Esteemed author Wilson Bryan Key quite convincingly proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the songs “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Hey, Jude” were about drug use.
Follow Me by Uncle Cracker. Heroin again.
Interesting. FWIW, “little death” is a literal translation of the French word used to denote orgasms.
I was shocked to discover that Led Zeppelin’s The Lemon Song is not in fact about citrus fruit.
I don’t know if you are just being ironic, but if you listen carefully to the lyrics of Springsteen’s song, it is obviously an very bitter review of how various individuals have been betrayed by their own country: Link to lyrics **
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Dear whitetho, of course I am conscious of what “Born in the USA” really means. There has been extensive discussion of it in the SDMB recently. I cited that as one more example of a song that has been widely misunderstood. When I heard “Born in the USA” suddenly blasting from radios everywhere, I thought, “They want patriotic songs? Then play ‘With God On Our Side’, they’ll really love that!” 
Green Day’s “Time of Your Life” was constantly playing after McGuire’s record-breaking season.
Didn’t anybody realize the bitter and hateful nature of the song?
i know this is so obvious as to not really be deceptive, but about half of ZZ Top’s songs are about blowjobs.
Actually, both of these are as true as each other (and I’m guessing that the second one was meant to be a joke). Perfect Day had nothing to with heroin until a certain movie came along and used it for an overdose scene.
So strangely, Perfect Day is the opposite of what this thread is about - an innocuous song reinterpreted as a drug song, like Puff the Magic Dragon.
Not meth, but Heroin. Everyone thought that was such a nice song, SO MANY people never got it. I once went to a camp church service and that song was sung. I was astounded that only a few people in the entire group got the idea that this was not your typical, heaven-type angel.
LC
There’s always More Than Words by Extreme. Everyone was on about “what a sweet love song from such a hard-rocking band.” But it’s not a love song, it’s a sex song. He wants herto do more than just say that she loves him, he wants her to show him! It would be " so easy!" Totally deceptive.
I’m sure that there are more, but I can’t think of any. Phoo.
“I Believe in Father Christmas” by Greg Lake comes across as a traditional Christmas song, but the lyrics are actually a scathing attack on Christianity.
A Harvard University dormitory administrator stopped the Beatles’ song “Revolution” from being played from a dormitory window when they were having their first 60’s sit-in and admin building takeover demonstration. I’ve also heard it played loud 'n proud from boom-boxes during leftist-flavored marches, often right before or after Tracy Chapman’s song of the same subject. (Anyone care to speculate on what “you can count me out” might mean??)
Another Beatles offering: the song Helter Skelter, if I recall correctly, is a song about playing on a child’s swing set or teeter totter or some such playground equipment.
Then there is always Pink Floyd’s magnum opus “The Wall”, the double album that is NOT about the alienation of a rock star named “Pink” from his fans.
Despite its title and its chorus, REM’s “The One I Love” is most definitely not a love song.
I think “Losing My Religion” also counts. According to their Storyteller’s episode, “losing my religion” is an old Southern expression for not knowing what to do, and the song is about not knowing what do when you have a crush. It has nothing to do with religion, but I had never heard the expression and so I didn’t get it. The video didn’t help clarify matters.
Champagne Supernova by Oasis. I think this may fall also under misheard, not heard, unheard lyrics, as I was so happy hearing it, with my little innocent mind.
Then a classmate made a paper on how it is about drug use.
Then a close friend explained it to me phrase by phrase, this time saying it was about masturbation.
I can not listen to it the same way as before.
Did you guess that? I’m mucho impressed if you did.
Folks, it’s about PeeWee Herman and his porn theatre escapade.
Someone mentioned Sarah McLachlan’s song Angel. Her song Hold On is about a wife coping with life now that her husband is HIV positive, i.e. “Is this any better than the real thing?”
What’s Angel about? It’s not one of my faves. Is it even on Fumbling Towards Ecstasy?
<dances the victory dance>
I hadn’t heard of this band before but I liked Bone of Contention so I got some more of their songs from Audiogalaxy. They’re pretty good, remind me a bit of the Wonder Stuff, who I’ve allways had a soft spot for.
Thanks for the tip. 
milo
I think it’s about someone forcing themselves off heroin.
I was pretty sure “Perfect Day” was about heroin, long before it was used on the “Trainspotting” soundtrack.