# Ordinary songs that no one notices are actually creepy **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 11, 2004, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639 "2004-03-11T04:44:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Milburn\_Drysdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs\_Milburn\_Drysdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Milburn_Drysdale)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/261 "2004-04-21T23:54:45Z")
> [@Evil Death](#): > > Nuts, hit reply too soon. I meant to add: > > If you want a really creepy Beatles song, try She’s Leaving Home (spoilt rich girl runs away with a used car salesman because her home life is so unloving) or Eleanor Rigby (no explanation necessary, I trust). Both of these songs creep me out. We had to sing “Eleanor Rigby” in music class (it was the 70s) which left me with a lifetime aversion. And as far as “Run for Your Life” goes - check out Nancy Sinatra’s version! It turns into a Russ Meyer flick. ---
**Author:** ![Mrs\_Milburn\_Drysdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@Mrs\_Milburn\_Drysdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mrs_Milburn_Drysdale)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2004, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/262 "2004-04-21T23:56:16Z")
> [@Jojo](#): > > The message there clearly being - don’t piss Tom off or you’ll be sorry. If you see Tom Jones live, he acts out the stabbing of Delilah! ---
**Author:** ![Rufus\_Xavier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@Rufus\_Xavier](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rufus_Xavier)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/263 "2004-04-22T00:15:52Z")
Steely Dan is notorious for sunny, upbeat pop songs with a hint or more of menace in the lyrics. some of my favorites include: ‘King of the World’, about a post-nuclear-holocaust America ‘Charlie Freak’ about a heroin addict ‘Everyone’s Gone to the Movies’ this one appears to be about a pedophile ‘Josie’, which seems to be about the most violent female in town ‘The Glamour Profession’ about a coke dealer ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/264 "2004-04-22T02:30:36Z")
> [@Mehitabel](#): > > Here’s Randy’s notes on the song from his GUILTY compilation: > \*Inspired by the move M. Also, my first wife, Roswitha, told me about Peter Kurten, who was from Dusseldorf, as she was. He killed children around 1925 or so. \* That didn’t quite make it clear that Fritz Lang’s [M (1931)](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0022100/combined) was inspired (if you can call it that) by the Peter Kurten story. And here’s an earlier analysis from our own mod **Ukulele Ike** on this chap, from an earlier thread: > [@](#): > > Yes, he was [a pedophile]. Among other things: sadist, rapist (of adult women), arsonist, blood-drinker, animal-fucker, and deriver of sexual satisfaction from witnessing street accidents. > > Kurten’s first victim was an 8-year-old girl, whose throat he cut (after rape) in 1913. Most of his later killings were of adult women, whom he stabbed, strangled, and hammered. He would later visit their graves and masturbate over them. > > Kurten was guillotined at Klingelputz Prison in Cologne in 1932. His last meal was Wienerschnitzel, with fried potatoes and a bottle of white wine, which he enjoyed so much he asked for and ate all over again. > His final words were "“After my head has been cut off, will I still be able to hear, at least for a moment, the sould of my own blood gushing from the stump of my neck?..That would be the pleasure to end all pleasures.” ---
**Author:** ![dook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@dook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dook)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/265 "2004-04-22T07:17:54Z")
> [@Mayflower](#): > > Here’s a vote for Brooks and Dunn’s _Rock My World, Little Country Girl_. Oh, I hate this song SO much! It’s about a girl who “acts like Madonna, but she listens to Merle,” and “got an ‘A’ in math and never cracked a book.” > > I always abbreviated the title and called the song _Rock My World, Little C_nt\*, because, IMO, that’s basically what the song means! I don’t get it. They’re describing their idea of the perfect country girl, which is pretty darn close to mine. I guess I can start writing my personal ads “Hillbilly seeks little C\*nt”. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/266 "2004-04-22T12:52:53Z")
> [@The Great Zamboni](#): > > You mean a popular song that is about sex?! That’s shocking! No, it’s not because the song is about sex–if that were my problem, about 99.999% of songs would shock me. It’s because the song is about a girl who’s screwing her teacher to get good grades, and the tone of the song is _praising_ this behavior. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/267 "2004-04-22T13:05:26Z")
> [@Mayflower](#): > > Here’s a vote for Brooks and Dunn’s _Rock My World, Little Country Girl_. Oh, I hate this song SO much! It’s about a girl who “acts like Madonna, but she listens to Merle,” and “got an ‘A’ in math and never cracked a book.” So she got an A in math without opening the book to study. She could be screwing the teahcer or she could be a math genius. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/268 "2004-04-22T13:11:28Z")
> [@](#): > > She could be screwing the teahcer or she could be a math genius. “Acts like Madonna”? Hmmm…I’m gonna go with “screwing the teacher”. ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [April 22, 2004, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/269 "2004-04-22T14:32:05Z")
Sorry if it’s been done already, but I don’t have time to go over the whole thread again…I’m reminded of a party I went to long long ago where some guy admitted to the assorted stoners that his favorite song was Heart’s “All I Want to Do Is Make Love To You”. We were like, “No, man! That sucks!” And he was all, “Hey man! It’s like, a good love song, okay?” And we were like, “No it’s not! It’s about a woman cheating on her husband so she can have a baby!” And he was all, “Bullshit!” So the assorted stoners played the song for him, pointing out the meaningful parts: And in the morning when he woke all I left him was a note I told him “i am the flower you are the seed” ("Dude! He’s the SEED!) We walked in the garden We planted a tree (“She’s knocked up, man!”) … Then it happened one day, We came round the same way You can imagine his surprise When he saw his own eyes (“The kid looked like him!”) I said “please, please understand I’m in love with another man And what he couldn’t give me Was the one little thing that you can” (“SPERM!”) When it was over, the guy said, “Well, you guys just ruined my favorite song!” So we all felt pretty good about that. ---
