When a musician writes a song , they usually put some kind of meaning behind it. Sometimes it’s incredibly personal, about some kind of traumatic or formative situation. Other times, it’s just about having a good time .
The songs in this list all have meanings, but they might not be what you think. It just goes to show that you can’t judge a book (or a song) by its cover.
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Sara Bareilles – “Love Song.”
You might be inclined to think that this hit is about an ex. The title kind of makes you feel that way. But it’s actually Bareilles talking to her record label , who didn’t really like the demos she was giving them when trying to come up for songs for her album.
Goo Goo Dolls – “Slide.”
Another song that isn’t actually a love song. This one is about a teenage couple . The girl gets pregnant, and they have to decide between getting an abortion or getting married. It’s pretty dark, actually.
Katy Perry – “Firework”
The song may seem like it’s meant to be inspirational, but Perry got the idea to write it by thinking about… death.
“…when I pass, I want to be put into a firework and shot across the sky over the Santa Barbara Ocean as my last hurrah,” she said when describing her inspiration for the hit.
Green Day – “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).”
For an entire generation of teens, this song appeared somewhere during elementary/middle/high school grad ceremonies. And while it seems like it should be an uplifting, reminiscing song, it’s actually about an ex of Billy Joel Armstrong’s who’d moved away . Hence, “Good Riddance.”
Semisonic – “Closing Time.”
This song is a pretty good example of how lyrics might not mean what they seem to at face value. Lead singer Dan Wilson admitted a decade after the 1998 single released that it was actually about how he was about to become a father .
Jonas Brothers – “A Little Bit Longer.”
Though the lyrics sound like they could be about a breakup, the song is actually about Nick Jonas’s Type 1 Diabetes.
“I had a day when my sugar was out of range, and I sat down at the piano and wrote it in 20 minutes ,” he told MTV.
Phil Collins – “In the Air Tonight.”
The song is dark and mysterious, and the lyrics sound like they’re describing a pretty dangerous situation. But in reality, Collins didn’t see somebody fail to save another from drowning.
He said about the hit, “I don’t know what this song is about. When I was writing this I was going through a divorce. And the only thing I can say about it is that it’s obviously in anger.”
Maroon 5 – “Harder to Breathe.”
Though it came from the band’s debut album “Songs About Jane,” which was a breakup album, “Harder to Breathe” isn’t about the ex at all. In fact, it was about pressure the band’s label put on Levine and the rest.
” It was the 11th hour, and the label wanted more songs ,” he said in a 2002 interview. “It was the last crack. I was just pissed.”
The Weeknd – “Can’t Feel My Face.”
“Can’t Feel My Face” plays like a love song, but much like the Canadian singer’s other hits, it’s actually about doing drugs . The lyrics reference the numbing effects of being high.
Selena Gomez – “Wolves.”
Gomez said in an interview, “Weirdly, at the same time I was working on it in Japan, I was going through stuff , too, so it’s mirrored everything.”
While she’s mentioned that it has a deep meaning to her, Selena hasn’t said exactly what the song means, leading some fans to theorize it’s about her lupus.
Third Eye Blind – “Semi-Charmed Life.”
The song sounds pretty upbeat, but the band’s front man, Stephan Jenkins, admitted in a 1997 interview that it’s actually about (once again) doing drugs. Though, he didn’t seem to mind the more upbeat interpretation.
The Cure – “Just Like Heaven.”
The song is, at its core, a love song. But there are also some deeper bits in it. For instance, lead singer Robert Smith said that the song is “about hyperventilating – kissing and fainting to the floor .”
Creed – “Higher.”
Though it sounds like it could be a Christian rock song (or, once again, about drugs), it’s actually a song about lucid dreaming and being able to control your nightmares. Who could’ve seen that one coming?
Lorde – “Royals.”
Though it seems like she’d be talking about never being able to ascend the throne, or live a life of luxury, Lorde’s inspiration for the song was a picture of George Brett , who played for the Kansas City Royals . That was definitely not the “Royals” we were expecting.
But hey, she got to meet the man himself, so there’s that.
Portugal. The Man – “Feel it Still”
One part of the song goes, “Or we could wait until the wall comes down, It’s time to give a little to the kids in the middle , But oh, until it falls, won’t bother me” is actually about the U.S.-Mexico border, and how there were talks about building a wall there.
Sia – “Chandelier.”
The hit song might sound like it could be another party anthem, but it’s actually far from it. Sia had intended it to be the polar opposite. The song is about alcoholism , and possibly about taking the partying too far.
The Beatles – “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”
It’s pretty common for people to believe that this song is about drugs (because the first letter of certain words in the title spell LSD). Paul McCartney said that, while some Beatles songs were influenced by drug use, this one in particular wasn’t .
Bonnie Tyler – “Total Eclipse of the Heart”
This love anthem is more than just that. In fact, it’s a vampire love anthem. Lyricist Jim Steinman revealed that the song was originally called “Vampires in Love.”
“If anyone listens to the lyrics, they’re really like vampire lines . It’s all about the darkness, the power of darkness and love’s place in dark,” he said.
I did not see that coming.
Lady Gaga – “Poker Face”
One of Gaga’s early hits, “Poker Face” is, as she revealed in 2009, about fantasizing about being with a woman while being in a relationship with a man, “hence, the man must read her ‘Poker Face .'”
Bob Marley – “I Shot the Sheriff.”
In a surprise twist, an ex-girlfriend of Marley’s revealed that the hit song was about him not wanting her to take birth control pills , as he thought they were sacrilegious. Of course, he is no longer around to confirm the meaning himself.
