Famous Songs That Aren’t About What You Think They Are

Music is the ultimate symbol of expression, letting you put all your emotions into a chorus and sea of drum solos and guitar riffs. It’s also open to interpretation. However, sometimes these interpretations can get a bit off track. One moment you’re writing a song about your dog, and the next…people will start thinking it’s about your ex-girlfriend, the latest celebrity feud, or what ended up having for breakfast.

For instance, “Every Breath You Take” by The Police many use as a wedding song without realizing it’s actually about a stalker. A few classics you thought were about breakups are actually about remembering a loved one child, spouse, or parent. While the beauty of lyrics is interpreting them in your own way, you may want to know the meaning of a song before you dance to it at your graduation or birthday party. These are the songs that are definitely not about what you thought they were about…

A Heartbreaking Tribute

Led Zeppelin’s “All of my Love” isn’t about a girl. It’s a memorial to Robert Plant’s son, Karac, who succumbed to a stomach virus in 1977 while the band was on tour. The boy was only five years old, and Plant wrote the song in his late son’s honor. Even forty-five years later, Plant’s son’s memory has stayed with him all these years and has understandably had a major effect on him. He and his then-wife ended up having another son born to them in 1979, just two years later. 

The musician said in an interview in 2018 that he still thinks about the boy all the time. “I wrote another song about him called ‘I Believe,’ which was on an album in 1992 (‘Fate of Nations’), and every now and again he turns up in songs for no other reason than I miss him a lot.” Reddit user: Books_and_Cleverness

Hey, Jules (Almost)

“Hey Jude,” a classic song that people love, was written by Paul McCartney to comfort John Lennon’s son Julian after his parents ended up getting divorced. Cynthia Lennon recalled with fondness when McCartney stopped by to visit her and her son to see how they were doing.

“I was truly surprised when, one afternoon, Paul arrived on his own. I was touched by his obvious concern for our welfare. On the journey down he composed ‘Hey Jude’ in the car. I will never forget Paul’s gesture of care and concern in coming to see us.”

It was originally supposed to be called “Hey Jules” in reference to Julian, but he ended up changing the title to protect the boy and keep him out of the media. I thought that was a pretty awesome thing for him to do, and it showed what a great person Paul McCartney is, in addition to being an incredible musician. Reddit user: MyNamesNotDave_

Livin’ It Up

“Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees is a classic from the disco era and seems like an upbeat song based on the title and the tempo. The guy is just slogging through an empty, unfulfilling life. He’s, well, stayin’ alive…but he’s not exactly thrilled about it.

The main character in the song isn’t happy or satisfied with life, even though he’s this big musician and the tune is pretty upbeat. People just don’t listen to the lyrics as long as you can bust a move, I guess. It’s strange how the song has been used for so many things, and everybody thinks it’s so happy, but it’s really not.

The song became the theme for the movie Saturday Night Fever and was the go-to ‘70s dance song that everybody still listens to years later, but the singer wasn’t exactly living his best life when he wrote it. Glad you are, though. Reddit user: mattythedog

Let’s Go, Babe

Have you ever been in a huge hurry to get somewhere, but then your boyfriend or girlfriend is just taking forever to get ready? Eric Clapton has, and he even decided to write a song about it; it’s called “Wonderful Tonight” and is a tribute to Clapton’s wife at the time that she may or may not want to kill him for.

He wrote the song in 1976 while he and then-wife Pattie Boyd were getting ready to go out to Paul McCartney and his wife Linda’s annual Buddy Holly party. She looked beautiful in her outfit and makeup but was also just taking forever to get ready, and Clapton wanted to go. They ended up getting divorced, but Boyd always appreciated the song and even mentioned it in her autobiography. Reddit user: uptoke

Missing Our Friend

“Wish You Were Here” by Pink Floyd though sounds like it would be based on the title, but it’s not a love song. It’s actually about former lead singer of the band Syd Barrett. He had to leave the band due to his struggle with substance abuse challenges.

