Revealing the True Meanings Behind These Misunderstood Songs

‘Alive’ – Pearl Jam

While Pearl Jam’s 1991 song may appear to be a hymn of resilience at first listen — especially when singer Eddie Vedder yells out “Yeah, yeah I, oh, I’m still alive” – a closer listen shows something quite different. The song is actually about Vedder discovering as a teenager that the guy he thought was his father was actually his stepfather and that his biological father had died. “He’s still dealing with love, and he’s still dealing with his father’s death.” All he knows is that ‘I’m still alive…’ “That’s completely free of charge,” Vedder once told Rolling Stone.

‘Alive’ Pearl Jam

‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ – Green Day

Green Day’s acoustic ballad became a major crossover smash in 1998, thanks in part to its appearance in the Seinfeld finale. With its somewhat wistful lyrics about the passage of time, the song has become a popular choice for proms, graduations, and weddings. Those delighted couples, on the other hand, should have read the lyrics — or at least the song’s title — a little more closely. The lyrics are not a sweet farewell, but an angry scolding to a lover who will one day regret leaving the “time of her life.”

‘Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)’ Green Day

‘Closing Time’ – Semisonic

Semisonic’s “Closing Time” has become an anthem for last calls all around the world, with innumerable bars and clubs playing it as the night’s final tune. However, the lyrics of the song have little to do with a bar. Instead, they were originally penned about his girlfriend’s pregnancy by musician Dan Wilson. However, the band recognized the bar link early on and said that they anticipated that’s what listeners would assume the song was about.

‘Closing Time’ Semisonic

‘In The Air Tonight’ – Phil Collins

Many consider this Phil Collins song to be one of the darkest pop hits of all time. According to urban mythology, the song depicts a man watching another man drown and doing nothing to save him, all of which was allegedly witnessed by Collins himself. The singer then wrote the song, invited the man to a gig, and performed it in front of him. The story went viral in the early days of the internet, and was even referenced in Eminem’s hit “Stan,” which included the line, “You know the song by Phil Collins, ‘In the Air of the Night’ (sic) about that guy who coulda saved that other guy from drownin’, but didn’t, then Phil saw it all, then at a show he found him?” The story, however, is a complete fabrication. According to Collins, the song has no clear story and is more of a stream of mind on his experiences following his divorce.

‘In The Air Tonight’ Phil Collins

‘American Girl’ – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

“American Girl” is one of Tom Petty’s most well-known songs. The song merged jangling 1960s guitars with late 1970s punk/new wave influences to become a classic, finishing Petty’s shows up until his untimely death. Despite its prominence as a rock classic, the song’s words are frequently misconstrued. For many years, the song was considered to be about a girl who committed suicide by jumping from a residential tower at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Petty’s hometown. However, in his 2005 book Conversations With Tom Petty, Petty flatly denied the story. “An urban legend.” It’s become a major urban legend in Florida. That is simply not true. That has nothing to do with the song. But that narrative spreads like wildfire. They truly know the entire tale. I’ve even read magazine articles on it. ‘Is it true? Is it not true?’ They could have just phoned me and discovered it wasn’t true.”

‘American Girl’ Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers

‘Every Breath You Take’ – The Police

“Every Breath You Take” by The Police was one of the most successful singles of the 1980s, and it has probably been the first dance at hundreds of weddings since then. The song, however, is not a love song. The lyrics, on the other hand, convey a terrible scenario of infatuation and stalker. “One couple told me, ‘Oh, we love that song; it was the main song played at our wedding!'” Sting stated about the song. “I thought to myself, ‘Well, good luck.'” “I think the song is very, very sinister and ugly,” he’s stated, “and people have actually misinterpreted it as being a gentle little love song, when it’s quite the opposite.”

‘Every Breath You Take’ The Police

‘Blackbird’ – The Beatles

“Blackbird” is one of the most contentious songs in The Beatles’ famed catalog. On the surface, the song appears to be a normal love song composed primarily by Paul McCartney. However, McCartney has stated at various occasions throughout the years that the song’s lyrics are a reference to the Civil Rights Movement that was taking place in the United States at the time.

‘Blackbird’ The Beatles

‘Semi-Charmed Life’ – Third Eye Blind

The 1997 breakthrough single by Third Eye Blind is best remembered for its pop sound and earworm chorus of “doot doot doot, dootdootdoot.” However, the song’s catchy appeal betrays its sinister core. Stephan Jenkins, the song’s lead singer and lyricist, has indicated that the song is about addiction. “It’s about a time in my life when it seemed like all of my friends were just sort of tapped out on speed.” He described the song’s music as “bright and shiny on the surface, and then it just pulls you down in this lockjawed mess.” The music I composed for it is not intended to be bright and shiny for the purpose of being bright and shiny.”

