody Guthrie / John Lennon / Imagine / Closing Time / Semisonic / In the Air Tonight / Phil Collins / Total Eclipse of the Heart / Bonnie Tyler / Royals / Lorde / Who Let the Dogs Out / Baha Men / Good Riddance Time of Your Life / Green Day / Summer of 69 / Bryan Adams / Macarena / Los Del Rio / Gangnam Style / Psy / Every Breath You Take / The Police / You're Beautiful / James Blunt / Semi Charmed Life / Third Eye Blind / Forever Young / Alphaville / Blackbird / The Beatles / I Will Always Love You / Dolly Parton / Swimming Pools / Kendrick Lamar / Fight For Your Right / Beastie Boys / Song 2 / Blur / Hook / Blues Traveler

[@dalwand]

"I like big butts" is often misunderstood as a critique to nepotism in society, but it is actually about the singer's appreciation of female behinds.

[@they65]

Im sorry, but your wrong. Sir mix Al lot wants you to think it’s about big butts, but you have to look deeper…”I CAN NOT LIE”. Mix a lot is trying to let us know he is cursed to always speak the truth much like Jim carey in Liar/liar

[@blackman5867]

"Fortnite Balls (Freestyle)" by Kanye East is very oftenly misunderstood by the social media that's it's just a funny quirky rap song that was made up just for memeing. But very little do we know the true, dark meaning behind it... It's originally dedicated to a once famous youtuber named "EDP445" who was wrongly accussed by the internet to be a blatant pedophile, and now his entire career and even his own life has been ruined so bad that nobody knows where or how he is doing today, as if he has been vasnished out of this world mysteriously without a trace. The song is also to warn the world about the toxicity of social media (especially Tiktok) as it is corrupting and addicting our minds to a point that it had brainwashed us into believing that anything we see can become a cheap comedic joke that will make everyone laugh and satisfy themselves temporarily for a day, even if it doesn't make any actual sense whatsoever. Hardly anything we see in our lives can look the same as before again. That's the danger of the internet and we need find the solution to prevent it before it destroys our future generations and our own pure lives!

[@PooPooLord69]

Just as "Grilled cheese obama sandwich" has deep lyrics, it's about someone struggling to withstand his intrusive thoughts. He says he can't comprehend it, which means he doesn't understand the attractive feeling towards the grilled cheese obama sandwich.

[@nothingeverything355]

​@@PooPooLord69 damn i've never thought i would read a comment about that song

[@chocobo_bruuuu]

​@@PooPooLord69 bruh I'm dead 💀😭💀😭💀💀😭💀😭

[@kenshin4113]

“Who let the dogs out is a feminist anthem” is one of those sentences I would have never thought could exist in life, but here I am.

[@MrSdsok]

Yeah I thought women hated that song

[@Tues48]

@@MrSdsok my pastor sure did. I remember being a kid and hearing a sermon about that song.

[@toothless3835]

This is a 90's kid song and the 90's kids who remember remember it in rugrats I paris. Haha. I don't think women hate the song. I never did. It was always just a fun chorus to me as a kid.

[@Mikakarot23]

My mother was absolutely certain it was anti woman. Dog was code for bitch. Bitch is an insult to women. Basically she was 100% certain they guys were saying the party was fun until women showed up and ruined it.

[@emkayusa]

I know right? I had no idea.

[@Lizzie-ve7kt]

For those of us who couldn’t wait to graduate, Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) is actually pretty appropriate as a graduation song.

[@jasperwisecarver]

that's how I feel for real. I was like "are schools seriously playing this? they would never acknowledge how much we wanted out like that..."

[@Snoebal]

Yeah

[@jamesschwartz3837]

Interesting it was used in the series finale of Seinfeld.

[@ram0166]

Amen! High school was the biggest boring experience of my life. I still can't stand to be around the people I knew in high school.

[@cg0825]

It took me a very long time to figure out that song. It really comes down to you made your bed now lay in it. Another one from Green Day is Wake Me Up When September Ends. It is not about the army (the video is very misleading in that) and not about Hurricane Katrina although it became a tribute song. It is really about the loss of the lead singer's dad which happened when he was a kid

[@STOPGREENSCREENKIDS1015]

I don't think Dolly singing "I Will Always Love You" to Porter Wagoner in any way negates it being a love song. Love can take more forms than the romantic and sexual kind, they probably had a great working partnership and she loved him as a friend and colleague. Or, she just wanted to sing him this new love song she had written.

[@LEFT4BASS]

That’s why the narrator specified “romantic” love song

[@AmandaKayHowell]

I saw an interview where this song was talked about, and I got a since that their relationship was not the best at that point of time which I found funny cause if you really look at the words you can see just a touch of... idk, like sarcasm...

[@shadowlouise]

@@AmandaKayHowell I didn't see that interview, so IDK. But Dolly does not seem at all sarcastic. I heard her talk about it years ago, and I believe you are right that the relationship was strained at the time. Her decision to move on was the reason. He probably felt she was ungrateful, and that was not the case at all. I believe she wrote the song to let him know she did appreciate him, and she wanted their parting to be amicable. It would have been a real shame after their years together for it to be otherwise.

[@FuzzyFoot58]

She was signed on as an act for his variety show at the time and wanted to do her own thing and so, to make him understand where she was coming from, she wrote this song for him. And he got the message and released her from her contract. No romantic love involved, but platonic friendship love.

[@stephenpenrice1230]

Drunk History did a good video on how she did indeed always love him.

[@thomashodgkins6233]

John Lennon gave "I Am the Walrus" the most random lyrics because he was mad that everyone was over-analyzing all of his lyrics at the time.

[@maverickREAL]

It was actually inspired by a student writing a letter to him saying his class was analyzing Beatles lyrics. He wrote it just to mess with this one specific class.

[@grimsleeper5945]

The insane lyrics are what makes that such a good song. Unironically one of my favourite Beatles tracks.

[@tsunderecat413]

and then glass onion was written because people continued to overanalyze his lyrics, so he gave fake meanings to all those songs

[@NimhLabs]

okay... but how are we suppose to get updates about how Paul is dead, and the various doubles they have pretending to be him, if we don't over analyse the lyrics of Beatles songs?

[@tanyat1896]

@@maverickREAL that's what they told us. The song has everything to do with Satanist & warlock Allister Crowley. The Beatles studied his bible, as does every musician. The Beatles, Elvis & The Stones pioneered the trend of studio witches casting spells & putting evil in subliminal messages, back masking & tract layering. A tiny pic of Crowley was featured on The Beatles Sergeant Peppers album cover & they even wrote a song about him. The music industry has gotten so carried away with this damaging, disgusting agenda that it's literally dangerous to listen anymore. Now in order to sign an artist they must sign in blood- yes I said blood. The contract owns the artist & pays them little. But the worst part? They must sign their soul to Satan & do required rituals which involve sacrificing a family member or another artist, pedofilia, grotesque sex acts with animals & it's all through the illumaniti. If an artist doesn't do it they aren't famous, period. And they've added synthesized vibrations that agitate & cause depression. This dude making these videos has no clue. He also showed Nirvana with the naked baby & money- duh it's human trafficking. He's been hiding safe in his mom's house I guess

[@pickeliebaba]

"Hey Ya!" by Outkast has literally the line "y'all don't want to hear me, ya just want to dance"

[@nikitahichoii482]

I think even the video gets the point that people wont care about the lyrics

[@necronsplayer]

Coincidentally that's one of the few songs with lyrics my busted brain can actually parse.

[@th3mdt]

After delivering the lines that really bring his point home. "If what they say is 'Nothing is forever,' then what makes... love the exception? So why-oh-why... are we still in denial when we know we're not happy here?"

[@axman6815]

Honestly surprised this one wasn’t brought up, I think about it a lot lol

[@timothymerrylees7590]

Yeah I only thought about that hearing the Will Young version.

[@finnainsley9088]

Took me a long time to realize that the song ‘One Way or Another’ by Blondie was about a time when the singer was being stalked by her ex-boyfriend. Most people think it’s a cite song about a someone who’s determined to to find a lover.

