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That’s not what it’s about...misunderstood songs

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  • Guy Profumo
    replied
    Isn't "A Good Year for the Roses" inspired by what was a bad year for the roses?

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  • elguapo4
    replied
    Ace of Bass ruined it for me when they started playing and singing.

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  • Patrick Thistle
    replied
    Originally posted by Sam View Post

    The first word of this post reminded me that another candidate artist for this thread would Ace of Base. I'm sure some will be aware of why I say this, but for those are thinking 'How badly could Ace of Base's lyrics possibly be misunderstood?' I hope you're sitting down when you read this.
    You're late to this, Sam. The Awesome Berbaslug!!! already ruined Ace of Base for everyone by dropping the "they're nazis" bombshell a couple of years ago.

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  • Sam
    replied
    Originally posted by San Bernardhinault View Post
    Ace's How Long is not about adultery, but is actually about the band's bassist taking a sideline gig with another band.
    The first word of this post reminded me that another candidate artist for this thread would Ace of Base. I'm sure some will be aware of why I say this, but for those are thinking 'How badly could Ace of Base's lyrics possibly be misunderstood?' I hope you're sitting down when you read this.

    Leave a comment:


  • Crystal Staples
    replied
    Originally posted by Various Artist View Post
    Yes, a great example (a la Born In The USA) of people latching onto the one lyric and completely ignoring the context.

    I think another example of this happening is Bed of Roses by Bon Jovi. I've heard people say what a sweet, romantic song it is, oblivious to the verses having references (three blatant and one implied) to the extra-marital flings JBJ is having while on the other side of the world.

    Although lyrically it's quite a bizarre song overall, he seems to be insisting he needs to have the meaningless boring sex with others, to reinforce how wonderful the sex with Mrs JBJ is. Guess you will hear an affectionate love song if you only hear half that message.


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  • Eggchaser
    replied
    Poor old Art Garfunkel. Simply because his only perceived talent was "singing Paul Simon's songs" he gets to be a punchline.

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  • Jah Womble
    replied
    Originally posted by Jon View Post
    So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright. Art Garfunkle thought he was singing about the architect but, on another level, Simon was writing about the break up of the duo. You can hear the engineer say 'So long already, Artie' in the fade-out.
    Given that the song was called So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright, you can’t really blame him for thinking that it was about Frank Lloyd Wright.

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  • Hot Pepsi
    replied
    Originally posted by Walt Flanagans Dog View Post

    Similarly it seemed a strange choice for the "tournament exit montage" when England got knocked out in 1998 (on ITV I think), but it could have been a wry joke.
    It's frequently used for graduations. Apparently, Billy Joe Armstrong has said that he can see how that actually works. There's a lot of bullshit in high school so "good riddance" but also its "the time of your life." I guess that works.

    It was supposed to be about a girlfriend who moved away.
    Last edited by Hot Pepsi; 23-09-2020, 22:19.

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  • Jon
    replied
    So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright. Art Garfunkle thought he was singing about the architect but, on another level, Simon was writing about the break up of the duo. You can hear the engineer say 'So long already, Artie' in the fade-out.

    Leave a comment:


  • Various Artist
    replied
    Originally posted by Janik View Post
    Another entry for this would be Good Riddance by Green Day. It makes its bitterness very explicit by its title... which the people misunderstanding it must not know and think instead it’s called by the main lyric “I hope you have the time of your life”. The BBC once used Good Riddance to soundtrack a montage of Steve Redgrave’s Olympic gold medals after his fifth and announced as final one. Maybe that was a sneaky way for a Rowing hater to express themselves... but I doubt it.
    Yes, a great example (a la Born In The USA) of people latching onto the one lyric and completely ignoring the context. I'm not sure whether the bracketed '(Time of Your Life)' subtitle even appears on the album tracklisting, but was certainly there for the single release – and the single's cover went a big step further by swapping it ahead of the actual title in the sure knowledge that listeners would indeed latch onto it primarily, which will have only solidified the misapprehension:

    Last edited by Various Artist; 23-09-2020, 17:06.

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  • The Awesome Berbaslug!!!
    replied
    If the bass line of band of gold doesn't make you want to dance, you may be dead.

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  • delicatemoth
    replied
    They're bangers though. The ecstasy of the music and singing overwhelms the text to the point that it only matters as sound. "Hung up like myy maan and meeeeee..." <fanfare and wiggling>

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  • The Awesome Berbaslug!!!
    replied
    Was just going to mention that. See Also Young hearts, run free.