‘Semi Charmed Life’ Third Eye Blind

‘Born in the U.S.A.’ – Bruce Springsteen

For more than 30 years, perhaps the most well-known example on this list, Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” has been constantly misconstrued. The song’s cutting lyrics depict the story of a young man being recruited, fighting in the Vietnam War, and returning home with psychological scars. The song’s loud orchestral arrangement, however, obscured the irony of its explosive “Born in the U.S.A.” chorus, causing many to believe the song was merely a fist-in-the-air, jingoistic anthem. Springsteen, who was particularly irritated by the song’s mention by then-President Ronald Reagan, attempted to clarify the song’s message in various interviews and eventually introduced an acoustic version of the song that removed the bombastic sections.

‘Born In The U.S.A.’ Bruce Springsteen

‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ – Bonnie Tyler

“Total Eclipse of the Heart” is one of the most famous power ballads of all time. It was released as the lead single from Bonnie Tyler’s fifth studio album, Faster Than the Speed of Night, and it topped the charts for the entire year, eventually becoming her biggest hit. Many people are unaware that “Total Eclipse of the Heart” began as a love song for vampires. Producer Jim Steinman wrote the song for Tyler after she rejected the first two songs he sent her. Returning to the novels, Steinman suddenly remembered a song he had started writing while working on a musical rendition of Nosferatu called “Vampires in Love.” He finished it and it became one of the greatest love ballads of all time. (If you listen closely, you can hear the echoes of a song about falling in love in the dark.)

‘Total Eclipse Of The Heart’ Bonnie Tyler

‘Love Song’ – Sara Bareilles

If you’ve ever walked into a lobby with a free piano (or listened to the radio in 2007… at all), chances are you’ve heard Sara Bareilles’ chart-topping breakout tune. It might appear that a song titled “Love Song” would be, well, a love song, but the chorus disproves that impression almost immediately. Even more intriguing is the fact that this love ballad was never about a person, or a lady, for that matter. Bareilles created the song in a moment of rage after her record label repeatedly turned down songs she had written. “I became very insecure about it, and then I became very angry at myself for caring what anyone thought.” “Love Song” was her message to her label: “This is me, take it or leave it.” (It’s a good thing they agreed to accept it.)

‘Love Song’ Sara Bareilles

‘London Calling’ – The Clash

Though it has developed to take on a broader meaning, including the popular interpretation that it is an indictment of British politics and foreign affairs, this song was originally about something much simpler. In 1979, a British newspaper printed a headline warning that, with rapid global warning, the Thames river could overflow and flood London. When Mick Jones discovered this, he (in his words) “flipped.” As a result, the song is about a dread of drowning rather than politics.

‘London Calling’ The Clash

‘Pink Houses’ – John Mellencamp

John Mellencamp penned “Pink Houses” in response to Reaganomics and the conservative “greed is good” culture of the early 1980s. However, due to its upbeat music and “Ain’t that America” lyric, the song is frequently misconstrued as a simple patriotic song. Conservative political candidates and organizations that have utilized the song have received public condemnation from the song’s firmly leftist author, John Mellencamp.

‘Pink Houses’ John Mellencamp

‘Higher’ – Creed

Creed’s “Higher,” one of 1999’s biggest singles, has become the band’s hallmark song and is indicative of the post-grunge rock culture of the period. While the song appears to be about either a drug-induced high or (on the opposite end of the spectrum) Creed’s publicized Christianity, it is actually about neither. Instead, the song is about the concept of lucid dreaming, according to lead singer Scott Stapp.

‘Higher’ Creed

‘Buddy Holly’ – Weezer

To begin with, this song isn’t really about Buddy Holly at all, although most people who have heard it are aware of that. Most of those people assume that the song is about a romantic relationship when they hear the lyrics “You know I’m yours/and I know you’re mine/and that’s for all time,” but singer Rivers Cuomo tells a different story: “It’s about a particular girl I knew;… it’s about my commitment to her,… my willingness to defend her.” It’s quite platonic. Nothing romantic about it.” If you listen closely to the words, you’ll notice that none of them are expressly romantic; people just assume that it’s a guy talking about a girl, which is precisely what Weezer is singing about.

‘Buddy Holly’ Weezer

‘Always’ – Bon Jovi

Bon Jovi, known for power ballads such as “I’ll Be There for You” and “Bed of Roses,” had one of their biggest hits in 1994 with “Always.” Perhaps because of their status as balladeers, many seemed to dismiss the song’s darker overtones. “It’s a sick little twisted lyric,” Jon Bon Jovi said of the lyrics. Many people think it’s sweet and wonderful, but in reality, this guy is a stalker. He is a sick person.”

‘Always’ Bon Jovi

‘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

‘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

‘Waterfalls’ – TLC

According to common belief, TLC’s 1995 hit “Waterfalls” is about slowing down, appreciating what one has, and not rushing into life or relationships. While this is true in the chorus, it ignores the fact that the song is about social issues during the mid-1990s, including explicit references to HIV and AIDS in the lyrics.

‘Waterfalls’ TLC

‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ – Peter, Paul and Mary

Isn’t “Puff the Magic Dragon” obviously about drugs? Wrong. The lyrics of Peter, Paul, and Mary’s 1963 hit, based on a poem by a friend of band member Peter Yarrow named Leonard Lipton, actually focused around a child who played with an imagined dragon named Puff until growing too old for him.