The memorable song shows the band’s sadness and grief for him not being able to be with them anymore after he visited them in the studio during the recordings of the album Wish You Were Here.They were shocked by how much he had changed in a short period of time and simply wished for their friend back.

The actual title could be interpreted as a love song, but once you listen to the lyrics, it’s pretty clearly about a platonic relationship. Other songs on that album were also about Syd Barrett, like “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.” Reddit user: Wuktrio

The Right (Hotel) Key

The song “Hotel California” was originally named Mexican Reggae. It ended up becoming an instant hit that a lot of people made their own meanings and interpretations for. In reality, it represents the excess in America and the gilded nature of the American dream.

In a 2002 60 Minutes interview, Eagles singer Don Henley explained the meaning behind the iconic hit. He said, “It’s basically a song about the dark underbelly of the American dream and about excess in America, which is something we knew a lot about.”

Another thing a lot of people like to nitpick is the lyric “So I called up the captain, ‘Please bring me my wine’, He said, ‘We haven’t had that spirit here since 1969’” due to the fact that wine is not a spirit. Henley knew this the entire time, explaining in a 2009 interview, after The Plain Dealer music critic John Soeder pointed it out, that this lyric isn’t about alcoholic beverages at all but a sociopolitical statement. Reddit user: OryxsLoveChild

Walrus Business

People often try to find a meaning behind famous songs, even if they don’t know what they’re talking about. Take the famous song “I Am the Walrus” by The Beatles, for example. It has no real meaning. Not sure what you thought the song was really about, but whatever it is, you’re wrong.

Critics and such were over-analyzing and looking for additional meanings in their music when there were none. Pretty typical when you’re literally the biggest band on the planet. But John Lennon decided to “troll” them a little bit with a tune like this.

You have to admire his sense of humor. Lennon just wrote it to confuse the media and all their fans and make everybody look for the meaning in this walrus when there is none. It’s kind of a joke when you think about it. People always look for symbolism in media, but sometimes you just want to sing about a walrus. Reddit user: hootog

Marley Mix-Up

Here’s one I rarely see that people are constantly getting wrong for one reason or another: “No Woman No Cry” by Bob Marley. I ended up taking a Caribbean music class in college, and the professor mentioned to the class how it’s not at all about what everyone thinks it is.

People assume that it’s about “not having a girlfriend will make you not sad” since the lyrics are “no woman, no cry.” They interpret it  wrong when it should be “hey, cheer up. You don’t need to be sad, lady. It’ll be alright,” (no, woman, no cry). When you look at the lyrics, it’s fairly obvious.

But the mixture of Jamaican Patois and emo eighth graders using the title as their Facebook status after their girlfriends of two months broke up with them tended to lead to a lot of confusion. Kids will really just not look into things whatsoever, so I hope they eventually figure it out. Reddit user: kittycatparade

Oh, The Irony

The ’90s classic hit “Ironic” by Alanis Morrisette, has been analyzed many times since its metaphors are so detailed and don’t seem to be ironic at all. At first glance, it just appears to be a song by someone who doesn’t know the meaning of the word “irony.”

However, what could possibly be more ironic than the artist writing a song about irony and not listing anything ironic? And it becoming one of the most popular songs ever, because others don’t understand the meaning of it either? It’s actually genius and so meta.

10,000 spoons when all you need is a knife? That’s not ironic, that’s just a major inconvenience. If I went into the kitchen and had no knives suddenly but 10,000 spoons, I’d be shouting to my housemate like “OI, WHERE DID ALL THESE SPOONS COME FROM?” And also, are you hiding all the knives? Why? I’m sure Alanis Morrissette has 10,000 spoons in her own house. Reddit user: ImNotJesus

Love-Hate Song

The song “With or Without You” by U2 is not a song about romance. It should really be obvious by the title of it, but still, people don’t get it. They seem to forget that the subject of the song can’t live with the woman in question, just as much as he can’t live without her.

