{"id":361,"date":"2026-01-07T23:53:46","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T23:53:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/?p=361"},"modified":"2026-01-07T23:53:46","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T23:53:46","slug":"25-famous-songs-with-misunderstood-meanings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/?p=361","title":{"rendered":"25 Famous Songs With Misunderstood Meanings"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">In the history of the music industry, there are some songs that are pretty straightforward\u2014think Color Me Badd\u2019s \u201cI Wanna Sex You Up,\u201d for example (hey, we didn\u2019t say they had to be\u00a0<em>good<\/em>\u00a0songs). And then you have something like The Beatles\u2019s \u201cI Am the Walrus.\u201d So it\u2019s hardly surprising that once you get beyond the title, there are some song lyrics that are either open to interpretation or just downright confusing.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Here\u2019s a look at 25 songs that got their meanings twisted and misconstrued\u2014and the original intentions put forth by the artists who wrote them.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">1. \u201cClosing Time\u201d \/\/ Semisonic<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Semisonic - Closing Time (Official Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xGytDsqkQY8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson predicted the second life of the band\u2019s only big hit; in 2010, Wilson told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/90s-hit-justin-timberlake-joke-56746\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/90s-hit-justin-timberlake-joke-56746\" aria-label=\"The Hollywood Reporter - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-empty-ctrl=\"\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\"><em>The Hollywood Reporter<\/em><\/a>, \u201cI really thought that that was the greatest destiny for \u2019Closing Time,\u2019 that it would be used by all the bartenders.\u201d But when Wilson penned lyrics like \u201cTime for you to go out to the places you will be from,\u201d the song\u2019s focus was more an emphasis on the miracle of childbirth than an ode to kicking late-night barflies to the curb.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">In 2010, Wilson\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americansongwriter.com\/2010\/10\/semisonic-success-story-an-interview-with-dan-wilson-2\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.americansongwriter.com\/2010\/10\/semisonic-success-story-an-interview-with-dan-wilson-2\/\" aria-label=\"admitted to - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">admitted to\u00a0<em>American Songwriter<\/em>\u00a0<\/a>that he had babies on his mind partway through writing Semisonic\u2019s gangbuster breakout hit, stating, \u201cMy wife and I were expecting our first kid very soon after I wrote that song. I had birth on the brain, I was struck by what a funny pun it was to be bounced from the womb.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">2. \u201cImagine\u201d \/\/ John Lennon<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"IMAGINE. (Ultimate Mix, 2020) - John Lennon &amp; The Plastic Ono Band (with the Flux Fiddlers) HD\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YkgkThdzX-8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">When\u00a0<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u00a0named the former Beatle\u2019s ubiquitous hit the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/lists\/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407\/john-lennon-imagine-20110516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/lists\/the-500-greatest-songs-of-all-time-20110407\/john-lennon-imagine-20110516\" aria-label=\"third-greatest song of all time - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">third-greatest song of all time<\/a>, John Lennon\u2019s hallmark lyrics were described as \u201c22 lines of graceful, plain-spoken faith in the power of a world, united in purpose, to repair and change itself.\u201d But the feel-good sentiments behind the song\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=6439233\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/templates\/story\/story.php?storyId=6439233\" aria-label=\"Jimmy Carter once said - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Jimmy Carter once said<\/a>\u00a0was \u201cused almost equally with national anthems\u201d have some serious communist underpinnings.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Lennon\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/imagine-the-anthem-of-2001-83559\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-news\/imagine-the-anthem-of-2001-83559\/\" aria-label=\"called the song - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">called the song<\/a>\u00a0\u201cvirtually the\u00a0<em>Communist Manifest<\/em>o,\u201d and once the song became a hit, went on record saying, \u201cBecause it\u2019s sugarcoated it\u2019s accepted. Now I understand what you have to do\u2014put your message across with a little honey.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-10\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">3. \u201cTotal Eclipse of the Heart\u201d \/\/ Bonnie Tyler<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse of the Heart (Turn Around) (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lcOxhH8N3Bo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u201cTotal Eclipse of the Heart\u201d is the kind of big, bombastic power ballad that could only flow from the pen of frequent Meat Loaf collaborator Jim Steinman. He\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americansongwriter.com\/2014\/02\/bonnie-tyler-total-eclipse-heart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.americansongwriter.com\/2014\/02\/bonnie-tyler-total-eclipse-heart\/\" aria-label=\"called the number - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">called the number<\/a>\u00a0a \u201cWagnerian-like onslaught of sound and emotion\u201d in an interview with\u00a0<em>People<\/em>, and\u00a0<em>American Songwriter\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>Jim Beviglia\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.americansongwriter.com\/2014\/02\/bonnie-tyler-total-eclipse-heart\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.americansongwriter.com\/2014\/02\/bonnie-tyler-total-eclipse-heart\/\" aria-label=\"christened it - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">christened it<\/a>\u00a0a \u201cgarment-rending, chest-beating, emotionally exhausting ballad.