‘Puff The Magic Dragon’ Peter, Paul And Mary

‘Perfect Day’ – Lou Reed

The song “Perfect Day” by Lou Reed has been featured in countless cheerful, upbeat ads for items such as Sony’s Playstation 4 and AT&T’s cellular service… which is odd given that it’s about heroin. The song, which is frequently misinterpreted as being about the power of love, is actually about the high one receives after consuming narcotics.

‘Perfect Day’ Lou Reed

‘Like a Virgin’ – Madonna

While many people believe Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” is an ode to a young woman having her first sex (a perception aided by Madonna’s frequent mid-80s performances in a wedding gown), the song was actually written by songwriters Billy Steinberg and Tom Kelly about how vulnerable Steinberg felt entering a new relationship. Years later, Steinberg told the Los Angeles Times, “I wasn’t just trying to get that racy word virgin in a lyric. I was saying… that while I’m not a virgin — I’ve been battered romantically and emotionally like many people — I’m starting a new relationship and it just feels so good, it’s healing all the wounds and making me feel like I’ve never done this before, because it’s so much deeper and more profound than anything I’ve ever felt.”

‘Like A Virgin’ Madonna

‘Harder to Breath’ – Maroon 5

Songs About Jane, Maroon 5’s chart-topping debut album, was essentially a concept album about one of vocalist Adam Levine’s ex-girlfriends, therefore it stands to reason that the album’s breakthrough single, “Harder to Breathe,” was inspired by said relationship. However, according to Levine, the song was written in response to pressure from the band’s record label. “That song comes solely from wanting to throw something,” Levine explained in a 2002 interview. It was 11 p.m., and the label needed more tunes. It was the final crack. I was just irritated. I wanted to make a record, and the label put a lot of pressure on me to do it, but I’m glad they did.”

‘Harder To Breath’ Maroon 5

‘Summer of ’69’ – Bryan Adams

“Summer of ’69” by Bryan Adams is such a powerful blast of nostalgia that it’s easy to imagine the Canadian singer and his writing partner, Jim Vallance, composed it about their own experiences as teens in 1969. The only issue? In 1969, Adams was only nine years old. The song contains some genuine connections to the writers’ life, although Adams claims that the 69 number was picked as a reference to the 69 sexual position.

‘Summer Of ’69’ Bryan Adams

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ – Nirvana

Since its release in 1991, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” has been recognized as a generational masterpiece. The only problem is that no one, not even Kurt Cobain, appears to know what it’s all about. The title was inspired by bandmate Kathleen Hanna, who scribbled “Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit” on Cobain’s wall. Cobain, unaware that Teen Spirit was a deodorant brand, decided to utilize the term while writing “the ultimate pop song.” Cobain stated in Michael Azerrad’s Nirvana history, Come as You Are: The Story of Nirvana, that he meant to “describe what I felt about my surroundings, my generation, and people my age.” In the same book, he contradicted himself, saying the song was “making fun of the idea of having a revolution.” Drummer and eventual Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl has stated that the lyrics have no actual meaning.

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ Nirvana

‘Paper Planes’ – M.I.A.

Many people believe that M.I.A.’s 2008 hit “Paper Planes” is about a drug dealer, however the singer herself said that the song is about the immigrant experience in the United States. “I was thinking about living [in Bed-Stuy], waking up every morning – it’s such an African neighborhood,” she added. I was on my way to get patties at my local but realized that the worst thing someone can say [to someone these days] is something like, ‘What I want do is come and steal your money.’ People do not believe that immigrants or refugees contribute in any manner to culture. That they’re simply leeches sucking whatever they can get their hands on. So I sing in the song, ‘All I want do is [sound of gun shooting and reloading, cash register opening] and grab your money.’ It was done with sound effects. It is entirely up to you to interpret. I’m confident they’ll get it because America is so preoccupied with money.”

‘Paper Planes’ M.I.A.

‘Ticket to Ride’ – The Beatles

Many people believe that The Beatles’ “Ticket to Ride” is about a young woman traveling a train to see her sweetheart. However, the song had a very different significance for John Lennon. He stated that the song was inspired by cards signifying a clean bill of health that German prostitutes carried in the 1960s. Before they became recognized globally, the Beatles frequently performed in Hamburg, Germany.

‘Ticket To Ride’ The Beatles

‘Slide’ – Goo Goo Dolls

The first song from the Goo Goo Dolls’ 1998 album Dizzy Up the Girl, “Slide,” helped the group gain superstardom. On the surface, the fast-paced single appears to depict the classic rock-and-roll story of youthful lovers facing the world together. However, lead singer/songwriter Johnny Rzeznik revealed on an episode of VH1 Storytellers that there was much more to “Slide.” “… The song is actually about these two teenage kids, and the girlfriend gets pregnant, and… they’re trying to decide whether she should get an abortion, or they should get married, or what should go on,” he stated when introducing the song.