**Author:** ![Chanteuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de053/32.png) [@Chanteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chanteuse)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/270 "2004-04-23T04:28:21Z")
> [@misstee](#): > > So she got an A in math without opening the book to study. She could be screwing the teahcer or she could be a math genius. No, she’s not some genius who didn’t have to study, though taken out of context, I can see how it might look that way. If you listen to the entire song, you realize it ain’t brain power getting her through school! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gamaliel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b487fb/32.png) [@Gamaliel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gamaliel)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2004, 7:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/271 "2004-04-23T07:18:58Z")
I’ll never forget a friend’s reaction when we had to explain to him that Weezer’s “Hashpipe” was really about male prostitution. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2004, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/272 "2004-04-24T16:51:50Z")
> [@Mayflower](#): > > No, it’s not because the song is about sex–if that were my problem, about 99.999% of songs would shock me. It’s because the song is about a girl who’s screwing her teacher to get good grades, and the tone of the song is _praising_ this behavior. [http://www.geocities.com/islandlyrics/brooksdunn/bnd06.txt](http://www.geocities.com/islandlyrics/brooksdunn/bnd06.txt) Here’s the lyrics. This looks like it’s about a teenage slut. She’s not doing a teacher, but it does look like an older man is chasing her, and she doesn’t seem to mind. The first verse is the only place where school is mentioned. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/273 "2004-10-30T05:03:45Z")
I think _Six Days on the Road_ is possibly the best amped up truck driver song ever written. However I don’t think the bit about “little white pills” is wrong, it’s a pretty accurate description of some truck drivers. The line that always bothered my dad: My rig’s a little old, But that don’t mean she’s slow There’s a flame from the stack and the smoke’s blowin’ black as coal Buddy, you need to get those injectors adjusted, running a little rich. ---
**Author:** ![fighting\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac8455/32.png) [@fighting\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fighting_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [October 30, 2004, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/274 "2004-10-30T15:53:08Z")
> [@](#): > > You see her, you can’t touch her > You hear her, you can’t hold her > You want her, you can’t have her > You want to, but she won’t let you Creeeeeepy ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/275 "2004-11-08T07:08:55Z")
I’m glad someone else has resurrected this thread, so that I can add a few more: “Edge of the World” by Faith No More. Another pedophile song, with wonderful lyrics such as: “You can trust me, I’m no criminal But I’d kill my mother to be with you be with you be with you” -and- “Lay your head on my shoulder It’s not the point that I’m forty years older” Speaking of Faith No More, that album (_The Real Thing_) had all sorts of lyrics like that, though. For instance, from _Underwater Love_: “Liquid seeps into your lungs, but your eyes look so serene/it’s wonderful how the surface ripples/but you’re perfect, and I cannot breathe” And from _The Morning After_: “If I am dead, how can I feel such love? If I am dead, why am I dreaming? If I am dead, where do I go from here? If I am dead, why does this pain feel so good?” ---
**Author:** ![NothingMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b77776/32.png) [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/276 "2004-11-08T15:28:58Z")
> [@Siege](#): > > Evanessence’s current hit “Wake Me Up Inside” has far too much of what I don’t want my next relationship to be: > CJ As someone else in this thread has mentioned this is a song about a persons relationship with God. Also the band is **Evanescence** and the song is “ **Bring Me to Life** ”. Strangely enough I was in studio in the 90’s when another DJ was interviewing the **Toadies** and at least two members of the band said that " **Possum Kingdom"** was indeed about vampires. However I suppose its the artists peragative to change their story. Finally I always thought that the “Josie” reffered to in the **Outfield** ’s song was a guy: Josies on a vacation far away, come around and talk it over. So many things that I wann say, you know I like my girls a little bit older. As is - “hey your boyfriends far away, lets get together and see if I can help you not miss him”. I guess that all depends on whether you’ve known more male Josies or female ones. ~ **NM**. . . who is still a radio jock ---
**Author:** ![tetha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@tetha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetha)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2005, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/277 "2005-01-31T19:09:20Z")
the song Seventeen by Winger is very creepy. He’s a 30 year old hitting on a 17 year old! ---
**Author:** ![tripthicket](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripthicket/32/297_2.png) [@tripthicket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tripthicket)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/278 "2005-02-01T02:35:36Z")
One that I listened to for years until the lyrics ‘re-clicked’ in my head was _Duke of Earl_. _I’m gonna love you_ _Nothing can stop me now_ _'Cause I’m the Duke of Earl_ Love (which could include the physical expression thereof) that no one can stop - not even the lovee, presumably - certainly does a little more than raise an eyebrow, from where I’m standing. ---
**Author:** ![Augie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@Augie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Augie)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/279 "2005-02-01T03:10:00Z")
How about when a creepy geezer like Maurice Chevalier sings “Thank Heavens For Little Girls”? ---
**Author:** ![TwoTrouts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a9adbd/32.png) [@TwoTrouts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwoTrouts)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2005, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639/280 "2005-02-01T14:38:21Z")
I may have missed this in the thread, but how about Elvis Costello’s “_Allison_”. It sounds like a love song with a rejected lover wishing his ex well, but is really about a bitter stalker planning on hunting her down and shooting her. The line “_My aim is_\* true\*” is meant to strike terror. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ordinary-songs-that-no-one-notices-are-actually-creepy/233639.md?page=15)