\u201d It\u2019s also a vampire love song.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">When Steinman featured \u201cTotal Eclipse\u201d in his Broadway musical\u00a0<em>Dance of the Vampires<\/em>\u2014a flop that lost $12 million\u2014in 2002, he\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140313031549\/http:\/\/www.playbill.com\/news\/article\/72168-Rando-Steinman-Talk-About-Dance-of-the-Vampires-at-Press-Preview-Sept-18\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20140313031549\/http:\/\/www.playbill.com\/news\/article\/72168-Rando-Steinman-Talk-About-Dance-of-the-Vampires-at-Press-Preview-Sept-18\" aria-label=\"opened up about the song to - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">opened up about the song to\u00a0<em>Playbill<\/em><\/a>, stating, \u201cWith \u2018Total Eclipse of the Heart,\u2019 I was trying to come up with a love song and I remembered I actually wrote that to be a vampire love song. Its original title was \u2018Vampires in Love\u2019 because I was working on a musical of\u00a0<em>Nosferatu<\/em>, the other great vampire story. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they\u2019re really like vampire lines. It\u2019s all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love\u2019s place in dark.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">4. \u201cJust Like Heaven\u201d \/\/ The Cure<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Cure - Just Like Heaven (Official Audio)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/1ASpBpT8bRQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><em>Entertainment Weekly<\/em>\u00a0recognized The Cure\u2019s synth-slathered love song as the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20071018134421\/http:\/\/www.ew.com\/ew\/article\/0,,1026648_3,00.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20071018134421\/http:\/\/www.ew.com\/ew\/article\/0,,1026648_3,00.html\" aria-label=\"25th greatest love song of all time - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">25th greatest love song of all time<\/a>, but also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20071018134421\/http:\/\/www.ew.com\/ew\/article\/0,,1026648_3,00.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20071018134421\/http:\/\/www.ew.com\/ew\/article\/0,,1026648_3,00.html\" aria-label=\"questioned - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">questioned<\/a>, \u201cJust what is this scream\/laugh\/hug inducing trick?\u201d Turns out, the lyric that threw most fans of The Cure for a loop just refers to a sudden shortness of breath.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">The only thing that might be more oblique than the lyrics is Smith\u2019s explanation for the love song\u2019s cryptically esoteric poetry. In a<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=1844\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=1844\" aria-label=\"2003 interview with - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">\u00a02003 interview with\u00a0<em>Blender<\/em><\/a>, Smith said \u201cJust Like Heaven,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/soundtracking.com\/posts\/the-cure-just-like-heaven-52914ccf27c9e83e830007b9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/soundtracking.com\/posts\/the-cure-just-like-heaven-52914ccf27c9e83e830007b9\" aria-label=\"inspired by a trip - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">inspired by a trip<\/a>\u00a0with his girlfriend to Beachy Head in southern England, was \u201cabout hyperventilating\u2014kissing and falling to the floor.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Smith\u2019s dissection of the song\u2019s opening lines (\u201cShow me, show me, show me how you do that trick\u201d) is less obvious. According to the singer, the line is equal parts a reference to his affinity for performing magic tricks in his youth and \u201cabout a seduction trick, from much later in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-21\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">5. \u201cLike a Virgin\u201d \/\/ Madonna<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Madonna - Like A Virgin (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/s__rX_WL100?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Turns out Mr. Brown (who thinks \u201cLike a Virgin\u201d is \u201ca metaphor for big d**ks\u201d) and Mr. Blonde (\u201cIt\u2019s about a girl who is very vulnerable\u201d) both misinterpreted Madonna\u2019s smash hit in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=J782jBp_pW0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"the opening scene - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">the opening scene<\/a>\u00a0of\u00a0<em>Reservoir Dogs<\/em>. Even though Madonna famously settled the fictional debate by\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/article\/qt-me-rare-1992-interview-with-quentin-tarantino-django-unchained-reservoir-dogs-book-excerpt?page=3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.indiewire.com\/article\/qt-me-rare-1992-interview-with-quentin-tarantino-django-unchained-reservoir-dogs-book-excerpt?page=3\" aria-label=\"autographing a CD for Quentin Tarantino - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">autographing a CD for Quentin Tarantino<\/a>\u2014\u201cQuentin, it\u2019s about love, not d**k\u201d\u2014\u201cLike a Virgin\u201d is only autobiographical for songwriter Billy Steinberg.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-24\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Not originally meant for a female performer, the lyrics Steinberg penned for \u201cLike a Virgin\u201d tackle his own relationship woes.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.11points.com\/Music\/11_Songs_Forever_Ruined_By_Artists_Revealing_Their_True_Meanings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.11points.com\/Music\/11_Songs_Forever_Ruined_By_Artists_Revealing_Their_True_Meanings\" aria-label=\"He explained in depth - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">\u00a0He explained in depth<\/a>\u00a0to the\u00a0<em>Los Angeles Times:<\/em>\u00a0\u201cI was saying &#8230; that I may not really be a virgin\u2014I\u2019ve been battered romantically and emotionally like many people\u2014but I\u2019m starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it\u2019s healing all the wounds and making me feel like I\u2019ve never done this before, because it\u2019s so much deeper and more profound than anything I\u2019ve ever felt.