# Real Meanings Behind Pop Songs **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 12, 2001, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689 "2001-03-12T19:06:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![bwanasimba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/53a042/32.png) [@bwanasimba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bwanasimba)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/41 "2001-03-13T13:46:34Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by VarlosZ \* > _Norwegian Wood_: Not what the song’s about, but: the narrator burns down the cabin at the end. Took me a long time to catch on to this. Not sure what you caught on to (would love an explanation), but the original title of the song was _“Knowing She Would”_. If you look back at the lyrics now (paraphrased): I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me… She showed me her room, isn’t it good, _knowing she would…_ Kinda different meaning altogether isn’t it? I heard that on Radio 2 (UK) several weeks ago and got that little frisson that sometimes comes with knowing (like the frisson you get when you just know that the evening is going to end in “hot monkey sex” - Damn **Persephone** , have you any idea how much it makes me laugh every time I see your sig???). The DJ said they had to change the title because of what the song was now actually saying. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/42 "2001-03-13T14:02:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bwanasimba \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by VarlosZ \* > > _Norwegian Wood_: Not what the song’s about, but: the narrator burns down the cabin at the end. Took me a long time to catch on to this. > > Not sure what you caught on to (would love an explanation), but the original title of the song was _“Knowing She Would”_. If you look back at the lyrics now (paraphrased): > > I once had a girl, or should I say, she once had me… > She showed me her room, isn’t it good, _knowing she would…_ > > Kinda different meaning altogether isn’t it? . . . The DJ said they had to change the title because of what the song was now actually saying. > \*\* I would like to see a cite for this, please. I have read just about every inch of copy ever written on the Beatles, and I have never seen anything stating that this song was ever titled “Knowing She Would,” or contained lyrics to that effect. Not in Lewisohn’s _Recording Sessions_ book, not in any lyrics book, not in the _Anthology_, not in Coleman’s comprehensive _Lennon_, not anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/43 "2001-03-13T14:11:16Z")
2 more drug songs: “Semi-Charmed Life” - Third Eye Blind “Never Let Me Down Again” - Depeche Mode ---
**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/44 "2001-03-13T14:31:55Z")
I can’t believe no-one’s metion this yet, but i was told, and thereafter agree with, the notion that “Tamborine Man” is a metaphor about drugs and a drug dealer. Hey Mr Tamborine Man Play a song for me On this jingle-jangle morning etc (sorry, i can’t remember the exact lyrics, but they follow in a pretty good metaphor if you listen) Fran ---
**Author:** ![Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@Tommy\_the\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tommy_the_Cat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/45 "2001-03-13T14:40:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by woodstockbirdybird \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by pepperlandgirl \* > > \*\*What about “Shock the Monkey” by Peter Gabriel, woodstockbirdy? \*\* > > Really, **pep**? “Shock the Monkey”? Never heard that one. I’m aware of the euphemism “spanking the monkey”, but _shocking_ it? Peter Gabriel’s masturbation sessions must be pretty intense. \*\* When I was in college, I worked with a guy who fancied himself the second coming of Rush Limbaugh. Anyway, he would go on and on about how **Shock the Monkey** was about having a monkey on your back (the govt.) and getting rid of it (shocking it). He was also an alcoholic and a manager in training in a store in the mall, so I never took him as a totally credible source. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/46 "2001-03-13T15:09:01Z")
My only source for the hidden meaning behind “Shock the Monkey” is VH1’s Pop-Up Video the “Loving Yourself” edition. Among others, they played Dancing By Myself and Turning Japanese. > [@](#): > > Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except me and My Monkey: Basic teachings of > the Maharishi, if rephrased a bit. > > ``` > Nope. In the Playboy interviews (1980), John said "[This] was just sort of a nice line that I made into a > song. It was about me and Yoko. Everybody seemed to be paranoid except for us two, who were in the > glow of love." > > ``` Uh, he got the “nice line” from the Mahreshi, so I guess you are both right. According to George Harrison on the Anthology (I believe) the Mahareshi was always saying fun things like “Everybody’s got something to hide.” John tacked on the “but me and my monkey” and there ya go. > [@](#): > > I’ll go with the rest of your Beatles interpretations, except for “Please Please Me.” Fun, but definitely a > stretch. Well, the song is definitely about sex. I’ve never heard John or Paul state it’s specifically about oral sex, but I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibilities. ---