[@Deviantygr]

I've actually always wondered about that! The song seems rather... intense...for a love song.

[@benthomas4544]

Similar with Sarah McLachlan's "Possession". Her stalker even sued her for lifting lyrics from his creepy letters.

[@morticiaheisenberg9679]

​@@benthomas4544OMG WTF

[@user-wj5co6xb4x]

Kidding me! It's about a stalker - literally never heard anything else? It's sinister...

[@Walamonga1313]

Just like Every Breath You Take

[@grulezdev]

I feel like a good example of misunderstood lyrics is the song "Everybody Wants To Rule The World", by Tears for Fears. The song has an upbeat and dancable rhythm and the lyrics are a bit sad, they mask the true meaning of the song, that is about Nuclear War, being mostly "inhumane" and about death. This is hinted with some of the lyrics as such as: "We will find you Acting on your best behaviour Turn your back on Mother Nature Everybody wants to rule the world" and "[...] Most of freedom and of pleasure Nothing ever lasts forever Everybody wants to rule the world There's a room where the light won't find you Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down When they do I'll be right behind you" Tears for Fears have a lot of songs that went to become hits that are quite misunderstood in my opinion, like "Sowing The Seeds Of Love" being about politics and "Woman In Chains" being about abuse, etc.

[@Lurker-dk8jk]

Rewatched Real Genius (1985) recently, which has "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" as part of its soundtrack. Didn't realize how apt the song really was in fitting with the themes of the movie. Doomsday laser weapon and all.

[@gemmaazz]

So many of TFF'S early songs/their 1st commercial album "The Hurting" were based on some heavy topics/emotions. Ex: "Watch Me Bleed" is probably the most accurate description of Disassociation (due to abuse-related C/PTSD), ever. Brilliant - especially as they were teens when they wrote these songs. ❤

[@marshalmarrs3269]

“All Star” by Smash Mouth is about the potential dangers of ignoring climate change.

[@allanspence1347]

'There's a room where the light won't find you' This a reference to 1984, when O'Brien tells Winston, they will: "meet in the room where there is no darkness". "Holding hands while the walls come tumbling down When they do I'll be right behind you" This refers to when Winston and Julia are arrested by the Thought Police.

[@frankfromalbuquerque3506]

“Barbie Girl” is just too deep to comprehend for us mortals on this plane of existence.

[@IHIKD]

I think it's actually satirical

[@trinaq]

I agree, it's intended to be a farce of the material Barbie lifestyle, and not about the actual product.

[@jjthepikazard212]

truly, barbie girl is an absolute slapper

[@jml6263]

Unironically Aqua's first two albums kinda slap hard.

[@ms.x1669]

It was my favorite song when I was around six or seven and I genuinely thought it was Matel Barbie's official song. 😂😂😂

[@yadiaag7771]

Psy’s song was about how everyone wants to be the 1% in Korea in which the rich live in Gangnam. He was very confused why people liked the song because it was about South Koreas Economic social pyramid. He’s written other songs about this issue and all being loved by the South Korean public.

[@bon12121]

A korean friend of mine (about 5 years ago) said that Psy had been around for over (or around about) a decade, and that he often wrote uplifting songs. He said that there was a measurable drop in the suicide rate when he had radio time with those songs. Don't know how true that is though, but I dont expect him to have lied.

[@ahogammer6895]

It's because it sounds good to a lot of people.

[@EelcoPeterzen]

I thought it was about riding a horse and that's where the dance came from. But that's maybe because the rich can afford horses easier? I honestly never looked into it. I never looked up any translations. It was just a song that sounded good, they make fun of themselves in the clip, so it was funny, and I just assumed the first explanation I heard was true. The charts nowadays are filled with meaningless songs, so it never occured to me.

[@ahogammer6895]

@Rolf Josef Spiegelhalter That's not just how it works for western people, it's global.

[@Apis4]

It is all the more poignant on the basis that South Korea is basically an open Kleptocracy, where 7 Corporations control 80% of the economy, and put the politicians in power, no literally, between them, they fund the only political parties that have any chance of winning. This system crept in, due to the dependence on these Dynastic family businesses, some centuries old, in the wake of assassination of Park Chung-Hee in 1979, who'd established something of neo-fascist State in SK, and funded and backed these Corporations through the period of growth where SK finally outgrew NK economically. When he died, much of his power structure, formed by his authoritarian rule, collapsed... but the big corporations who'd quid pro quo'ed to grow and line both pockets, through Nepotism with his regime, not being part of the Government, did NOT. So they slowly emmeshed with the nascent new leadership, well, infiltrated, would be a better word, and now basically control South Korea, and it is is a pretty open secret, too, how much control of the place they wield. Gangnam Style is a satirical examination of how these oligarchs are almost venerated in Korea, and people envy, and aspire to be like, them, even though they have seized control of the country (actually, to the point where they literally get away with killing people, see Samsung's poisoning of workers). But we all adored it in the West and blindly bounce along doi9ng the skippy-hoppy horsey dance, thinking it's the coolest thing ever. No wonder the guy was confused.

[@Thishandleisavailable483]

I literally remember singing "This Land Is Your Land." In kindergarten in front of a bunch of parents and grandparents with my whole class that year.

[@marshalmarrs3269]

Chills actually slandered Woody Guthrie by calling him a “Communist Sympathizer”.

[@PhilSophia-ox7ep]

​@@marshalmarrs3269Woody Guthrie was a communist ....like any sensible person.

[@wuotanaz1106]

That's the artist's fault at that point for being too afraid to make his message clear. Like imagine if I wrote a song a out how awesome America is then got butthurt because "actually deep down it's about my love for Lenin!"

[@PhilSophia-ox7ep]

@@wuotanaz1106 The message is clear enough, if you're not an imbecile.

[@ltb1345]

I had to listen to that song so many goddamn times in elementary school, I got beyond sick of it.

[@RMSAquitaniafan55]

An interesting example that I don't see people think about is Jump! by Van Halen. While there might not be a hidden meaning to the track, the title has an interesting origin. David Lee Roth was watching television one day and on the TV was a live broadcast of a man who was standing atop a building about to jump off and kill himself. Roth thought to himself that "Someone in the crowd has gotta be thinking "Jump" in their minds".

[@cg0825]

I never liked that song as I always had this thought that it referenced suicide.

[@scottd8108]

Unfortunately that's also my sense of humour 😢

[@demrandom]

@@cg0825 in a related note, Don't Fear the Reaper by blue Oyster Cult had to explain a bucket of times that the lyrics whilst you could certainly read them as suicide endorsing, weren't meant to be.

[@AztecSamurai01]

So I guess that jump vine was accurate

[@Lymborium]

lmao that will be fun to think about every time I sing along to the line "might as well JUMP!" lmfaooo

[@jared4608]

LMFAO’s Party Rock Anthem is a critique of the military-industrial complex and how it encourages reckless hedonism

[@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770]

“I don’t think we’re ’gonna get alot of songs from that say “I oppose unauthorized military engagement in Lybia tonight!”” - Todd In The Shadows

[@neversobad]

I thought it was about a Las Vegas card dealer who longs to be one of the high rollers. "Every day I'm shuffling"... it's all right there.

[@kohlgate]

WHAT

[@mariokarter13]

From their hit album: Sorry for Drones and Rockets

[@CookiePoochy]

party rock is

[@Cameron-hw5kh]

I mean The Weeknd did win a kid's award for Can't Feel My Face lmao.

[@OsKarMike1306]

"I just won a new award for a kid's show talking about a face numbing off a bag of blow" is the one of the hardest flex I've ever heard. I bet he laughed for hours when he heard he won.

[@alfonsaditya2243]

Exactly

[@SGT676]

@@OsKarMike1306 lol that line in Reminder always made me laugh

[@Juanhernandez-zx7kt]

Cocaine is a hell of a drug.

[@kaiupnxt]

@@OsKarMike1306What can I say... kid's love drugs 😂

[@cowinjapanese6896]

Just like Amerika by Rammstein. I love how people often ignore the "This is not a love song" part.

[@snuup_frogg]

Rammstein lyrics barely leave room open for interpretation.