The main character in the song basically majorly resents the woman he used to be with because he doesn’t want to be with her but, still can’t stop being drawn to her, despite that feeling. U2 lead singer Bono has said that he wrote it not based on personal experience.

He says that he wrote it because he wanted to make a love song that dealt with “real issues” that everybody understands, and I think he succeeded. Everybody’s been in that one relationship where you’re in love with somebody but also hate them at the same time. I wouldn’t use it for a wedding song though, like so many other people do. Reddit user: formsoflife

Hey, Macare-what?

There’s no shortage of songs about partners who cheat or party songs that people love to dance to, but what people don’t realize is there are many songs that are actually both. “Macarena,” which was a huge phenomenon in the ’90s is a perfect example. 

During that decade, it was played everywhere and families of all ages had fun dancing to it. It was played at elementary school dances, but it’s actually about a woman who cheats on her boyfriend with not one but two guys while he was drafted into the army.

Don’t believe it? Just listen to the English translation. “Macarena has a boyfriend who is named/Who is named with the last name Vitorino/And while he was being sworn in as a conscript/She’s giving it to two friends.” Yikes. And then it ends with “She would like to live in New York and seduce a new boyfriend…aaay!” Reddit user: [redacted]

Vampire Opera

This next one comes as a total surprise to people. The ’80s classic “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler has been played on many Saturday night group outings. It’s a karaoke classic that’s been sung about a million times on all the singing shows.

What people don’t know about it is that it’s actually a vampire love song that totally wouldn’t have been out of place in “Twilight.” In fact, it was originally written for a vampire musical, which apparently is a thing. The original title of the song was “Vampires in Love.”

Producer Jim Steinman once said, “I was trying to come up with a love song and I remembered I actually wrote that song to be a vampire love song. I was working on a musical of Nosferatu, the other great vampire story. If anyone listens to the lyrics, they’re really like vampire lines. It’s all about the darkness, the power of darkness, and love’s place in the dark.” Reddit user: [redacted]

Not Feeling The Love

Sara Bareilles’ hit “Love Song” actually isn’t a love song at all, and is quite the opposite. It was written completely ironically after Bareilles’ label wanted that genre, but she didn’t want to do that.The song is very meta, about getting pressure into writing a love song.

Eventually, not being able to avoid it, the artist tricked them into publishing that instead. The lyrics are actually pretty straightforward and brutally honest; people just never realized how literal they are. It’s basically a big prank on her record label.

The chorus pretty much says it all. “I’m not gonna write you a love song/’Cause you asked for it/’Cause you need one, you see.” Ironically, her song about not wanting to write a love song became one of the most successful “love songs” of the decade. I love bopping along to the catchy beat, especially now knowing the meaning of the lyrics. Reddit user: Snivy_Whiplash

Teen Spirit, Or Whatever

“Smells like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana has had music fans rock their heads with delight for 30 years. The rhythm is so catchy that it almost doesn’t matter what it’s about. Even the band Nirvana doesn’t really know what it’s about, despite its legendary status.

While it’s one of the most famous songs in rock and a major ‘90s anthem, the lyrics are a bit meaningless. But apparently the title came to be after musician Kathleen Hanna wrote “Kurt smells like Teen Spirit” on Kurt Cobain’s hotel room wall, and the late musician took a liking to it.

For context, Teen Spirit was a popular brand of deodorant at the time, but Kurt had no idea. He just loved the phrase and interpreted it as a revolutionary slogan relating to anarchism, punk, and all things rock and roll. It became an anthem for all the kids of the ‘90s, but it’s actually about deodorant. Who knew? Reddit user: [redacted]

Iron Man

“Iron Man” by Black Sabbath is probably the song that non-heavy metal fans’ know the best from Ozzy Osbourne’s group. It sure ain’t about the flying superhero, and it’s definitely not the Robert Downey Jr. version that would appear on screens thirty years later.