‘Slide’ Goo Goo Dolls

‘One’ – U2

When U2 released “One” in 1991, it quickly became one of the band’s biggest singles. Since then, the song has grown to be regarded as a hymn to togetherness, whether romantic, platonic, or familial. However, the song was composed at a period when U2 was fragmented and divided over the band’s future. According to Bono in the official book U2 by U2, the tumultuous development of the song resulted in a sorrowful set of lyrics. According to the singer:

‘One’ U2

‘American Woman’ – The Guess Who

“American Woman” is a song all about sex appeal to current listeners, especially those who are better familiar with Lenny Kravitz’s 1999 cover. According to co-writer Randy Bachman, the song’s underlying message had nothing to do with sex and much more to do with the Vietnam War and US politics at the time. “We had been touring the United States,” Bachman explained. It was the late 1960s. They tried to draft us and send us to Vietnam once at the US/Canada border in North Dakota. We were back in Canada, where the dance was full of conscription dodgers who had all left the States.” Burton Cummings, another co-writer, added, “When I said ‘American woman, stay away from me,’ I really meant ‘Canadian woman, I prefer you.'” Everything was a pleasant accident.”

‘American Woman’ The Guess Who

‘Just Like Heaven’ – The Cure

While The Cure’s “Just Like Heaven” appears to be a standard love ballad, lead singer Robert Smith claims that the lyrics are a bit more sophisticated. “The song is about hyperventilating—kissing and fainting to the floor,” Smith has said, and that portions of the lyrics connect to his childhood recollections of perfecting magic tricks as a youngster, however Smith has conceded that “on another level, it’s about a seduction trick, from much later in my life.”

‘Just Like Heaven’ The Cure

‘Imagine’ – John Lennon

While John Lennon’s classic ballad “Imagine” could be interpreted as a simple plea for world peace, the former Beatle – and his wife Yoko Ono, whom Lennon later acknowledged contributed far more to the song than the solo credit indicates – were addressing more specific issues rather than a general call for peace. In a 1980 interview with Playboy, Lennon addressed the song’s religious overtones. “The idea of positive prayer… If you can envisage a world at peace, with no religious groups – not without religion, but without this my God is bigger than your God thing – then it is possible… The World Church once contacted and requested, “Can we use the lyrics to ‘Imagine’ and just change it to ‘Imagine one religion’?” That demonstrated to [me] that they had no idea what I was talking about. It would contradict the entire meaning of the song, the entire concept.”

‘Imagine’ John Lennon

‘Cherry Bomb’ – The Runaways

This following song’s lyrics aren’t quite misunderstood, but the story behind its production is. The Runaways’ “Cherry Bomb” is an all-time great rock song and by far Joan Jett’s biggest hit, but it wasn’t created to be one, and the band didn’t construct their library around it. According to the band’s manager, Kim Fowley, the song was written in “about five minutes.” According to Fowley, he and Jett wrote the song for future Runaways member Cherie Currie’s audition because the other Runaways were unaware of the song Currie wanted to sing.

‘Cherry Bomb’ The Runaways

‘Feel it Still’ – Portugal. The Man

While the 2017 smash track by California band Portugal. The Man may appear to be an homage to singer John Gourley’s little daughter, the song was actually written from a less personal, far more political position. “It’s another one of those lyrics that just kind of seeps in,” Gourley remarked in a 2017 interview. With all of the talk right now about building a wall at our borders and the Berlin Wall, it was eerily similar to the image you had in your head as a child, that these people are separated by a wall, and why do we need that?”

‘Feel It Still’ Portugal. The Man

‘Royals’ – Lorde

Lorde’s 2013 single “Royals” seems like it’s referring to either real-life monarchy (think the British Royal family) or American “celeb-royalty” (think the Kardashians). However, the song’s title and inspiration come from somewhere else. The lyrics were inspired by a 1976 photo of Kansas City Royals hall of fame baseball player George Brett signing autographs while wearing his team’s logo on his chest. “It was just that word,” the singer said simply. It’s fantastic.”

‘Royals’ Lorde

‘Poker Face’ – Lady Gaga

While it’s clear from the first listen that Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” contains sexual innuendo, it’s not immediately clear that the song portrays a specific sexual event Lady Gaga had. According to the singer, the lyrics of the song describe a moment when she fantasized about a woman while being intimate with a man, with the “poker face” in issue being her expression to keep her male partner from realizing what she was really thinking.

‘Poker Face’ Lady Gaga

‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ – Green Day

Green Day’s “Wake Me Up When September Ends” was written as a tribute to vocalist Billie Joe Armstrong’s father, who died when he was seven years old, hence the song’s opening phrase. However, its placement as the eleventh track on the band’s largely 9/11-influenced American Idiot album, combined with the Iraq War-themed video, has led many to conclude that the song is still political in nature.

‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ Green Day

‘Drift Away’ – Uncle Kracker

Misheard: “Give me the Beach Boys and free my soul”
Correct: “Give me the beat boys and free my soul”

“Drift Away” is one of Uncle Kracker’s most well-known tracks, reaching a peak position of #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 list. Most people are unaware that it is also a cover. The Recording Industry Association of America awarded soul singer Dobie Gray gold certification for the song’s original recording in 1973.