[@mrfalcon7871]

“I don’t like Mondays” by The Boomtown Rats, Was about the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in 1979 and people still think it’s about not liking Mondays …

[@Lymborium]

Well it kind of is... when they asked the school shooter why she did it, she said "I don't like Mondays." It's still about not liking Mondays, just with a school shooting mixed in

[@abrahamlincolnstophat4761]

Alfo could make me believe that the Barney theme song is about the prison industrial complex

[@DJ5780]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mariokarter13]

I love you, you love me, we live in a society.

[@universpro7741]

Every road you take. I like the police

[@universpro7741]

You're beautiful is sad but he has the perfect voice for the song

[@universpro7741]

Forever young

[@procurion8934]

"Fortunate Son" more specifically was about how the sons of important people were not sent to the Vietnam War. They were given easy positions stateside and not exposed to the "horrors of war" and were celebrated for their "Bravery".

[@ZakhadWOW]

cue Donald Trunp and his bone spurs as a prime example

[@shaunmcisaac782]

@@ZakhadWOW “You know, if you’re young, and in this era, and if you have any guilt about not having gone to Vietnam, we have our own Vietnam - it’s called the dating game,” Trump said to Stern in a 1993 interview. “Dating is like being in Vietnam. You’re the equivalent of a soldier going over to Vietnam.”

[@tommackinnon8445]

@@ZakhadWOW not just trump , , Edward kennedy,Dick Cheny, Ted Nugent, rush limbaugh, bill clinton, Joe Biden, Chuck Schumer, Bruce Springsteen, Muhamed Ali, John Wayne, and many others......

[@kilroy2517]

@@tommackinnon8445 Exactly, and take it one step further to it's logical conclusion. This song has nothing to do (directly) with the war. It's about how American society was, and still is set up to favor the rich. Look at the words. There's three verses, and only one brief mention of war.

[@Dog-ManTribe]

Que...Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton

[@ericepperson8409]

I remember a girl I was dating said she loved how upbeat and fun "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People was. I should have taken that as the sign to break up with her then.

[@backNblack0523]

Seriously! 😅

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

A hugely misunderstood song is Enola Gay by the British electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark that was released in 1980. With many people describing it as "joyous" and "infinitely danceable" simply because it's a 1980s electronic band song without realizing what the lyrics are actually about unless you're American or know your history. Enola Gay is the name of the USAAF B-29 Superfortress bomber that dropped the atomic blast on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. You can actually see the Enola Gay on display as it is located at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center next to Dulles International. The lyric to the song reflects on the decision to use the bomb and asks the listener to consider whether the bombings were necessary ("It shouldn't ever have to end this way"). The phrase "Is mother proud of little boy today?", is an allusion to both the nickname of the uranium bomb Little Boy and pilot Paul Tibbets naming the aircraft after his mother. The phrase, "It's 8:15, and that's the time that it's always been", refers to the time of detonation over Hiroshima at 8:15 am JST as many timepieces were "frozen" by the effects of the blast, it becomes "the time that it's always been".

[@brokenbrastraps]

i’m sorry but HOW did people misunderstand enola gay, that song is the opposite of subtlety lmaoooo

[@ram0166]

I wrote poetry for a creative writing class in college and quickly discovered that an artist loses control of the meaning of his work the moment it’s experienced by another person.

[@markfeemster5053]

I have exactly the same thought when some art student wants to explain the original meaning behind Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah

[@KJ-nv9uz]

Lol same when i did my interview fir art school. When the guy went through my portfolio and started ' interpreting' it. I was like wth? No i just like skeletons, they dont mean anything. (For a particular piece)

[@whyputaname]

That is true.. 👍👍

[@whyrocha]

As should be. Otherwise it's dead meat...no life of it's own.

[@ram0166]

@@whyrocha I agree

[@HeroQuestFans]

good rule of thumb for pop rock: everything you think is about drugs and/or sex is actually not, and everything you didn't think is about drugs/sex actually is about that.

[@alanfike]

Proof by Beatles songs: "Got to Get You Into My Life" sounds like it's a song about being obsessed for seeing someone again. It's about cannabis. Paul says so in his book. "Lovely Rita Meter Maid" sounds like it's about fondness for a meter maid. Something McCartney wrote after a bad encounter with a female meter maid (parking attendant, who issue the tickets) that he thought he'd take out his stress by writing a song about it. Except he turned it into an orgy at the end for the hell of it.

[@darkmarksfantasticallyrand6666]

Its been stated that the most out of control of all the music stars are the squeeky clean pop kids!... guess they dont have to waste time writing songs.... so plenty of time for debauchery!.

[@stevenboyd6560]

This whole video could have been your comment.

[@str.77]

And if you take that literally it will spring you into a never-ending loop.

[@JustCallMeEmily]

*cough* Whistle by Flo Rida

[@PenneySounds]

Ever since 2017, basically every song by Linkin Park falls into this category, because people now read all their lyrics as being about Chester Bennington's suicidal depression, even though the majority of the lyrics he sang were written by Mike Shinoda and were about completely different things.

[@jostrong2385]

This was great, thank you. I wish you would have expanded a little more on Psy/Gangham Style. Would have been interested to hear your information on it.

[@petertrudelljr]

Gangnam Style is a big dis track about people that live in the wealthy Gangnam district of Seoul.

[@gallanosa]

​@@petertrudelljrThank you!

[@Pinkybum]

@@petertrudelljr yeah the video clues you into this too.

[@briansimpson6710]

"Thrift Shop" by Macklemore was a parody against the people who were wearing overpriced designer clothing to show off as a status symbol, and it ended up being a fad of people going out and spending rediculous amounts of money on fur coats and other over-the-top fashion

[@plaecholder]

I think thrift shop was mostly understood well by the folks i know. My city actually had a huge influx of people buying and selling clothes second hand after it dropped. Got to the point that thirfters were getting upset regular folks were getting the best finds.

[@tsweder]

Well, duh. That's no secret.

[@DarrionParton]

@@plaecholder Yeah especially in Washington state that I feel already had a big thrift culture, after the song dropped I saw prices of vintage sports gear go way up. It sucks a lot too when I’ve sold some of my stuff for a little more than I’ve bought it for to have someone buy it and immediately up the price 200% on Depop smh

[@dbspaceoditty]

@@plaecholder nah, thrifting just got really expensive. he ruined the thrift industry. 20 dollars USED to get you a drippin fit. but now 20 gets you a pair of pants and a shirt. 20 used to be a weeks worth of outfits.

[@Furiouspenguin27]

That one is pretty obvious

[@Phono_Wizard]

That video at the begining of the guy singing Fortunate Son was like a punch in the face. I thought everyone knew that was an anti war song.

[@kabirbajaj7225]

what did he say i could not hear him over the music

[@gavingascho4303]

Omg its hank hill hello hank

[@maxwell0027]

@@kabirbajaj7225Got chu. He said "thank God my mom didn't raise a fucking liberal."

[@andretyroneii941]

@@maxwell0027 I was like "brruhhh"

[@clwireg]

There’s also the famous clip of that one dude with a thin blue line flag dancing to Killing In The Name at a Trump rally lmao

[@jtmichaelson]

The Phil Collins story actually dates back to the 80s on a radio interview when we first heard it. The Jimmy Fallon interview was like the millionth time he told the story.

[@Margot4454]

Another one : I live in Poland : Leonard Cohen's "Dance Me to the End of Love" was back in the days very often played at wedding and dancing halls (Cohen was very popular in Poland). The song is about ... Holocaust, precsely about arranged by nazis violin concerts (by death camp's prisoners) played when people went to gas chambers. Major difference. However, not in an Englisg speaking country.

[@Missunderstood103]

Holy bejesus. I had no idea. Thank you for sharing the knowledge.

[@samuraijackoff5354]

The amount of Japanese songs about depression and suicide with people who don’t know the lyrics dancing to it in a jolly manner are pretty funny to me. Same goes with a ton of other songs in different languages.

[@remytherat1419]

YOASOBI, Racing the Night is a prime example rn. It is such a bop and so up beat, but is about a double suicide between 2 depressed people in a relationship.