**Author:** ![dodge\_this](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e5b9ba/32.png) [@dodge\_this](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dodge_this)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/47 "2001-03-13T15:46:44Z")
I once heard that ‘She’s Leaving Home’ is about abortion. Could a Beatle-savvy fan clarify this for me? Ta. ---
**Author:** ![Gundy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Gundy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gundy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/48 "2001-03-13T16:09:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dodge\_this \* > \*\*I once heard that ‘She’s Leaving Home’ is about abortion. Could a Beatle-savvy fan clarify this for me? Ta. \*\* IIRC, some censorial-types thought this. “Meeting a man from the motor trade” was supposed to be a euphemism for an abortionist. I read somewhere (_Shout!_ maybe) that this was bunk - it was a song about a girl leaving home. Go fig! ---
**Author:** ![CnoteChris](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/278dde/32.png) [@CnoteChris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CnoteChris)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/49 "2001-03-13T16:42:05Z")
I kinda like this topic. Anyone else hear the story behind Phil Collins **“In The Air Tonight”**? Well, the story goes that Phil invited this guy to one of his concerts, see. And, well, the lights went down in the arena as the song started, except for a lone spotlight on the guy Phil invited. And then, well, you see, this was all a big set-up by Phil to burn the guy, because he had been responsible for this kid drowning, and… Hey! Stop throwing shit at me! ---
**Author:** ![occ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8c91f0/32.png) [@occ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/occ)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/50 "2001-03-13T17:10:55Z")
\ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![ThisYearsGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThisYearsGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisYearsGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/51 "2001-03-13T18:30:20Z")
As for more heroin songs, “Soul Kitchen” by the Doors. I was so upset when I found this one out. . . ---
**Author:** ![Hometownboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/5e9695/32.png) [@Hometownboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hometownboy)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/52 "2001-03-13T18:39:57Z")
Then, of course, there’s the ever-mysterious **Sally Go 'Round the Roses** by the **Jaynetts** , the 1963 #2 song from Phil Spector’s stable, with haunting “wall of sound” production and lyrics that have been associated with a fistful of hidden meanings, mostly about supposed lesbianism. Anybody got the Straight Dope on this one? ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/53 "2001-03-13T19:02:32Z")
More drug songs - Black Magic Woman is supposedly about smoking opium. It didn’t occur to me for years that Life in the Fast Lane had cocaine references. Duh! ---
**Author:** ![BunnyGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@BunnyGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BunnyGirl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/54 "2001-03-13T19:05:25Z")
> [@](#): > > As for songs with hidden meanings, Don McLean’s “Vincent” is a tribute to Vincent Lombardi. **Panama** , the guy in your link IS joking, right? I mean, this guy is really reading into it. The song is about Vincent Van Gogh. Man, and I thought the Bible could be misinterpreted! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![The\_Mermaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@The\_Mermaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Mermaid)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/55 "2001-03-13T19:12:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CnoteChris \* > \*\*I kinda like this topic. > > Anyone else hear the story behind Phil Collins **“In The Air Tonight”**? > > Well, the story goes that Phil invited this guy to one of his concerts, see. And, well, the lights went down in the arena as the song started, except for a lone spotlight on the guy Phil invited. And then, well, you see, this was all a big set-up by Phil to burn the guy, because he had been responsible for this kid drowning, and… > > Hey! Stop throwing shit at me! > \*\* Hey come on guys, let’s not be so quick with the shit. It’s got to be true cause Eminem made a reference to that same thing in the song “Stan” :splat: :splat: :Clunk, owwwww that one was hard: See what you started Chris? Ok time out on the flinging crap crap. I’ve one more comment on the Boomtown Rats song. The title comes from the answer the girl gave when asked why she did it. Ok you monkeys, fling at will. I’ll go stand behing Chris there. ---
