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Original poster

Meanings behind songs that people don't seem to know...

605 replies

Arlanymor · 28/10/2025 21:38

Do you remember the Real Fires advert with the dog kissing the cat and the cat kissing a mouse? My mum brought it up the other day as one of their neighbours has just got a dog that looks identical to the one in the advertisement. Awww!

I couldn't quite remember the song that was the soundtrack so I looked it up later... it's Will You Love Me Tomorrow by The Shirelles and I brought it up on YouTube to listen to it. It's about a one night stand isn't it? I had no idea until now... there I was thinking it was a lovely warm anthem for chaste kisses between pets!

By the way, not remotely making a judgement about the topic, I've a had a few 'Shirelles' nights of my own in the past... I just never knew what it was about before. Have you had any similar revelations?!

OP posts:
MyOtherProfile · 29/10/2025 07:30

AsTreesWalking · 29/10/2025 06:50

Well, this thread was an eye opener!
But then, I still want to hear 'Nights in white satin, never reaching the end' as 'Knights'. That's what I heard for years and I so much prefer the mental image.

Yes! I thought white satin was like undergarments that they wore under their armour.

I realised talking to friends that there are two types of people in this world - those that listen to the song lyrics me and those that just like the tunes and a jolly chorus most of my friends. I'm surprised at people not knowing what most of these songs are saying, and my friends would be surprised they're saying anything at all!

BalloonSlayer · 29/10/2025 07:30

I always thought the WW1 song "Goodbyeeee" was incredibly sad, it always used to make me tearful when I heard it.

But it turns out it's actually a comic song, the verses are all about trying to get away from someone/something unpleasant and the famous chorus "Goodbyee, Goodbye, wipe the tear baby dear from your eyeee" is a joke.

RaraRachael · 29/10/2025 07:28

I didn't get drug references in songs. We had no drug education at school because there were no drugs. Yes I'm that old.

However I pay no attention to song lyrics and if asked what the majority of songs are about I wouldn't have a clue.

roseclouds · 29/10/2025 07:26

Rosscameasdoody · 29/10/2025 06:15

Utter drivel. If you paid attention to drug education lessons, you wouldn’t use drugs, so you’d have no frame of reference for songs that are about drug use.

Edited
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haha this!

If you never did drugs, didnt hang out with anyone who did drugs, never bought drugs, never used slang language for drugs with your mates then how on earth are you supposed to get all these veiled references to them in songs?

Dollymylove · 29/10/2025 07:25

SriouslyWhutNow · 29/10/2025 01:36

What it says to me is that posters like you paid zero attention at school during drug education lessons and didn’t bother educating yourself about it all either, letting yourself and your future children down by being unable to keep them safe.

So not the “I’m so amazing and well-brought-up” look that these faux naive posters were going for. I feel the same way about adult women who pretend they don’t understand contraception. Anyone of childbearing age absolutely got told all this stuff at school multiple times and none of it should be surprising to anyone who was paying attention so they only have themselves to blame.

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Bloody hell who pissed on your cornflakes?

FlorenceAgainstTheMachine · 29/10/2025 07:20

Dancing in the Moonlight. The background to the original version is grim.

aSpanielintheworks · 29/10/2025 07:18

Bee Gees You win again

gonna shake you from now on..

Im gonna get you from all sides
lay your fortress open wide
Nobody stops this body from taking you

Forced sex. Great song but I can’t listen to it now I know the words.

Lazygardener · 29/10/2025 07:17

Great thread. Until it turned into a silly argument. Is there nothing on MN that doesn’t do that?? Also, can someone explain the lyrics of Bohemian Rhapsody please😝

Fionasapples · 29/10/2025 07:17

SouthernNights59 · 29/10/2025 04:10

I did - and I'm usually pretty slow when it comes to working out what songs are about Grin

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There's an episode of Arrested Development where the main character (I forget his name) is singing Afternoon Delight on karaoke with his niece. His face when he realises what he's singing to his niece is a picture!

StasisMom · 29/10/2025 07:15

Chiseltip · 29/10/2025 00:10

Madonna

Like a Prayer

"When you call my name
It's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees
I wanna take you there"

She's not talking about praying . . .

How dare you! She’s a good catholic girl that one!! 😶

CoffeeCantata · 29/10/2025 07:10

LaserPumpkin · 29/10/2025 00:11

I Will Always Love You - played so often at weddings, but it’s a breakup song.

And Sting singing ‘Every breath you take, every step you take’ (or whatever!) is creepy and threatening, not protective and romantic, and that gets played at weddings too.