[@mklaebel]

Balloons by DBSK/TVXQ is a great example. It's so upbeat and cheerful, but the meaning is melancholy as hell.

[@terfaniabdou5908]

"Alors on danse" by Stromae belongs to this category

[@ronnleemorris6300]

That's the usual reason non-english songs become hits. It's because they're just easy to dance to.

[@Rynsworld365]

@@remytherat1419 i immediately thought about that one

[@jjjlove2260]

I honestly thought the "every breath you take" was an obvious stalker song. It scared the shit out of me as a kid. I always turned the radio off anytime it played.

[@kellyhoward6941]

I'm a lot older than you, I suspect, but I always wanted to turn the radio off any time it played, too, tho not b/c it scared me, but because I loathed it the first time I heard it & more every additional time.

[@aobakwemodisane3773]

I loved that track till I found out what's its about

[@jjjlove2260]

@@kellyhoward6941 Now after that assumption, I'm curious. How old are you? 😄

[@kellyhoward6941]

@@jjjlove2260 Hope it didn't sound insulting. Now I'm not sure why I made the assumption. I'm 61. That sounds a lot older than I feel!

[@jjjlove2260]

@@kellyhoward6941 No worries. I didn't take it as an insult at all. Though I am indeed younger, I think you're still young! 😁

[@harrycushing]

A great one in my mind is Hey Ya! by Outkast, a song about the difficulties of a relationship, and staying in a relationship where neither partner is happy ("My baby don't mess around because she loves me so, and this I know for sure - But does she really wanna, but can't stand to see me walk out the door" "If what they say is 'Nothing lasts forever', then what makes... love the exception - so why oh (x5) are we so in denial when we know where not happy here?"). This is then directly followed by a recognition that the message of the song wont come across, similarly to Hook as was mentioned in the video ("Ya'll dont want to hear me you just wanna dance").

[@KatonRyu]

My mom thought that "Last Stop This Town" by Eels was a catchy, happy song. It literally opens with the lines, "You're dead, but the world keeps spinning, take a spin through the world you left" and was about the death of the singer's sister. Needless to say, I picked that song for her funeral.

[@laurencemoore2105]

Sorry to correct you, but it's about the passing of his dad Hugh Everett III. His dad was a physicist. Sorry about the passing of your mum.

[@TylerDurden420247]

Gangham Style is NOT about a rich neighborhood. It's about extremely poor people who are without means that spend all of their money in order to appear as if they are rich and successful to the point of literal financial ruin for a lot of these people. Yes the neighborhood of Gangham is rich. But this song has more to do with how it was a fad to try an appear as if you lived this expensive high life through your choice of fashion and accoutrements that you can not really afford.

[@tealduckduckgoose]

^^^ And that's why they ride fake horses throughout

[@helensarkisian7491]

@@tealduckduckgoose : I was wondering about that.

[@coolbeans5992]

o wow

[@JP-JustSayin]

Beverly hills by weezer

[@tonysuda9066]

@@JP-JustSayin Beverly hills by Eddie Murphy

[@roogy1622]

Feel Good Inc. is used in a lot of advertising and marketing when it's making fun of how music is now made to be advertised and to make customers feel good artificially.

[@ectofriend]

You could honestly use ANY Gorillaz song that gets popular.

[@EldritchNoise]

Bruh I fuckin see you with your Rak eating a banana over here. A+

[@SavageGreywolf]

let's see them use Superfast Jellyfish :)

[@JadetheGoober]

Isn’t DARE about something similar? Demon Days was an morbidly themed album.

[@3DOM_]

@@JadetheGoober I believe dare is about calling out negativity and hatred in the world and yet doing nothing about it. I may be wrong but thats my understanding.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Another great example is Electric Avenue. On the surface, it's an upbeat party song, but it's about the Brixton Riot of '81. And the thing about Imagine is it's been played at SO many Olympic ceremonies. Atlanta 1996 closing, Turin 2006 opening, London 2012 closing, PyeongChang 2018 opening, and Beijing 2022 opening. I get that it's the most famous anti-war song, but there's nothing wrong with choosing a lesser-known song or even doing your own song to convey the same message. The former HarmonioUS fireworks show at Epcot ended with Someday from Hunchback of Notre Dame which has the lyric "Someday, life will be fairer, need will be rarer, and greed will not pay", and the song is just as beautiful as Imagine I'm Latino but Spanish wasn't my strong suit when I was little so whenever I heard the Macarena, I just danced right away because "It's Spanish and English, it must be good". And while a lot of the time Spanish songs are great and catchy, this one is so overrated and overplayed. Like I used to do FRC robotics and every robotics competition I went to, it would play. On top of weddings I've attended. Of course once I got older I realized what it was about, but even when the song tells you what it's about in English, Americans still dance to it because once you do it, you can't stop because it's catchy.

[@seanobrien9088]

Much like “Every Breath You Take,” Bon Jovi’s “Always” is also written from the perspective of a stalker.

[@isaacleutton8060]

The fact that Total Eclipse of the Heart was written for NOSFERATU THE MUSICAL is the most amazing thing ever

[@hagridsdisappointingson769]

Nosferatu the musical is the most cursed concept I never knew I needed.

[@OlgaSPN]

Wait until you hear the actual musical! Depending on how you feel about extremely theatrical music ofc. It's called Dance of the Vampires and it's based on the Fearless Vampire Killers movie. It was pretty popular all over Europe when the Germans did it. Till this day I believe that the money spent on the tickets to the Polish version was one of the best theatrical purchases of my life^^

[@isaacleutton8060]

@@OlgaSPN thank you I will look into that!

[@masterboa6321]

here i was thinkin nosferatu was a fire emblem spell

[@annabarr1304]

Bal de vampire

[@looneyflight]

Dolly has a great sense of humor. When asked if she minded Whitney Houston being more well known for singing a song that she wrote her response was "She can have the fame as long as I get the money.".

[@eywine.7762]

Gotta love Dolly!

[@hippiemama52]

I still like Dolly's version better. WH was never my cup of tea.

[@emmahollow6188]

Laughing all the way to the bank

[@arianewinter4266]

She IS really good Sports

[@ConejitoPequenito]

As a society, we could stand to talk about song meanings more. They add so much to the songs

[@ccubsfan94]

One of my favorite bits of irony is Ironic by Alanis Morissette. None of the examples of "irony" in the song, are actually ironic. Which then makes the song kind of ironic

[@seanmiller1983]

100% it's full on meta irony

[@Laszlo-Kelemen]

Actually, the irony is that none of the situations mentioned in the song pass as being ironic. They are unfortunate events. And there is not a bit of iron there either.

[@TheGoldfishArmy]

My dad explained that to me once. He hates that song with a burning passion. I hate it too, but for unrelated reasons (just doesn't fot my music taste)

[@ccubsfan94]

@@Laszlo-Kelemen Uhh, pretty much echoing what I said

[@ccubsfan94]

@TheGoldfishArmy I'm not totally on the same front, but close. It ain't on my Playlist, but I won't change the station if it's on

[@thevfxmancolorizationvfxex4051]

Macarena was the most surprising one for me. How a song about a woman who cheats on her boyfriend with 2 of his friends while the latter's in the military spawn a big dance craze is beyond me

[@KyleKartan87]

If I remember it right, the two were dance-instructor and they created the dfance themselfes. But why they mixed up a dance and an up-tone beat with such a messed up story I don't know ether.

[@Szylepiel]

Explanation is simple: It's not sung in English and it's catchy. Most of people don't care to check what it is about really and just vibe to the rhythm.

[@BundasaurusPecs]

It’s weird cause I always knew this cause I could at least partially understand the lyrics 😂😂

[@Greencheezy0]

I was doing that dance in p.e. back in grade school every other week

[@janine2957]

@@Szylepiel tbh, I'm from Spain and it is as much of a party song as it is in the USA. sometimes the music is so catchy that nothing else matters. but also, the cheating situation is so awkward and fucked up that is funny, so it's not really contradicting the music. it's the Spanish sense of humor.

