Most Misinterpreted Songs

[taxerman]

 

Originally Posted by MarkBastable

["People also think 'Mickey' is about butt-*******!" Basil added.

It's not about anything dirty."

 

Uhhh, you do know that a magician never reveals how to do the trick, right? Same thing about artists. An artist never reveals what his/her art is really about.

I told you that song is about anal sex. I ain't making that up, dude.

Basil is a fun, precocious girl. She knew why she changed some of the lyrics and she knew what she was singing with "Mickey."

[Karma1]

A number of years ago I saw a book in a bookstore about misinterpreted song lyrics. I think it was called "Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy." It had a cartoon pic of Jimi on the cover. That's probably one of the most misunderstood lyrics right there. But there was some really funny stuff in that book. One of the most misinterpreted lyrics was from Stairway To Heaven. Actual lyric:

"And as we wind on down the road

Our shadows taller than our soul...."

Misinterpreted:

"And there's a wino down the road

I should have stolen Oreo's..."

[allthumz]

 

Originally Posted by Jerry_L

Great song, but whomever misinterpreted that?

 

Pictures of Lily. Funny song. Love Entwistle's horn solo.

[soundcreation]

Misinterpreted lyrics are fine too!

[wrongnote85]

 

Originally Posted by Yavin

Probably not misinterpreted but still funny as all get out, "Be My Girl Sally" by the Police isn't about a live girl...more like a made in China vinyl replica.

 

andy says plan as day whats going on in that song.

also, this

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPXZfQHnOVI

[Doctor49]

the beegees come to you on a submarine

[MarkBastable]

 

Originally Posted by taxerman

Uhhh, you do know that a magician never reveals how to do the trick, right? Same thing about artists. An artist never reveals what his/her art is really about.

I told you that song is about anal sex. I ain't making that up, dude.

Basil is a fun, precocious girl. She knew why she changed some of the lyrics and she knew what she was singing with "Mickey."

 

You present me with a dilemma.

I can either believe you, offering a theory with no supporting evidence at all, but who told me to go and find an interview with Basil, who you said had confirmed your version of events.

Or I can believe the artist, with whom I have found an interview which completely and directly contradicts your version of events.

I shall obviously have to consider this deeply. Of course, it would help if you could cite the interview you mention, in which Basil says it is about anal sex.

[Surrealistic]

 

Originally Posted by MarkBastable

You present me with a dilemma.

I can either believe you, offering a theory with no supporting evidence at all, but who told me to go and find an interview with Basil, who you said had confirmed your version of events.

Or I can believe the artist, with whom I have found an interview which completely and directly contradicts your version of events.

I shall obviously have to consider this deeply. Of course, it would help if you could cite the interview you mention, in which Basil says it is about anal sex.

 

It IS a tough one isn't it?

Back to the OP, Born in the USA is the obvious one of course, but you could name a whole bunch of Randy Newman songs which seem to go way over some people's heads; "Short People" and "I Love LA" being the best known, but take a listen to "Burn On" and to "He gives us all his love" for the (IMO) best not-immediately-obvious-but-bitingly-satirical songs of his.

[slvrsrpnt]

two things came to mind

The first being a line from Sabbath's Paranoid that is "I tell you to enjoy life, I wish I could but it's too late" that a lot of folks hear as "I tell you to end your life, I wish I could but it's too late"

The second being the good ole "wrapped up like a douche, the rumor in the night" from Manfred Mann - to this day, I really don't know if it's a douche or a deuce with neither making all that much sense to me.

[ermghoti II]

 

Originally Posted by El Glom-o

In an episode of "Sledge Hammer!", Sledge has to let a suspect go. Before releasing the guy, Sledge says to him, "OK, you can go. But remember - every breath you take, every move you make, I'll be watching you. That's police talk."

 

"Sledge Hammer!" reference, out of {censored}ing nowhere!

[El Glom-o]

 

Originally Posted by ermghoti II

"Sledge Hammer!" reference, out of {censored}ing nowhere!

 

Well, when somebody mentions the police, I'm going to be thinking about Sledge Hammer, Frank Drebin, or Joe Friday.

[Angry Tele]

[Angry Tele]

subliminal "do its"

 

[Angry Tele]

wait, because she sings "you take me by the who" it has to be about anal sex? Maybe shes a Dr Suess fan? either way who cares if she is singing about anal sex? That makes the song better.

[ermghoti II]

 

Well, when somebody mentions the police, I'm going to be thinking about Sledge Hammer, Frank Drebin, or Joe Friday.

 

 

That's a sound policy.

[Steadfastly]

The Guess Who "American Women". Most people think this was an anti-war song because it came out around the time of the Vietnam war. It's not.

 

 

[Dr_Kuh]

Run through the jungle - CCR

 

Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams

[taxerman]

Of course, it would help if you could cite the interview you mention, in which Basil says it is about anal sex.

