How much do you pay attention to the actual lyrics of the songs you love? We may think we know the meaning of songs, partly because of the melody, but the melody of a song is not always a good clue as to the true meaning of the song.
The Beatles song “Blackbird,” released in 1968, was seemingly a simple song about a “Blackbird singing in the dead of night - Take these broken wings and learn to fly.” Paul McCartney wrote “Blackbird” about the American Civil Rights Movement and efforts in Little Rock, Arkansas to desegregate the schools. In an interview with USA Today, McCartney said “Blackbird” is about the Black struggle.
Another Beatles song has been grossly misinterpreted over the years, “Lucy In The Sky With Diamond” with lyrics like: “Follow her down to a bridge by a fountain - Where rocking horse people eat marshmallow pies - Everyone smiles as you drift past the flowers - That grow so incredibly high” paints a picture of a song about using psychedelic drugs.
But the song was actually written about a classmate of John Lennon’s son, Julian, whose name was Lucy O’Donell. Lennon admitted in an interview in 1975 that Julian showed him a picture of Lucy O’Donell, and he had drawn stars in the sky over her head.
Cyndi Lauper’s 1984 hit, “She Bop,” is not a song about a carefree girl bopping her way through life. Cyndi wrote “She Bop” about masturbation. The lyrics give it away if you listen carefully: “Well, I see ‘em every night in tight blue jeans - In the pages of a Blueboy magazine - Hey, I’ve been thinking of a new sensation - I’m picking up the good vibrations.”
Later in the song, Cyndi sings, “Hey, hey they say I better get a chaperone - Because I can’t stop messing with the danger zone.” After analyzing the lyrics - how did everyone not understand what “She Bop” was really about?
How often have you heard the Bruce Springsteen hit, “Born In The USA,” used as a soundtrack for Fourth of July celebrations? I have never used it on my show to shed a patriotic light on America because I have known it's actually an anti-war song about being born in the USA and being sent to fight in Vietnam.
Listen to the lyrics: “Got in a little hometown jam - So they put a rifle in my hand - Sent me off to a foreign land - To go and kill the yellow man - Born in the USA - I was born in the USA.” President Ronald Reagan adopted the song for his re-election campaign in 1984.
R.E.M.’s song, “The One I Love,” appears to be a typical love song, but the band’s lead singer, Michael Stipe, explained that the song is “too brutal…really violent and awful.” The lyrics include referring to a lover as a “Simple prop to occupy my time.”
In 1995, TLC had a hit with their song, “Waterfalls.” Most have believed the lyrics are about taking time to calm down and appreciate life, but the song is about the important issues of the mid-90’s like poverty, crime, and HIV/AIDS.
With that in mind, the lyrics take on new meaning: “Don’t go chasing waterfalls - Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to - I know that you’re gonna have it your way or nothing at all - But I think you’re moving too fast.”
The upbeat melody of the song, “Semi-Charmed Life” by Third Eye Blind (1997) sounds like a happy tune about living a happy life. The song is about doing meth with a partner and breaking up. The lyrics reveal the true meaning: “The sky was gold, it was rose - I was taking sips up into my nose - Smiling in the pictures you would take - Doing crystal meth will lift you up until you break.” The song continues: “And then I bumped up, I took the hit that I was given - Then I bumped again, then I bumped again.”
“Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” by Green Day has been used as a song to lament the past. The song was used in the season finale of “Seinfeld” as the cast took a final bow to the audience and has been part of graduations, proms, and weddings. But “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” is an angry scolding of a girlfriend who will regret leaving what is the “Time of her life.”
“Who Let The Dogs Out” by The Baha Men, released in 2000, has nothing to do with canine chaos. The song is a feminist anthem that calls out men who launch cat-calls at attractive women. The “dogs” in the song are misogynistic men.
Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” (2008) is actually about Gaga’s bisexuality. The song is about making love to a male partner while fantasizing about being with a woman and her “poker face” hides her true thoughts. Don’t the lyrics lead us to the real meaning of the song: “I won’t tell you that I love you - Kiss or hug you - Cause I’m buffin’ with my muffin - I’m not lying I’m just stunnin’ with my love-glue-gunning.”
The 2010 hit, “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster The People is widely believed to be about a teenager with special new kicks - shoes. But “Pumped Up Kicks” is about mental health and school shootings. The lyrics: “All the other kids with the pumped up kicks - You’d better run, better run, outrun my gun.”
Most people notice the melody of songs before they hear the lyrics. From the 1960s to today - countless songs have rich lyrics that relate to relationships and the human condition. If you have paid more attention to the melodies of songs - maybe start paying more attention to the actual lyrics. There may be a message that relates to you and whatever you are dealing with in your life.