Instead, it’s really about a man who travels to the future to see what ends up happening to mankind. While in the future, he sees the apocalypse happening. He returns to the past to warn everyone of the impending danger but is somehow turned to metal.

No one knows what the thing is and avoids it; this enrages him until he begins destroying everything, making the future he saw happen. Basically, it’s irony at its finest, and kind of similar to the whole thing with Hodor in Game of Thrones. The future and past collided in a very strange way for an awesome song. Reddit user: dan_man_USN

Hey Ya

“Hey Ya” by Outkast is a surprising one since the tempo of the song does not match the meaning of the song at all. It’s about staying with someone when you don’t love them anymore. It’s basically the catchiest, bounciest, most happy-sounding song ever.

But since the beat is so high-energy and upbeat, it feels like the perfect song to play at every party or celebration. But all you need to do is listen to the lyrics to realize how sad it really is. I guess nobody’s listening to the lyrics when they’re too busy dancing.

In fact, Andre 3000 says so right before the second chorus. “So why oh why oh why oh why are we so in denial when we know we’re not happy here? Y’all don’t want to hear me, you just want to dance.” Sorry, guess everyone was distracted by the iconic “shake it like a Polaroid picture” lyrics. Reddit user: [redacted]

Founding (Dog) Father

“Dear Theodosia” from the musical Hamilton is one of the most emotional moments in the show. Alexander sings it along with Aaron Burr as a loving tribute to their newborn children. It literally has the potential to bring audiences to tears, given the heart behind it. 

But there’s so much love that are in the lyrics that a lot of people assume that Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote the song for his own son after he was born. Wrong. His own son wasn’t even born at the time, and it’s actually about his, get this, his dog.

He told the story in a YouTube video while being interviewed by Emma Watson. He and his wife were visiting Puerto Rico when a stray puppy approached them and spent the whole day following them around. They were in the middle of a very sad family crisis, and the puppy gave them a bit of light and hope…and even ended up going home with them. Reddit user: [redacted]

Midnight Magic

It didn’t become obvious until the year 1998, but “Living After Midnight” by Judas Priest wasn’t about what people thought it might have bee. Considered pretty taboo at the time, it  was apparently about lead singer Rob Halford visiting gay clubs after dark.

Since he hadn’t come out as gay yet, he would “return to his “normal life” in the hours of daylight. Halford was worried at the time that coming out would hurt his career and the band’s success. But that definitely wasn’t the case. He publicly came out in 1998. 

The lyrics are pretty typical for an ‘80s metal band, but they had more meaning than most people realize. They initially said that the title was inspired by Halford complaining that his bandmate was playing guitar too late in the night and making him lose sleep. That may be true, but there’s more to the story. Reddit user: Barseps

Party On

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) by the Beastie Boys is another memorable ’90s dance hit. It’s a lot more ironic than you may think though. It’s actually a song parodying stupid meaningless party songs, pointing out how silly and juvenile they are.

Most people think it’s just another stupid, meaningless, juvenile party song, when it’s actually the opposite. You got to love when that happens. There are a certainly a lot more of meaningless, juvenile songs out there today than when this song was written.

Satire isn’t just for comedy videos and movies, it’s great for classic songs too. That’s the thing with satire in general. If you do good satire, somebody elsewhere is eventually going to hold it up as an example of the thing that is being parodied. But the Beastie Boys don’t care. After all…they just want to party, right? Reddit user: Justin_123456

Country Goes Dark

“Independence Day” by Martina McBride is frequently played on July 4th and at times when people are feeling extra pride in the Unites States. They treat it like it’s a patriotic song. But it’s really just the title and the “let freedom ring” line that makes people think that.