[@eringibson5598]

The best one ever is the Beatles “I am the Walrus”. A guy studying at the art school John Lennon went to, wrote him a letter saying that his class was analysing one of the Beatle’s songs and he wanted to check with John to find out what he really meant. John thought that was madness, people trying to find hidden meanings in his lyrics. So he wrote the lyrics for “I am the walrus” basically saying “analyse this”.

[@curtisfranzen986]

Ya, I actually saw an interview where he expressed that. I thought it was hysterical. Decades later, people are still debating about who "the walrus" is.

[@spacecase8888]

There is video of John Lennon talking to one of his acid head fans that showed up at his property because he thought Lennon's lyrics were talking about him and John was explaining that his lyrics were just made up nonsense that he thought sounded good at the time. Then he invited him in and fed him breakfast. Search for the video titled The Beatles Moments - Dialogue With A Homeless Guy

[@todolossush7146]

yeah lmao and ppl still did 😭

[@jareddanielgibson]

Haha, they try to say the walrus is Paul McCartney, and that Paul is dead an the one we see now is an actor. They've got a ton of more "evidence" that even got me questioning things, but its all a bunch of horse pucky

[@ANDROLOMA]

@@curtisfranzen986 Glass Onion: "The walrus was Paul."

[@19murkigurki95]

2 examples that come into my mind: The one I love by REM is also often referred to as a love song but is more about an abusive relationship I took a pill in Ibiza by Mike Posner is the opposite of a happy party song

[@JAWNDOEmusic]

Total ECLIPSE of the heart being a reference to vampires/sunlight/Nosferatu just broke my brain

[@tobyespinoza253]

Knowing the true meaning of "Macarena" gives the ending of Hotel Transylvania 3 a whole new meaning

[@WaywardRailroad]

Oh my goodness! I have no idea why but this revelation feels so important! 🤣

[@firepuppies4086]

@@WaywardRailroad Have we even seen Johnny's friends? Or... we have met Drac's

[@numberyellow]

It really is the ultimate "Jody boy" anthem, lol.

[@danieljob3184]

There are actually 2 versions. In the Los Del Mar 'Macarena' they show 3 boys next to a pool doing the dance from the Los Del Rio video. It's not a chick! It's a dance which Mar came up with & his buddies Rio stole!

[@sharangadeka5156]

​@@firepuppies4086 p⁰

[@Rhomega]

Careless Whisper by George Michael is about a guy who's deeply remorseful about cheating on his SO, but everyone just loves that sexy saxophone and see it as romantic.

[@kasiazdrojewska3616]

Well, it's not that romantic, but damn it's sexy. And cheating can be too.

[@dayyflowerss3082]

Lmaooo

[@John_Weiss]

That reminds me of people think, "Every Breath You Take," is a love song, when it's clear about _a stalker_ … even Sting himself has said that's what the song is about and is _supposed to be _*_unsettling,_* not romantic.

[@phie2807]

the Seether version makes the meaning more apparent

[@b1gg1n1]

Yes! I was just about to comment about Careless Whisper 😆

[@shmuggy]

I will never know the meaning behind Gangnam style

[@brandontheurer1372]

It's a rich district the equivalent to Beverly Hills. He's singing about how he wants to live that lavish lifestyle.

[@scott454545]

lol. The guy making this video "most people don't know the meaning of Gangnam style, it is in another language" and then on to the next song.

[@mirandak3273]

“Money” by Pink Floyd from The Dark Side Of The Moon is one that is misunderstood I think. I heard a young KZbinr first time reacting to the official video thinking at first it was about how great it is to have enough money to live a luxurious lifestyle. As she watched it she became confused about the video having images of poverty she saw as ‘conflicting’ with that message. She was savvy enough to finally realize it was the opposite message as she heard “Money it’s a crime.” But I suspect a lot of folk aren’t savvy enough get its use of irony and a unreliable narrator, like she finally did.

[@Filterdeez]

Pink Floyd lyrics, in general, are misunderstood. They were highly opposed to the creation of the world we see today. A lot of their lyrics tried to warn us but nobody listened

[@MJW238]

A lot of these “misunderstood” songs are really (to be rude) just about some people being idiots then. If you listen to Money and think it’s about how great money is, or listen to Fortunate Son and think it’s pro-American or pro-war, then, really, you’re just being dumb.

[@cg0825]

A lot of their songs. Another Brick in the Wall is another--really about how messed up society is and how kids are being raised to fit into the machine of society. It isn't just an anthem song for rebellious kids

[@Missunderstood103]

​@@cg0825Man, I loved The Wall. We all were just amazed when it came out. Pink Floyd set your mind on fire delicately. One lyric, pause, hanging tone at a time. By the time an inferno was blazing, you knew it was too late. You were awake.

[@gaurangatrades7847]

"I'm Too Sexy For My Shirt" was written to make fun of models and "the beautiful people" who were the clientele at the songwriter's gym. It went on to become un-ironically popular with that demographic.

[@castlerock58]

It was an example of a novelty song by someone with no talent becoming one of the most irritating songs of all time. It ranks with Disco Duck.

[@EsotericOccultist]

@@castlerock58 State your opinion like it's fact narcissist 🙄

[@wdalldorf]

Un-ironic? Sounds very ironic.

[@ihave3dogs2]

@@wdalldorf I think he means that when Fred wrote the song, it was to make fun of those sort of people. But the people it makes fun of, they love to listen to it un-ironically. Much like the example of Fight For Your Right by Beastie Boys.

[@steamboatwill3.367]

@@ihave3dogs2 ) and people who act like Archie Bunker.....

[@raymondkent5762]

The # 1 misunderstood song that is inappropriately used is "Daughters" by John Mayer. Some people play it at weddings during the father/daughter dance. But it actually is about a guy who is trying to date a woman with daddy issues and by extension men issues. Her dad treated her poorly when she was a girl and that caused her to have trust issues with men and it prevents her from having trusting and loving relationships. Her father messed her up for all men. So the song begs for fathers and mothers to be good to daughters or they will be messed up for life. It is absolutely the worst possible song for a bride to dance with her father to.

[@mochimellow4188]

Oh...oh no

[@John_Weiss]

Kinda like how people think, "Every Breath You Take," is a love song, when it's clear about _a stalker_ … even Sting himself has said that's what the song is about and now wishes they'd never written it, due to how wrong people are using it.

[@colinfrags5691]

Exactly. A bunch of the songs he listed are obviously stalker songs or bad in other ways yet people blindly listen. People just like the sound of the song and don't think at all about the actual lyrics.

[@blackpilledchad1927]

We're all broken

[@mariecusick9513]

Reminds me of a baby shower Playlist that had the song "small bump" on it. This person clearly heard enough to know it included a pregnancy but not enough to know the song ends in a tragic miscarriage. Worst baby shower song ever!

[@Trad63]

And remember, once a song is out in the universe, it means different things to different people taking into account what you’re personally experiencing at that moment good or bad.

[@P-J-W-777]

As most artists usually say when asked what there songs mean they’ll will sometimes tell their story. In some cases I’ve seen them change what the song meant a few times depending when they were asked. But they almost always say it really doesn’t matter what it meant to them. What matters is if you’re able to find a connection to it and what it means to you because they usually have different meanings to different people depending on that connection.

[@ivapx]

Careless whisper by George Michael People use it for "sexy time" but it's about break up and cheating and not moving on 🤔 it's quite ironic

[@theATSthetic]

It's that saxophone He could be singing about a train crashing into a kitten orphanage, as long as that saxophone stays, I think people would still shag to it

[@sethcoma]

I'd wager 99.99999% of people only know 5 seconds of that song

[@andrewharper1609]

@@sethcoma Pleased to say I don't know any of that song. I didn't like his music as a general rule Jesus to a Child was not my cup of tea. Outside was ok and everyone had a laugh given the context but I didn't like Wham's material with the dayglo colours. Last Christmas might just be my least favourite Christmas song ever recorded. It just felt like they were trying too hard.

[@knower1514]

Literally that one is so obvious

[@sweett3253]

Was actually watching the video to see if careless whisper was in it😂

[@redeadhead4]

Holy s**t the Macarena dance makes so much more sense now. The two hands touching the shoulders, then waist, then hips. Then turn to the side and do it again.