‘Drift Away’ Uncle Kracker

‘Blank Space’ – Taylor Swift

Misheard: “All the lonely Starbucks lovers”
Correct: “Got a long list of ex-lovers”

Fans of Taylor Swift misheard this line so frequently that on Valentine’s Day in 2015, the singer made fun of her own song.She stated in a since-deleted tweet: “Sending my love to all the lonely Starbucks lovers out there this Valentine’s Day… even though that is not the correct lyric.” To which the coffee chain playfully replied: “Wait, it’s not?”

‘Blank Space’ Taylor Swift

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ – Queen

Misheard: “Saving his life from this warm sausage tea”
Correct: “Spare him his life from this monstrosity”

Anything less than a piping hot cup of tea is an actual nightmare for most Brits, but it turns out that’s not actually what one of their most famous musicians was crooning about. The song’s popularity in the country has endured regardless. The track is among the bestselling  U.K. singles of all time, and is often cited as one of the greatest rock songs worldwide.

‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ Queen

‘Baby Got Back’ by Sir Mix-A-Lot

Misheard: “I like big butts in a can of limes”
Correct: “I like big butts and I can not lie”

The infamously raucous 1992 song by Sir Mix-A-Lot and its equally wild, bootylicious video were momentarily banned from MTV. The prohibition didn’t kill the song’s appeal; on the contrary, it increased it. In the end, the song spent five weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.

‘Baby Got Back’ By Sir Mix A Lot

‘Message in a Bottle’ – The Police

Misheard: “A year has passed since I broke my nose”
Correct: “A year has passed since I wrote my note”

“Message in a Bottle” was regarded by The Police as one of their most profoundly lyrical tracks. In reality, Sting claimed of the song in “1000 UK Number Ones,” “I think the lyrics are subtle and well-crafted enough to hit people on a different level from something you just sing along to.”

‘Message In A Bottle’ The Police

‘We Will Rock You’ – Queen

Misheard: “Kicking your cat all over the place”
Correct: “Kicking your can all over the place”

The tracks “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You” by Queen were honored by being inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008. The tunes (which, despite being two distinct songs, are nearly typically played together and frequently referred to as a single entity) were deserving of the honor. With more than 7 million certified units sold in 2017, the song achieved four times multi-platinum status.

‘We Will Rock You’ By Queen

‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’ – The Beatles

Misheard: “I want to hold your ham”
Correct: “I want to hold your hand”

The Beatles song that became popular in America first also includes one of the group’s most frequently misheard lines; blame the British accents.Industry lore claims that Bob Dylan also misinterpreted a lyric in the song. After learning that the group was not, in fact, marijuana smokers, he introduced them to the recreational activity and earned himself a role in the history of the Beatles. He supposedly believed that “I can’t hide” was “I get high.”

‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ By The Beatles

‘I’m a Believer’ by – Monkees

Misheard: “Then I saw her face, now I’m gonna leave her”
Correct: “Then I saw her face, now I’m a believer”

Although “I’m a Believer” was made famous by the film “Shrek,” The Monkees actually released the song 35 years earlier.Within two days of its release, the original version went gold and spent seven weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. It was an immediate success.

‘I’m A Believer’ By The Monkees

‘Blinded by the Light’ – Bruce Springsteen

Misheard: “Wrapped up like a deuce, another rumor in the night”
Correct: “Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night”

There are numerous ways that this well-known Bruce Springsteen line is misunderstood. A 1993 episode of the Canadian sketch-comedy program “The Vacant Lot” featured a parody of the movie “Blinded by the Light” that made fun of the several inaccurate interpretations that exist.

‘Blinded By The Light’ By Bruce Springsteen

‘Bad Moon Rising’ – Creedence Clearwater Revival

Misheard: “There’s a bathroom on the right”
Correct: “There’s a bad moon on the rise”

Creedence Clearwater Revival’s John Fogerty is one of the musicians who enjoys joining in on the joke about their misinterpreted lyrics. He really sang the erroneous line on stage during the recording of his 1998 “Premonition” concert (close listeners can hear it fairly well after the final stanza). As he approached the line for the restroom at subsequent gigs, he reportedly pointed to the closest one.

‘Bad Moon Rising’ Creedence Clearwater Revival

‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ – NSYNC

Misheard: “It’s gonna be May!”
Correct: “It’s gonna be me”

A picture of Justin Timberlake with curly hair and frosted tips has become a popular meme in recent years as a result of this misheard lyric. Even some of the most ardent fans of boy bands from the 1990s confess that this line is difficult to grasp, despite the song’s #1 Billboard Hot 100 position.