The actual meaning of the song is really much, much darker, sadly. It’s not about America at all, or about celebrating this country. In reality, it’s about a poor woman that is a victim of domestic violence, which everyone in a small town is well aware of.

Sadly, they do nothing about it, and she feels trapped and helpless in her marriage. Finally she has enough and burns her house down with her abusive husband still inside. It’s not Independence Day for America but for her. If you’ve listened to the lyrics or watched the video, this should be clear, but it isn’t for everybody. Reddit user: Hugo_Hackenbush

A Hate Letter To The Label

Before Maroon 5 was obnoxiously playing on every radio station and department store stereo all over the United States, they were a normal band just trying to make it big with their debut album. One of their first hit songs was the song “Harder to Breathe.”

Believe it or not, the song isn’t a story about one of Adam Levine’s ex-girlfriends or a lost love, it’s actually about the band’s record label constantly pressuring Maroon 5 to write more material. He did exactly that, and the result was this angry song.

“I have the tendency of getting very physical, so watch your step ’cause if I do you’ll need a miracle.” Maybe not the best thing to write about your record label on your debut album, but it worked out and made Maroon 5 into one of the biggest bands in the world. And Adam Levine became a certified celebrity. Reddit user: [redacted]

Not So Merry

If you’re indeed one of those hipsters who constantly complains about the “commercial” aspect of the holidays, but you can still get down with a little bit of Christmas music on the radio come December-time, you’ll be super excited to hear this fun fact.

Know that you’re very much not alone on this one. The popular Christmas song “Do You Hear What I Hear?” isn’t actually about the holiday season, gingerbread, or presents, but is really about….nuclear war. That might change your thoughts on it next time you hear it. 

The song was written in the 1960s by Noël (yes, seriously) Regney and Gloria Shayne, who were married at the time. They were invited by a producer to write and record a Christmas song, but they were reluctant to do it due to the commercialism of Christmas. Instead, they wrote this song as a plea for peace during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Reddit user: ShutUpHeExplained

A Whole New (Rock Star) World

“Dyers Eve” by Metallica is a rock favorite for the metal crowd. You probably wouldn’t know it since he grew up to be a rock star, but it’s actually about the band’s frontman’s very restrictive childhood and is a commentary on the way his parents brought him up. 

The song’s meaning is about lead singer James Hetfield growing up extremely sheltered by his parents who were religious scientists. It’s his way of subsequently dealing with a world he didn’t know existed after they passed away when he was just 18 years old.

Well honestly, if you read the lyrics, it’s pretty clear what the song is about; he literally says, “Dear Mother, Dear Father,” but most of the fans I’ve talked to have no idea. It’s a sad song because you can tell he’s angry at them for the way they’ve sheltered him, but also kind of lost and just missing his parents. Reddit user: Kamulsky

It Gets Better

“Today” by The Smashing Pumpkins isn’t really a happy song when you think about it. It’s about having extremely dark thoughts, and the lyrics of “today is the greatest day” line is actually sarcastic. It was written at the lowest point of lead singer Billy Corgan’s life.

Corgan had hit rock bottom emotionally and there was time when he was contemplating suicide himself. It can be seen as a metaphor for depression, as just because something is beautiful at first glance, you never know about the pain or darkness somebody is going through.

Even though it’s placed over a soft instrumental beat, that doesn’t mean the song is happy. “Today” was once even described by Blender as “perfectly mirroring the fractured alienation of American youth in the 1990s.” Interestingly, the following song on the album, Hummer, is about deciding NOT to kill yourself and moving on with life. Which he did. Obviously. Reddit user: Digitinoize

R.E.M.-antic

“The One I Love” by R.E.M. is a song that’s often played on the radio. And when they play it, it’s always dedicated to a significant other or certain members of the requestor’s family, as it’s frequently interpreted as a love song, though it’s misinterpreted. 

You can see why people think that it’s about someone you love, based on the title. But it’s actual meaning is pretty dark, as it’s all about using and manipulating people. The frontman and lyricist for the group Michael Stipe has even said so himself.