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">6. \u201cHarder to Breathe\u201d \/\/ Maroon 5<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Maroon 5 - Harder To Breathe\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rV8NHsmVMPE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-27\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">At first blush, the single off Maroon 5\u2019s debut album\u00a0<em>Songs About Jane<\/em>\u00a0seems to be, well, just another song about Jane, the name of a girlfriend with whom lead singer Adam Levine shared a rocky relationship. But though the album\u2019s lead-off single sounds like a racy nod to the jilted lover Levine claimed to be his muse, \u201cHarder to Breathe\u201d stemmed from a different kind of suffocating relationship. The song serves as a bitter indictment of music industry pressures.<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_3_9\" class=\"mm-slot-content\">\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_3_9_slot0\" data-gpid=\"23162276296\/mentalfloss\/all\/mentalfloss.com\/inarticle_d_6\" data-google-query-id=\"CP25qKDO-pEDFXzLFgUdm1g8vg\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_23162276296\/mentalfloss\/all\/mentalfloss.com\/inarticle_d_7__container__\">\n<p id=\"inline-text-28\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">\u201cThat song comes sheerly from wanting to throw something,\u201d Levine said in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtv.com\/news\/1457217\/maroon-5-aspire-to-inspire-sexuality-crying\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mtv.com\/news\/1457217\/maroon-5-aspire-to-inspire-sexuality-crying\/\" aria-label=\"a 2002 interview - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">a 2002 interview<\/a>\u00a0with MTV. \u201cIt was the 11th hour, and the label wanted more songs. It was the last crack. I was just pissed. I wanted to make a record and the label was applying a lot of pressure, but I\u2019m glad they did.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-29\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">7. \u201cSummer of \u201969\u201d \/\/ Bryan Adams<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bryan Adams - Summer Of 69 (Official Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9f06QZCVUHg?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Born in the winter of 1959, Bryan Adams would\u2019ve only been 10 during the eponymous summer of one of his best-known hits, released in 1985. But \u201cSummer of &#8217;69\u201d isn\u2019t so much Adams waxing nostalgic over the dog days of 1969 as much as it is a reference to the sexual position of the same name. In 2008, Adams\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/bryan-adams-hit-was-about-sex-not-1969\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/news\/bryan-adams-hit-was-about-sex-not-1969\/\" aria-label=\"told CBS News - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told CBS News<\/a>\u00a0that \u201ca lot of people think it\u2019s about the year, but actually it\u2019s more about making love in the summertime. It&#8217;s using \u201969 as a sexual reference.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-32\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Parts of the song are still steeped in hints of truth, though: Adams has gone on record saying that he picked up his second-ever electric guitar at a pawn shop, and that his fingers indeed bled while he was \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.oocities.org\/sunsetstrip\/show\/6235\/Review\/Article45.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.oocities.org\/sunsetstrip\/show\/6235\/Review\/Article45.html\" aria-label=\"totally submersed in practicing - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">totally submersed in practicing<\/a>.\u201d Other facts are indisputably wrong; Adams\u2019s first band, Shock, formed when the singer was 16, and \u201cSummer of \u201969\u201d co-writer Jim Vallance\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.jimvallance.com\/01-music-folder\/songs-folder-may-27\/pg-song-adams-summer-of-69.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.jimvallance.com\/01-music-folder\/songs-folder-may-27\/pg-song-adams-summer-of-69.html\" aria-label=\"stands by the song - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">stands by the song\u00a0<\/a>as a wistful trip in the wayback machine.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-33\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">8. \u201cThe One I Love\u201d \/\/ R.E.M.<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"R.E.M. - The One I Love (Official Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j7oQEPfe-O8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>When Georgia natives R.E.M. unleashed their first Top 10 single in concert, the band\u2019s guitar-slinger Peter Buck felt baffled by audiences\u2019 romantic reactions. \u201cI\u2019d look into the audience and there would be couples kissing,\u201d Buck said. \u201cYet the verse is &#8230; savagely anti-love &#8230; People told me that was \u2018their song.\u2019\u00a0<em>That\u00a0<\/em>was your song?\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-36\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Singer Michael Stipe echoed Buck\u2019s emotions in\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rhino.com\/article\/yes-rem-is-still-unplugged-but-have-you-seen-the-performance-clips-yet\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.rhino.com\/article\/yes-rem-is-still-unplugged-but-have-you-seen-the-performance-clips-yet\" aria-label=\"a 1992 interview with magazine - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">a 1992 interview with\u00a0<em>Q<\/em>\u00a0magazine<\/a>, admitting that he almost didn\u2019t even record the song, calling it \u201ctoo brutal\u201d and \u201creally violent and awful.\u201d After five years of \u201cThe One I Love\u201d going out to loved ones as dedications over the radio waves, Stipe took a complacent stance on his song\u2019s misconstrued fate,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=1254\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=1254\" aria-label=\"saying - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">saying<\/a>, \u201cIt\u2019s probably better that they think it\u2019s a love song at this point.