‘It’s Gonna Be Me’ NSYNC

‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ – Billy Joel

Misheard: “We didn’t start the fire, it was always burning, said the worst attorney”
Correct: “We didn’t start the fire, it was always burning, since the world’s been turning”

Billy Joel considers “We Didn’t Start the Fire” to be one of his least favorite songs, although American listeners disagree. After its 1989 debut, the song garnered a lot of radio and peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song, in the style of a stream-of-consciousness, lists all the moments that, in Joel’s opinion, made up his generation. Since there are so many songs on the list, Joel has acknowledged that it is difficult to remember them all.

‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’ Billy Joel

‘Forget You’ – CeeLo Green

Misheard: “I guess he’s an expert, and I’m more an attorney”
Correct: “I guess he’s an Xbox, and I’m more Atari”

CeeLo Green uses the F-bomb 16 times in the song’s original, profanity-filled version of it over the course of 3.5 minutes. Even so, within a week of its release, it crossed the 2 million watch barrier on YouTube and peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100.

‘Forget You’ CeeLo Green

‘Desperado’ – The Eagles

Misheard: “You’ve been outright offensive, for so long now”
Correct: “You’ve been out riding fences, for so long now”

The Eagles’ final live performance was of “Desperado” during a tour. On July 29, 2015, it ended their performance, and Glenn Frey passed away six months later. Despite being a fan favorite, the song was never made available as a single, which increased album sales.

‘Desperado’ The Eagles

‘Blurred Lines’ – Robin Thicke

Misheard: “Mushrooms are nasty”
Correct: “Must want to get nasty”

While the song’s suggestive and possibly degrading lyrics were the subject of much debate, Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” was busy setting records. It not only won the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, but it also remained at the top of the chart for the longest period of time since the 1940s in Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, 16 weeks. The media coverage around the unrated version of the video’s prohibition, which featured topless women, played a significant role in its popularity.

‘Blurred Lines’ – Robin Thicke

‘Big Yellow Taxi’ – Joni Mitchell

Misheard: “If it ain’t paradise, then put up a parking lot”
Correct: “They paved paradise to put up a parking lot”

The most well-known rendition of this song is probably the one by Counting Crows and Vanessa Carlton, but Joni Mitchell wrote the original. After her first trip to Hawaii, where paradise had been practically paved over to build a parking lot, Mitchell told The Los Angeles Times that she was inspired to write the song.

‘Big Yellow Taxi’ Joni Mitchell

‘Our Lips are Sealed’ – The Go-Gos

Misheard: “Even Dallas games, people play”
Correct: “In the jealous games people play”

With the release of their album “Beauty and the Beat” in 1981, the Go-Gos made the transition from punk to pop music. The album’s breakthrough single, “Our Lips are Sealed,” peaked at #20 on the Billboard charts.

‘Our Lips Are Sealed’ The Go Gos

‘Stairway to Heaven’ – Led Zeppelin

Misheard: “There’s a wino down the road”
Correct: “And as we wind on down the road”

Despite being referred to as “the best rock song of all time,” “Stairway to Heaven” never reached the charts. The song was never made available as a single; instead, promotional singles that were sent to radio stations are now valuable collectibles.

‘Stairway To Heaven’ Led Zeppelin

‘Dancing Queen’ – ABBA

Misheard: “See that girl, watch her scream, kicking the dancing queen”
Correct: “See that girl, watch that scene, dig in the dancing queen”

The only one of ABBA’s string of hits to make it to #1 in the U.S., “Dancing Queen” also hit #1 in 13 other countries. It might also be their most misunderstood song. According to a poll conducted by Blinkbox in 2014, 22% of listeners reported hearing the famous lyrics this way.

‘Dancing Queen’ ABBA

‘Purple Haze’ – Jimi Hendrix

Misheard: “Excuse me while I kiss this guy”
Correct: “Excuse me while I kiss the sky”

Even though “Purple Haze” was never higher than #65 on the Billboard Hot 100, it is frequently regarded as one of Jimi Hendrix’s finest songs. Within it is a line that is frequently misunderstood, and for his part, Hendrix never did much to correct the record. Even worse, he occasionally sang the wrong line during a performance while nodding or gesturing at a male band member who was standing on stage.

‘Purple Haze’ Jimi Hendrix

Chop Suey!

The song’s original title was suicide, but the label requested that it be changed to prevent controversy. The song is about more than just applying makeup. Suicidal ideas are plaguing the members of the band. It also discusses drug usage and whether or not death is justifiable.

Chop Suey!

Chocolate Rain

In 2007, the meme “Chocolate Rain” became extremely famous. It was funny to watch him move away from the microphone every time he needed to take a breath. The video became viral, yet most people have no idea what the lyrics represent. He discussed the challenges that people of color confront in a repressive and racist culture.

Chocolate Rain

Cake By The Ocean

This was Joe Jonas’ debut single as a member of the DNCE group. The chorus lyrics and title were changed in a radio-friendly cut of the song. The song isn’t about eating cake while seeing the sea. They cleverly disguised the true meaning of cake by rewording it. The modifications were necessary since Sex on the Beach would not have been a kid-friendly title.

