The other day I was listening to a Lou Reed album and a friend mentioned that the song “Perfect Day” was about heroin. I was astonished at this news as I had always thought of it a tender and romantic account of a day idled away by two star-crossed lovers.
The chorus does seem to bear this out…“I’m glad I spent it with you/Such a perfect day/You just keep me hanging on” The music too seems to echo the stoned, warm fug of Lou’s journey from zoo to park to home, blissed out on Class A drugs.
Now, I can’t think of this song in any other way. Does anyone else have an example of a surprising slant on a well known song?
Same deal, about herion addiction. I know this isn’t by any means a secret but I’d be surprised if most people knew this. I don’t think it would have made # 1 if they had. (It did go #1, didn’t it? Regardless, it was pretty popular when it came out…all over radio and MTV).
Gawd, so how many songs are actually about heroine?
“There She Goes” by The La’s.
Sounds like a breezy love song. But among the many things “she” goes doing are “Racing through my brain”, “Pulsing through my vein” and “Chasing down my lane”.
And here I thought the real meanings behind most pop songs was “I want to be rich, famous, and have many folks intrigued with the idea of having sex with me”.
Semisonic’s “Closing Time” is apparently about last call at the bar, but I later read a story in which Dan Wilson said it was really about the difficult birth of his child.
R.E.M.'s “The One I Love” was written about bitter betrayal, although it became a prom favorite because people thought it was about love.
Apparently, Baby on Board by the B-Sharps is about drug use as well. It makes perfect sense if you really listen the lyrics.
Baby on board, How I’ve adored,
That sign on my car’s windowpane.
Bounce in my step, Loaded with pep,
‘Cause I’m drivin’ in the carpool lane.
Call me a square, Friend, I don’t care.
That little yellow sign can’t be ignored.
I’m tellin’ you it’s mighty nice.
Each trip’s like a trip to paradise
With my baby on board.
“Chestnut Mare” by the Byrds is all about a sexual encounter. The “mare” is a metaphor, as is most of the rest of the song. “She’ll be just like a wife.” Think about it and then listen to the lyrics.
I know of at least one radio station that thought “I Don’t Like Mondays” by the Boomtown Rats would be a great song to use to promote an “I Don’t Like Mondays” contest. It was promoted, but dropped, probably because someone explained them what the song was about (someone shooting other students in her school).
Another heroin song is Billy Joel’s “Captain Jack.” “But Captain Jack will get you high tonight.”
On Fear’s album “More Beer” I have noticed many misconceptions about the title song “More beer”.
Here is an exceprt from that song-
" beer more beer more beer all want is more beer more beer and when wake up in the mournin’ my mouth’s all parched and dry and i crawl to the refrigerator and peek inside and i’m hopin’ and i’m prayin’ i hope there’s one more beer more beer more beer "
…as you can clearly see this song is about chicken. Chicken all over his plate.
I cant even begin to coment on the song “I’ll have another beer” from their albumn -Have another beer with Fear. I mean, come on people!
pipeliner, now I finally understand what that ‘little yellow sign’ really meant! For those who don’t know, one of the biggest suppliers of heroin to the US in the mid-80’s was the Indo-Asian Cartel (or ‘Cartel Indo-Asienne’ as they were known). Their packages were shipped as ‘auto parts’ with the company logo, a distinctive tilted yellow square which was recognized by well-connected dealers everywhere.
Don’t hold me to this, but I had always heard that the song ‘Jeremy’ by Pearl Jam was about a kid that went in a shot up his classroom. Kinda fitting these days, if it’s actually true.
But keep in mind, I’m horrible when it comes to songs/meanings/lyrics. I once thought the lyrics to Van Halen’s ‘Panama’ went, ‘Bang a gong. Bang aAA gAAaaooonggg’