# Songs that have been misinterpreted. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 4, 2020, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049 "2020-04-04T12:27:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [April 4, 2020, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/41 "2020-04-04T20:58:06Z")
[Cite #2](https://huffmaneddie.com/2015/02/24/legal-smile/) ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/42 "2020-04-04T21:20:20Z")
They used The ides of March by Vehicle to sell cars. :eek: _I’m a friendly stranger in the black Sedan Won’t you hop inside my car? I got pictures, got candy I’m a lovable man And I can take you to the nearest star_ ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/43 "2020-04-04T21:27:23Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > The Hallelujah Chorus, from The Messiah. Did you know that it’s about the end of the World, as described in the Book of Revelation? And it’s definitely not a Christmas song! It’s more appropriate for Easter. “There She Goes” by the La’s, and later Sixpence None The Richer, is also about heroin. And y’all knew I was gonna say it: “More Than Words” by Extreme ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/44 "2020-04-04T21:28:26Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > They used > > > The ides of March by Vehicle > > to sell cars. :eek: > > _I’m a friendly stranger in the black Sedan > Won’t you hop inside my car? > I got pictures, got candy > I’m a lovable man > And I can take you to the nearest star_ Don’t you mean “Vehicle” by the Ides of March? ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/45 "2020-04-04T21:47:16Z")
Kinda surprised Extreme’s “More Than Words” hasn’t been brought up yet. The lyrics are clearly saying “you are so emotionally distant, I don’t think I can be with you anymore, this is your last chance.” But people think it’s a sweet love song. ---
**Author:** ![LoneRhino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lonerhino/32/1311_2.png) [@LoneRhino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LoneRhino)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/46 "2020-04-04T22:04:09Z")
> [@moojja](#): > > What do you mean? Given the rest of the lyrics is about a Vietnam vet. who’s having trouble finding a job. It’s definitely a criticism on the US treatment of it’s veterans. Yes but the tone of the song matters. It’s written and sung like an anthem. It’s probably supposed to be ironic but you can’t really be surprised when it gets misinterpreted. imagine hearing the song for the first time on the radio. What’s going to stick with you? The verses which you have to really listen to or the catchy chorus repeated over and over. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/47 "2020-04-04T22:04:42Z")
Born in the USA and Vehicle have both been mentioned, but we can add “Fortunate Son” as an unfortunate choice for a commercial. These were all only misinterpreted by the advertiser, hence generations of fun. I suspect the ad folk of the day were laughing up their sleeves. As for the Prine controversy, trust the tale, not the teller. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/48 "2020-04-04T22:10:21Z")
> [@LoneRhino](#): > > Yes but the tone of the song matters. It’s written and sung like an anthem. It’s probably supposed to be ironic but you can’t really be surprised when it gets misinterpreted. imagine hearing the song for the first time on the radio. What’s going to stick with you? The verses which you have to really listen to or the catchy chorus repeated over and over. “Being misinterpreted” is not the same as “bullshit,” which is what you called. Like Revolution #9, a song that needs to be listened to rather than just bopped along to is a cut above the rest. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/49 "2020-04-04T22:33:25Z")
I do remember a local radio station advertising an “I Don’t Like Mondays” contest. But it was never run and I suspect they finally figured out what the song was about. A school shooting. No word on whether a stapler is involved (damn autocorrect!) ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/50 "2020-04-04T22:35:53Z")
> [@CastletonSnob](#): > > I’ll start with an obvious one, Born in the USA by Bruce Springsteen. > [@LoneRhino](#): > > I always call bullshit on this one. Bruce was making a pop album and I’m sure that he knew that screaming “Born in the USA” over and over again would get the type of reaction that it got. > [@LoneRhino](#): > > Yes but the tone of the song matters. It’s written and sung like an anthem. It’s probably supposed to be ironic but you can’t really be surprised when it gets misinterpreted. imagine hearing the song for the first time on the radio. What’s going to stick with you? The verses which you have to really listen to or the catchy chorus repeated over and over. In other words, you’re admitting now that it was MISINTERPRETED. Springsteen intended the meaning of the song to be what he wrote, not how it was MISINTERPRETED. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/51 "2020-04-04T23:18:14Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Yeah, the **Boss** has always been quite firm about that. And that song is certainly in keeping with a lot of his other tunes from albums like **Nebraska** and **The Ghost of Tom Joad**. Life in the USA can be tough and cruel and unfair and very unjust. When I read his autobiography I was a bit surprised at just how hard an early life he had. I figured he was probably lower middle class, but he often had no heat in his house in a NJ winter, and other hardships I’m not remembering now. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/52 "2020-04-04T23:30:42Z")
Another classic - “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”. Sort of misunderstood. Anyway you slice it the song is a drug trip, but Lennon maintained until his dying day that he didn’t title it to spell out LSD. I think he was bullshitting about that. And then there’s “Hey Man Nice Shot” by Filter which most people - myself included - interpreted as a dark tribute to Kurt Kobain when it was actually about Philadelphia State Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer who committed suicide on live TV in 1987. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2020, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/53 "2020-04-04T23:33:14Z")
[In case you never heard it before, here’s the original version.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Gh1wQEe1I) It was seriously considered for Springsteen’s folkish album “Nebraska”, but shelved until the much more bombastic version on “Born in the USA”. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/54 "2020-04-05T00:44:45Z")
> [@HelenGawn](#): > > Born in the USA and Vehicle have both been mentioned, but we can add “Fortunate Son” as an unfortunate choice for a commercial. These were all only misinterpreted by the advertiser, hence generations of fun. I suspect the ad folk of the day were laughing up their sleeves. > > As for the Prine controversy, trust the tale, not the teller. I remember a clip of Dubya at a campaign rally entering to Fortunate Son. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/55 "2020-04-05T00:51:05Z")
What’s all this about “Every Breath You Take” being about a stapler? Good Christ, I’ve been misinterpreting that song for _decades!_ ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/56 "2020-04-05T01:19:49Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Don’t you mean “Vehicle” by the Ides of March? :smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![Sefton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Sefton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sefton)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/57 "2020-04-05T01:31:05Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > What’s all this about “Every Breath You Take” being about a stapler? Good Christ, I’ve been misinterpreting that song for _decades!_ You’d be shocked by how many innocent-sounding songs are really about _stapling_. I used to think “Happy Together” by The Turtles was a love song. I was so naive… ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/58 "2020-04-05T01:42:31Z")
Jesus…and “Come Together.” Lennon was more into office supplies than I ever _thought._ ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/59 "2020-04-05T01:46:59Z")
Was “American Woman” by The Guess Who about staplers? As an American, I recall it was covered by Lenny Kravitz, and used to sell jeans, even though it is pretty clearly disdainful of its title subject. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2020, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049/60 "2020-04-05T01:56:29Z")
> [@GESancMan](#): > > Kinda surprised Extreme’s “More Than Words” hasn’t been brought up yet. The lyrics are clearly saying “you are so emotionally distant, I don’t think I can be with you anymore, this is your last chance.” But people think it’s a sweet love song. I did, spoilered in post #43. I’ve always interpreted it, as have a lot of other people, as a guy telling his SO that she’s history if she doesn’t have sex with him. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-that-have-been-misinterpreted/851049.md?page=4)