The singer has said, “It’s probably better that they just think it’s a love song at this point” and has also admitted, “It’s very clear that it’s about using people over and over again.” It definitely makes sense when you listen to the second verse: “a simple prop to occupy my time.” Hope this wasn’t your wedding song. Reddit user: [redacted]

A Wonder-ful Meaning

“Wonderwall” by Oasis is a retelling of a 1968 film by the same name. The film is about a young ‘60s hippie couple who live next door to a reclusive guy. One day the guy sees a beam of light shining through his wall and notices that he can see through into their flat through a small hole in the wall.

He follows their activities, lives his life through them, and becomes obsessed with their life and the girl. The guy learns that the woman is depressed as her relationship falters. He feels an affinity with her as he learns more about her life and that she deserves better than her current boyfriend.

At the end of the film she overdoses, and his obsession with her forces him to leave his flat and go to save her. Although he’s the one saving her, by doing so, his feelings for her actually save him from his reclusive existence: “Because maybe, you’re gonna be the one that saves me/And after all you’re my Wonderwall.” Reddit user: ClubSodaKenny

Tribute To J.A.R.

The song J.A.R. by Green Day (from the Angus soundtrack, during the Insomniac era, it was a big radio hit at the time) isn’t actually about a friend leaving your life like I often hear people cite. It actually has a much sadder meaning given the history of the group. 

Before they became the band we know today as Green Day, Mike Dirnt and Billie Joe Armstrong played together with a bassist named Jason Andrew Relva. Their friend Jason Relva tragically died in a car accident. That’s why the initials of the song are J.A.R.

It’s actually right there in the first verse of the song. That said, the song is only tangentially about the death of a friend. It’s a tribute to Jason, but the real point is that you have to live while you’re alive because it could all end suddenly. This is why the last line ends mid-sentence. It’s very hauntingly beautiful. Reddit user: depricatedzero

The Quiet Place

“Car Radio” by Twenty One Pilots is another song that has the meaning misinterpreted. The song is really just about how silence makes you think about your life. It does sound like a super depressing song, but it’s just about regular everyday life.

Thinking about life is something that everybody goes through, even rock stars. You know when you’re doing a job that doesn’t require a lot of thinking or concentration and your mind drifts off? Those are the times when you start thinking about life and the decisions you’ve made, and that’s what the song’s about.

Just listen to the lyrics, and it’s easier to relate to them than you may think. “I hate this car that I’m driving/There’s no hiding for me/I’m forced to deal with what I feel/There is no distraction to mask what is real.” Reddit user: RedTubeRepresentativ

A Bittersweet Classic

One of the most-played songs of the 1990s has to be “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by the punk band Green Day. While the acoustic guitar and soft tempo, make it sound sentimental, it’s not really anything like that. It has to do with breaking up because of bad memories, not good ones. 

It’s about ending a toxic and destructive relationship, not about the awesome times in your life, no matter how many high school graduations and house parties this song was played at back in the ‘90s. It’s not all bad though; it’s really bittersweet.

The lyrics make it pretty clear that he doesn’t regret the relationship. “For what it’s worth, it was worth all the while” and all; he just realizes that the relationship was unhealthy and needed to end. All good things must come to an end. But he looks back on these memories fondly, just like a lot of other instances in our lives. Reddit user: elee0228

Woof, Woof

“Who Let the Dogs Out” by Baha Men was another hit played at parties, on wedding dance floors, and other joyous get-togethers in the late ’90s. It’s kind of similar to “Hey Ya” in that it has such an upbeat tone and was the #1 dance song of its time.

Like Outkast’s “Hey Ya, the tempo throws you off to the real meaning. You’re just so busy having a good time that you just assume that it’s literally about something as simplistic as casual as letting your dogs out, but it’s not. It’s about guys picking up women.

