There’s nothing we love more than rolling the windows down during a casual drive and singing at the top of our lungs.
It’s even better when we’re jamming out to a song that we connect to on an emotional level, as well, but far too often, we confuse the true intentions behind a song with a catchy chorus or an upbeat tune.
These 11 songs have messages that may not be so obvious to their millions of listeners.
The first song on our list is Semisonic’s “Closing Time.”
On the surface, this song seems to touch on the difficulties of loneliness or even just closing time at your local bar, but the group’s lead singer discusses that the song is metaphorical for having children. As most parents can attest, one chapter of life closes while another chapter begins around the birth of a first child.
The Beatles’ 1968 song “Blackbird” takes the second spot on our list, with lyrics that symbolize racial inequalities in the 1960s.
This song was inspired by the group Little Rock Nine during the civil rights movement and went on to become well-known internationally.
Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” is a song usually associated with patriotism and the 4th of July.
Ample amounts of Americans have probably sung the chorus to this song at one time or another, but beyond just the chorus, this song is quite analytical. The lyrics reflect on the grappling problems Vietnam War veterans faced after returning to the states.
“This Land is Your Land” by singer and songwriter Woody Guthrie is a critique of the economic disparities of the time.
Fearing persecution under McCarthyism, Guthrie had to delete several of his original lyrics.
Bonnie Tyler’s “Total Eclipse of the Heart” is widely accepted as a passionate love song, but in actuality, the song was written for the musical Nosferatu.
We hate to break it to you, but the song’s original title was “Vampires in Love.” It was written specifically to be about vampires and not mortal humans like ourselves.
“Who Let the Dogs Out” may be one of the least understood songs on the list.
This song’s lyrics were a part of the feminist movement to end catcalling. The song’s writers touched on the general disrespect women far too often receive in their daily lives.
I think we can all recall a time or two while we were dancing to the famous “Macarena” without actually recognizing what the Spanish lyrics were implying.
While this song quickly became an American dance favorite, the lyrics are largely misunderstood, mainly because they’re in Spanish. This song is actually about a woman who cheats on her boyfriend before he goes off to war. It gets worse, though. She didn’t just cheat on him once, but rather she cheated on him twice with two of his closest friends.
Alphaville’s 1984 song “Forever Young” which later inspired Jay-Z’s “Young Forever” is accepted by several generations as a coming of age classic.
The song’s lyrics, however, take on a much darker meaning as it touches on the constant fears of potential nuclear war.
Foster the People’s “Pumped Up Kicks” is another upbeat song with lyrics that are nothing short of political.
The lyrics reflect the group’s opinions on mass shootings and gun control. However, this song is still often played in a celebratory matter at parties and barbeques.
The Police’s notorious song “Every Breath You Take” is another that is widely classified as a love song.
When in actuality, this is a song about stalking. With the lyrics “I’ll be watching you” repeated over 14 times, this one was a bit more obvious than any of us would care to admit.
We apologize in advance if this last one potentially ruins your wedding song, but reigning 11th on our list is James Blunt’s “You’re Beautiful.”
Widely accepted as a romantic love song, the lyrics are a bit creepy, with multiple references to a man who continually stalks a woman he saw in public!
To see a more in depth analysis, watch the video below:
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