# Songs where the meaning is completely obvious **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [August 14, 2021, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683 "2021-08-14T21:13:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SurrenderDorothy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/surrenderdorothy/32/1221_2.png) [@SurrenderDorothy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SurrenderDorothy)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/1 "2021-08-14T21:13:54Z")
I saw some clickbait listicle recently about songs that people heard a bunch of times before figuring out that they had “dark meanings” and one of the entries was “Goodbye Earl” by The Chicks ([here](https://youtu.be/Gw7gNf_9njs) in case you’ve never heard it or just feel like listening to it again). Of course, that song isn’t exactly subtle. You’d almost have to listen to it without any lyrics at all to not get the gist. I figure it was included in the list just to get people to click in order to comment something to that effect. But it got me thinking: What songs do you know where the meaning is completely obvious? No muss, no fuss, just the story or message? What about ones where it isn’t? Where people disagree on the meaning or you need a whole annotated booklet to interpret it? For the purposes of this thread, I’d prefer to stay away from songs from musicals, which are generally (more or less) about what’s happening on the stage. And also songs about simple romance or partying. The thread will get real boring real fast if we list out every song where the obvious message is “I like a girl and we danced” or “Woe is me, my lady left me” or “Woohoo, I like music!” ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/2 "2021-08-14T21:31:40Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G3F4dDXTFT8/hqdefault.jpg "Soundgarden- Big Dumb Sex with lyrics") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G3F4dDXTFT8) Don’t get me wrong, I like Soundgarden. But in 1989, I couldn’t tell if this was winking irony, or what. Ice-T’s “Girls LGBNAF” was another 80’s classic that laid all its cards on the table. ---
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/3 "2021-08-14T21:43:34Z")
Ghostbusters is about ejaculation “Busting makes me feel good!” should be the obvious part. ---
**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 14, 2021, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/4 "2021-08-14T22:03:52Z")
Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back.” Subtle as a brick. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![peccavi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peccavi/32/388_2.png) [@peccavi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/peccavi)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/5 "2021-08-14T22:11:46Z")
It’s about exactly what the title says… [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/nssSIKOrSNk/maxresdefault.jpg "Dead Skunk") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nssSIKOrSNk) ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/6 "2021-08-14T23:09:06Z")
There is a song by Pinback called Penelope, which is about a sick goldfish. I thought there was some subtle hidden meaning about the lyrics, like maybe the song was about someone going through alcohol or drug addition issues or something. Nope. It really is just a song about a sick goldfish. One of the band members had a sick goldfish and they wrote a song about it. Don’t try to dig deep. Just go with the obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/7 "2021-08-14T23:15:58Z")
> [@SurrenderDorothy](#): > > What songs do you know where the meaning is completely obvious? No muss, no fuss, just the story or message? This one is pretty clear > **[The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wreck_of_the_Edmund_Fitzgerald)** > > "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" is a 1976 hit song written, composed and performed by the Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot to memorialize the sinking of the bulk carrier SS Edmund Fitzgerald in Lake Superior on November 10, 1975. Lightfoot considered this song to be his finest work. > Appearing originally on his 1976 album Summertime Dream, Lightfoot re-recorded the song in 1988 for the compilation album Gord's Gold, Vol. 2. > The song chronicles the final voyage of the Edmund Fi... ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/8 "2021-08-14T23:20:56Z")
Tim Minchin’s Pope Song is pretty unambiguous. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vjJ_b8isMzc/hqdefault.jpg "Tim Minchin - Pope Song (A Fraser Davidson Animation)") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjJ_b8isMzc) ---
**Author:** ![Didi44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@Didi44](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Didi44)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/9 "2021-08-14T23:33:26Z")
_Layla_ - Derek and the Dominos _Carmen’s Mom is a Bitch_ - South Park _Thong Song_ - Sisqo _The Letter_ - The Boxtops ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/10 "2021-08-14T23:51:01Z")
[Timothy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqDu5LBT8_Y)’s meaning always seemed blatantly obvious to me, from my very first hearing of it back in 1971. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/11 "2021-08-15T01:03:20Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VnzgpJwW_6A/hqdefault.jpg "Crispin Hellion Glover - Auto-Manipulator") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnzgpJwW_6A) ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/12 "2021-08-15T01:22:37Z")
[![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Xt6QnGxBeLw/hqdefault.jpg "Sam The Sham & The Pharaohs Ring Dang Doo") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xt6QnGxBeLw) ---
**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:** [August 15, 2021, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/13 "2021-08-15T01:49:24Z")
> [@peccavi](#): > > It’s about exactly what the title says… Wait - you mean Dead Skunk isn’t about the sorry state of poupular music, and the post-Woodstock ennui of the early 70s? “dead skunk in the middle of the road” is obviously about MOR genre, And it was “stinking to high heaven” at the time. An I kidding? I can’t tell. For obvious songs, how about Without You, which is so precise the writer later committed suicide. I’m in Love with My Car isn’t a metaphor (though it isn’t a sexual love). ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/14 "2021-08-15T02:02:34Z")
The Beautiful South - Song For Whoever. Basically, “Hey, all you girls I dated and wrote songs for? Y’all made me rich, K THX BYE!” [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/J-q_gAM1BXQ/maxresdefault.jpg "The Beautiful South - Song For Whoever") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-q_gAM1BXQ) ---
**Author:** ![Galactus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galactus/32/3581_2.png) [@Galactus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galactus)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/15 "2021-08-15T02:42:57Z")
W.A.S.P. Not a subtle band. F\*\*k like a Beast. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pxHl3gr-WMM/hqdefault.jpg "W.A.S.P. Animal (Fuck Like A Beast) Watch In High Quality") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxHl3gr-WMM) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/16 "2021-08-15T02:55:05Z")
A lot of of people look for a deeper meaning in the song “White Wedding” that isn’t there. Billy Idol has said that his little sister got married and this inspired him to write a song about weddings. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/17 "2021-08-15T03:05:24Z")
Froggy went a court’n ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/18 "2021-08-15T04:12:54Z")
_Cheeseburger in Paradise_ - Jimmy Buffet ---
**Author:** ![saucywench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@saucywench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saucywench)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/19 "2021-08-15T04:13:48Z")
…and _Margaritaville_ ---
**Author:** ![ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chockfullofheadygoodness/32/511_2.png) [@ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChockFullOfHeadyGoodness)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2021, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683/20 "2021-08-15T05:22:34Z")
AC/DC - _Let Me Put My Love Into You_ AC/DC - _Sink the Pink_ AC/DC - _Givin’ the Dog A Bone_ Hmmm… I’m starting to notice a pattern with this band… On the other hand… _Big Balls_ is NOT about anything sexual. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-where-the-meaning-is-completely-obvious/948683.md?page=2)