Sting has said several things about the song, but one thing always holds true–it’s not a love song.
Actually, when I heard Jane on CBC radio, she said it was the other way around.
Attention, K-Tel shoopers ,I just googled, and I have my head up my ass. I repeat, it is official; I have my head up my ass.
It must have been Dar I heard, citing Siberry’s influence.
I remember when Semi-Charmed Kinda Life by Third Eye Blind came out I got it right away and I was in grade 6, but do you know how many times I’ve been caught off gaurd by songs that are secretly about masturbation!? Man, oh man!
An ironic sort of story: When I was in elementary school, a christion one, we used to have morning “devotionals”. Well this was grade 7 so the teacher thought he would be hip and bring in some rock music. He brought in U2’s “Still Havn’t Found What I’m Looking For.” Then he went off on how you may never be able to find what you want in a lover or another person, but God will always be what you want, blah blah blah. And I’m sitting there squirming because: the song is about being unable to find God. I never said anything out of respect for the teacher, whom I liked. But obviously he’s never seen Pop Up Video.
My friends who play in wedding bands assure me that it’s a very popular song at wedding receptions.
And so I’m praying for the end of time/so I can end my time with you… It was long ago, and it was far away/and it was so much better than it is today. . .
Yeah, right. That’s exactly the sentiment I want at my wedding.
And of course, there’s Sarah McLaughlin’s “Possession” – which far too many people think is about an intense love song, and is her trying to get into the head of a stalker: And I would be the one to hold you down/Kisses so hard/they take your breath away. . ., if memory serves. (There’s something about stalker songs that seems to have to do with controlling someone else’s breath a lot. This is not a cheerful theme, least of all to an asthmatic person.)
This thread reminds me of something that’s been in the back of my mind for a while now. A former friend used to insist that Sarah McLachlan’s Shelter is an anti-abortion song, and laughed at those (he particularly cited “feminists”) who take it as a song against homelessness.
Here’s a portion of the lyrics…
Now I can see how he might think that, given some of the lyrics cited above, but if so, why did the Lilith Fair include Planned Parenthood as one of the recipients of its donations? Anyone want to clue me in?
You have forgotten the face of your Elvis.
I don’t know what it is, whether it’s concentrating on the melody, or that most modern singers don’t sing clearly enough, but this particular thing seems to happen to me frequently. It’s one of the reasons why I read album reviews. Otherwise I’d rather ignore them.
I had had Dido’s album for a while, and liked the song “Isobel” thinking it was about someone concerned for a friend who’d run away after a bad relationship, but after reading a review, realized it was about a woman who’s friend had an abortion, and may have gone off to commit suicide afterwards.
It made the song even more haunting. The thing that frustrated me was how obvious the subject was in the lyrics.
Isobel
I thought it was funny when you missed the train
When I rang you at home they said you’d left yesterday
I thought it was strange when your car was found
By the tree in Ennis where we used to hang around
Dear Isobel, I hope you’re well and what you’ve done is right
Oh it’s been such hell, I wish you well, I hope you’re safe tonight
It’s been a long day coming and long will it last
When it’s last day leaving, and I’m helping it pass
By loving you more.
And who he would become, all the things he’d have done
Would he have loved you and not let you down
And would he be stronger than his father
Don’t punish yourself, leave it well alone
Dear Isobel, I hope you’re well and what you’ve done is right
Oh it’s been such hell, I wish you well, I hope you’re safe tonight
It’s been a long day coming and long will it last
When it’s last day leaving, and I’m helping it pass
By loving you more
I read an interview once (Rolling Stone?) where ZZ Top stated that most of their songs are either about:
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Their dicks, or
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Life, society, technology, philosophy, and how they relate to … their dicks.
For years I thought the Beatles song Take the back right turn was about needing to pay close attention to directions so you don’t get lost. I was surprised to finally discover the title was really Paperback Writer.
The lyrics finally did make sense, though.
I thought “Cracklin’ Rosie” was about a prostitute ("Store-bought woman and all) but instead it’s evidently about the cheap pink wine like my mother drinks. Go figure.
Follow Me by uncle kracker. So many people I know think it’s a love song when it’s about a woman cheating on her husband. To make it even worse is he takes zero credit for the affair and there’s an implied threat he’ll dump her if she wants anything more serious.
Losing my Religion by REM. I had no idea it was about a secret crush but it makes sense now.