 

Head to your library and dig through a stack of thirty year old VILLAGE VOICE newspapers. If you don't know, the Village in New York City is a playground for homosexuals and the VILLAGE VOICE is their newspaper. It was, if I recall correctly, in that paper that I read Basil talking about how "Mickey" deals with anal sex.

 

(By the way, non-homosexuals like myself read the VILLAGE VOICE. It had the greatest pieces on music and film. You do not have to be a homosexual to read the VILLAGE VOICE. I am not a homosexual. Not that there's anything wrong with it.)

 

Come on, man, as I said use your ears. Listen to the lyrics of "Mickey." My God, man, just watch the video! That video is all about ass! I can't count the number of times Basil pushes her butt out to the camera! If you think that video is about a girl wanting to go steady with her boy and meet at the malt shop, then you should see an eye doctor.

[Cats-o-caster]

Misinerpreted? I could name a few {censored}ty lyrics like "Stairway to heaven", "Little wing", "visions of Johanna" and so on. What's the use, ppl still thinks there's something behind

[Edward]

Teenage Kicks, by the Undertones. John Peel's favourite single of all time was also the best song about wanking, ever. As Sean O'Neill (Undertones, lead guitarist) who wrote it once said "it's about teenage Catholic boys wankin' cause they can't get girlfriends".

 

Perfect Day, Lou Reed. The BBC used it (an overblown, Band Aid style take with lots of famous musicians on it, including ole Lou himself) as a self-promotional number for a few months about fifteen years ago, even putting it out as a charity single one November (for Children In Need). It's incredible how many people think it's a love song. Well, I suppose they're half right.. it's a love song to heroin.

 

The Monkees, I'm a Believer - I always associate this track with a guy who is trapped in an emotionally / psychologically abusive relationship, and needs out. But every time he is about to make the break....

 

One of the biggest howlers I've ever seen in terms of misinterpretation was when Merc used the Janis Joplin "Oh Lord won't you buy me a Mercedes Benz" number in their ads. Horrific.

[Angry Tele]

this is the best song about wanking

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERTT_sv8sV0&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERTT_sv8sV0

[RogerF]

My fav example is really a case of a "modegreen" (mishearing of a phrase) rather than the meaning of an entire song. Brewer & Shipley's "One Toke Over The Line" (sweet Jesus) was often performed in church services as "One Toe Over The Line."

 

BTW Jerry Garcia played pedal steel on this recording:

 

[video=youtube;Ejvcd-JeVCQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejvcd-JeVCQ

[soundcreation]

 

Summer of 69 - Bryan Adams

 

 

In what way?

 

I for sure think during the outro he does sing one time "me and my baby in a 69".....

 

but aside from that I think the rest of the song is what it appears......a song about adolescent (and late teen...don't forget Valance was older than adams) nostalgia and discovery of MANY things, music, guitar, forming a band....sex being only one part. Though many people do miss the sexual part of the song.

[jimlp]

Yes! Very good ones. The former a scathing indictment of Reagan era bull{censored} capitalism...(that he wanted to use as his campaign song...lol...) and the later about a stalker, and not a "sweet little love song"

 

 

I guess I am confused as to the reference to Reagan and this song which time line wise is before his presidency. "Born down in a dead man town" would have to be 1950's if he was in Vietnam as referenced "Put a rifle in my hands, to go and kill the yellow man" which is most likely 60's. The final verse would be 70's:

"Down in the shadow of the penitentiary

Out by the gas fires of the refinery

I'm ten years burning down the road

Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go"

I suppose the he could have gone to Vietnam in the early 70's but Springsteen wrote the song in early 1982 about the shameful treatment of returning Vietnam veterans in the 1970's, how does the policies of Ronald Reagan even come into play? Did Bruce actually say this?

[soundcreation]

 

I guess I am confused as to the reference to Reagan and this song which time line wise is before his presidency. "Born down in a dead man town" would have to be 1950's if he was in Vietnam as referenced "Put a rifle in my hands, to go and kill the yellow man" which is most likely 60's. The final verse would be 70's: "Down in the shadow of the penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery I'm ten years burning down the road Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go" I suppose the he could have gone to Vietnam in the early 70's but Springsteen wrote the song in early 1982 about the shameful treatment of returning Vietnam veterans in the 1970's, how does the policies of Ronald Reagan even come into play? Did Bruce actually say this?

 

 

Yeah you are right that the song is dated earlier although the last few lines suggest a progression in time "10 years" later where the character can't get a job and has no hope for a decent life in America.

 

I was more referring (not very well obviously) to when Reagan wanted invoke Bruce and his music (and obviously Born in the USA as it was his hugest song at the time) as a campaign strategy. Reagan and his people obviously interpreted it as a positive song about america when in reality it was the exact opposite and Bruce was fundamentally opposed to Reagan type policies as seen in this quote..

 

"It