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Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #86615] Mon, 20 November 2017 23:43 Go to next message
Lost the Remote is currently offline  Lost the Remote
Messages: 145
Registered: June 2017
Master
I like the song "One Night In Bangkok" but as a teen I thought it was about gay bathhouses and Middle Eastern political scandals. I thought the chess references were just euphemisms for that other stuff.

I'm a fan of "Born in the U.S.A." and always thought it was about American pride, but no, it's really about how terribly Americans treated Vietnam veterans upon their return from war. Who knew? Clearly not the politicians who play the song during their campaigns as a mark of patriotism.
Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #86659 is a reply to message #86615] Mon, 27 November 2017 01:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Charlie82 is currently offline  Charlie82
Messages: 43
Registered: September 2017
Baron
I always get a laugh when politicians use "Born in the USA" to bolster American spirit. Obviously, they haven't listened to the song closely enough. I remember when I found out that "Semi-Charmed Life" was about a couple going crazy with crystal meth and had my mind blown. The song sounds so much more cheerful than that.
Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #86663 is a reply to message #86659] Mon, 27 November 2017 08:07 Go to previous messageGo to next message
johnnycamp5 is currently offline  johnnycamp5
Messages: 354
Registered: June 2015
Location: NJ
Grand Master
Charlie82 wrote on Mon, 27 November 2017 02:09
Obviously, they haven't listened to the song closely enough

Luckily for the politicians, neither has 99% of the people hearing it lol.

I'm guessing the majority of people enjoy a song for the music, not the lyrics or their meaning. I believe most lyrics cant be understood, and people don't have the time to read them, or figure out their meaning.

Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #86671 is a reply to message #86615] Tue, 28 November 2017 11:39 Go to previous messageGo to next message
funkymusic is currently offline  funkymusic
Messages: 39
Registered: October 2017
Location: NC
Baron
Ha, I'm one of those people who didn't know that the lyrics meant something other than "Hurray America!" But now I'm one of the enlightened ones. I can't understand the lyrics to 99% of rap songs. They go too fast for me and I'm not caught up enough on the lingo.
Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #86693 is a reply to message #86663] Sun, 03 December 2017 00:57 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Lost the Remote is currently offline  Lost the Remote
Messages: 145
Registered: June 2017
Master
johnnycamp5 wrote on Mon, 27 November 2017 08:07


I'm guessing the majority of people enjoy a song for the music, not the lyrics or their meaning. I believe most lyrics cant be understood, and people don't have the time to read them, or figure out their meaning.



I usually like songs based on their beat, hook, and chorus. I guess I'm not the only one.

Charlie, I had no idea that "Semi-Charmed Kind of Life" was about a drugged out couple! I'm going to find it on YouTube to hear it again. Maybe I can pick out the references now.
Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #86700 is a reply to message #86615] Sun, 03 December 2017 11:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18670
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

The song, "Your Woman" by "White Town" is one I misunderstood for years. It was a one-hit wonder from 1997, and it was catchy but creepy to me. The reason it was creepy was I thought it was a gay man or transgender singing to an unrequited lover.

But it turns out it was about a woman and a man. It wasn't a gay thing at all. Actually, according to the artist that wrote it, he wanted it to express several perspectives.

White Town's sole band member and writer of "Your Woman", Jyoti Prakash Mishra, has stated that the lyrics could stem from or be related to multiple situations. He says "When I wrote it, I was trying to write a pop song that had more than one perspective. Although it's written in the first person the character behind that viewpoint isn't necessarily what the casual listener would expect".

Mishra writes that the themes of the song include: "Being a member of an orthodox Trotskyist / Marxist movement. Being a straight guy in love with a lesbian. Being a gay guy in love with a straight man. Being a straight girl in love with a lying, two-timing, fake-arse Marxist. The hypocrisy that results when love and lust get mixed up with highbrow ideals."

The '>Abort, Retry, Fail?_' message that appeared on some inlay cards is explained by the artist thus: "Well, this cheerful message became a kind of shibboleth for me and sort-of characterizes what's been going on for me the last few years." The song was mixed on a Atari ST computer.

Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #86820 is a reply to message #86693] Mon, 18 December 2017 09:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Perfect Storm is currently offline  Perfect Storm
Messages: 31
Registered: December 2017
Baron
Lost the Remote wrote on Sun, 03 December 2017 00:57


Charlie, I had no idea that "Semi-Charmed Kind of Life" was about a drugged out couple! I'm going to find it on YouTube to hear it again. Maybe I can pick out the references now.


Oh yeah, Lost the Remote and Charlie. Looking back on their songs about an adult, they're actually a pretty dark band. Most of their songs are about things like that. I didn't know that until a few years ago either. Someone pointed it out to me and now I can't un-hear it.
Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #87420 is a reply to message #86659] Fri, 09 March 2018 11:47 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Spidey is currently offline  Spidey
Messages: 14
Registered: February 2018
Location: Missouri
Chancellor
Charlie82 wrote on Mon, 27 November 2017 01:09
I always get a laugh when politicians use "Born in the USA" to bolster American spirit. Obviously, they haven't listened to the song closely enough. I remember when I found out that "Semi-Charmed Life" was about a couple going crazy with crystal meth and had my mind blown. The song sounds so much more cheerful than that.


Oh my gosh, the day I really listened to Third Eye Blind lyrics is the day my world changed. I had no idea they were singing about such dark, depressing things, especially in their happier sounding songs like "Semi-Charmed Life." I have to think a lot of people missed that message or I doubt it would have been so popular on the radio.
Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #87431 is a reply to message #86663] Sat, 10 March 2018 11:12 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Kingfish is currently offline  Kingfish
Messages: 548
Registered: November 2012
Illuminati (1st Degree)
johnnycamp5 wrote on Mon, 27 November 2017 08:07
believe most lyrics cant be understood, and people don't have the time to read them, or figure out their meaning.




Reminds me of the old American Bandstand with Dick Clark. "It's got a good beat and you can dance to it Dick......I give it a 9". Laughing

Certain songs are meant to be understood, certain songs are not. That's how I see it.
Re: Songs you've misunderstood - lyrics or meaning behind them [message #92856 is a reply to message #87431] Sat, 26 December 2020 16:41 Go to previous messageGo to previous message
Raymond is currently offline  Raymond
Messages: 41
Registered: December 2020
Baron
I worked retail for a while, and the store I worked at played The B-52's "Love Shack". Except, through the overheard speakers, I heard "love shark". The mental image of a giant shark didn't make much sense, but I enjoyed it. Even though I know that its "shack" now, I still like mental picture so I just pretend it's "shark". Laughing
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