# Songs with hidden/double entendre meanings **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691 "2005-12-15T04:08:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/1 "2005-12-15T04:08:30Z")
For example, Cyndi Lauper’s previously popular little ditty “She Bop” is about masturbation. The Beatles song, “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” is about tripping on LSD (as recently confirmed by Sr. Paul.) What other songs have these “supposed” hidden meanings? Especially ones that managed to escape the puritanical censors? I’ve heard rumours that Van Halen’s “Panama” is actually “Enema” and that’s what Diamond Dave is actually singing… “Enema…Enema-a-a-a-a-a.” What do you think? Jump back, what’s that sound ? Here she comes, full blast and top down. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/2 "2005-12-15T04:15:01Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The Beatles song, “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” is about tripping on LSD (as recently confirmed by Sr. Paul.) After 40 years of denials. ---
**Author:** ![Reepicheep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@Reepicheep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reepicheep)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/3 "2005-12-15T04:26:23Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > The Beatles song, “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” is about tripping on LSD (as recently confirmed by Sr. Paul.) Cite? Snopes is still saying false. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/4 "2005-12-15T04:27:00Z")
I’ll even reply to my own post; here’s another one. Lollipop lollipop Oh lolli lolli lolli Lollipop lollipop… No problem guessing this one… ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/5 "2005-12-15T04:33:25Z")
> [@Reepicheep](#): > > Cite? Snopes is still saying false. Hmm… Heard it on the radio a few months back that Paul had finally come clean. No cite. Reputable news radio station though. Let me look into it. (Although really, was there ever any doubt?) ---
**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:** [December 15, 2005, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/6 "2005-12-15T04:35:20Z")
Just an FYI, **Leaffan** - and no junior modding intended - but the powers that be tend to frown upon quoting the full lyrics to a song. Copyright issues, and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/7 "2005-12-15T04:51:56Z")
Let me be the first: “Louie, Louie” - a song with as many meanings when played backwards as forwards (okay, I’ve never tried it). “Stairway to Heaven” - there’s got to be hidden meanings in there somewhere. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/8 "2005-12-15T04:54:55Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Hmm… Heard it on the radio a few months back that Paul had finally come clean. No cite. Reputable news radio station though. Let me look into it. (Although really, was there ever any doubt?) Paul McCartney didn’t write the lyrics. Unless he had ESP, who’s he to say? The denial seems very strong. There’s a witness to the alternative explanation, and in fact images of the picture still exist. It’s difficult to understand why Lennon would lie about something like that when he was prone to saying what was on his mind about pretty much everything. ---
**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:** [December 15, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/9 "2005-12-15T04:55:05Z")
Isn’t that whole “hedgerow” line supposed to be about menses? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/10 "2005-12-15T05:12:52Z")
Jackson Browne’s “Rosie” - It takes a second, but then you realize that it’s about masturbation. _Rosie, you’re alright. (You wear my ring.) When you hold me tight. (Baby that’s my thing.) When you turn out the light, I’ve got to hand it to me. It looks like it’s me and you again tonight, Rosie._ ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/11 "2005-12-15T05:34:01Z")
XTC’s song “Pink Thing” works as an extended double entendre. The “pink thing” in the title could be the singer’s new baby, or it could be his _other_ pink thing. ---
**Author:** ![Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a9a28c/32.png) [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oslo_Ostragoth)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/12 "2005-12-15T05:53:41Z")
Z Z Top’s _ **Pearl Necklace** _. [QUOTE] She’s so cold, as pure as the driven slush. And that’s not jewelry she’s talkin’about, It really don’t cost that much. QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/13 "2005-12-15T06:11:56Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Paul McCartney didn’t write the lyrics. Unless he had ESP, who’s he to say? > > The denial seems very strong. There’s a witness to the alternative explanation, and in fact images of the picture still exist. It’s difficult to understand why Lennon would lie about something like that when he was prone to saying what was on his mind about pretty much everything. Here’s how I imagine it: the coincidence of the picture inspired the guys to write a song about an LSD trip. Personal theory; no cite. But come on. How could someone familiar with LSD and its effects write a song whose title abbreviates out to “L.S.D.,” with the imagery that the lyrics describe, and claim with a straight face, “Honest, officer, it never entered our mind!” Please. ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/14 "2005-12-15T06:20:54Z")