**Author:** ![BigStar303](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/dec6dc/32.png) [@BigStar303](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigStar303)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/56 "2001-03-13T20:11:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hometownboy \* > \*\*Then, of course, there’s the ever-mysterious **Sally Go 'Round the Roses** by the **Jaynetts** , the 1963 #2 song from Phil Spector’s stable, with haunting “wall of sound” production and lyrics that have been associated with a fistful of hidden meanings, mostly about supposed lesbianism. Anybody got the Straight Dope on this one? \*\* I’ve heard the lesbian angle on this one, too, but tend to doubt it. I have something on this at home that I’ll try to scare up tonight and post. Also, donning my Department of Anal Corrections cap yet again… While Phil Spector produced a lot of great girl group records, “Sally Go 'Round the Roses” wasn’t one of them. The Jaynetts’ record was actually produced by _Abner_ Spector. No relation at all between him and Phil. And if you think “Sally” is something, you haven’t lived until you’ve heard one of The Jaynetts’ follow-ups, “Snowman, Snowman, Sweet Potato Nose.” (I’m kidding about it being any good, but not about its existence…I have the single.) ---
**Author:** ![Winnowill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/4491bb/32.png) [@Winnowill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winnowill)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/57 "2001-03-13T20:48:36Z")
_Hook_ by Blues Traveller is about the art of singing and how much you can get away with just using inflection. It’s actually a joke about the exact thing this thread is about. Then there are the songs people use at weddings without ever really listening to the lyrics: _I Will Always Love You_ by Whitney (gag) Houston. Um - girls (no guys ever actually PICK this song)? She’s LEAVING him! _You Look Wonderful Tonight_ by Eric Clapton. I just ended an affair with someone else. Sorry 'bout that. Gee, you look nice. Yeah, right. _Angel_ by Sarah McLaughlin. See elsewhere in this thread. C’mon, folks - if it’s good enough to play in your wedding, it’s good enough to really listen to at least once. I had a cousin walk down the aisle to the strains of “If I should stay/ I would only be in your way/ So I’ll go…” At least find the refrain! ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/58 "2001-03-13T20:53:56Z")
Okay, since it’s been mentioned by at least two people so far … the ‘Vincent’ thing is only to be taken as serious as you want it to be. It’s a parody of the excessive over-analysis that has been done of McLean’s more famous “American Pie” (which, as we all know, is about a bunch of heroin-addicted teenagers trying to get laid[sup]\*[/sup]) The analysis link was at Timothy McSweeney’s – to understand the spirit, visit [http://www.mcsweeneys.net](http://www.mcsweeneys.net) and read a few articles. While stumbling around google, I found this list of [songs about drugs](http://www.datacomm.ch/virus/lyr/dlyridx.htm). Apparently, J.J. Cale’s “Cocaine”, Neil Young’s “The Needle and the Damage Done”, and The Toys’ “Smoke Two Joints” are all about drugs. Shel Silverstein’s “The Perfect High” is about not doing drugs, but “Acapulco Goldie”, “The Great Smoke-off”, and “I Got Stoned and I Missed It” are. I’ve heard that “Sweet Jane” is yet another Lou Reed song about heroin. [sup]\*[/sup]this is a joke[sup]\*\*[/sup]. [sup]\*\*[/sup]that was a joke too. ---
**Author:** ![shimmery](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@shimmery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shimmery)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/59 "2001-03-13T21:29:17Z")
Puff the Magic Dragon … about pot? I just watched Meet the Parents (where Ben Stiller says that this is so), and the more I think about it, the more logical it seems, but… but… it can’t be!! Is it? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2001, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689/60 "2001-03-13T21:50:06Z")
“You Look Wonderful Tonight” is about someone who just ended an affair?!?! Well, I went and read they lyrics, and you know what? It doesn’t mention having an affair at all. It doesn’t even _infere_ it, so I’m confused. Where did you get that meaning? I shudder when I hear people say “I Will Always Love You” is their song. It’s one of the saddest songs ever I ever heard. (Well, the Whitney Houston version makes me sad because it sucked so bad) Don’t worry Shimmery, “Puff the Magic Dragon” is about growing up. “Dragons live forever, but not so little boys. Pulling string and sealing wax makes way for others toys…” ☹ “She’s Leaving Home” is about, well, someone leaving home. I did hear once that it was about abortions, but many, many books on The Beatles debunk that legend. “Shout!” is one of them. (BTW, am I the only one who really didn’t like that book? I mean, Brian Epstein is great, but more than 1/2 the book was about him!) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-meanings-behind-pop-songs/57689.md?page=4)