I mean…even the video is all about dogs. And Alan did a pretty awesome version of the song in The Hangover. But it’s actually about disrespectful guys who go out and hit on women at clubs. Just listen to the lines. “And tell the fellas stop the name callin’/Yipee ah yo/Then them girls respond to the call/I hear a woman shout out/Who let the dogs out?” Reddit user: skateon92

MmmmmPOP

“MMMbop” by Hanson is not about mmm-bops, but that probably should have been an obvious one. Though there are songs that are about meaninglessness that don’t have real words. This classic hit from the ’90s easily could have been one of those without any real message.

But it’s about relationships. And life. And time. It’s actually about a lot of things, according to the band. It was more than just a teenybopper hit. Zac Hanson said this: “What that song talks about is, you’ve got to hold on to the things that really matter. MMMbop represents a frame of time or the futility of life.”

Is that frame of time the 1990s? Sure seems like it. He continued, “Things are going to be gone, whether it’s your age and your youth, or maybe the money you have, or whatever it is, and all that’s going to be left is the people you’ve nurtured and have really built to be your backbone and your support system.” Reddit user: catsarelyf

Spaced Out

“Spaceman” by The Killers is another song with a bit of a mysterious meaning to it. While I don’t think there’s definite proof, about this one, there are tons of convincing theories on the internet and among fans about what this song is really about.

The Internet theorists say that the song is actually about depression and having strong thoughts about ending your life. There are definitely some lyrics that may indicate there is some real truth to this theory.“You know that I was hoping that I could leave this star-crossed world behind” is pretty self-explanatory.

Another line is, “The star maker says, ‘It ain’t so bad, the dream maker’s going to make you mad.’ The spaceman says, ‘Everybody look down, it’s all in your mind.’” This line sounds a little more positive, though: “Well now I’m back at home, and I’m looking forward to this life I live.” Reddit user: [redacted]

To Beautiful Endings

“The Drugs Don’t Work” by The Verve really fools people. Because of the lifestyle of rockers and the title, most people tend to think that it’s about illegal substances, but it’s actually really about cancer treatment, and the futility of those treatments.

It’s really quite touching knowing that it was written by Richard Ashcroft about his father, who was dying of cancer—how much he missed him and wanted him to get better, and just that he would always be by his side to “sing in his ear,” as the lyrics say.

This song was actually played at the funeral of a young woman I knew who died of cancer. I initially thought that it had a different meaning as well and had no idea how exactly fitting it was. I just thought it was a coincidence it fit so well. I’m glad that I found out what a beautiful meaning it had behind it. Reddit user: ammia

Mr. Bright-lied

My sister used to think “Mr. Brightside” by the Killers was about some creepy stalker of a woman, but nope, the girl is cheating on her boyfriend with him. At least, that’s what I gathered from the lyrics. I guess a few of the lines make him sound creepy, but the others are pretty obvious. 

He’s suspecting that he’s being cheated on…which a few can probably relate to. It’s plainly said in the song “but it’s all in my head,” followed by a very vivid depiction of his girlfriend with another guy. And then the chorus starts with “Jealousy, turning saints into the sea.”

This is blatantly about him being suspicious that his girlfriend is guilty of cheating on him. Or it could be that maybe she’s not even his girlfriend, and he’s just imagining himself with her, which could definitely be creepy. Guess we’ll never know. Reddit user: ViolentThespian

Singing About The Streets

“Counting Blue Cars” by Dishwalla is written from the perspective of one street kid wandering around with a much younger kid who hasn’t lost all of his innocence yet. The younger kid’s company makes him think deeply about all the senseless injustices he has to face every day.

It’s really a brutal song that talks about how hard it really is just to survive as a homeless person. “We count only blue cars” doesn’t just have a poetic sound, it means “we’re constantly dodging the police,” a tragic reality for someone on the streets. 

