# Song you didn't fully understand until... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 16, 2018, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742 "2018-01-16T09:08:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Dickerman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8baadc/32.png) [@Dickerman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dickerman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/1 "2018-01-16T09:08:06Z")
I’m mourning the death of my older brother, my best friend of my entire life. One thing among the many things he did for me was introduce me to great music. Jimmy Buffett in particular. I’m sitting here getting drunk and listening to Jimmy’s 2010 Gulf Shores Benefit Concert on youtube and am sobbing listening to “A Pirate Looks at Forty”. He introduced me to Jimmy’s music over 38 years ago, and the “You had to be there” version became embedded in my soul long ago. I’d be grateful to hear what good music you can share with me…Thanks ---
**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:** [January 16, 2018, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/2 "2018-01-16T13:46:06Z")
First, I’m sorry for your loss. I too have an older brother, and am not looking forward to his passing (he’s only 48, but is a smoker, etc. I’m assuming that I will outlive him). Not quite as deep as your example, but I was an avid fan of Rick Springfield growing up. On one of his albums, there was a song called “Alyson,” which included the line, “just a little sexual tension under the guise of love.” It was several years before I finally understood what he meant. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/3 "2018-01-16T17:04:15Z")
I’ll have to think about the deeper ones, but I have a simple one to start. In Sweet Home Alabama there’s a line “Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers And they’ve been known to pick a song or two”. I didn’t think it was anything specific or something real, but just this past Sunday when I read the obit of Rick Hall of FAME studio did I finally understand what that lyric was referring to. ---
**Author:** ![Marlonius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Marlonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marlonius)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/4 "2018-01-16T18:42:00Z")
Annie’s Song, by John Denver. I’m 45 years old, been married almost 20 years now. I’ve always been a bit of an old soul in terms of my sensitivity, but didn’t discover this song until relatively recently. It really touches me in the way that the singer expresses his devotion to his wife/spouse/subject of the song. I feel that way about my wife and have never seen it expressed quite so purely as Denver did. I like too that he’s singing without any sense of irony or embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2018, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/5 "2018-01-16T21:18:23Z")
‘The Weight’ by the Band… I don’t think I understand it now. It’s kinda disjointed. Altho’, I love the song, the story is sorta obscured. ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/6 "2018-01-17T00:03:24Z")
Two songs, almost bookends of a sort: “Puff the Magic Dragon” (Peter, Paul, and Mary) - When I was young I thought this was a cutesy kids song. Now that I have watched my two kids grow up and move away, it’s the saddest song I know. “The Living Years” (Mike and the Mechanics) - I still find myself thinking, “I’ll need to talk to dad about this.” Then I realize my dad has been dead for over 17 years now and it’s too late to talk to him about anything. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/7 "2018-01-17T00:12:20Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > I’ll have to think about the deeper ones, but I have a simple one to start. > > In Sweet Home Alabama there’s a line > “Now Muscle Shoals has got the Swampers > And they’ve been known to pick a song or two”. > I didn’t think it was anything specific or something real, but just this past Sunday when I read the obit of Rick Hall of FAME studio did I finally understand what that lyric was referring to. And, to fill those in who don’t know, the Swampers was a nickname for [the Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muscle_Shoals_Rhythm_Section), a group of fantastic hit-making studio musicians. Boys could _groove_. There’s a good documentary that came out a few years ago called _Muscle Shoals_ that covers the history of FAME Studios, including the Swampers. It was available on Netflix streaming, but doesn’t appear to be anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2018, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/8 "2018-01-17T00:37:55Z")
I’m very sorry for your loss. One song that people still wonder about today, and in fact, there may have been a thread here, I’m not sure, is 25 or 6 to 4 by Chicago. I love Chicago. My take on it was always that they had stayed up all night, thus the title,trying to stay awake to write a song. This doesn’t exactly answer your question, because I don’t know the exact meaning of the song. Your brother had great taste, I love me some Jimmy Buffet! Take care of yourself! ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/9 "2018-01-18T19:54:54Z")
The Smoking Popes were one of my favorite bands in high school. My on and off again girlfriend from that time gave me their latest album right before I left for college. I didn’t really care for the album all that much. And then the girl and I had a pretty messy falling out. Suddenly one song (“Pretty Pathetic”) on that album absolutely fit our relationship and I understood/applied meaning to that song. ---
**Author:** ![ZonexandScout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zonexandscout/32/544_2.png) [@ZonexandScout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZonexandScout)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/10 "2018-01-18T20:26:42Z")
First, I’m very sorry to hear about your brother and I offer my sympathies for your loss. My wife died at the age of 44 and it is surprising how one comes to associate music with the loss of a loved one. Second, getting back to the title of your post, I would offer my personal WTF moment. I really liked Graham Parker’s “You Can’t Be Too Strong” for about a year before someone commented, “Yeah, that’s my favorite song about abortion.” I truly had no idea. I still like the song, but I can’t imagine how I missed the whole abortion aspect of it. ---
**Author:** ![ThisSpaceForRent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thisspaceforrent/32/345_2.png) [@ThisSpaceForRent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThisSpaceForRent)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2018, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/11 "2018-01-18T23:16:34Z")
Sorry to hear about your brother. I think it is GREAT that you were best friends. I am also best friends with my older brother, he introduced me to a LOT of great music, including Buffett. My bro used to by me albums he wanted because we shared a room and a stereo. The first album he ever bought me was Jimmy Buffett, “White sports Coat and a Pink Crustacean”. Pirate Looks at Forty (though not on that album) is a fave of mine… _I’ve done a bit of smuggling, I’ve run my share of grass I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast Never meant to last, never meant to last._ May you find peace in your kindest memories. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/12 "2018-01-19T01:10:56Z")
I’m so sorry for your loss. I’m glad music has helped you connect with his memory. I have always loved REM but I thought “Losing My Religion” was full of nonsense lyrics until the premise was explained to me. It’s about a man struggling to confess his undying love when he can’t find the words to do it. Consider this, consider this The hint of the century Consider this slip That brought me to my knees, pale What if all these fantasies come flaming around? And now I’ve said too much Not only did the song immediately make perfect sense to me, I now think it’s one of greatest love songs ever written. YouTube: [R.E.M. - Losing My Religion (Official Music Video) - YouTube](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xwtdhWltSIg&feature=youtu.be) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/13 "2018-01-19T02:57:12Z")
It’s been almost 30 years now that my father died. After the Army got me home from Germany I remember being in my old room listening to Rush with my headphones on. I started crying when Time Stand Still came on. In many ways I aged years in that moment. Summer’s going fast Nights growing colder Children growing up Old friends growing older Freeze this moment A little bit longer Make each sensation A little bit stronger Experience slips away Experience slips away The innocence slips away ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/14 "2018-01-19T03:37:40Z")
> [@Marlonius](#): > > Annie’s Song, by John Denver. A great tune. I never get tired of it. I have read that he wrote this song while on a ski lift. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2018, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/song-you-didnt-fully-understand-until/806742/15 "2018-01-19T03:45:36Z")
Very sorry for your brother’s departure. My brother moved on, also. We spent many nights listening to Cat Stevens, “Foreigner Suite”. Very powerful reminder of him.