Songs you never got the meaning of

[dwbakerjr]

Well, I'm sure that most of you 'boomers' were on the same page as me in 1965, when the Monkees performed (the Neil Diamond song) "I'm A Believer"...

I immediately saw that it made up the storyline for a great animated story about an Ogre, who had to meet another Orge-ess, to truly find love and 'believe' in happy endings....

 

[jekajekalynn]

My mom always told me "Hotel California" was about drug addiction.

 

[POB14]

Well, I'm sure that most of you 'boomers' were on the same page as me in 1965, when the Monkees performed (the Neil Diamond song) "I'm A Believer"...

I immediately saw that it made up the storyline for a great animated story about an Ogre, who had to meet another Orge-ess, to truly find love and 'believe' in happy endings....

No, but when I first heard "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," I thought of a story about a lion cub in exile with his warthog and meerkat buddies . . . .

 

[CheshireVal]

There was a song by George Michael, Monkey, and my friend and I had a raging debate about the meaning of the song. I say it's about drugs--the whole "monkey on your back" thing. My friend maintained it was about an actual monkey. I'm pretty sure I'm right, but maybe someone has the inside scoop.:

I'm pretty sure it's about drugs!

 

[CheshireVal]

I always also figured a lot of lyrics don't really mean anything, just like a lot of poetry. Back in high school I hated having to figure out what some poet or writer "really meant". How many teachers, profs, and students wasted countless hrs trying to decipher nonsense? ...or at least completely distorting what the writer meant. To me, that's the same as the art community finding "genius" in abstract paintings drawn by elephants or monkeys (I always loved those stories). Any English or art teachers care to comment?

I always hated that, too, as an English major, now English teacher. I enjoy reading poetry but always hated it when a certain meaning was forced upon me.

I tell my students now that there is no right or wrong interpretation of any poem. What you get out of poetry is personal and the important thing is what it means to *you*. I will guide them towards generally accepted interpretations if they're having difficulty, or if they're way out in left field I might challenge them to look harder at words and meanings. Generally I'm always pleased with what they come up with, though.

 

[Piglet843]

I just don't get this song.... I hear it all the time....

You're So Vain
Carly Simon

You walked into the party
Like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror
As you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner

And, you're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you
Don't you

- and the song goes on about him -

But I don't get it - it is about him!
Isn't it?

gees...

 

[Sandy V.]

"Blinded by the Light", written by Bruce Springsteen and performed by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, has always confused the HECK out of me!!

Can anyone enlighten me as to what it means?!?!?!


Madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat
In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat
With a boulder on my shoulder, feelin' kinda older, I tripped the merry-go-round
With this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing, the calliope crashed to the ground
Some all-hot half-shot was headin' for the hot spot, snappin' his fingers, clappin' his hands
And some fleshpot mascot was tied into a lover's knot with a whatnot in her hand
And now young Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand
And some bloodshot forget-me-not whispers, "Daddy's within earshot, save the buckshot, turn up the band"

And she was blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
She got down but she never got tight, but she'll make it alright

Some brimstone baritone anti-cyclone rolling stone preacher from the East
He says, "Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in its funny bone, that's where they expect it least"
And some new-mown chaperone was standin' in the corner all alone, watchin' the young girls dance
And some fresh-sown moonstone was messin' with his frozen zone to remind him of the feeling of romance

Yeah, he was blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
He got down but he never got tight, but he's gonna make it tonight

Some silicone sister with her manager's mister told me I got what it takes
She said, "I'll turn you on, sonny, to something strong if you play that song with the funky break"
And Go-Cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart to see if it was safe to go outside
And little Early-Pearly came by in her curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride
Oh, some hazard from Harvard was skunked on beer, playin' backyard bombardier
Yes, and Scotland Yard was trying hard, they sent some dude with a calling card, he said, "Do what you like, but don't do it here"
Well, I jumped up, turned around, spit in the air, fell on the ground and asked him which was the way back home
He said, "Take a right at the light, keep goin' straight until night, and then, boy, you're on your own"
And now in Zanzibar, a shootin' star was ridin' in a side car, hummin' a lunar tune
Yes, and the avatar said, "Blow the bar but first remove the cookie jar, we're gonna teach those boys to laugh too soon"
And some kidnapped handicap was complainin' that he caught the clap from some mousetrap he bought last night
Well, I unsnapped his skull cap and between his ears I saw a gap but figured he'd be all right

He was just blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun
Oh, but Mama, that's where the fun is
I was blinded
I was blinded
I was blinded

 

[RUDisney]

To me, that's the same as the art community finding "genius" in abstract paintings drawn by elephants or monkeys (I always loved those stories). Any English or art teachers care to comment?

