Revealing the True Meanings Behind These Misunderstood Songs

Published on 07/06/2023
ADVERTISEMENT

‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ – Bob Dylan

Many people believe that Bob Dylan’s 1965 masterpiece “Mr. Tambourine Man,” which was subsequently notably performed by The Byrds, was an autobiographical song about the musician discovering his creative inspiration through drugs. The song, however, is an homage to touring musician Bruce Langhorne, who played a huge Turkish frame drum similar to a tambourine in Dylan’s band and on recordings.

'Mr. Tambourine Man' Bob Dylan

‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ Bob Dylan

‘Hotel California’ – Eagles

According to popular belief, the song is about purgatory, according to the lyric “this could be heaven, or this could be hell.” “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,” Don Henley said in a 2002 interview. We were all middle-class Midwesterners. “‘Hotel California’ was our take on the high life in Los Angeles.”

'Hotel California' Eagles

‘Hotel California’ Eagles

ADVERTISEMENT