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  • diggedy derek
    replied
    Another one played at weddings and - thread crossover - another reason why weddings are shit.
    "Band Of Gold" is the big one on this kinda tip for weddings.

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  • Walt Flanagans Dog
    replied
    Originally posted by Janik View Post
    Another entry for this would be Good Riddance by Green Day. It makes its bitterness very explicit by its title... which the people misunderstanding it must not know and think instead it’s called by the main lyric “I hope you have the time of your life”. The BBC once used Good Riddance to soundtrack a montage of Steve Redgrave’s Olympic gold medals after his fifth and announced as final one. Maybe that was a sneaky way for a Rowing hater to express themselves... but I doubt it.
    Similarly it seemed a strange choice for the "tournament exit montage" when England got knocked out in 1998 (on ITV I think), but it could have been a wry joke.

    Leave a comment:


  • Jah Womble
    replied
    Originally posted by Gert from the Well View Post
    Sir Cliff Richard? Well Devil Women was about Satan and Wired for Sound is obviously cocaine
    The go-to with Sir Clifford is Honky Tonk Angel - a 1975 single that had to be pulled once somebody quietly explained to the Christian pop baronet that 'honky tonk angel' was US slang for a prostitute. So - he cleaned up his act and instead gave us Devil Woman a few months later...

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/There%27s_a_Honky_Tonk_Angel_(Who%27ll_Take_Me_Bac k_In)

    (This link seems to be playing up, so just link from the page 'pon which you arrive.)

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  • Janik
    replied
    The Cockney Rebel stuff is the typical story of the main songwriter feeling they are making more than an equal contribution, isn’t it? Great tune and a nasty bit of bullying that tells you all you need to know about the songwriter at the same time.

    Another entry for this would be Good Riddance by Green Day. It makes its bitterness very explicit by its title... which the people misunderstanding it must not know and think instead it’s called by the main lyric “I hope you have the time of your life”. The BBC once used Good Riddance to soundtrack a montage of Steve Redgrave’s Olympic gold medals after his fifth and announced as final one. Maybe that was a sneaky way for a Rowing hater to express themselves... but I doubt it.

    Leave a comment:


  • willie1foot
    replied
    Originally posted by diggedy derek View Post
    Jah has done Babybird, so let me kick in Cockney Rebel's "Come Up And See Me", which is directed to an old bandmate who Steve Harley wishes to gloat at.
    It's about all the former members of Cockney Rebel who quit because of money (not just one*), according to Steve Harley. That may well be the case, but I think it may have been because Steve wanted them to take a smaller share of the money the band made, to his benefit obviously.

    *the only original CR member who hung around for SH&CR was Stuart Elliot. Jean-Paul Crocker, Milton Reame-James and Paul Jeffreys were the targets of the song. Paul Jeffreys and his wife died in the Lockerbie disaster whilst flying to their honeymoon.

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  • Hot Pepsi
    replied
    That’s a great song, but it’s easy for covers to slide into twee. I don’t really mind twee, though.

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  • S. aureus
    replied
    Originally posted by EIM View Post
    There She Goes by the La's was originally thought to be about unrequited love, but then it was thought to be about heroin, but according to the band it isn't. So it's probably about wanking. Ultimately all songs are about love, heroin or wanking.
    I'd prefer it to actually be about heroin to fan the fires of my hatred for the twee versions that suck all the life from it like musical vampires.
    Last edited by S. aureus; 21-09-2020, 01:17. Reason: you fan fire, not fuel

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  • Gert from the Well
    replied
    Spinal Tap's 'Bitch school' was actually about a dog training school.

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  • G-Man
    replied
    Originally posted by Stumpy Pepys View Post

    Trump recently played Fortunate Son by CCR at one of his rallies. That it was a song about a draft dodger didn't seem to matter.
    So he presumably played it as an autobiographical note. Except "I ain't no millionaire's son, no, no".


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  • Hot Pepsi
    replied
    Originally posted by diggedy derek View Post
    "When A Man Loves A Woman" is about how miserable and abject it can make you.
    That’s a great example. Another one played at weddings and - thread crossover - another reason why weddings are shit.

    The Outfield’s “Your Love” is about love, I suppose, but it’s really about adultery. Josie is on vacation far away. Josie is the singer’s girlfriend/wife. Josie is not the girl the song is addressed to.


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  • San Bernardhinault
    replied
    Ace's How Long is not about adultery, but is actually about the band's bassist taking a sideline gig with another band.

    Leave a comment:


  • diggedy derek
    replied
    "When A Man Loves A Woman" is about how miserable and abject it can make you.

    Leave a comment:

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