[@somedudeonyoutube8079]

Omg hahahaha

[@pmangano]

holy shit...

[@ElFreakinCid]

And to think, we all did this dance as children.

[@charlesco7413]

@@ElFreakinCid and weddings

[@ptonpc]

The female singer's lyrics are even in English.

[@personaissleepy]

Ironically Good Riddance (Time of your Life) was my graduation song for middle school. Which is weirdly fitting because my high school life was a hell hole.

[@v1nceeatingpancakes388]

Surprised I haven't seen anyone mention Smash Mouth's "All Star" being a song about global warming

[@josephdawson8073]

"Every Breath you Take" is actually a story about my dog whenever I have food in my hand.

[@eledatowle7128]

Oh my gosh, yes!

[@bullshark3771]

I was at work today that song came on the radio and I literally said to my coworker “when you actually listen to it this song is kinda fucked up how it keeps on saying I’ll be watching u like wtf”

[@phoenixwright9105]

That is a great comment right there :D

[@ronnieguitar99]

I never did think this was really about a stalker, just a guy who can't get over a girl and thinks about her all the time. Of course if it came out now that might be the first thing I would think about.

[@heavensubala4535]

For sure my cat knows this tune very well!

[@lurkingndarkness]

In Bloom by Nirvana is another example of a song that was embraced by the people it was making fun of. "He's the one who likes all our pretty songs And he likes to sing along... ... But he don't know what it means"

[@emPtysp4ce]

Took me a while to realize "likes to shoot his gun" is probably about masturbating

[@penusman6304]

The thing about that is Kurt's lyrics almost always meant nothing in particular. He wanted people to put there own meaning into his lyrics. Only like 3 songs of his have a distinct meaning, heart shaped box, you know you're right and polly.

[@sebastianbuchner8983]

I heard that this song is about a friend of Kurt and the others, who did suicide

[@drillbit8280]

@@penusman6304 in an interview in 1993 he said that in the Bleach & Nevermind days he would take random pieces of poetry & random words and mash them together to make lyrics, and he said that he was trying to actually write lyrics that meant something.

[@theninjamaster67]

@@penusman6304 You're forgetting Rape me which was made as an anti rape song so that's at least one other Nirvana song with an intentional message to it.

[@brittanymorton831]

Well great video thank you so much for all those awesome information!

[@haraldselke]

Vamos a la playa by Righeira is another song from the 1980s about nuclear war; the song probably never made it to the US, however. And Chumbawamba’s Tubthumping is - at least here in Germany - often understood as a party song, most people understanding “dancing the night away” when the original text says something quite different.

[@mistabook]

"99 Luftbalons"/"99 Red Balloons" by Nena sounds like a bouncy pop song about nothing, but it's actually about a nuclear holocaust. The narrator lets a huge cluster of helium balloons into the air and it gets picked up by radar and mistaken for an air strike, triggering a global nuclear war. At the end of the song she's looking out over the rubble and lets the last balloon go.

[@dragonladygray1335]

Came here to suggest this gem ☝

[@stephenfocosi7075]

It's also about Captain Kirk of Star Trek starting WWIII.

[@argonwheatbelly637]

It has nothing to do with "red" balloons. It's just...sadly...a filler word when they cut an English version. Listen to it in German. It's better.

[@philippeamon7271]

@@stephenfocosi7075 That's a weird line... the ufo's/balloons thought they were Captain Kirk?

[@philippeamon7271]

Not nuclear, attrition. 99 years of it. A global nuclear war wouldn't last 99 years, It's an important distinction, because it's about how revenge destroys the world.

[@richmonksgtr]

Lorde saying “I’ve never seen a diamond in the flesh” was just her saying that she’s never been to a ballpark.

[@punkisinthedetails1470]

or an illegal gambling den. ♣️

[@KWChess]

She's never seen lil uzi

[@thewkovacs316]

do the royals play the song at homegames?

[@mp.6058]

@@KWChess exactly what I was thinking 😭😭

[@gusquinzel8847]

@@thewkovacs316 no but they hear it at every away game because the home team will never be the royals

[@slbarbieri1725]

The song that instantly comes to mind for me is "Little Girls" by Oingo Boingo. That song was written by father of two daughters, Danny Elfman, who was disgusted by pedophiles. But it was song inspo that made the band get their first hit record

[@samg6940]

Was not expecting Danny Elfman anti-pedophile lore in these comments, but life is full of surprises

[@SnowghostFilms]

With every breath you take, just watch the music video or even just the lighting change at 6:19 and Then decide wether to play it at their wedding.

[@melissamiracle1313]

"He's the one who likes all the pretty songs and he likes to sing along.... but he don't know what it means....." -Nirvana, In Bloom

[@gregiles908]

He knows not what it means....

[@uni4rm]

If they cared they'd do it at the end of every song.

[@jared4608]

Hey Ya by OutKast is about the impermanence and fleeting nature of love

[@suriahperry98]

Alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright alright

[@riversider2506]

Fogle????

[@Jay-go4vw]

"Y'all don't wanna hear me, y'all just wanna dance."

[@albertbuzek5007]

@@Jay-go4vw exactlyyyy. That would have been the best example in my opinion.

[@astrotravellin]

It is also advised to not shake a Polaroid picture

[@bobbihancock5012]

I’ve been saying for years that I can’t believe Semi-charmed is on Kids Bob! It’s all about drugs and sex. The song Follow Me is also about heroine

[@Playingwith3D]

The Hook is a masterclass in lyrics. It is the reason I love the song.

[@BombShot]

I always dug how everyone around me didn't understand the themes of "Hey Ya!" By OutKast, Andre3000 literally stops singing and just say "y'all don't wanna hear me you just wanna dance" and the entire song is about how love is put on a pedestal and you're expected to stay in an unhappy relationship because social norms...

[@AkumaNoKuroi]

Plus the line "If nothing is forever, then what makes (what makes, what makes) love the exception?" - pointing out that Love is treated as this sacrosanct thing that is somehow immune to the ravages of time, decay, chaos and otherwise entropy that tolls on everything else in this universe of ours.

[@horserage]

@@AkumaNoKuroi Yes, but that was INTENTIONAL, and that's not what the video is about.

[@AkumaNoKuroi]

@@horserage and 99% of people who listen to the song *totally miss out on understanding that line* emphasising the point they don't want a story in the song only something to dance to.

[@horserage]

@@AkumaNoKuroi And? Outkast knew what he was doing. We have other tracks from him that come across as sincere and still paint a good show of what he means.

[@pillbugm8914]

The people arguing in this comment section can rest easy now knowing that Alfo covers Hey Ya in his second misunderstood songs video

[@maceyomaze]

Of course we can't forget about the infamous Pumped Up Kicks by Foster The People

[@janine2957]

i thought it was about underdogs, i just searched the lyrics ans it's about... murder??? 😃 that was a good one

[@sportsguy404]

I’ve been looking for this comment. I can’t tell if no one knows it’s about school shootings or if everybody knows and doesn’t think it needs explaining anymore.

[@ahorowitz15]

@@janine2957 It's from the perspective of a kid having homicidal thoughts and inspired by mental illness in American youth. It's not really about murder or a school shooting as much as it's about mental illness and giving people a platform to talk to their kids about their feelings and mental health.

[@plasmakitten4261]

I think everyone knows what that one's about...

[@saucymongoose7246]

I don't understand how people can misunderstand that one.

[@palmereldritch4166]

Loved this video. Knew some of these,but not all! You should have these artists pay you..... I immediately made a playlist with nothing but these songs included!!!!!

[@rossMIE]

It wasn't until recently that I realized "I will always love you" is actually about Dolly Partons fondness for the Yew tree. It's even more incredible that years later, fellow dendrophile, Whitney Houston's famous cover helped raise funds to support the planting of over 10k yew saplings in northern Ohio.

[@earthknight60]

Careless Whisper is another badly misunderstood song that is often played at weddings. It's a song about cheating on your partner, not the sort of thing to play at a wedding.