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-37\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">9. \u201cSemi-Charmed Life\u201d \/\/ Third Eye Blind<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life (Official Music Video) [HD]\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/beINamVRGy4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Radio purists of the \u201990s probably missed out on the fact that the upbeat Third Eye Blind anthem is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/lists\/10-songs-you-didnt-know-were-about-drugs-20130614\/third-eye-blind-semi-charmed-life-19691231\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/music\/lists\/10-songs-you-didnt-know-were-about-drugs-20130614\/third-eye-blind-semi-charmed-life-19691231\" aria-label=\"about a couple on a crystal meth binge - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">about a couple on a crystal meth binge<\/a>\u2014the two censor-triggering words in the line \u201cdoing crystal meth will lift you up until you break\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=2072\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=2072\" aria-label=\"would get backmasked - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">would get backmasked<\/a>\u00a0in an edited version of the song played by radio stations.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-40\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Why make a song about such a serious topic so light and bouncy? Lead singer Stephen Jenkins explained that the musical and lyrical juxtapositions were completely intentional: The music reflects \u201cthe bright, shiny feeling you get on speed,\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=DA8EAAAAMBAJ&amp;lpg=PA79&amp;ots=CuJImuowfo&amp;dq=semi-charmed%20life%20%2B%20shiny%20thing%2C%20because%20that%20was%20a%20feeling%20of%20speed&amp;pg=PA79#v=onepage&amp;q=semi-charmed%20life%20+%20shiny%20thing,%20because%20that%20was%20a%20feeling%20of%20speed&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=DA8EAAAAMBAJ&amp;lpg=PA79&amp;ots=CuJImuowfo&amp;dq=semi-charmed%20life%20%2B%20shiny%20thing%2C%20because%20that%20was%20a%20feeling%20of%20speed&amp;pg=PA79#v=onepage&amp;q=semi-charmed%20life%20+%20shiny%20thing,%20because%20that%20was%20a%20feeling%20of%20speed&amp;f=false\" aria-label=\"he told Billboard - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">he told Billboard<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-41\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">10. \u201cAmerican Girl\u201d \/\/ Tom Pett<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - American Girl\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/uNgt7U9QrFQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Sorry, urban legend enthusiasts. Tom Petty\u2019s 1977 standard wasn\u2019t inspired by a University of Florida girl who died by suicide. Though the song\u2019s second verse references both a girl standing \u201calone on her balcony\u201d and \u201ccould hear the cars roll by out on 441\u201d (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/fact-check\/american-girl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.snopes.com\/fact-check\/american-girl\/\" aria-label=\"a highway - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">a highway<\/a>\u00a0that runs near the Gainesville campus), Petty shot down the misunderstanding on numerous occasions.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-44\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">In the book\u00a0<em>Conversations With Tom Petty<\/em>, the lead Heartbreaker was quoted as saying, \u201cIt\u2019s become a huge urban myth down in Florida. That\u2019s just not at all true. The song has nothing to do with that. But that story really gets around.\u201d Heartbreakers\u2019 guitarist Mike Campbell has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/blog\/interviews\/mike_campbell\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/blog\/interviews\/mike_campbell\/\" aria-label=\"backed Petty up - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">backed Petty up<\/a>, stating that some interpretations of the song took the lyrics at face value: \u201cSome people take it literally and out of context. To me it\u2019s just a really beautiful love song.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-45\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">11. \u201cIn the Air Tonight\u201d \/\/ Phil Collins<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Phil Collins - In The Air Tonight (Official Music Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YkADj0TPrJA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>In Round Two of Song Meanings Getting Twisted By Urban Legends, Phil Collins\u2019s first solo single wasn&#8217;t written about the singer\u2019s brush with a man who refused point-blank to save a drowning swimmer. And,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=zE-E9MfHTBA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"according to Collins himself - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">according to Collins himself<\/a>, he most definitely didn\u2019t invite the man to stand front row in the concert to be verbally berated by \u201cIn the Air Tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Instead, the song is simply a tense, introspective look at Collins\u2019s divorce from his first wife. Collins swears by the story that he pulled together the lyrics in a snap during a studio recording session, and laughs off the rumors swirling around the origins of \u201cIn the Air Tonight.\u201d\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/worldservice\/learningenglish\/music\/singersong\/philcollins.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/worldservice\/learningenglish\/music\/singersong\/philcollins.shtml\" aria-label=\"He admitted to the BBC - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">He admitted to the BBC<\/a>\u00a0that he doesn\u2019t know what the heck the song is actually about, saying, \u201cWhat makes it even more comical is when I hear these stories which started many years ago, particularly in America, of someone coming up to me and say[ing], \u2018Did you really see someone drowning?\u2019 I said, \u2018No, wrong\u2019 &#8230; This is one song out of all the songs probably that I\u2019ve ever written that I really don\u2019t know what it\u2019s about &#8230;\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-49\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">12. \u201cLondon Calling\u201d \/\/ The Clash<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Clash - London Calling (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EfK-WX2pa8c?