Elsvieta · 29/10/2025 07:09

As a kid I got my dad The Who's Greatest Hits or something as a birthday present to have in the car (tape deck; long time ago). Had a look at the notes on the insert before wrapping it and was astonished and horrified to see it quoted one of the band members saying Pictures of Lily was "all about wanking". I knew the song but had not picked up on that. Agonized a bit about whether I could give that to my dad and then decided he'd never look at the notes (or if he did he'd never know I had), and did.

spilltheteapot · 29/10/2025 07:09

I recently saw a video pregnancy announcement online, set to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Small bump’. Which is about late term miscarriage.
People hear but they don’t listen!

FrankWelker · 29/10/2025 07:07

Awobabobob · 29/10/2025 00:28

Born in the USA by Springsteen is not a celebration of being American

So true!! It made me laugh when the Reagan administration had it as their campaign theme tune. Sack the campaign managers!!

AmIJustAnUnreasonsbleBitch · 29/10/2025 07:06

What is born in the USA about, if not exactly that?!

People think it's a patriotic song when its a criticism of America during the Vietnam war. The servicemen in the song are gung-ho Americans, thinking they're doing something patriotic for their country and just end up with their lives fucked up by a pointless war.

Run by Snow Patrol is another drugs one. Pisses me right of hearing Leona Lewis warbling it as though its some kind of love song.

Wherearemysunglasses · 29/10/2025 07:01

Love this!

I have two to add

Relax by mika - about the 2005 London bombings. I love this song but never noticed the lyrics until fairly recently. Think I am even more fond of it now with the careful lyrics and meaning although bittersweet.

Growing on me by the darkness. This is a hilarious one about an STI.

landlordhell · 29/10/2025 07:00

Madness House of Fun was about a boy trying to go into the chemist for condoms but being embarrassed.

macaroni234 · 29/10/2025 06:57

NebulousDeadline · 29/10/2025 06:52

At the risk of being called uneducated I will pitch in with House of Fun by Madness. Was used on a Warburton's (or other bread) TV ad.

Box of balloons
With the feather-light touch
Pack of party-poppers
That pop in the night

I actually knew this one. It’s about a 16 year old on his birthday hoping to lose their virginity. So I read. I am pretty much lyric blind!

Watermelon sugar high by Harry Styles is about oral sex/orgasms. Yep read that too!

landlordhell · 29/10/2025 06:56

AsTreesWalking · 29/10/2025 06:50

Well, this thread was an eye opener!
But then, I still want to hear 'Nights in white satin, never reaching the end' as 'Knights'. That's what I heard for years and I so much prefer the mental image.

Me too!
Some modern songs get radio play and I’m a bit sceptical considering all the radio edit versions out there. The Sabrina Carpenter latest- ‘I get wet at the thought of you, being a responsible guy ‘. They cut the word wet but leave the next line which is ‘ tears run down my thighs’ 😳🤷🏼‍♀️

Pricelessadvice · 29/10/2025 06:55

AsTreesWalking · 29/10/2025 06:50

Well, this thread was an eye opener!
But then, I still want to hear 'Nights in white satin, never reaching the end' as 'Knights'. That's what I heard for years and I so much prefer the mental image.

I always envisaged knights dressed in white sheets, but with a sort of Ku Klux Klan vibe 😂

The ones I know about..
cornflake girl - FGM
Black velvet - Elvis
Every breath you take- a stalker

simplesimoneatspie · 29/10/2025 06:55

emilysquest · 29/10/2025 00:43

Oh come on @nomorehothols this isn't really the thread for your holier than thou attitude. You are not better than anyone else because you don't understand drug references in a song.

Edited

I don’t think this. It’s not a ‘holier than thou attitude’ at all. Being around drugs is not how it should be…

Melonmango70 · 29/10/2025 06:54

Chiseltip · 29/10/2025 00:10

Madonna

Like a Prayer

"When you call my name
It's like a little prayer
I'm down on my knees
I wanna take you there"

She's not talking about praying . . .

I'm 55 and I only realised/found this out a few weeks ago! 😆

PigglyWigglyOhYeah · 29/10/2025 06:52

AsTreesWalking · 29/10/2025 06:50

Well, this thread was an eye opener!
But then, I still want to hear 'Nights in white satin, never reaching the end' as 'Knights'. That's what I heard for years and I so much prefer the mental image.

Oh, me too!

NebulousDeadline · 29/10/2025 06:52

At the risk of being called uneducated I will pitch in with House of Fun by Madness. Was used on a Warburton's (or other bread) TV ad.

Box of balloons
With the feather-light touch
Pack of party-poppers
That pop in the night

WinterFrogs · 29/10/2025 06:51

zupro · 29/10/2025 06:41

@WinterFrogs I never said all songs/songwriters....

Oh I know, sorry, i was just thinking out loud! I'd actually written quite a long post agreeing with you, and then deleted most of it as I'd gone a bit off topic

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