[@g.strobl4458]

Unless you mean it as a warning * cue creepy background music *

[@mista414]

I was just thinking about that song and how it's become like a "insert (cheesy) sexy sax solo" joke, and i mean I guess that isn't incorrect, but to me it sounds more sad than anything. And yeah, the lyrics are very clearly not about a budding or successful romance. Oh well lol.

[@autumnj6246]

WHY on EARTH would you wanna hear "I'm never gonna dance again" at your WEDDING

[@jackbits6397]

It's predictive programing for when your new wife ultimately gets bored and cheats it won't hit you as hard 😂

[@rileyk5228]

I thought it was that he knew white people have no rhythm and therefore, he was guilty of it

[@OsKarMike1306]

Everybody Hurts by REM is generally regarded as a very sad song because of its tone, but it's actually an inspiring song about overcoming depression.

[@sarah2.017]

And "The One I Love" is not a love song.

[@dirtball1011]

Strange music fans always impress me cuz they know their shit

[@CrYpTiK_Kaiser]

@@dirtball1011 When you listen to guys like N9na, you get a habit for looking up the lyrics cuz you didn't catch all the words he threw at you the first time.

[@gregbowen2477]

And Shiny Happy People is incredibly dark.

[@nancyl6745]

It's about not giving in to depression, trying to help people to hang on and not give in to suicidal thoughts. Its encouragement, saying I know, I've been there, but it will get better.

[@maddie8415]

It's astounding that people can misunderstand "Fortunate Son"...the lyrics are so easy to hear and so clear with their meaning, right from the beginning.

[@iammuaddib]

One of my favorite memories is having a team dinner for a u10 girls soccer team. They all stood up and sang "I can't feel my face" by the weeknd. The soccer moms were a bit surprised when I slowed down the lyrics for them.

[@littlearies3862]

Knowing that Total Eclipse of the Heart is actually about vampires make me love it even more.

[@alisterfolson]

I thought Possum Kingdom by The Toadies was about vampires too

[@pittipu1]

There is actually a german musical who actually uses a version of the song. in germany it´s called: Tanz der Vampire which basically translates to "Dance of The Vampires". Which is stil a musical version of a vampire movie. Just not Nosferatu. The movie it´s based on is "The fearless vampire Killers" by Roman Polanski. I really love that version and if you wanna give it a listen just search for "Totale Finsternis".

[@CS-ui4qj]

Rose for the dead - Theater of Tragedy.. you’re welcome.

[@Qwufi]

There is a whole musical based on it.

[@michs342]

@@pittipu1 Yeah created by Roman Polanski based on his movie of the same name, Jim Steinman created the music for that musical and hence used Total Eclipse Of The Heart as the Nosferatu musical it was written for never happened. It was really weird listening to that song in German when a Polish friend of my introduced me to that musical. Actually saw a production of it here in Denmark January last year just before Covid happened. Just as weird listening to a Danish version :D

[@sanjhak4517]

"Wake me up when September ends" is constantly poked fun at every year on September 1st. It's about Billie Joe's dad dying.

[@sanjhak4517]

Also Burning Beds by Midnight Oil gets thought of as an "upbeat" song when it's a environmentalist protest song.

[@denjdenji560]

Yeesh, that's awful, my god (how people make fun of it, not the song)

[@DataLal]

@@sanjhak4517 An environmentalist AND anti-colonialist song. "The time has come/ A fact's a fact/ It belongs to them / We're gonna give it back." Although "it" can mean both Australia and the Earth, and "them" can refer to the Aboriginees of Australia, and also stopping the sprawl of human development to literally give habitat back to at-risk or endangered animals.

[@ragingbullet3447]

That song hits me all the time. My dad’s birthday was in September and he died in September.

[@campbellfiles9019]

My brother died on sept 31...its his song too

[@TheSuzberry]

‘Cecilia’ Simon and Garfunkle. I remember a coworker commenting that he didn’t pay attention to the words until he heard his 6yo singing them.

[@sarabrooks5877]

Best ever video! My brother tapped over the concert and me and mum when she was alive was raging! Thank goodness for KZbin X

[@HomerSlated]

Smells Like Teen Spirit, I guess, because everyone insists the lyrics have some deeper meaning, but Cobain explicitly intended it to be nonsense, essentially trolling people who love songs without even bothering to understand the lyrics. Even the title itself is a parody.

[@jbrisby]

Weird Al nailed it.

[@houstonpenguin]

What is the title a parody of?

[@tammycosby4495]

I’d never heard that but if it’s true, he definitely succeeded!

[@edgemaxxer1573]

@@houstonpenguin smells like nirvana is what the parody is called

[@joeschembrie9450]

​@@jbrisby When Al called to ask permission to make a parody song, Curt asked, "Will it be about food?"

[@ScienceMessiah]

It's funny how many people misunderstand Bob Marleys 'No woman no cry' thinking it means women will make you cry. He actually says "No woman DON'T cry" in Caribbean English. "Hey little sister, don't shed no tears!"

[@Pooknottin]

That was the song a good friend of mine chose to be played at his funeral. Needless to say, everyone cried.

[@uzaktaneyitim]

Haha that's genuinely funny!

[@felicitybywater8012]

That info clears up a lot.

[@jjjlove2260]

Oh wow. I never knew that people interpreted it any other way than how it's supposed to be. I always knew it was a sweet song comforting a sad woman.

[@uzaktaneyitim]

Ever since I heard this interpretation I am using it in my relationahip status :-)

[@toyfan2812]

forever young on this list and its meaning cracks me up. it was our prom song in my senior year

[@1one3_Racing]

As someone who "built" wedding sets (yes, theres a person who does that) I would often be around to dismantle of we had back to back weddings. The amount of songs about death, break-ups, cheating, and stalking that are played at weddings for first dances is actually quite shocking. Mr Bightside featured a lot, actually.

[@lizzy4868]

When my mum thought take me to church was a gospel song💔

[@janine2957]

hozier said "gay rights!" and put a Christian bow on top and everybody eat that up, it's lovely

[@mariokarter13]

@@janine2957 Gay rights? It's about them thighs being so T H I C C you're like "Praise Jesus."

[@taylorjones8303]

I get the music video is about that, but does he not refer to his significant other in the song as a “she”

[@autumnphillips151]

@@mariokarter13 Yep, basically the same as Ariana Grande’s “God Is a Woman” ;) The video for the song doesn’t match the song, but the video shows a gay couple fleeing persecution. It’s been a long time since I watched it, but I think I remember that.

[@autumnphillips151]

My mom thought that, too, lol. And so did a _ton_ of others here in the so-called “Bible Belt”-it was hilarious ;) There was a similarly delightful story that I read about a Christian bookshop that had a Mark Twain quote on display. The quote was, “The best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible.” They really just see the words “church”, “Christian”, or “Bible” and immediately assume it must be in support of them...

[@stephajn]

I was so glad to see you bring up "Every Breath You Take". It always blew my mind how people couldn't see that it was a stalker song and not romantic in any way at all.

[@daffers2345]

As a kid I thought it was about him watching his kid grow up and having his heartstrings pulled, so to speak. When I got older I realized how creepy it was. I thought, how ironic that it's by "The Police" who are supposed to be good guys XD

[@HappyCodingZX]

Yes, I was waiting for it to come up as well. However, i wouldn't say it isn't romantic at all. The sad truth is, many stalkers do actually have a very romantic, albeit misguided, idea about following someone around and waiting outside their house and so on. So in a way it's kind of interesting that so many people misunderstand the song in the same way that stalkers themselves misunderstand the impact of their actions on their targets. They make the terrible mistake of thinking what they are doing has some kind of romantic element to it.

[@JannPoo]

I mean it's totally creepy if you think about the lyrics, but was it really the intent of the songwriter to make a song about a Stalker? I believe that rather than being a song about a stalker it's a love song made by someone with a stalker mentality genuinely thinking it's romantic.

[@HappyCodingZX]

@@JannPoo yes, it's about the power of obsession and the darker side of infatuation which not many of us are willing to recognise in ourselves.

[@HappyCodingZX]

and one thing for sure, definitely not a wedding song!

[@shmebe8563]

Okie from Muskogee and Fighting Side of Me, both great Merle Haggard songs that were completely taken out of context and adopted as anthems by the type of people they were making fun of.