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-51\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">At its heart, one of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/628833\/the-clash-london-calling-music-facts\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/628833\/the-clash-london-calling-music-facts\">The Clash\u2019s most scathing political statement<\/a>\u00a0is less a song about the state of British politics and more a song about Joe Strummer&#8217;s personal fear of drowning. In a dissection of \u201cLondon Calling\u201d published by the\u00a0<em>Wall Street Journal<\/em>, Mick Jones mentioned the band\u2019s nervousness regarding a 1979\u00a0<em>London Evening Standard<\/em>\u00a0headline about the possibility of the Thames River overflowing and flooding London. How did The Clash react to the news?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/online.wsj.com\/news\/articles\/SB10001424127887323407104579037083846165414?mg=reno64-wsj&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424127887323407104579037083846165414.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/online.wsj.com\/news\/articles\/SB10001424127887323407104579037083846165414?mg=reno64-wsj&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424127887323407104579037083846165414.html\" aria-label=\"According to Jones - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">According to Jones<\/a>, \u201cWe flipped.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-52\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">That nagging fear of drowning propelled Strummer\u2019s first few drafts of the song\u2019s lyrics, at least until Jones stepped in to broaden the scope until \u201cthe song became this warning about the doom of everyday life.\u201d Jones joked about the band\u2019s sink-or-swim anxiety: \u201cWe were a bit ahead of the global warming thing, weren\u2019t we?\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-53\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">13. \u201cBlackbird\u201d \/\/ The Beatles<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blackbird (Remastered 2009)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Man4Xw8Xypo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-55\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Paul McCartney\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/poetryshiddenmeanings.weebly.com\/blackbird.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/poetryshiddenmeanings.weebly.com\/blackbird.html\" aria-label=\"told Santa Monica radio station KCRW - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told Santa Monica radio station KCRW\u00a0<\/a>that \u201cIt\u2019s not really about a blackbird whose wings are broken, you know, it\u2019s a bit more symbolic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-56\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">A highlight from the McCartney songbook (and written at his kitchen table in Scotland), Sir Paul penned \u201cBlackbird\u201d about the American Civil Rights Movement, drawing inspiration from the racial desegregation of the Little Rock, Arkansas, school system.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/music\/2014\/02\/09\/mississippi-delta-sound-beatles-musical-roots\/5342345\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/life\/music\/2014\/02\/09\/mississippi-delta-sound-beatles-musical-roots\/5342345\/\" aria-label=\"Put succinctly by - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Put succinctly by\u00a0<em>USA Today<\/em><\/a>, \u201cPaul McCartney penned\u00a0<em>Blackbird<\/em>\u00a0about the Black struggle.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-57\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=157\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=157\" aria-label=\"In a 2008 interview with - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">In a 2008 interview with\u00a0<em>Mojo<\/em><\/a>, McCartney elaborated on just how enamored The Beatles were with the Civil Rights Movement happening across the pond. \u201cI got the idea of using a blackbird as a symbol for a Black person. It wasn\u2019t necessarily a black \u2018bird,\u2019 but it works that way, as much as then you called girls \u2018birds\u2019 &#8230; it wasn\u2019t exactly an ornithology ditty; it was purely symbolic.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-58\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">14. \u201cGood Riddance (Time of Your Life)\u201d \/\/ Green Day<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Green Day - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) [Official Music Video] [4K UPGRADE]\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CnQ8N1KacJc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-60\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">A perennial choice for the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190129032006\/https:\/\/kyxy.radio.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190129032006\/https:\/\/kyxy.radio.com\/\" aria-label=\"best prom song - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">best prom song<\/a>, Green Day\u2019s acoustic ballad was originally meant to be anything but a romantic affair. Brooding frontman Billie Joe Armstrong wrote the number\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=fcU4Fz-lD34C&amp;lpg=PA143&amp;ots=YC6FFImQZl&amp;dq=good%20riddance%20%2B%20billie%20joe%20armstrong%20interview&amp;pg=PA144#v=onepage&amp;q=good%20riddance%20+%20billie%20joe%20armstrong%20interview&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=fcU4Fz-lD34C&amp;lpg=PA143&amp;ots=YC6FFImQZl&amp;dq=good%20riddance%20%2B%20billie%20joe%20armstrong%20interview&amp;pg=PA144#v=onepage&amp;q=good%20riddance%20+%20billie%20joe%20armstrong%20interview&amp;f=false\" aria-label=\"about a girlfriend - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">about a girlfriend<\/a>\u00a0who was moving away to Ecuador, and titled the song \u201cGood Riddance\u201d out of frustration with the breakup.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-61\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Not that the misinterpretation of the ballad as a high school slow dance number fazes Armstrong. As he told VH1\u2019s\u00a0<em>Behind the Music<\/em>, \u201cI sort of enjoy the fact that I&#8217;m misunderstood most of the time. That\u2019s fine.