> [@Oslo Ostragoth](#): > > Z Z Top’s _ **Pearl Necklace** _. Ya mean she really did wanna [pearl necklace?](http://partytimejewelry.com/artwork/large/necklaces/l6011ng.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![SleepyDuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@SleepyDuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SleepyDuck)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/15 "2005-12-15T08:31:14Z")
Let’s not forget “Turning Japanese”, to continue the masturbation theme (Or am I the only one doing it? 🙂 ). AFA “Lucy in the Sky”, I believe all of the denials were in regards to the _title_ of the song vis a vis the initials **L** ucy… **S** ky… **D** iamonds. I think it has been obvious since the beginning what the song is actually _about_. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 9:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/16 "2005-12-15T09:28:31Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > But come on. How could someone familiar with LSD and its effects write a song whose title abbreviates out to “L.S.D.,” with the imagery that the lyrics describe, and claim with a straight face, “Honest, officer, it never entered our mind!” > > Please. Anyone who’s familiar with the effects of LSD will probably be reminded of them if they attempt to read James Joyce’s _Finnegans Wake_, too-- and you don’t have to resort to acrostics to find the “L.S.D.” It’s right there in [Book I](http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:Xo3axCnePXUJ:eldar.cz/myf/txt/joyce_-_finnegans_wake_v1.0.txt): > [@](#): > > First and Last Only True Account au about the Honorary Mirsu Earwicker, L.S.D. … The proteiform graph itself is a polyhedron of scripture. Now, you may argue that at the time Joyce was writing, “L.S.D.” was more commonly used as slang for “money,” (“pounds, shillings, and pence,”) but if so, what are the chances that, in the very same section, a pun linking L.S.D. with psychedelic drugs would be made? > [@](#): > > Master Shemmy on his very first debouch at the very dawn of protohistory seeing himself such and such, when playing with thistlewords in their garden nursery, Griefotrofio, at Phig Streat III Shuvlin, Old Hoeland, (would we go back there now for **sounds, pillings and sense?** would we now for annas and annas? would we for fullscore eight and a liretta? for twelve blocks one bob? for four testers one groat? not for a dinar! not for jo!) dictited to of all his little brothron and sweestureens the first riddle of the universe: asking, when is a man not a man? If hiding the “LSD” makes it more cryptic, look at the word after “dope” in this sentence, also from the same section: > [@](#): > > And did not he, like Arcoforty, farfar off Bissavolo, missbrand her behaveyous with iridescent huecry of down right mean false sop lap sick dope? Tawfu **lsd** reck! It can’t be coincidence, because the text is so _obviously_ druggy. Never mind that LSD was only synthesised the same year that Joyce wrote it, and not available on the street. Anyone who’s done enough LSD will tell you all about the weird stuff it does to time. Heck, synchronicity and telepathy is totally par-for-the-course on the stuff. That’s why we shouldn’t be surprised when Joyce appears to write about John Lennon in the very same bit I’ve quoted from: > [@](#): > > why, with his see me see and his my see a corves and his frokerfoskerfuskar layen loves in meeingseeing, he got the charm of his optical life when he found himself (_hic sunt lennones!_) at pointblank range blinking down the barrel of an irregular [revolver](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000002UAR/002-5360386-2458403?v=glance&n=5174) of the [bulldog](http://frogcircus.org/beatles/yellow_submarine/hey_bulldog) with a purpose pattern, handled by an unknown quarreler who, supposedly, had been told off to shade and shoot shy Shem. If you don’t think this describes Lennon’s assassination, in spite of the cryptic allusions to his work and the open declaration “Here is Lennon!” then remember that the Eggman from Liverpool was killed a few feet away from his liveried chaffeur by someone named “Mark.” > [@](#): > > Mutt.-- Louee, louee! How wooden I not know it, the intellible greytcloak of Cedric Silkyshag! Cead mealy faulty rices for one dabblin bar. Old grilsy growlsy! **He was poached on in that eggtentical spot. Here where the liveries, Monomark.** There where the missers moony, Minnikin passe. > > Jute.