# Songs that are widely misunderstood **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 11, 2022, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492 "2022-08-11T14:44:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [August 12, 2022, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/21 "2022-08-12T16:45:27Z")
I always understood that Mellencamp was attempting to say “stop a clock,” but was puzzled because, as noted above, that would seem contrary to what he was meaning. For me, though, it sounds as though he is saying “starve a plow.” ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/22 "2022-08-12T16:48:39Z")
I always thought it sounded like “starve a flower”. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/23 "2022-08-12T19:07:13Z")
Many people seem to think that “We Can Work it Out” is about the compromises people make in order for a relationship to succeed. But it’s really, “We can work it out if you stop arguing with me and do everything my way.” Pretty damned obviously, too. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/24 "2022-08-12T19:35:17Z")
> [@Cayuga](#): > > Many people seem to think that “We Can Work it Out” is about the compromises people make in order for a relationship to succeed. But it’s really, “We can work it out if you stop arguing with me and do everything my way.” Good call. The Beatles have a surprising amount of misogynistic songs that run the gamut from implied threats of violence against women to actual beatings to straight-up murder: “You Can’t Do That”, “Run for you Life”, “Getting Better”, and of course “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer”. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/25 "2022-08-12T20:34:21Z")
The Beastie Boys fought and possibly died for our right to party! And I remember at the time of the Dave Matthews Band poop dumping incident hearing a comedian (Kevin Matthews?) pointing out that the people onboard were probably craning their necks and there’s a tendency to open one’s moith when doing so. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/26 "2022-08-12T20:41:01Z")
Didn’t some politician use “Allentown” as their theme? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/27 "2022-08-12T21:21:01Z")
All these posts and no mention of the perennial champ _I Will Always Love You_? That’s right, idjits, play a break up song at your wedding. Let 'em know you will still love them after the inevitable divorce. ---
**Author:** ![Jaycat.again](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat.again/32/11525_2.png) [@Jaycat.again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaycat.again)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/28 "2022-08-12T21:56:50Z")
People think Leaving On A Jet Plane is a sweet love song… yeh, about a serial womanizer who is, yet again, going away to do who knows what with who knows who… ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/29 "2022-08-12T22:03:53Z")
Ditto “Always On My Mind.” ---
**Author:** ![Wolf333](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolf333/32/3460_2.png) [@Wolf333](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wolf333)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2022, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/30 "2022-08-12T23:47:55Z")
Pearl Jam’s “Better Man.” It does not mean “This man is the best!” She lies and says she’s in love with him Can’t find a better man She dreams in color, she dreams in red Can’t find a better man Can’t find a better man Can’t find a better man Oh ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/31 "2022-08-13T02:48:45Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > The Police song Every Step you Take is about a stalker, not about a someone just admiring a woman from afar. That would be in the OP… ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/32 "2022-08-13T03:18:09Z")
Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama,” in particular the following verses: > [@](#): > > In Birmingham, they love the governor (boo boo boo) > Now we all did what we could do > [@](#): > > Sweet home Alabama, oh, sweet home baby > Where the skies are so blue and the governor’s true Many interpreted the above as an endorsement of Governor George Wallace, and his racist and segregationist views; the band insisted that the lyrics were misinterpreted, and that they opposed Wallace and his politics. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/33 "2022-08-13T03:21:37Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Your should never be misunderstood, that is, if your intentions are good. I had to read this twice, but I saw what you did there. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/34 "2022-08-13T13:07:31Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Many interpreted the above as an endorsement of Governor George Wallace, and his racist and segregationist views; the band insisted that the lyrics were misinterpreted, and that they opposed Wallace and his politics. In another song thread I started (I seem to do a lot of song threads) @Biggirl expressed her hatred of that song, which led to a mini-debate over whether or not the song was racist and supportive of George Wallace. Apparently another band member said it was supportive of GW in an interview, but he wasn’t the songwriter. Here’s the post in that thread that started the debate: > [@Songs you like that are widely reviled by others](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-you-like-that-are-widely-reviled-by-others/960825/106): > > I do not revile many songs. In fact, I can think of only one right now and that’s Sweet Home Alabama. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/35 "2022-08-13T17:14:54Z")
Going back to the 60’s, the Stones’ **“Mother’s Little Helper”** apparently was taken to be a celebration of illegal drugs. Many people didn’t see the obvious (IMO) message which was pointing out the “straight” culture’s abuse of Valium. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/36 "2022-08-13T17:20:54Z")
Good example, but it was not only Valium, but also amphetamines which were prescribed by doctors to housewives (not only) like candy as late as the mid-sixties. Of course the song pointed out the hypocrisy that rock groups and their fans were hounded for taking the same drugs illegaly. ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/37 "2022-08-13T17:58:06Z")
“Independence Day,” popularized by Martina McBride, has a chorus that begins “Let freedom ring…” It was used by Sarah Palin at one point and for years Sean Hannity used it as bumper music on his radio show. Neither realized, apparently, that it’s not a patriotic song but a tale of an abused wife exacting revenge on her husband. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/38 "2022-08-13T18:47:30Z")
> [@solost](#): > > but I also always heard the ‘Cherry Bomb’ lyrics as ‘That’s when a smoke was a smoke’. I don’t know if it’s because of a mumbly pronunciation on Mellencamp’s part, or it just sounds like a phrase from an old cigarette ad or something. It’s news to me that the word is ‘sport’, but it checks out. Ya learn something new every day… > > [John Cougar Mellencamp - Cherry Bomb Lyrics | AZLyrics.com](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/johnmellencamp/cherrybomb.html) I’m going to continue to hear that as “smoke.” Is sport supposed to mean athletic event or a person that’s a good sport? > [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > “The One I Love” by R.E.M., one of the best anti-love songs ever, but often taken for a proper love song. I’ve never paid any attention to the lyrics to this song because I don’t like REM in general. Looking at them now, they would be a good nomination for simplest lyrics ever written. Even _Twinkle Twinkle Little Star_ bests it for words used. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2022, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/39 "2022-08-13T21:00:06Z")
Dominique isn’t a French girl, but someone (St. Dominic?) talking about God. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/2bD10bNuJYA/maxresdefault.jpg "The Singing Nun “Dominique” 1963") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bD10bNuJYA) ---
**Author:** ![omenran](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omenran/32/3318_2.png) [@omenran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omenran)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2022, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492/40 "2022-08-14T20:48:18Z")
> [@solost](#): > > Which brings to mind the Beastie Boys’ “Fight for your Right to Party” which was, I understand, supposed to be a satirical takedown of frat-boy style party culture, and became a frat-boy party anthem. It seems that their song “Girls” also caused concern that it [would be taken at face value by too many like “Fighr for your right”](https://www.songfacts.com/facts/beastie-boys/girls). They’ve never preformed it live and other songs may have lyrics that apologize for the song. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-are-widely-misunderstood/969492.md?page=3)