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-62\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">15. \u201cBorn in the U.S.A.\u201d \/\/ Bruce Springsteen<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EPhWR4d3FJQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>No list of misunderstood songs is complete without \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/626244\/bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa-misunderstood-protest-song\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/626244\/bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa-misunderstood-protest-song\">Born in the U.S.A.<\/a>\u201d Music critic Greil Marcus believes the use of The Boss\u2019s hit as a rah-rah political anthem fuels its legacy: \u201cClearly the key to Bruce\u2019s popularity is in a misunderstanding,\u201d he said. \u201cHe is a tribute to the fact that people hear what they want to hear.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-65\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">As\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=1014\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/detail.php?id=1014\" aria-label=\"Songfacts points out - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Songfacts points out<\/a>, \u201cMost people thought it was a patriotic song about American pride, when it actually cast a shameful eye on how America treated its Vietnam veterans &#8230; with the rollicking rhythm, enthusiastic chorus, and patriotic album cover, it is easy to think this has more to do with American pride than Vietnam shame.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-66\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">\u201cBorn in the U.S.A.\u201d is the antithesis of the American Dream-chasing optimism that listeners construe the rock number as; the song captures the desperate feelings of a working-class citizen in post-Vietnam America. Springsteen explains that the song\u2019s\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.neatorama.com\/2012\/11\/13\/The-Most-Misunderstand-Political-Campaign-Song-in-History\/#!0CjDw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.neatorama.com\/2012\/11\/13\/The-Most-Misunderstand-Political-Campaign-Song-in-History\/#!0CjDw\" aria-label=\"protagonist is - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">protagonist is<\/a>\u00a0\u201cisolated from the government, isolated from his family, to the point where nothing makes sense.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-67\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">16. \u201cWho Let the Dogs Out?\u201d \/\/ Baha Men<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Baha Men - Who Let The Dogs Out (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ojULkWEUsPs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Another song whose meaning was obscured by its party anthem vibes,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/626928\/how-who-let-the-dogs-out-became-a-music-phenomenon\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/626928\/how-who-let-the-dogs-out-became-a-music-phenomenon\">this Calypso-lite tune<\/a>\u00a0featured a delightful (and then annoyingly ubiquitous) call-and-response question that never got answered. Asking who let the dogs out became low-hanging comedy fruit after the song\u2019s release in 2000, which meant most people missed that it was \u201ca man-bashing song.\u201d Songwriter Anslem Douglas said\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160301165511\/https:\/\/www.anslemmusic.com\/news\/who-really-did-let-the-dogs-out\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20160301165511\/https:\/\/www.anslemmusic.com\/news\/who-really-did-let-the-dogs-out\" aria-label=\"in an interview with - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">in an interview with\u00a0<em>Rock Cellar Magazine<\/em><\/a>\u00a0that it\u2019s a song about a good time being ruined by men catcalling and harassing women. Everyone\u2019s having a great time (Yippie-Yi-Yo), and then jerks start treating women like objects, and it ruins everything (woof, woof, woof). The video for Baha Men\u2019s cover of Douglas\u2019s song featured a ton of literal dogs escaping past a guard at a doggie daycare, further obfuscating its feminist roots.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-70\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">17. \u201cSlide\u201d \/\/ Goo Goo Dolls<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Goo Goo Dolls - Slide [Official Music Video]\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yP4qdefD2To?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The surface-level reading of the flighty pop song is pretty standard: Forbidden young love, the thrills of disappointing your parents, and a boyfriend imploring you to run away with him. Yet, as songwriter\/lead singer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/the-goo-goo-dolls\/slide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.songfacts.com\/facts\/the-goo-goo-dolls\/slide\" aria-label=\"Johnny Rzeznik explained - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Johnny Rzeznik explained<\/a>\u00a0during the band\u2019s\u00a0<em>VH1 Storytellers<\/em>\u00a0session, there&#8217;s an even deeper cause to the couple\u2019s angst. \u201cThe song is actually about these two teenage kids, and the girlfriend gets pregnant, and they\u2019re trying to decide whether she should get an abortion, or they should get married, or what should go on,\u201d he said. So it\u2019s not exactly Taylor Swift\u2019s \u201cLove Story.\u201d The explanation brings lyrics about loving \u201cthe life you killed,\u201d and the priest being on the phone into sharper clarity.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-73\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">18. \u201cMacarena\u201d \/\/ Los del Rio<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Los Del Rio - Macarena (Bayside Boys Remix)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/zWaymcVmJ-A?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-75\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">There\u2019s an entire subgenre of music whose\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/the-macarena-meaning-crush-90-soul_n_55e738c9e4b0b7a9633b491d\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.huffpost.com\/entry\/the-macarena-meaning-crush-90-soul_n_55e738c9e4b0b7a9633b491d\" aria-label=\"lyrics are ignored - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">lyrics are ignored<\/a>\u00a0because the instrumentals are so fun, and \u201cMacarena\u201d may be its queen. Not understanding Spanish also gave listeners another reason to gleefully swing their hips while the duo sang about a young woman who cheats on her boyfriend with two of his friends while he\u2019s enlisting in the Army. Not great, Macarena!