-- Simply because as Taciturn **pretells** , our wrongstory shortener, he dumptied the wholeborrow of rubbages on to soil here. > > Mutt.-- Just how a puddinstone inat the brookcells by a **riverpool.** It’s obvious that _Finnegans Wake_ is a long paen to drug intoxication, and predicts John Lennon’s death. Goo Goo goosth. Either that or it’s easy to project stuff on material that has an element of nonsense to it. I’m not entirely sure. 😃 In all seriousness, though, tangentially connected to _Finnegans Wake_, and with strict regard to the OP: The traditional comic drinking song [_Finnegan’s Wake_](http://ingeb.org/songs/timfinne.html) contains a cryptic subtext that should be clear to anyone who’s been raised a Master Mason. (After what I’ve written above, your eyes may glaze over, but bear with me.) “To rise in the world he carried a [hod](http://machaut.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/WEBSTER.sh?WORD=hod).” This is an oblique way of saying that he’s (literally) a mason. It’s also a bit of a sly reference to speculative masonry. (If you are learning about kaballah, “hod” has [another meaning](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hod_(Kabbalah)).) Why the apparent resurrection when Tim is splashed with whiskey? “[Whiskey](http://www.bartleby.com/61/32/W0123200.html)” is derived from the Irish Gaelic “_uisce beatha_”, “water of life.” This’ll ring a bell for hermetics. Kind of cool. All of Cab Calloway’s _Minnie the Moocher_ songs were about a couple of star-crossed junkies, but through the magic of jive they managed to get radio play, feature in cartoons, and generally sail over the heads of the less-than-hip. > [@](#): > > Whenever folks in Chinatown start acting gay > There’s something in the air that makes them feel that way. > Yeah, man, I heard somebody say > It’s Minnie the Moocher’s wedding day! > Old Smoky Joe’s so happy he can hardly wait, > He’s spent a million dollars for his wedding date […] > > They said a hundred thousand hoppies > Went over to China picking poppies, > They’re gonna put them all in one bouquet > For Minnie the Moocher’s wedding day! Aw, how sweet. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/17 "2005-12-15T11:17:01Z")
Snopes on Lucy : [http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/lucysky.htm](http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/lucysky.htm) > [@](#): > > John Lennon, while never denying that the song itself was inspired by the countless acid trips he had taken, quickly explained that the title, in fact, had been mere coincidence. It was taken, verbatim, from the name John’s four-year-old son Julian had given to a drawing he made at school (shown below), Lennon claimed; Lennon himself had no idea that the title formed the abbreviation LSD until it was pointed out to him by someone else after the album’s release. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/18 "2005-12-15T11:55:00Z")
How about _Les Sucettes_, sung by [France Gall](http://www.dustygroove.com/prip/5/9/35395i.htm), a successful song in its time. Original french words here : [http://www.paroles.net/texte/22185/artis/1005](http://www.paroles.net/texte/22185/artis/1005) translation : > [@](#): > > Annie likes lollipops > Aniseed lollipops > Annie’s aniseed lollipops > Give to her kisses > An anisette > Taste. When the barley sugar > With the anise flavor > Pours into Annie’s throat > She is in paradise She thought she was singing a cute song about a girl that likes lollipops. She was not very happy when someone explained the double meaning to her. ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/19 "2005-12-15T13:00:14Z")
[Moderator] **Leaffan** and others: please, you may NOT quote full song lyrics on this Message Board. You may quote a line or two, and provide a link to some site that has copyright permission. Please see [Forum Rules](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343601), and note post #2. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691/20 "2005-12-15T13:10:04Z")
\*\*Larry Mudd \*\* writes: > [@](#): > > Anyone who’s familiar with the effects of LSD will probably be reminded of them if they attempt to read James Joyce’s Finnegans Wake, too-- and you don’t have to resort to acrostics to find the “L.S.D.” It’s right there in Book I: > Quote: > First and Last Only True Account au about the Honorary Mirsu Earwicker, L.S.D. … The proteiform graph itself is a polyhedron of scripture. > > Now, you may argue that at the time Joyce was writing, “L.S.D.” was more commonly used as slang for “money,” (“pounds, shillings, and pence,”) but if so, what are the chances that, in the very same section, a pun linking L.S.D. with psychedelic drugs would be made? This is a joke, right? **Finnegan’s Wake** was published in 1939. The first known LSD _trip_ was in 1953, and the name didn’t hit the public consciousness until much later. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-with-hidden-double-entendre-meanings/335691.md?page=2)