Some songs are straightforward. Some songs have no rhyme or reason to them. Still, other songs are thought to be straightforward, but turn out to actually mean something very different. This post is a collection of 5 such songs.
1. Every Breath You Take by The Police, above.
Many see this song as romantic and play it at weddings. But listen closely to the lyrics and you'll see that it's actually written from the point of view of an obsessed, stalker-like lover. Take, for example, the lines "Every bond you break, Every step you take/I'll be watching you." And for those of you who think I'm over-thinking things, Sting himself told the
BBC that it was actually a "very, very sinister" song about unrequited love.
2. Love Song by Sara Bareilles
Think Bareilles wrote this about a boyfriend? Think again. Bareilles actually wrote this in response to a request from her record label that she include a love song on her debut album, according to
The Daily Mail.
3. Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams
This song seems to be about nostalgia for the year 1969 and a girl he met that year. Which it kind of is...but this song has a double meaning. In an online interview, Adams revealed that this song was about "making love, a la 69," according to
Time Out New York. This tidbit has unfortunately kind of ruined this song for me. Oh well.
4. Angieby The Rolling Stones
This classic 'break-up' song might have a very different back-story than it implies. Angela, David Bowie's ex-wife, thinks that the song is about her, according to
Cracked. Why? Because it's allegedly about the time that she walked in on Mick Jagger and her husband in bed together. Keith Richards says it's about his addiction to heroin, but given the lyrics and Richards' general drug-addictedness, Bowie's ex-wife's story sounds a lot more plausible.
5. My Sharona by The Knack
With lyrics like "such a dirty mind," it's not hard to see what The Knack meant with this song. But what about "always get it up for the touch of the younger kind"? Well, they weren't kidding. Lead singer Doug Fieger wrote the song to woo a 16-year-old Sharona Alperin, then a student at L.A.'s Fairfax High School, according to the
BBC. It's creepy not only because the two were introduced by Fieger's then-girlfriiend, but because Fieger was 27 at the time. But the song was a huge hit and Fieger and Alperin lived together for years before breaking off their engagement, so I guess it worked out.
Know any songs with double-meanings, or that are commonly misinterpreted?Image SourceVideo Source
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Comments (15)
it is usually creepy if the guy is creepy-regarding creepy lyrics. I don't find sting's song creepy because sting's voice is sexy and he's hot. if a creepy geek sang the song instead, then it would seem more creepy. the my sharona song sounds like he's horny and moaning for her. the beat of the song reminds me of repeatedly stroking something
It seems more plausible that Angie is about heroin addiction to me. I've always thought that Every Breath You Take and Don't Stand So Close to Me were creepy songs.
intresting, very intresting. especially the love song by sara,makes alota sense.
I really liked this early one. I thought it was a beautiful ballad until someone explained that it was a very dark story. You had to connect the dots: 'Norwegian Wood' - The Beatles. It's about this girl who lives in a beautiful house (built from imported wood). On this occasion, she's messing around with this guy's mind and being a bit of a tease. Finally, realizing he's not gonna get 'anywhere' with this girl, he ends up sleeping overnight in the bathroom. He wakes up in the morning and finds that she's already left for work. SO HE BURNS HER HOUSE DOWN.
Lyrics:
I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me...
She showed me her room, isn't it good, norwegian wood?
She asked me to stay and she told me to sit anywhere,
So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair.
I sat on a rug, biding my time, drinking her wine
We talked until two and then she said, "It's time for bed"
She told me she worked in the morning and started to laugh.
I told her I didn't and crawled off to sleep in the bath
And when I awoke, I was alone, this bird had flown
So I lit a fire, isn't it good, norwegian wood.
this was really interesting : )
you just ruined some of my favorite songs! lol..
summer of 69 always reminded me of summer lovin' from grease... summer flings
@Erika_Steele@xanga - Don't Stand So Close to Me is totally about a teen in love with her teacher- I think it's awesome- totally sums up inappropriate infatuations.
Knowing that's what "Love Song" was written for definitely makes me hate it a little less.
For some reason, when Love Song came out, I honestly guessed right about its meaning! I just thought it would be really cool if it was about her refusing to write a love song at the demand of some tool-bag music producers! People have been telling me it's wrong for so long. I was like "why CAN'T it be interpreted the way I see it? The clues are all still there. It makes a lot of sense."
Also, The Police's song.. Always gave me the creeps... It was actually featured in a book by Orson Scott Card (Lost Boys) in its actual interpretation and it freaks me out even more!
"3 AM" by MB20 is about his mom, though most people think it is about a girlfriend. Good list.
Aw Summer of 69 is not the same now... I love that song
I knew about the Police song, and have a vague recollection of hearing that about My Sharona, but the rest...very interesting!!!!