<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-76\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">19. \u201cOne Way or Another\u201d \/\/ Blondie<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blondie - &quot;One Way Or Another&quot; (Audio)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_zBwRDEFMRY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s that moment in every rom-com when the budding architect or bakery owner faces some initial rejection from her\/his object of affection. Cue Blondie and a montage of personal improvement projects and\/or cheeky conspiracy theory hobby board-level planning to win them over. Sadly, our well-meaning soul mate is preparing their romantic overtures to a song about a stalker. Songwriter\/lead singer\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/597936\/blondie-debbie-harry-facts\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/597936\/blondie-debbie-harry-facts\">Debbie Harry<\/a>\u00a0told\u00a0<em>EW<\/em>, \u201cI was actually stalked by a nutjob, so it came out of a not-so-friendly personal event. But I tried to inject a little bit of levity into it to make it more lighthearted. I think in a way that\u2019s a normal kind of survival mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-79\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">20. \u201cGangnam Style\u201d \/\/ Psy<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"PSY - GANGNAM STYLE(\uac15\ub0a8\uc2a4\ud0c0\uc77c) M\/V\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9bZkp7q19f0?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Psy\u2019s crowning\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/558659\/ways-get-rid-earworms-according-science\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/558659\/ways-get-rid-earworms-according-science\">earworm<\/a>\u00a0with its invisible horse dance was Korea\u2019s first massive global musical export, and it came with its very own goofy music video where the elements of Psy\u2019s big-money lifestyle are revealed to be something absurdly pathetic. Without knowing Psy or Korean culture, it\u2019s easy to think he\u2019s simply making fun of himself, but the song and the video are both mocking a specific lifestyle of chasing the appearance of wealth without taking care of your core needs. The hollow commercial attitude is typified in the song by the Gangnam district (think Beverly Hills) where trust-funders eat cheap food in order to afford expensive coffee that they conspicuously down in one sip (instead of savoring). As the song satirizing the pointless pursuit of material reached unseen YouTube success, Psy\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/international\/archive\/2012\/08\/gangnam-style-dissected-the-subversive-message-within-south-koreas-music-video-sensation\/261462\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/international\/archive\/2012\/08\/gangnam-style-dissected-the-subversive-message-within-south-koreas-music-video-sensation\/261462\/\" aria-label=\"told - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">told\u00a0<em>The Atlantic<\/em><\/a>, \u201cHuman society is so hollow, and even while filming [the music video] I felt pathetic.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-82\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">21. \u201cAngel\u201d \/\/ Sarah McLachlan<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sarah McLachlan - Angel [Official Music Video]\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/i1GmxMTwUgs?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-84\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">You just donated to your local pet shelter. We get it. It\u2019s an uplifting song about finding solace at your lowest point through the comforting arms of an angel, a sweet message carried by McLachlan\u2019s heavenly voice and soothing piano tones. As it turns out, the \u201cangel\u201d is heroin. To be specific, anything someone might use it to escape themselves at low points. McLachlan\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Entertainment\/sarah-mclachlan-reveals-inspired-iconic-song-angel\/story?id=24758400\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Entertainment\/sarah-mclachlan-reveals-inspired-iconic-song-angel\/story?id=24758400\" aria-label=\"wrote the song - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">wrote the song\u00a0<\/a>following a brutal two-year stint of touring and recording. She read a\u00a0<em>Rolling Stone<\/em>\u00a0article about Smashing Pumpkins touring keyboardist Jonathan Melvoin overdosing on heroin and felt moved by his struggles with drug addiction.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-85\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">22. \u201cHey Ya\u201d \/\/ Outkast<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Outkast - Hey Ya! (Official HD Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PWgvGjAhvIw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-87\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">Andre 3000 was right when he sang \u201cY\u2019all don\u2019t wanna hear me\/ you just wanna dance\u201d near the end of an incredibly joyful jam with deeply depressing lyrics about the state of modern relationships. His baby loves him! Or maybe she\u2019s just afraid of being alone! Separate\u2019s always better! Why would love be any different if nothing lasts forever?\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/outkast-heartbreaking-lyrics-hey-ya-meme-twitter-1588516\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.newsweek.com\/outkast-heartbreaking-lyrics-hey-ya-meme-twitter-1588516\" aria-label=\"In May 2021 - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">In May 2021<\/a>, Outkast tweeted a meme with Andre 3000\u2019s face from the music video, labeling a very small portion as \u201cA bop\u201d and a huge portion as \u201cThe saddest song ever written.