Cake By The Ocean

Spice Up Your Life

This famous song contains recipes or culinary directions for a specific substance. Despite the fact that it is a fantastic lively, enjoyable song, there has been much suspicion and criticism that the lyrics contain innuendos concerning this substance. Breaking Bad, a popular television drama, included this music in a scene once too. The Spice Girls, on the other hand, never agreed with the interpretation.

Spice Up Your Life

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Despite the fact that the first letter of each word in the song title spells out “LSD,” John Lennon has consistently disputed suggestions that The Beatles’ 1967 smash “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was about any illegal activities. Paul McCartney clarified the story in a 2004 interview with Uncut magazine, decades later. “That’s very evident,” he stated of ‘Lucy in the Sky.’ “There are others who make subtle references to drugs, but it’s easy to exaggerate the impact of drugs on the Beatles’ music.” Here are 50 Totally Absurd Celeb Rumors That Some People Really Believe for more Beatles claims that aren’t really true.

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

The A Team

Ed’s strong song is really catchy and simple to sing along to. But did you really understand what you were singing about? The lyrics of the song are about a sex worker who is hooked to illegal drugs, specifically a “class A drug,” hence the name The A-Team. If you pay attention, you’ll notice that there’s more to the lyrics than meets the eye.

The A Team

Wolves

Selena Gomez’s army of followers, dubbed Selenators, is always ready to dig for the song’s deeper meaning whenever she releases a new song. They saw this song as a metaphor for her lupus battles. Lupus is a Latin word that means “wolf.” But Selena stated the lyrics tell a tale, and she was going through some personal issues at the time, which the song reflected.

Wolves

I Cry

When you listen to the songs about meaning, you’ll notice that Flo Rida mentioned terrorist incidents and natural calamities. Religion provides solace to these victims. When you pay close attention, the message is not difficult to decipher. When you realize the meaning behind the seemingly innocuous lyrics, you might cry.

I Cry

Chandelier

When this song was first released, most people mistook it for a party song. All of the time, deep tunes are readily misunderstood. Sia opens up about her battle with addiction and alcoholism. After her lover was killed by a cab, she turned to booze and drugs to cope. She put her heart and soul into the song. That didn’t stop it from becoming one of pop’s most popular party songs.

Chandelier

A Little Bit Longer

Most people assumed that this song was about a breakup. It turns out, though, that it’s about Nick Jonas’ battle with type 1 diabetes. He claims that he penned the song in 20 minutes one day when his sugar was out of control. That’s when a few of the lyrics began to make sense. You might easily deduce the song’s deeper meaning and pick up on some of the details you missed the first time around.

A Little Bit Longer

Pumped Up Kicks

In the previous 10 years, you’ve probably danced to the Pumped Up Kicks song. The song is about an alienated adolescent who fantasizes about shooting down his school as a form of retaliation. The artist claims he intended to write from the perspective of a victim, but instead chose to enter the mind of the perpetrator. It’s supposed to be an anti-gun song, he claims. Some detractors, though, believed he was taking advantage of the situation.

Pumped Up Kicks

Let It Be

You can probably guess what the song is about if you know Paul McCartney. The song was inspired by Paul’s late mother, though the lyrics don’t mention so explicitly. He created this song after his mother died of cancer while he was only 14 years old. His mother’s name was likewise Mary. When questioned if the song alluded to the Virgin Mary, the Beatles responded it was up to the listener to decide.

Let It Be

No Tears Left To Cry

In this legendary pop ballad, Ariana Grande kept a lot of serious issues hidden. The lyrics reflect her emotions following the terrorist attack on her concert in Manchester. She never explained the lyrics, although they sound a lot like the rest of the album Sweetener, which was released after the attack. Through this song, she stresses that moving forward is the best option.

No Tears Left To Cry

Macarena

“Macarena” may be the queen of a type of music in which the lyrics are overlooked because the instrumentals are so enjoyable. Listeners who didn’t speak Spanish had another reason to sway their hips happily as the duo sung about a young woman who cheats on her boyfriend with two of his pals while he’s joining in the Army. Macarena, you’re not doing so well!

Macarena

One Way Or Another

It’s that scene in every rom-com where the aspiring architect or bakery entrepreneur is initially rejected by her or his love interest. To win them over, bring out Blondie and a montage of personal improvement initiatives and/or witty conspiracy theory hobby board-level planning. Unfortunately, our well-intentioned soul mate is composing romantic overtures to a stalker tune. Lead singer Debbie Harry told EW, “I 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’s a normal kind of survival mechanism.”

One Way Or Another

Gangnam Style

Psy’s earworm, with its invisible horse dance, was Korea’s first great global musical export, and it came with its own ridiculous music video, in which components of Psy’s big-money lifestyle are exposed to be outrageously sad. It’s easy to think Psy is only making fun of himself if you don’t know anything about Korean culture, but the song and video are both mocking a specific lifestyle of seeking the look of luxury while neglecting your basic needs. The song by the Gangnam neighborhood (think Beverly Hills), where trust-funders eat cheap cuisine in order to purchase costly coffee that they gulp in one sip, exemplifies the false commercial attitude (instead of savoring).