[@revk8611]

I loved this! I write celebrations of life and funerals for people. I am amazed at how many people want songs played, that their loved ones loved. I have to ask, so many times, “have you actually listened to the lyrics?” Once I explain, more times than not, they end up laughing at the near faux pas

[@Lexden66]

Reminds me that they had "memories" from Cats played at my Grans funeral, the poor lady died of Dementia but still people thought it okay as it was her favourite song.

[@halucca22]

I had Morning Has Broken played at my mother’s funeral, because I envisioned her waking up in the garden the song describes. I hoped she is in a place of comfort, sweet light and rain, peace. It may have sounded weird to other people but it made perfect sense to me.

[@lioneljoseduterte4847]

The real irony of psy's gangnam style is it is a mockery of gangnam's rich people while being born into a rich family himself. 😂

[@dancingx4539]

That's what I was thinking. 😂

[@codehard5824]

Well people wouldn't have liked it if the song made fun of poor people

[@Nzosaba_Matenge]

Gives me the same vibes as rich celebrities making movies about how the rich take advantage of the common man and we can't do anything about it

[@boxylemons7961]

That's kpop for ya

[@wayothefro3249]

you can be born rich but still critique their ridiculous lifestyle, the same way you can be born to America and still critique America.

[@O1dmanwalker]

Pumped up kicks is the song that made me pay more attention to what I'm listening to

[@leopoldfreiherrvonbernewit4747]

All the other kids better run. Outrun my gun.

[@caseys2698]

And that’s a good thing-Mark Foster (Foster the People’s frontman & lead vocalist) wrote that song to bring attention to the U.S. gun violence, mass shooting, and mental health epidemic. Its happy tone contradictory to the disturbing lyrics actually fits well with the desensitization surrounding and glorification of gun violence in the U.S. So yeah, it’s really great that that song did that for you- it succeeded! 😁 Just glad to share knowledge about one of my favorite bands :)))

[@JackRabbitSlim]

I listened to that song a ridiculous amount of times before I ever really started to pay attention to what was being said..."You better run...outrun my gun...faster than my bullet". But just makes the song even greater imo. I love when a really well-produced, catchy song manages to sneak subversive or dark subjects into their lyrics.

[@TrevorHutt-Australia]

It got used in an ad for beer in Australia. Great message!

[@TheCanadianCricket]

Hallelujah... Not a religious song at all

[@melhughes6567]

These were good, and I enjoyed learning about some songs I'd listened to but not "heard." Would still like to know what Gangnum Style is about though!

[@Murdo2112]

"More Than Words", by Extreme, is often touted as a romantic love song. It's clearly about emotional blackmail, as a boy uses the threat of breakup to pressure his girlfriend into having sex before she feels ready. He doesn't want her to tell him she loves him, he wants her to show him. "What would you say, if I took my love away? Then you couldn't make things new, just by saying"I love you "".

[@jimizer3946]

Despite the overwhelming "Shut up and f**k me" theme, all the girls in high school loved that song...

[@shadowlouise]

@@jimizer3946 And I have never understood that. I hear someone say "I love this song," and I wonder WHY. I don't even like the way it sounds.

[@Aprl521]

Billy Idol's White wedding is often played at weddings, but is actually an anti-marriage song written for his sister who got married because she was pregnant.

[@MysteriumArcanum]

Yup, it was a shotgun wedding hence the line "hey little sister shotgun"

[@JoMagic-ny8zu]

Lol I would always sing that at karaoke and would think of my sister not marrying this fool that got her pregnant and now he's on the run from the police..💢😵☠️

[@billy_romeo]

It's actually not ! Sorry to fact-check but I'm a big fan of his :) And it's an interesting story ! Billy Idol actually stated in interviews and in his book that this song was indeed inspired by his sister getting married (happily and by choice). But the song was rather a reflective piece on how women used to be coerced into marriage through pregnancy, and sometimes even after abuse, to men they didn't love. He wrote White Wedding as a hypothetical : "What if I arrived to my sister's forced wedding, in these times, hellbent on revenge ?" There's even, as he stated, a layer of incestuous obsession he worked into this fictional situation and character ("hey little sister, who's your superman ? hey little sister who's the only one ?"). By the way, he also wrote this song in around twenty minutes ! It was a turning point at the beginning of his career and a hit that truly grounded him in the US music business (during the Second Brit Invasion). He's a very impressive song writer and musician behind the popular MTV front man and 80's faux-punk eye candy.

[@billy_romeo]

in case you're interested in a source : "How Billy Idol turned a song of crazed vengeance into the hit that made him a star" article from Louder, with interview extracts from a Classic Rock 85 feature from 2005 where he discusses the making of this song :)

[@StellaWaldvogel]

Huh. I always just thought it was about coke.

[@darrenokeeffe-coles4177]

Olde school for you: Yankie Doodle was sung by the British to ridicule the rebel Americans, but then the Americans took it as their own and started singing it. Check out the lyrics.

[@kmj217]

I think that was a case of the rebels taking it over to take the power out of it.

[@adiahaalexander9359]

I think I learned that from a Disney cartoon when I was a kid.

[@Cryhai]

I totally forgot how the song went, so I was thinking “Yankee Doodle went to town, E-I-E-I-O” lol

[@adiahaalexander9359]

@@Cryhai 🤣🤣🤣

[@dknickd]

Probably one of the most American things that could happen....

[@Unlitedsoul]

The Clash - London Calling. According to an interview Mick Jones gave to the Wall Street Journal, the song was written about a news article mentioning how pollution could lead to the Thames River flooding London and Joe Strummer's fear of drowning. But the usage of lyrics such as "meltdown expected", "war is declared and battle come down", "nuclear error" leads people to believe it's about the fear of nuclear war.

[@teacherjeremyford6625]

Barbie Girl by Aqua. It's got a fast beat, but the lyrics and being in C-minor suggest a darker underbelly. The music video makes it even more clear with Ken's behavior throughout and notably at the end.

[@bottomless666]

"No woman no cry" is jamaican for "No woman, don't cry". The protagonist of the song is comforting a woman which, well, cries.

[@NickB1967]

Exactly, and they were stuck "in a government yard" (slummy housing project) "in Trenchtown" (bad part of Kingston, Jamaica)

[@alm2187]

Thank you! Thanks for...for clearing that up, right there...

[@christophzeit6282]

I'm surprised that there are people out there who misinterpret that. I'm not even from an english speaking country, my mom und my uncle were huge fans of bob marley, i always knew what that line meant

[@AlienIschozar]

If you translate it to german (not to accuratly) No woman no cry You roughly get Keine Frau kein geschrei Which translated back means No Women no screaming :) Which is pretty funny considering that no women around usually means peace an quiet :) Oh btw. The chinese symbol for Fighting/arguing/debate Is literally the symbol women x2 With a roof over it :) Old chinese people knew the drill

[@woodpecker8116]

@@AlienIschozar That is indeed very roughly translated ^^

[@OsKarMike1306]

Can't Feel My Face by The Weeknd was his breakout radio hit that everyone assumed was about vague but passionate infatuation due to its upbeat nature and the references to a girl. A cursory look at the lyrics and a surface level of knowledge on drug culture shows that it is clearly about cocaine addiction. That didn't stop it from winning a Nickelodeon Teen Choice Award, which Abel notes the absurdity of on the song Reminder

[@abdullahnoman2923]

It was bout cocaine

[@heyumnew1401]

Just imagine Nickelodeon supporting drug abise

[@arieson7715]

And there goes my hope in this generation. The worst part is I'm apart of it.

[@azazelreficulmefistofelicu7158]

Never heard that song, but the title made me think about cocaine.

[@juliatakacs3994]

Am i a weird for thinking it is about a girl sitting on his face? Xd

[@teacherwayne6680]

This was very interesting, some good reasearch done. Dancing at your wedding to song about a stalker omg. Yep been there done that!

[@Vermeulenisdenaam]

"Narcotic" by Liquido, this always gets people up, wildly jumping and dancing to the uplifting melody, while it is actually describing a crippling and unescapable addiction.