Top 10 Song Meanings Everyone Gets Wrong

there's more than meets the eye with these songs welcome to watchmojo.com and today we'll be counting down our picks for the top 10 song meanings everyone gets wrong for this list we'll be looking at popular songs out of an intended meaning by the respective artists that the majority of listeners may not have picked up on assisted harm and debris we will however be leaving off songs where the true meaning is clear but the instrumentals deceive in picking up what the track is really all about such as semi charmed life and Pumped Up Kicks number 10 possession Sarah McLaughlin this is if you're under the assumption that possession is a love song we're sorry in advance lines like I'll take your breath away make it easy to see why people might take it that way but look closer and you'll notice some pretty creepy sentiments McLaughlin was inspired to make this song by two fans that created a fantasy relationship with her sending love letters on a regular basis one even went on to sue McLaughlin for songwriting credit but committed suicide before the case went to trial possession is still one of Sarah's finest songs but you may want to think twice before playing it on a first date closing time turn all of the number nine closing time Semisonic closing time one last call for help finish your whiskey Obi this one seems pretty straightforward finish your whiskey or beer clearly Semisonic is relaying the sense of loneliness experienced when the warmth of booze and Friends fades away at the end of a night out however lead singer Dan Wilson explained that the song is actually a metaphor for childbirth I hope with his first child on the way Wilson used the song as a way to express his emotions during a transformative time in his life upon learning this the song sad existential message transforms into one of hope for new beginnings in a person's life after entering into the joys and challenges of parenthood number eight fire and rain James Taylor just yesterday morning they let me know you were gone Taylor's career defining masterpiece hits all the right notes needed to reach the upper echelons of folk rock masterpieces it may come as a surprise however that it's not actually about his girlfriend dying in a plane crash I seen fire I've seen me seen sunny days that I thought would never end each verse tells the story of a low point and Taylor's life spanning from the death of a friend to heroin addiction and finally the failing of his much-loved band flying machines sweet dreams and flying machines in pieces on the ground unlike some on our list this revelation doesn't change the essence of the song and it's still the perfect track to put on next time you're feeling down and out not cc5 number seven blackbird the Beatles epic singing in the dead of written by Paul McCartney and featuring background vocals from an actual Blackbird it's easy to think this is just a song about blackbirds all your life you were only waiting for this moment to be free Paul has since made it clear that Blackbird is actually a metaphor written in response to high racial tensions during the 1960's civil rights movement the blackbirds attempt to take his broken wings and learn to fly is meant to symbolize the struggle of African Americans to come together and heal amidst severe racial discrimination take these broken wings mud flood this isn't the first time that the Beatles have laced their songs with multiple meanings nor the first time they've touched heavily on social issues you are waiting for this moment to arrive number six wake me up when September ends Green Day summer has come and passed the innocent can never last one of Green Day's most vulnerable pieces of work there's no question that this hit Rockettes listeners to the core upon release the music videos depiction of war along with American Idiot central theme of george w bush era american life may lead listeners to believe that this song references the 9/11 terror attacks in new york however singer Billie Joe Armstrong has gone on to state that the song's intent was actually to express a much more personal loss that of his father who died when Billy was only 10 years old sells number five more than words extreme is not you ever say something with good intentions that gets taken completely out of context well this band has plenty in common with you then this 1991 hit is widely interpreted as a beckoning for sex because saying I love you to your significant other just isn't enough that two extremes guitarist Nuno Bettencourt has gone on record saying that the song was intended to explore how the phrase I love you was becoming meaningless in relationships and perhaps it would be more evocative to express love in more creative ways because clearly our minds were in the gutter for this one just by number four harder to breathe maroon 5 there you see that mommy hit is unacceptable condescending the room fives debut album songs about Jane focused much of its efforts on expressing the inner turmoil of Adam Levine after a tough breakup with well Jane it stands to reason that the album's first track would make this message crystal clear at first glance the lyrics appeared to describe the feelings of loneliness and suffocation of a breakup when Adam has since declare that harder to breathe is actually about the band's label demanding more music late into production it may have been intended initially as a screw you to the band's label is there anyone out there cuz it's getting harder real hard to be but we can guess the animosity faded when the royalties came in number three in the air tonight Phil Collins allegedly Phil Collins wrote the song after witnessing someone drown while another man refused to help while this would certainly add layers to Collins character it begs several questions namely if Colin saw all of this happens why couldn't he just jump in and save his friend it turns out that he was actually expressing his emotions during a devastating divorce the Intendant Aventa sporadic anger toward the situation without really giving the song an exact direction it's now considered one of the greatest songs of all time and likely one of the few examples of divorce leading to a financial gain number two every breath you take the police with seemingly loving lyrics and a catchy guitar hook this song sounds like it belongs at wedding receptions or a school dance shoes however the song is actually about a crazy stalker and the lyrics make this pretty obvious they actually say the words every bone you break I'll be watching you and that's not even the creepy bit it's best not to analyze this one too much the focal image of the music video is a window washer while the girl in question never once makes an appearance what may have started as a pleasant toe-tapper kinda makes you want to take a shower when you realize what it's all about before we unveil our number one pick here are a few honorable mentions by the sea number one born in the USA Bruce Springsteen this essential fourth of july' power ballad likely conjures up images of fireworks American flags and freedom it sounds like a ballad of unflinching patriotism until you realize that the boss is actually being extremely critical about the current state of the country and the realities of American life starting out the song regales a story of a man born dirt-poor and constantly in trouble he then goes off to war killing the yellow man and things just get worse from there all the while the ever-popular chorus is repeated again and again it's hard to believe that this song is played right next to the likes of God bless the USA when its message couldn't be any different so do you agree with our list which song meanings blew your mind here comes the rain again for more interesting top tens published daily be sure to subscribe to watchmojo.com time every new beginning comes from some other beginnings

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Keywords: music, songs, song meanings, semisonic, sarah mclachlan, extreme, green day, the beatles, james taylor, in the air tonight, maroon 5, bruce springsteen, the police, phil collins, top 10, watchmojo

Id: 2ziEsZSVJ1s

Length: 13min 36sec (816 seconds)

Published: Sat Apr 09 2016