Gangnam Style

Hey Ya

Andre 3000 was correct when he sung near the end of a tremendously euphoric jam with deeply melancholy lyrics about the state of modern relationships, “Y’all don’t want to hear me/ you just wanna to dance.” His child adores him! Perhaps she’s simply terrified of being alone! Separate is always preferable! If nothing lasts forever, why should love be any different? Outkast tweeted a meme featuring Andre 3000’s face from the music video in May 2021, with a little piece labeled “A bop” and a large portion labeled “The saddest song ever written.”

Hey Ya

Can’t Feel My Face

With The Weeknd, nothing is ever black and white. When you first hear the music, you might think it’s a love song, however the lyrical meaning is much different. The actual description of what happens when one consumes too much of a substance is “can’t feel my face.” As if this substance were a lady, the artist figuratively depicted his relationship with it. It’s more like a drug addict’s confessions.

Can’t Feel My Face

Who Let The Dogs Out?

This Calypso-lite music included a lovely (and later frustratingly omnipresent) call-and-response inquiry that never got answered, another song whose meaning was hidden by its party anthem vibes. After the song’s release in 2000, asking who let the dogs out became low-hanging comic fruit, which meant that most people were unaware that it was “a man-bashing song.” It’s a song about a good time being ruined by men catcalling and pestering women, according to songwriter Anslem Douglas in an interview with Rock Cellar Magazine.

Who Let The Dogs Out

Imagine

Lennon’s hallmark lyrics in “Imagine’ were described as “22 lines of graceful, plain-spoken faith in the power of a world, united in purpose, to repair and change itself.” However, the feel-good sentiments behind the song Jimmy Carter once said was “used almost equally with national anthems” have some serious Communist underpinnings. Lennon once referred to the song as “virtually the Communist manifesto,” and at the time that the song became a hit, went on record saying, “Because it’s sugarcoated it’s accepted. Now I understand what you have to do—put your message across with a little honey.”

Imagine

Let’s Go All The Way

True, the title and lyrics of Sly Fox’s 1985 song “Let’s Go All the Way” actually referred to a romantic relationship. Basically, there’s no mention of romance, nor does it contain any physical descriptions whatsoever! As per songwriter Gary “Mudbone” Cooper, the song is commonly misunderstood and is definitely a song of encouragement, as evidenced by the title line and other lines in the song. According to Cooper, the song’s message is to “go all the way for whatever your goal, dream, or vision is.”

Let’s Go All The Way

Barracuda

It is incorrectly assumed that “Barracuda” by Heart is about a marine species, but this is not true at all. Lead singer Ann Wilson expresses her displeasure with Mushroom Records in the song’s lyrics, which refer to a publicity stunt involving her and her sister, Nancy. Ann’s rage at a male reporter for bringing up the made-up issue is clearly expressed in the music video. Producer Mike Flicker claims that Barracuda was born conceptually from “a lot of this [record industry] nonsense.” That whole experience inspired the creation of this piece.

Barracuda

The God That Failed

Despite the success of Metallica’s song “The God That Failed,” the heavy metal band’s image took a hit as a result of many fans mistaking the band for worshipping the devil. In reality, this is not the case. According to the band, the song is about religion and how people have become overly reliant on it, particularly when it comes to healing. When James Hetfield’s mother refused to seek treatment for her cancer, trying to claim that God would heal her, the lyrics for the song were inspired.

The God That Failed

Macho Man

It’s no surprise that the Village People aren’t well-known for their serious music, especially when considering that their most well-known song is none other than “YMCA.” That’s not to say that one of their music wasn’t written with a serious tone in mind; in fact, one of their songs was. The song “Macho Man” was written in order to depict traditional male characters in American culture and history. Randy Jones, on the other hand, claimed that it was not working out. In the end, they managed to make it a little less serious and somewhat more entertaining.

Macho Man

Le Freak

It was released in 1978 and is a disco and funk song by Chic. “Le Freak” was written by Chic and was released in 1978. Since it is a popular party song, most people don’t pay attention to it for its deeper meaning, but rather for its entertaining qualities. To say that the music isn’t meaningful is an understatement. In reality, the song is about Chic’s bassist as well as guitarist being turned down for admission to New York’s legendary Studio 54 nightclub. It appears that the bouncer told them to “f off” since their names weren’t on the guest list. That incident served as the motivation for the expression “freak out!”

Le Freak

Smoke On The Water

The memorable guitar riff was created following the launch of a rocket inside a casino during a Frank Zappa concert. A fire broke out fairly soon after, totally ruining the casino’s structure. After witnessing smoke billowing across Lake Geneva, Roger Glover happened to come up with the title “Smoke on the Water.”

Smoke On The Water

The Way

In a tragic turn of events, the song “The Way” was influenced by a news story about an old couple who mysteriously disappeared while attending a Texas music festival. When the band was in the studio recording the single, they received word from the press that the couple had been discovered dead in their Oldsmobile at the bottom of a gorge, where they had been driving.

The Way