Not an art teacher or an English teacher, but you brought to mind a memory I have of being at the Gugenheim Museum when I was a sr in HS. I went with a group of friends and one of them said, "watch this..." He proceeded to give an oratory about one of the pictures at which we were looking. A crowd actually gathered around him, nodding in agreement with his diatribe. The picture was of a farm. His discussion was about how the cows in the picture were facing the barn, and thus, a metaphor for the exodous of people from the city to the country. It was completely made up babble, but the other onlookers thought he really knew a lot about the art and the artist.

Let's not forget about that wonderful ditty about Puff the Magic Dragon. I love when it is discussed in Meet the Parents. I always thought it was about a young boy's love of his fantasy dragon.

 

[joshsmom]

I just don't get this song.... I hear it all the time....

You're So Vain
Carly Simon

You walked into the party
Like you were walking onto a yacht
Your hat strategically dipped below one eye
Your scarf it was apricot
You had one eye in the mirror
As you watched yourself gavotte
And all the girls dreamed that they'd be your partner
They'd be your partner

And, you're so vain
You probably think this song is about you
You're so vain
I'll bet you think this song is about you
Don't you
Don't you

- and the song goes on about him -

But I don't get it - it is about him!
Isn't it?

gees...

Kinda off topic (and no help to you) but my dad always told me Carly Simon is singing about Mick Jagger in this song. Is that true?

 

[FergieTCat]

I defy anyone to explain "McArthur Park."

 

[phamton]

Info about "Puff the Magic Dargon" http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/puff.htm

Hotel Califronia: http://www.snopes.com/music/songs/hotel.htm

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds: http://www.snopes.com/music/hidden/lucysky.htm

 

[dwbakerjr]

...funny... I always heard it (You're So Vain) was about Warren Beatty..

 

[scubamouse]

I tell people Ina Gadda Da Vida was our wedding song just to see their reaction (that's mighty tag worthy! )

I knew about all these songs except horse w/no name.
I like Richard Harris' version of MacArthur Park best but I him
I used to not know what 'Rosie' by Jackson Browne was about but I figured that out pretty quick!
I'm pretty sure Carly Simon was singing Your So Vain about Warren Beatty

American Pie is also about the death of Big Bopper and Richie Valens. That was a lot of talent in one plane crash back then

 

[phisigprincess]

...funny... I always heard it (You're So Vain) was about Warren Beatty..

Carly has said that she will never, ever tell anyone who it's about. Keeps up the mystery. Personally I think it's about my ex-boyfriend....

 

[joshsmom]

Carly has said that she will never, ever tell anyone who it's about. Keeps up the mystery. Personally I think it's about my ex-boyfriend....

 

[BabyTigger99]

Carly has said that she will never, ever tell anyone who it's about. Keeps up the mystery. Personally I think it's about my ex-boyfriend....

Didn't she auction off a piece of paper not too long ago that said who the song was about, and the person who won had to be sworn to secrecy as well?

 

[Stan Kelley]

I had nice teachers who were just doing their job, and I'm sure I gave them more grief than they deserved... just a pet peeve of mine. Thanks for your take on it.

 

[pfishgirl]

it took me a while before I new the song by Tom Petty, Last Dance with Mary Jane was about drugs...



I also saw an interview with Carly, saying the same thing, she'll never tell who the song is about..

 

[GoofieRuthie]

Stairway to Heaven is one of the best rock songs ever written, yet I have no idea what in the heck they are talking about ! LOL!

AMEN!!! When I was a teen some friends and I swore that one day we would research that song and get down the true meaning of it. Many moons later and we still haven't bothered. I DO, still say EVERY time it comes on. " I love this song, but I have no idea what it means!!!"


My all time favorite song is Hotel California. I've always wanted to know the real meaning of it. I was told when I was little that it was about the first Satanic church. Years later a friend argued with me that it was about an insane asylum. When I went looking on the internet for a meaning, I got some lame explaination about making it in the music industry. I like the other two meanings better. They actually fit the song.


I never knew what She Bop was about. I just recently looked the lyrics up so that I could read it myself. Same goes for Roxanne. I also didn't realize until the Grease mega mix came out a few years ago that Greased Lighting was so....naughty. And Grease is my favoritest movie in the world!

 

[Stitchfans]

I didn't know about Prince's song. I would of never thought he was religious at all. I did know about a few of those. I admit I did learn quite a bit from this thread.
Any more?