The whole last verse is the bitter climax, when the two street urchins attempt to find shelter from the cold outside in a church and get the vibe that they’re unwelcome riffraff. Most of Steely Dan’s songs, I’ve noticed, are the lyrical equivalent of Mad Magazine’s Fold-ins. They mean one thing to people who are paying more attention to the sweet jazzy melodies than the lyrics. Reddit user: honononooh

Everyday Heroes

“My Hero” by Foo Fighters is such a classic. Everyone thinks it’s about Kurt Cobain since Dave Grohl from Foo Fighters was previously in Nirvana with Cobain before his famous tragic death in 1994. But it’s actually just about the normal everyday person.

The firefighter, police officer, EMT, or the random guy that runs into a burning building to help his fellow man. Hence the lyric in the main chorus that says “there goes my hero, he’s ordinary.” Dave Grohl has said countless times that the song isn’t about Kurt Cobain, but people don’t believe it.

Probably they just want to fit their own narrative, I guess. He said that he wrote the song as a tribute to the everyday heroes, as he himself never really had any figures that he looked up to as a child. Works for me. Reddit user: TheMarketLiberal93

Love Letter To Earth

I’ve always wondered if others agreed with me on this one. The song “Savior” by the band Rise Against is often assumed to be about a girl, but there are plenty of references that imply the girl in the song is actually really about Mother Earth. I’ve always claimed this.

The opening verse is “It kills me not to know this, but I’ve all but just forgotten, what the color of her eyes were, and her scars or how she got them.” It then goes on with: “as the telling signs of age rain down a single tear is dropping through the valleys of an aging face that this world has forgotten.”

I strongly believe this is referring to the world aging around us and saving the planet. The rest of the song mentions hurricanes, sand, flames, and discusses the breakdown of a relationship with what the boy loves and cannot save. Reddit user: T90Official

Mumford And (Literally) Sons

Despite being a pretty popular song, not a lot of people really listen and try to make meaning out of “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons. It’s been played all the time at bars with everyone singing along in a happy mood, and there’s the upbeat tempo.

Some people even hear it as a love song, but I think it’s much sadder than that. I’ve always listened to it and interpreted it as it being a father talking to his son about how he’s failed him. Pretty sad interpretation, I know. But just listen to the lyrics; they make a lot more sense this way.

“And it was not your fault but mine/And it was your heart on the line/I really messed it up this time/Didn’t I my dear? Didn’t I my dear?” and then goes on to the one line that’s a little more obvious. “Now learn from your mother or else spend your days biting your own neck.” Reddit user: phritzz

What A Creep

“Every Breath You Take” by The Police is one of the biggest misnomers. People think of Sting and they think of the pacing and tempo and assume it’s about a guy that’s just madly in love with a woman. Well, it is in a way, but in a creepier way than you think. 

It’s really about an abusive, obsessive relationship. When couples say to Sting that they danced to it at their wedding, he says, “Good luck with that!” He’s shocked that people consider it a love song. And honestly I am too. Have you never heard the song at all? It’s clearly not about a couple in love.

Just a PSA for everybody here: if somebody tells you that they’ll be watching your every move…it’s creepy and possessive, not protective. Sting says it himself, when asked why he appears so angry in the music video. “I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it’s quite the opposite. Reddit user: Ginga-Ail1994

Multiple Meanings

“Closing Time” by Semisonic is a huge favorite and is used all the time for when bars are ready to close. It was about the birth of the singer Dan Wilson’s first daughter, not taking someone home at closing time of a bar. Or I guess, it’s kind of both. The drummer once said that Wilson wrote it “in anticipation of fatherhood” and the song is about “being sent forth from the womb as if by a bouncer clearing out a bar.”

“Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day was not about the Iraq war either, as many people have said. It was about the death of Billie Joe Armstrong’s father; he died of cancer when he was just 10 years old. The funeral was on September 1st, and he locked himself in his room and told his mom that very line. Reddit user: spaghatta111