\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_3_24\" class=\"mm-slot-content\">\n<div id=\"inarticle_d_3_24_slot1\" data-gpid=\"23162276296\/mentalfloss\/all\/mentalfloss.com\/inarticle_d_21\" data-google-query-id=\"CML-h9LP-pEDFX1hDwIdb7AC4g\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_23162276296\/mentalfloss\/all\/mentalfloss.com\/inarticle_d_42__container__\">\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-88\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">23. \u201cYou\u2019re Beautiful\u201d \/\/ James Blunt<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"James Blunt - You&#039;re Beautiful (Official Music Video) [4K]\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oofSnsGkops?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-90\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">For everyone who has made this their first dance\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.elle.com\/uk\/life-and-culture\/culture\/news\/a34865\/james-blunt-youre-beautiful-romantic-song\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.elle.com\/uk\/life-and-culture\/culture\/news\/a34865\/james-blunt-youre-beautiful-romantic-song\/\" aria-label=\"at their wedding - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">at their wedding<\/a>, James Blunt thinks you\u2019re \u201cf***ed up.\u201d It&#8217;s a saccharine-sweet ballad, sure, but it\u2019s also extremely clear from the lyrics that it\u2019s about a creepy dude, high on drugs, reveling in the beauty of a stranger who is with another man, and then despairing that he will never, ever, ever get together with her.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=yzP5DwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT190&amp;lpg=PT190&amp;dq=And+then+the+stalker+kills+himself+james+blunt&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=lIB8Cwwdjh&amp;sig=ACfU3U3tgoCevZaPQpMr8ySub9M1bxoOmw&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi6iM2B9snyAhUZEVkFHQCRAz4Q6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=And%20then%20the%20stalker%20kills%20himself%20james%20blunt&amp;f=false\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=yzP5DwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT190&amp;lpg=PT190&amp;dq=And+then+the+stalker+kills+himself+james+blunt&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=lIB8Cwwdjh&amp;sig=ACfU3U3tgoCevZaPQpMr8ySub9M1bxoOmw&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi6iM2B9snyAhUZEVkFHQCRAz4Q6AF6BAgCEAM#v=onepage&amp;q=And%20then%20the%20stalker%20kills%20himself%20james%20blunt&amp;f=false\" aria-label=\"Blunt has explained - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">Blunt has explained<\/a>\u00a0that the stalker dies by suicide in his vision for the song, and the music video even reinforces that subtext: showing Blunt removing his shoes and clothing before jumping off a cliff.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-91\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">24. \u201cMargaritaville\u201d \/\/ Jimmy Buffett<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Jimmy Buffett - Margaritaville (Lyrics)\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/ue2-ZVxpVjc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Not only do people turn on Jimmy Buffett\u2019s classic tune to chill, but the singer\/songwriter has also\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/504882\/how-jimmy-buffett-turned-margaritaville-way-life\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/www.mentalfloss.com\/article\/504882\/how-jimmy-buffett-turned-margaritaville-way-life\">built an entire lifestyle brand<\/a>\u00a0around the vibe, complete with restaurants and, naturally, his own tequila. Once again, it\u2019s an incredibly breezy song, tailor-made for sipping and lounging as long as you don\u2019t think about the lyrics too much. The narrator of the song is constantly blackout drunk, getting tattoos he can\u2019t remember, and grappling with who\u2019s responsible for his downfall (a woman &#8230; maybe him &#8230; definitely him) while \u201cwasting away\u201d so badly he can\u2019t even find the salt, salt, salt.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"inline-text-94\" class=\"scroll-mt-24 my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-primary my-f-1\">25. \u201c99 Luftballons\u201d \/\/ Nena<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NENA | 99 Luftballons [1983] [Offizielles HD Musikvideo]\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Fpu5a0Bl8eY?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Whether in its original German language or in English, the happy-pop New Wave jam is easily the most danceable\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/popcultureexperiment.com\/2018\/03\/26\/cover-songs-uncovered-99-luftballons-99-red-balloons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-uw-rm-brl=\"PR\" data-uw-original-href=\"https:\/\/popcultureexperiment.com\/2018\/03\/26\/cover-songs-uncovered-99-luftballons-99-red-balloons\/\" aria-label=\"song about - open in a new tab\" data-uw-rm-ext-link=\"\">song about<\/a>\u00a0a nuclear holocaust caused by balloons. Guitarist Carlo Karges initially got the idea for the song when Mick Jagger released thousands of balloons into the sky at the end of a 1982 Rolling Stones concert in West Berlin. It got him wondering what would happen if the balloons crossed into Soviet airspace, were mistaken for UFOS, and set off a chain reaction of nukes flying around the world. As added depression fuel, the song ends with the narrator finding a single balloon in the ruins of the world, thinking of the listener, and letting it go. Dance on!<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In the history of the music industry, there are some songs that are pretty straightforward\u2014think Color Me Badd\u2019s \u201cI Wanna Sex You Up,\u201d for example (hey, we didn\u2019t say they had to be\u00a0good\u00a0songs). And then you have something like The Beatles\u2019s \u201cI Am the Walrus.\u201d So it\u2019s hardly surprising that once you get beyond the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":362,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-361","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-stars"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=361"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":363,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/361\/revisions\/363"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/362"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=361"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=361"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsliked.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}